Rooted in Connection: Co-Creating Equity Through Collaboration
Amplifying Voices and Designing Change Together
2026 Health Equity Research Symposium & Poster Session
Thursday, March 26, 2026
12:00p.m. – 5:00p.m
UConn Storrs Campus (In Person)
The University of Connecticut’s Office for Inclusion and Civil Rights invites you to the Annual Health Equity Research Symposium, a gathering that highlights innovative and interdisciplinary work advancing equity, justice, and health.
This year’s symposium invites participants to reflect on how collaboration, community voice, and cross-sector partnerships can drive real and sustained change in health and well-being—especially in the face of systemic inequities and racial disparities.
Grounded in the values of the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) framework, this symposium aims to build bridges between research, practice, and lived experience by centering community voices and interdisciplinary collaboration.
We welcome faculty, staff, students, researchers, practitioners, community members, and advocates across UConn, UConn Health, and throughout Connecticut. Whether you are advancing research, leading grassroots initiatives, shaping policy, or engaging in cross-disciplinary collaborations, we look forward to being in community with you.
Call for Abstracts
We welcome abstracts from faculty, staff, students, researchers, practitioners, community members, and advocates across UConn, UConn Health, and throughout Connecticut. Whether you are advancing research, leading grassroots initiatives, shaping policy, or engaging in cross-disciplinary collaborations, we invite you to share your work and contribute to a shared vision of new approaches to health equity.
Suggested Abstract Topics:
We welcome submissions on a wide range of topics related to health equity, including but not limited to:
- Community Impacts & Policy Intersections
- How public policy affects health equity and vice versa
- Community voice in shaping public health and health systems
- Health Equity & Structural Racism
- Institutional practices and systems that uphold or challenge inequity
- Approaches to shifting policies, structures, or resource allocation
- Innovations in Practice & Policy
- Emerging models in public health practice or policy reform
- Culturally responsive and inclusive care or outreach
- Data, Research, & Equity Tools
- Leveraging data and resources to address health equity and the social determinants of health
- Innovative arts-based and participatory research approaches that advance community participation
- Health Equity Partnerships that Work
- Co-creation between higher education and community partners
- Institutional & Policy Change
- DEIJ efforts influencing systems or resource allocation
- Lessons from shifting policy to advance equity and justice
Requirements and Submission Details
Abstract Requirements
- Abstracts should be between 150 - 300 words
- Abstracts should include the following sections with headers: Title, Authors, Purpose, Methods, Results, and Conclusion.
- Abstracts can also reflect works in progress
- Abstracts should include a minimum of 2 references
- All abstracts will be reviewed by the organizing committee prior to approval.
Submission Details
Deadline: Friday, January 30, 2026, at 11:59p.m.
Submit Your Abstract Here: Submission Form
Questions: Email us at diversity@uconn.edu
Acceptance/rejection emails will be sent out in February 2026.
Sponsorship and Advertising Submission Details
Why sponsor?
The Health Equity Research Symposium, hosted by UConn’s Office for Inclusion and Civil Rights (OICR), brings together researchers, practitioners, students, community organizations, and advocates from across Connecticut to explore innovative and interdisciplinary work advancing equity, justice, and health. Rooted in the values of Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT), this event builds bridges between academic research, lived experience, and community-driven action.
As a sponsor, your support will help us:
- Fund travel and accommodations for travels, particularly for community partners and invited experts
- Provide an accessible, high-quality experience for attendees through meals, inclusive spaces, and technology
- Create space for dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and cross-sector collaboration that leads to new approaches to health equity
Benefit to your organization
- As a sponsor, your organization will be recognized as a supporter of inclusive research, community engagement, and systemic transformation in public health and social policy.
- Sponsors are prominently acknowledged at the event and in the printed symposium program.
Sponsorship Levels
| Amount | Recognition | Program Ad Size |
| $500 | Company logo displayed at event | Full-page ad (4.75” W × 7.75” H) |
| $250 | Company logo displayed at event | Half-page ad (4.75” W × 3.75” H) |
| $100 | Company logo displayed at event | Quarter-page ad (2.25” W × 3.75” H) |
Advertising Specs
Please submit your logo and ad copy as:
- High-resolution files (300 dpi or higher)
- Formats accepted: .JPG, .PNG, or .PDF
- Logos and ads must be received by Friday, February 20, 2026
Open to Community Organizations and University Departments
Are you interested in showcasing your organization or university department’s mission, services, or resources related to health equity, community engagement, or wellness?
Don’t miss this opportunity!
Engage with attendees from across UConn and Connecticut, build new connections, and highlight how your work contributes to a healthier, more equitable future.
👉 Reserve your table today: Tabling Registration form