Core Competencies

To align our educational offerings with Core Competencies for the Practice of IH/OH, AIHA Connect is now categorizing submissions by Core Competencies rather than topic areas. Core competencies encompass the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities required to anticipate, recognize, evaluate, and control workplace health hazards and are essential for success in the field. These competencies help distinguish a competent OEHS professional and are foundational to practice, guide education and training, and align with industry standards and ethical expectations. View the Core Competency definitions and topical relationships to assist in making the best selection for your submission.

Targeted Audience (IH/OH Practice Level)

In addition to tagging your session's Content Level, you will be asked to assign a targeted audience aligning with one of the three basic levels of practice in IH/OH from the AIHA Core Competencies (Technician, Practitioner, or Professional).

Worker Exposure Data and/or Results

To improve the accuracy of exposure judgments and determine the tools being used to do so, you will be asked if worker exposure data and/or results of worker exposure data analysis will be presented as part of your session. If so, you will be asked to describe the statistical methods and tools used for the analysis.

Peer Review Group Selection

Each AIHA Connect proposal submission receives a bi-level review. First, technical reviewers serve as subject matter experts, reviewing submissions to ensure they are scientifically sound, innovative, and relevant to the profession. The technical review process occurs before review by the Continuing Education Committee (CEC) or Conference Program Committee (CPC) and assists the relevant committee in selecting the final content to be presented as the education program. You will be asked to self-select the technical review group best suited to serve as the subject matter experts for peer review of your submission based on the primary topic to be presented.

Professional Development Course (PDC) Scheduling

PDCs will be offered as either in-person only or virtual only, with no hybrid options.  

If your PDC is selected to be part of the in-person AIHA Connect program, it will be delivered live at the designated conference center. Both instructor(s) and audience members will be in-person only. For 2027, in-person PDCs will be scheduled Saturday and/or Sunday, May 22-23, or Thursday, May 27.  

If your PDC is selected to be a part of the virtual AIHA Connect program, it will be broadcast live via Zoom, allowing an audience worldwide to participate in the learning experience online. Both instructor(s) and audience members will be fully virtual. For 2027, virtual PDCs will be scheduled Thursday, May 20, Friday, May 21, or Thursday, May 27.

As part of the online submission of your proposal, you will be asked to select your preferred delivery method (in-person or virtual) and preferred presentation date. *Please note that AIHA will do its best to accommodate your request for your preferred day, but will have final authority over scheduling your course.

AIHA will offer the following tracks for programming:

• Student and Early Career Professionals Track: The Student and Early Career Professional Track showcases the research initiatives of students and early career professionals across the country and provides targeted content offerings to this audience as they navigate their entry and professional growth within the occupational health and safety field. Submitters self-select their presentations for this track with a final review and approval by the Conference Program Committee.

Adults learn in a variety of ways and are more motivated to learn when they see the direct application of the material. Including activities and participant driven discussion in your session can make an enormous difference in attendee engagement, retention of knowledge, and overall satisfaction. Involving your audience will make attendees feel like they are part of the conversation. We ask that you consider working one or more of the suggestions below in your presentation.

• Incorporate a live poll into your slide deck to get audience feedback, help guide your presentation, or as a quiz tool
• Use slides throughout your presentation as quick quizzes and ask the audience to answer or fill in the blanks within your slide
• Perform a demo and have an audience member participate in it
• Divide your audience into small groups to discuss the topic among themselves and share their discussion with the larger group afterward
• Plan an interactive game and ask your audience to participate.
• Ask your audience to share their experience about the topic.
• Include case studies and other real-world practical application examples in your talk.
• Place Q&A opportunities in the middle of the presentation to keep the audience engaged and participatory. Even if you don't answer the questions right away, the unexpected invitation to ask a question can encourage audience members to speak up.

Each PDC submission receives a bi-level review. First, a technical reviewer serves as the subject matter expert and reviews submissions to ensure they are scientifically sound, innovative, and relevant to the profession. The technical review process occurs before review by the Continuing Education Committee (CEC) and assists the committee in selecting the final content to be presented as the education program. View a flowchart of this process. 

Technical Review questions include:

• Is the topic: New/Emerging, Core/Foundational, Waning (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• The proposal has a sound technical basis (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• The course description is clear and concise (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• Learning Outcomes are appropriate for level (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• The outline describes content appropriate for selected course level (introductory, intermediate, advanced) (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• The outline describes content appropriate for selected target audience (technician, practitioner, professional) (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• Are the selected core competencies designated appropriately? (Yes/ No)
• Recommendation to the CEC (Accept or reject)
• Comments (Open text box)

How the CEC reviews PDCs:

• Each proposal is evaluated by at least two members of the CEC to ensure it is relevant to the profession, titled properly, and meets its stated objectives. Course outline and teaching methods are critiqued, and presenter credentials/biographies are reviewed.
• The Committee then considers all proposals and their ratings to ensure topical balance within the program, educational needs expressed by member surveys, and AIHA’s strategic goals.
• For courses previously conducted, student evaluations play a major factor in the review.

How PDCs are selected:

• Wide range of topics aligned to the IH/OH Core Competencies
• 20% technician, 50% practitioner, 30% professional
• 20% introductory, 50% intermediate, 30% advanced
• 60% full-day, 35% half-day, 5% two-day
• One PDC addressing each of the CPAG content priorities
• At least 40% new courses each year
• Top 5 courses from the previous year (based on ratings and attendance) automatically accepted
• Final selections are limited by the number of rooms available to us at the convention center

When does the CEC not accept a PDC proposal?

Many more proposals are submitted than can be accommodated at AIHA Connect. Reasons for not selecting a particular course include:

• relevance to the members
• accuracy of technical information presented
• previous student evaluations
• an overabundance of course offerings in one area
• content similar to another course
• need for course rotation
• lack of interest by the members at large

Each proposal receives bi-level review. First, technical reviewers (selected from an open call for volunteers within the AIHA membership) serve as the subject matter experts, ensuring the submissions are scientifically sound, innovative, and relevant to the profession. There is no cap on the number of reviewers, but each proposal will have at least two technical reviewers evaluate content. The technical review process occurs before the review by the Conference Program Committee (CPC) and assists the CPC in selecting the final content to be presented on the education program.

In addition to scores and feedback from technical reviewers, the CPC utilizes ratings from previous conferences to inform the selection process. Finally, data from AIHA surveys help to identify content priorities and needs for the current year’s conference. The review process is blind, and speaker information is not shared.

The CPC reviews all proposals to ensure a balance of topics. Tracks are identified based on accepted proposals. If there are content gaps, the CPC may choose to reach out to specific members or committees for curated presentations. Where there are major shifts in current events, sessions may be added outside of the official review process. The merit of these sessions will be determined by the CPC on a case-by-case basis.

Technical Review questions include:

• This presentation will be of interest to the AIHA Connect audience. OEHS professionals are seeking relevant, cutting-edge education that will provide challenging, yet practical information. (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• The content of this presentation is current and relevant to OEHS professionals. The intent of the conference is to provide OEHS professionals with sessions that will expand their current knowledge and understanding of a topic, or that will introduce them to something new they would find interesting (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• This proposal is clear, well-organized, and well-written. It is important that the session is easy to read and understandable to attendees (Rated on a 1-5 scale)
• Are the selected core competencies designated appropriately? (Yes/ No)
• Is the abstract content level designated appropriately (introductory, intermediate, advanced)? (Yes/ No)
• Is the abstract audience level designated appropriately (technician, practitioner, professional)? (Yes/ No)
• Does this session seem to contain a sales pitch or promote a specific vendor or service? (Yes/ No)
• Recommendation to the CPC (Accept or reject)
• Comments (Open text box)

Why would the committee not accept a proposal?

Many more proposals are submitted than can be accommodated at AIHA Connect; therefore, the CPC must be selective when choosing content to offer, given limited space at the convention center. Reasons proposals are not accepted include:

• Poor writing, inaccurate technical information, or a lack of significant data findings. To be eligible for presentation, there should be data findings that attendees would find relevant and useful in their daily work.
• Lack of audience appeal and relevance to the profession. While worthwhile, some topics may be better suited to a webinar or magazine article than to a session at the conference.
• Too many proposals in any given topic area. The CPC selects proposals that touch on different aspects of the same issue, ensuring there is a good balance of information and viewpoints represented at the conference. Furthermore, the CPC also reviews content to ensure that it aligns with the educational needs expressed by AIHA members, as well as with AIHA’s strategic goals.

AIHA Connect University: Tips and Tricks for Your PDC Proposal

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Tips For Presenting At Connect 2026 Featuring Renee Hartsook

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Tips For Presenting At Connect 2026 Featuring Bill Beadie

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