Home Call for Proposals

Call for Proposals

We invite you to help shape the 2027 Global Summit by contributing the strategic insight, experience, and perspective that move the R&E community forward.

April 5 – 8, 2027 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Shape the 2027 PrograM

Help Define What Comes Next for the R&E Community

The 2027 Internet2 Global Summit will feature three primary program tracks open for community proposals. All sessions should be oriented toward strategy and policy, not technical implementation.

The strongest proposals take on the questions no institution can answer alone: What should we do? How should we position ourselves as a community? And how do we get there together?

All proposals are reviewed by the Global Summit Program Committee against the evaluation criteria below. Your insight, experience, and perspective help shape a program that moves the R&E community forward together.

Beyond these tracks, the Global Summit Program Committee curates additional sessions on Policy, Federal Relations, and Advocacy in a Changing Landscape; and Leadership, Talent, and the Future of the R&E Workforce. Both are integrated throughout the event and not open for proposals.

Now Open Aug 3 – Sept 18, 2026
The questions reshaping R&E are too big for any one institution to answer alone. Bring yours to the table.
AI Strategy & Governance for R&E
How the R&E community adopts, governs, and leads responsibly through AI disruption.
The Future of R&E Infrastructure
Network, cloud, connectivity, and quantum technology.
Data Privacy, Compliance & Collaboration
The future of trusted, cross-border research collaboration.

Questions? Reach out to the Internet2 Events Team.

Submit a Proposal

2027 Program Tracks

Three Tracks. One Community Deciding What Comes Next

Internet2 Global Summit's program is built around three strategic tracks, each focused on a decision the R&E community is facing right now. Explore them below, then submit the proposal that fits yours best. Every session is designed around strategy, policy, and institutional decision-making, not technical implementation.

01
Program Track

AI Strategy and Governance for R&E

Submit a Proposal

Artificial intelligence is reshaping research, teaching, and operations across every institution in the R&E ecosystem. This track invites leaders from across the U.S. and around the world to move beyond awareness and into strategic deliberation:

  • How should institutions govern AI use responsibly?
  • What does an AI-ready education and research infrastructure look like, and what role does shared network and cloud infrastructure play in making AI accessible across the community?
  • How do we ensure equity of access and institutional alignment when AI adoption is accelerating unevenly?

Sessions will explore AI policy frameworks, ethical considerations, workforce implications, and how U.S. institutions are coordinating with global partners on AI governance standards.

02
Program Track

The Future of R&E Infrastructure

Submit a Proposal

Network, cloud, connectivity, and quantum technology — the backbone infrastructure of research and education is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. This track takes a strategic lens to the future of R&E networking and cloud infrastructure, including the investment decisions, partnership models, and policy choices that national and global leaders must make now to ensure their organizations are positioned for what comes next. 

Sessions will explore the evolution of Internet2's network and what it means for Internet2 institutions, how cloud services and hybrid infrastructure models are reshaping how institutions think about capacity and cost, and how quantum technology developments will eventually reshape the landscape entirely. As quantum technologies progress and evolve, sessions will also examine what collaborations institutions and organizations are beginning to explore and employ now. 

This track also examines how geopolitical dynamics, including the physical realities of undersea cable infrastructure and subsea connectivity, are affecting global research network connectivity and what that means for cross-border scientific collaboration.

03
Program Track

Data Privacy, Compliance & the Future of Research Collaboration

Submit a Proposal

Research is borderless but data is increasingly not. This track examines the growing tension between open science and the patchwork of national and international regulations governing data ownership, access, and transfer. 

Sessions will address how institutions are making strategic decisions about cloud adoption and data residency including how Internet2's cloud services help institutions navigate compliance while preserving research agility as well as how leaders are managing data privacy regulations (GDPR and beyond) and research data compliance in an era of heightened national security concern. This track is particularly relevant for leaders working with international research collaborations.

Submission Guidelines

What to Include in Your Submission

Please review the following carefully before submitting. The Global Summit Program Committee will evaluate all proposals against these criteria.

What to include
Session title (40 characters or fewer)
Abstract (300–500 words) describing the topic, key questions, and what attendees will take away
Speaker and panelist names, titles, and institutional affiliations
Preferred session format and length
Primary program track
Brief speaker bio(s), if available
Presentation formats
Presentations
20, 30, and 40-minute presentations with Q&A
Panel Discussions
Multiple leaders, one strategic question, examined from across institutions and perspectives
Lightning Talks
5–7 minutes for quick, high-impact insights

Evaluation Criteria

How Proposals Are Reviewed

All proposals will be reviewed by the Global Summit Program Committee and evaluated on the following.

Strategic relevance
Does the session address a challenge or opportunity of consequence to R&E institutional leadership?
Alignment with the event theme
Does the proposal reflect the spirit of Shared Future. Collective Strength. in a meaningful way?
Community impact
Will the session produce insights, frameworks, or commitments that extend beyond the event itself?
Global dimension
Does the proposal incorporate or explicitly consider international perspectives, global partners, or cross-border dynamics?
Audience engagement
Is the session designed to actively engage participants rather than simply inform them?
Institutional & organizational breadth
Does the proposal speak to the full spectrum of the R&E community, including institutions at varying sizes and stages?

Proposal Tips

Write a Proposal That Stands Out

1
Ground your proposal in the strategic question, not the technology or service. What decision does this session help leaders make?
2
Think about your audience. Every person in the room carries responsibility. What do they need to leave with?
3
Diversity matters. Panels that reflect a range of institutional types, sizes, geographies, and roles make for stronger sessions.
4
Global perspectives strengthen proposals. If your topic has international dimensions, name them explicitly.
5
Working sessions that produce something — a framework, a shared position, a collective commitment — are among our most valued formats.
Strategy, not implementation

Internet2 Global Summit operates at the level of strategy, policy, and institutional decision-making — not technical implementation. The strongest proposals address what institutions and the community should do, why it matters, and how leaders can work together to get there. Proposals centered on technical how-to, product demonstrations, or vendor-specific solutions are generally not appropriate for this program and may be redirected to the Internet2 Technology Exchange (TechEX).

How to Submit

Four Steps to Submit Your Proposal

01
Create your profile

Select "Login" from the menu at the top of the page to access the proposal system, then choose "New User." This information provides authentication details that are linked to your proposal. Once you have completed this step, your information will be retained for any further proposal submissions for the 2027 Internet2 Global Summit.

02
Start a submission

Once you've created a profile (or logged in), click the "Submissions" link in the top nav bar. On the "Your Submissions" page, click "add new" to create a proposal.

03
Choose your session type

Indicate the type of session you are submitting:

Solo Presentation Panel Moderated Debate Lightning Talk
04
Complete & submit

Once you've selected the appropriate proposal type, the system prompts you with additional questions and options. Complete them and submit.

Check for your confirmation email

If you have successfully submitted your proposal, an auto-generated email is sent to the email address provided to confirm your submission has been received! If you do not receive this email, please contact meetings@internet2.edu as it is likely you did not successfully complete the submission.

Key Dates

Mark Your Calendar

Aug 3, 2026
Call for Proposals opens
Sept 18, 2026
Call for Proposals closes
Early October
Program Committee meets to select the program
Coming later: Workshops & Working Meetings

The Call for Workshops and Working Meetings will open in late September; Workshops & Working Meetings are a gathering of individuals who are collaborating to develop best practices around an existing challenge facing the Higher ED R&E community. Both are held on either pre- or post-event days and can use half-day or full-day schedules.

Questions?

For questions about the Call for Proposals, track alignment, session formats, or the submission process, please reach out to the Internet2 Events Team.

Call for Proposals opens Aug 3 and closes Sept 18, 2026.
Submit a Proposal