The Coleridge Initiative is pleased to open the Call for Proposals for its 2026 National Conference, taking place March 24–27, 2026, in Arlington, VA.

This annual gathering brings together data pioneers, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners from across the country to explore innovative approaches to accelerating secure, shared data for policy development and improved public outcomes.

We invite proposals that showcase best practices and case studies, research findings and results, collaborative projects and partnerships, and success stories where evidence-based decision-making improved policy or program outcomes.

Areas of focus include (but are not limited to):

• Data governance and privacy protection
• Cross-sector and cross-jurisdictional data sharing
• Advanced analytics and data science applications related to workforce, education, health, or other community focused sectors
• Success stories demonstrating how evidence-based decision-making improved policies or programs
• Data infrastructure and secure environments
• Development and capacity building for organizations and entities working in data-driven policymaking.

We welcome submissions in the following formats:

• Presentations (30–60 minutes)
• Panel discussions (45–60 minutes)
• Roundtables (60 minutes, interactive)
• Lightning talks (5–10 minutes)
• Poster sessions (5 minutes)

Submission deadline: October 15, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET.

Submit your Proposal: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X8SLQN5

• Learn more about last year’s conference 
• Watch highlights from last year’s conference.

About the 2026 Conference Theme: “Data Beyond Borders”

The theme Data Beyond Borders reflects the growing potential and complexities of leveraging data across organizational, sector, and jurisdictional boundaries to inform policy, improve public programs, and drive better outcomes for communities and economies at scale. At the 2026 Annual Conference, we are especially interested in exploring how secure and responsible data sharing can break down silos, foster collaboration, and accelerate innovative, data-driven decision-making.

We encourage proposals that showcase approaches to sharing and using data beyond traditional limitations, whether that means across government agencies, sectors, states, or research domains. Sessions might highlight success stories, lessons learned, governance strategies, analytics tools, or capacity-building initiatives that make cross-boundary data use possible and effective.

By bringing together data leaders, policymakers, and practitioners, Data Beyond Borders seeks to spark new ideas, accelerate partnerships, and advance the responsible use of data and technologies to improve policies and programs nationwide.

Join us in shaping the conversation on secure data use and data-driven policy at Coleridge’s 2026 National Conference.