Call for Special Interest Group (SIG) Meetings
Submission Deadline: April 15, 2026, 11:59pm, Pacific Time
The Society for Social Work and Research special interest groups (SIGs) facilitate networking opportunities for conference attendees to discuss specific social work research, policy, or practice in greater depth. We are now accepting requests to convene a SIG meeting (new or existing) to be held as part of the SSWR 2027 Annual Conference. As you may know, especially those of you who have held SIG meetings at SSWR over the years, the SIGs are an important component of the annual conference. SSWR will provide a meeting space for your SIG.
- View How to Request a SIG Meeting
- View SIG Policies and Development Guidelines
- View Requirements for All SIG Requests
- View SIG Review, Criteria, and Acceptance Process
- View SSWR Governance Structure and SIGs
- View Thinking about forming a SIG? Watch this SIG Virtual Panel as a start!
- View SIG Meetings Held Previously at SSWR Annual Conference
To facilitate the meetings of special interest groups (SIGs), it is necessary that all pre-existing and new SIGs submit a request to convene a SIG. Please see the list below for SIGs held previously. If you would like to convene one of these SIGs or convene a new SIG, please complete the online form at www.sswr.org by Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 11:59pm, Pacific Time. If we do not hear from you by this date, we will assume that the SIG you are associated with does not plan to convene during the 2027 annual conference.
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP (SIG) POLICIES AND DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES
The SSWR Research Capacity Development Committee (RCDC) hosted a webinar in January 2021, in which SIG conveners were invited to participate. Watch the video at https://sswr.org/sig-development-guidelines/. The purpose of the webinar was to provide new SIG conveners with an introduction to SIGs and provide all SIG conveners with ideas for the development and expansion of their SIGs and begin to develop a network of SIG conveners. Please note that SIG meetings for the 2027 annual conference will be held in-person in San Francisco, CA.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL SIG REQUESTS
SSWR, as part of its governance structure, has legal responsibility for SIG meetings at the conference and SIGs which meet at the SSWR annual conference are “committees.” The convener/co-conveners of the SIG will serve as chair/co-chair of the committee.
SIG requests must include the following information.
- Basic information (e.g., SIG name, convener and co-conveners, anticipated SIG attendance)
- Activities (e.g., SIG meetings in addition to those held at SSWR, communications to SIG attendees)
- Legal status (is the SIG affiliated with any other organization or entity?)
- Description (e.g., 100-word description of your SIG)
SIG convener/co-convener requirements include:
- Membership – all conveners/co-conveners must be current members of SSWR when they request the SIG and must be current members for the 2027 membership year (January 1 – December 31, 2027).
- Registration – all conveners/co-conveners must register for the conference.
- Conveners must complete a post-conference report (e.g., provide the number of attendees and a narrative summary of your SIG meeting). A separate questionnaire will be sent to you after your SIG meeting, which must be completed within 30 days of your meeting.
SIG Review, Criteria, and Acceptances Process
- Review: All SIG requests received by the deadline will be reviewed by the SSWR Vice President and Conference Chair.
- Criteria: SIG requests must be relevant to social work research. Proposed new SIGs may address a new focus, e.g. research topic, methodology, and audience (faculty, students, deans, associate deans, community-partners), etc. Please refer to the list below of SIGs that have been held previously.
- New SIGs will be reviewed to ensure they do not conflict with another SIG submission. If one or more SIG requests overlap, in terms of focus, we will encourage those SIG conveners to combine and coordinate the facilitation of the SIG meeting.
- All reconvening SIGS must submit a request annually. No SIGs are automatically carried over from year-to-year.
- New SIG requests that do not overlap with previously held SIGs will be considered as independent SIGs.
- Final acceptance is based on the availability of meeting space and time on the conference program. Historically, SSWR has adequate meeting space and time on the program to accept all SIGs which meet the criteria.
SSWR Governance Structure and SIGs
The SIGs are committees within SSWR’s governance structure. (See SSWR Bylaws, Article V. Committees, Section 16 at https://secure.sswr.org/about-sswr/bylaws/.)
SSWR SIGs may not use SSWR’s name in ways that create legal liabilities or results in income for the SIG or its members. SIGs may not make statements on behalf of SSWR or enter into any contractual agreements, memos of understanding, etc. SIGs may not make a statement in support of any national, state, or local legislation; such a statement constitutes lobbying. SSWR is an IRS 501(c)3 non-profit organization and may not lobby.
These activities may not be undertaken without explicit approval by the SSWR Board of Directors. To request more information, please contact Jennifer Lewis by email at lewis@sswr.org.
SIG conveners and attendees must adhere to SSWR’s Anti-Harassment Policy and Code of Ethics and Procedures for Review of Member Conduct (https://secure.sswr.org/about-sswr/sswr-anti%e2%80%91harassment-policy/)
SIGs may use the SSWR logo in their materials; for approval contact Jennifer Lewis by email at lewis@sswr.org.
Thinking about forming a SIG? Watch this SIG Virtual Panel as a start!
The Society for Social Work and Research Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are an important component of the annual conference but vary greatly in terms of their development and activities across the calendar year. The virtual panel (held 1/26/21) aimed to provide an opportunity for SIG conveners, or those who may be interested in developing a SIG in the future, to meet, network, and learn from the experiences of three long-running SIGs through a panel-style discussion and question and answer session. Panelists discussed their experiences developing SIGs, insights into the challenges and opportunities, and tips for organizers.
IMPORTANT: Failure to adhere to these requirements will impact future SIG requests.
The SIGs will be scheduled for either Friday (January 22), 7:00 am – 8:00, am, 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm, or Saturday (January 23), 7:00 am – 8:00, am, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm. Due to the complexity of the schedule we cannot consider scheduling requests. Meeting space is limited. We will confirm your request via e-mail by mid-November 2026. Confirmed SIGs will be listed in the conference program and will indicate the meeting room assignment.
SIG Meetings Held Previously at SSWR Annual Conference
Abolitionist Social Work
Acamamas: Academic Mothers
Achieve Equal Opportunity and Justice (Grand Challenges for Social Work)
Acting on a 21st Century Research Agenda for a Child Welfare and Child Well-Being System – Networking Session for Funders and Researchers
Addictive Behaviors and Substance Misuse SIG
Addressing Weight Stigma
Advanced Illness, Palliative and End of Life Care
Advancements in Translational Biobehavioral Research
Advancing Long and Productive Lives (Grand Challenge)
Advancing Racial Equity in Practice and Practicum: Organized By the Partnership for Equity and Excellence in Practicum (PEEP) at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work
Afghanistan Veterans and Diasporic Communities Research Development and Advocacy Network
Aging Research, Education, Advocacy, and Practice
Anthropology and Social Work
Arts-Based Research and Praxis
Associate and Deputy Deans of Faculty Affairs, Faculty Development, and Academic Affairs
Associate Research Deans and Directors SIG
Behavioral Health Cross-Cutting Working Group (Grand Challenges for Social Work)
Black @ SSWR
Black Administrators, Researchers, & Scholars (BARS)
Black, Indigenous, and Latinx Tenured Professors
Building Financial Capability and Assets for All (Grand Challenge for Social Work)
Building Healthy Relationships to End Violence (Grand Challenge for Social Work)
Child and Family Traumatic Stress
Child Welfare
Children & Youth Behavioral Health Policy and Services Research
Chronic and Serious Illness: Diagnosis through End of Life SIG
Close the Health Gap (Grand Challenges for Social Work)
Coalition for the Promotion of Behavioral Health (Grand Challenge)
Community and Neighborhood SIG
Competency-Based Education in Social Work
Council on Social Work Education Minority Fellowship Program (CSWE-MFP)
Creating Social Responses to a Changing Environment (Grand Challenge for Social Work)
Criminal and Juvenile Justice
Critical Feminisms
Critical Mental Health
Culturally Sensitive and Mindful Practices in Higher Education for Supporting Unauthorized College Students
Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
Decolonizing Research Methods
Deimplementation Science & Practice
Designing and Funding Research for a 21st Century Child and Family Well-Being System – Networking Session for Funders and Researchers
Disability
Disaster and Climate Research
Discrimination and Health
Doctoral Education SIG
Eliminating Racism (Grand Challenge for Social Work)
Ensure Healthy Development for Youth (Grand Challenges for Social Work)
Eradicating Social Isolation (Grand Challenge for Social Work)
Fatherhood Related Research SIG
Field Education
Financial Capability and Asset Building
Foster Care and Higher Education SIG
Fostering Research Collaboration for Multi-System Youth: Breaking Down Silos to Advance Social Work Research
GADE Social Work Doctoral Education SIG
Gender Issues (Grand Challenges for Social Work)
Gender-Based Violence (formerly VAWC)
Grand Challenge to End Homelessness
Grand Challenge to Eradicate Social Isolation
Grand Challenge to Promote Smart Decarceration (PSD)
Grand Challenge to Reduce Extreme Inequality
Harm Reduction
Harness Technology for Social Good (Grand Challenge)
HBCU Social Work Research Collective
Health Equity & Families
Health Loss and Well-Being of the Children of Criminal Justice Involved Parents
Heterodox Social Work
Historical Research in Social Work SIG
HIV and Aging Research
Human Trafficking
Human-Animal Interaction Research
Human-Animal-Environment Interaction
Immigrant and Refugee Studies SIG
Immigration (Grand Challenges for Social Work)
Implementation Research
Indigenous and First Nations Focused Research
Journal of Community Practice Editorial Board
Kinship Care and Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Korean American Social Work Educators Association (KASWEA)
Latinx Focused Research and Practice
Leading Interdisciplinary Teams for Health Equity Policy Change in Polarized Environments
LGBTQ Health Research Hub
Lived Experience, the Lived Experience/Peer Workforce & Social Work
Management and Organizations SIG
Maternal and Infant Mental Health
Mentoring and Support Experiences for Black Women Leaders in Social Work Education SIG
Mixed Methods Research
Multi-System Children and Youth (Note: This is the correct submission to use)
Oncology SIG
Organizations and Management
Period Talk: How’s Your Body Doing in Social Work?
Pilipinx Social Work and Allies Group (P-SWAG)
Policy Research & Social Work
Political Social Work
Political Social Work and the Future of Democracy
Preventing Gun Violence (Grand Challenge for Social Work)
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Psychiatric Medications
Psychiatric Rehabilitation
Qualitative Methods SIG
Qualitative Social Work Research
Reducing Extreme Economic Inequality (Grand Challenge)
Reimagining Justice for Youth and Young Adults (RJYYA)
Research and Advocacy for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Communities
Research and Advocacy on Human Flourishing and Well-Being
Research on Social Work Journal – Special Interest Group Meeting
Research Synthesis Methods
Research with Multiracial Individuals
Research with Service Members, Veterans, Family Members and Their Systems of Care
Resilience and Strengths-Based Research SIG
Restorative Research Methods/Approaches
Rural Behavioral Health
Scholars across Anthropology and Social Work
School Social Work and School Based Research SIG
Simulation-Based Research on Social Work Education and Practice
Smart Decarceration (Grand Challenge for Social Work)
Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship
Social Work and First-Episode Psychosis
Social Work and Neuroscience
Social Work and Reproductive Justice
Social Work and Research with Multiracial Individuals and Families
Social Work and Research with Muslims SIG
Social Work Contributions to Psychosis & Schizophrenia-Conditions
Social Work Leadership in Addressing Health Disparities through Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Social Work Scholars in LGBTQ+ Research SIG
Social Work Supervision and Workforce Development Scholars
Social Work, Jewish Identity, and Judaism
Social Workers Advancing Asian American Mental Health
Social Workers and the Use of Art in Advocacy, Healing, and Self-Expression
South Asian Social Work Educators’ Association (SASWEA)
Space, Place and Geography
Sport Social Work
Strength-Based Approaches to Studying Black Male Youth: Implications for Social Work Practice
Suicide Research, Prevention, and Intervention
The LGBTQ Caucus of Social Work Students & Faculty (Q-Caucus)
Underrepresented Faculty in Higher Education: Pathways to Tenure
Universal Basic Income and Guaranteed Income Policies and Research
Violence Against Women and Children
Well-Being of Black Women and Girls (WBBWG) Special Interest Group
Work and Work-Life Policies and Programs
Workforce Health and Well-Being Among Social Work Professions
Youth and Young Adult Homelessness