Call for Submissions

The Master's of Science program in Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) invites you to participate in the 22nd Annual River Cities I-O (RCIO) Psychology Conference. This year's event will be held in-person in Chattanooga, TN on Friday November 6 and 7, 2026. 

Hosted by the UTC I-O Psychology program in Chattanooga, TN since 2008, the RCIO conference is a highly professional, yet student-friendly event that provides attendees with a positive and an encouraging conference experience. Conference evaluations from attendees consistently indicate that RCIO is among the most positive and rewarding mini-conference experiences. Each year, the RCIO conference is focused on a different and unique theme relevant to I-O or more general applied psychology. The focus of this year’s conference is: Work in an Age of Division: Understanding and addressing social and political tensions at work. This year's focus will be on how political and social polarization outside the workplace can spill over into organizational life, shaping and influencing interpersonal dynamics, trust, collaboration, work-related performance, and employee health, safety, and well-being. This theme draws attention to sometimes hidden consequences of ambient political conversations, the role of employee activism, and the measurable impact of major political events on employee productivity and morale in organizational contexts. Theme-related presentations will also consider strategies that can help leaders and employees foster resilience, maintain psychological safety, and demonstrate support and respect even during times of heightened social and political tension. As always, I-O relevant presentations and poster submissions that are not directly linked to this theme will also be considered.

The emphasis in theme-track presentations will broadly address this theme in all manner of work settings. In keeping with RCIO tradition, other sessions (including the Friday afternoon sessions) will focus on a variety of traditional areas of I-O Psychology and career-/practice-related topics relevant to current and future I-O and broader talent management professionals (practitioners and researchers). This conference is especially friendly to advanced undergraduate and graduate students with interests linked to I-O psychology, human resource management, and all aspects of talent acquisition, development, and general organizational functioning.

Presentations at RCIO do not have to be purely "I-O psychology" in their origin or focus but should be relevant to an audience of developing I-O/talent management professionals and based on a solid body of strong theory, practice, and/or data. We invite practitioners, researchers, faculty, and students who are interested in applied psychology to submit proposals for (a) research/evidence-based presentations and/or (b) poster presentations that are generally related to the theme of this year's conference and/or to the application of psychology in organizations. For this year's conference, the submission deadline is Friday October 9, 2026. Early submissions are appreciated and given priority review to reduce processing times and provide conference attendees with as much advance notice of the conference program as possible. All submitters will be notified of final acceptance decisions by Wednesday October 14, 2026 (or as close to that date as possible).

All poster and presentation submissions to RCIO are processed through the online UTC Scholar platform. This system enables us to more efficiently manage submissions and publish electronic conference proceedings upon conclusion of each year's event.

There are two general session types at RCIO:

1. Research/evidence-based presentations: These presentations last 60 minutes, including time for interactive Q&A. Each presentation room is equipped with a projector, screen, computer, and internet connectivity. If other equipment will be needed, please specify in the comments box of your submission. Presentation submissions should include names and affiliations of all presenters as well as a title (< 15 words) and short abstract/summary of the proposed session (< 400 words). This abstract should clearly provide information about the focus of your proposed presentation, the delivery style or approach for the session, and the value and implications (research and/or practice-oriented are fine) of this session for conference attendees. With your submission, please upload as an attachment a resume or CV for each presenter. If accepted, you are expected to submit by Monday November 2, 2026 a final PDF version of your presentation slides and/or brief white paper summarizing or outlining the main points of your presentation (for inclusion in our online RCIO Proceedings). This submission is made through the UTC Scholar system, by updating your accepted submission details.
2. Research/applied experience poster presentations: Posters submitted to RCIO may be of three forms: (1) Proposed and in-progress research, (2) Completed Research, or (3) Internship/Practicum overviews (summarizing completed projects or initiatives for which you can demonstrate impact). You should make it clear which type of poster submission you are making in your submission abstract. If accepted, you are expected to submit by Monday November 2, 2026 a final PDF version of your poster (for inclusion in our online RCIO Proceedings). This submission is made through the UTC Scholar system, by updating your accepted submission details.
   1. Proposed and in-progress research submissions should include names and affiliations of all authors, the poster title (< 15 words), and a detailed abstract (of no more than 400 words). This abstract should clearly provide information on the research question(s)/hypotheses, the proposed method, the planned analyses and expected results, and the potential implications of the findings or expected findings. Within the method, clearly state the sample from which the data have been or will be derived, along with basic information about the study design and measures used. For your implications, try to think about how your findings contribute to both research and practice.
   2. Completed research submissions should include names and affiliations of all authors, the poster/paper title (< 15 words), and a detailed abstract (of no more than 400 words). This abstract should clearly provide information on the research question(s)/hypotheses, the method, analyses and results, and the implications of the findings or expected findings. Within the method clearly state the sample from which the data have been or will be derived, along with basic information about the study design and measures used. Within the results, clearly articulate the analytic strategy that was used or that will be used. For your implications, try to think about how your findings contribute to both research and practice.
   3. Internship/practicum overview submissions should include names and affiliations of all authors, the poster title (< 15 words); in your abstract (of no more than 400 words), include a summary of how you secured the position, an overview of the actual placement (organization), summary of responsibilities, and focused discussion on an initiative or two that you were strongly involved in running or managing. Lessons learned are also important to this type of submission, given the large number of student attendees at this conference. 

Please note that at the time of submission, you need to list all authors with their professional affiliations. Authors are traditionally listed in the order of effort devoted to the project. For guidelines on determining authorship, you can reference the American Psychological Association’s authorship scorecard tool. 

Also note that in keeping with standard research ethics in psychology and associated fields, work submitted for presentation at RCIO should not have already been presented or published elsewhere, nor should such work be under consideration for presentation at another conference.

To submit a poster or presentation proposal:

1. Click the following link: UTC Scholar - RCIO Collections.
2. Click on "Submit Event" in the lower left corner of the navigation bar, under "Author Corner".
3. Create a free bepress account before you can proceed with your submission (bepress is the host for the UTC Scholar system). Two important notes: (1) If you already have a bepress account through another institution, your username and password should work here as well; and (2) because this system will also serve as our online repository for the RCIO Proceedings, you will need to select a Creative Commons license you are comfortable with at the time of submission.
4. Fill in the required fields and upload your poster or presentation proposal document adhering to the guidelines outlined above.
5. Submit your event for review.

If you have questions along the way, please contact the conference chair, Dr. Chris Cunningham at: [email protected].  

Details on registration for this year's event are found in the Registration section of this website.

Presenter Requirements

The following are important guidelines to remember if your submission is accepted for inclusion in this year's RCIO conference:

If you are presenting a poster: Posters will need to be uploaded as pdf files through the submission system prior to the conference. Poster presenters are expected to bring printed posters for display at the conference. Easels with backing boards will be provided and can accommodate posters up to 3 x 4 feet in dimension.

If you are a session presenter: Presentations at this year’s RCIO Conference are scheduled to last 45-60 minutes, inclusive of time for Q&A. This typically means that you should prepare around 30-45 minutes of content and plan to facilitate discussion and answer questions from the audience.