What is the relationship between the CLAH and the AHA Programs?
The CLAH Annual Meeting operates as a conference-within-a-conference. We rent space that is allocated by the AHA, and a varying number of CLAH sessions are co-sponsored with the AHA. This relationship means that the CLAH is able to hold its meeting in conjunction with, and within the facilities of the AHA conference, and it means the CLAH does not charge a separate conference registration fee. However, because CLAH is responsible for meeting expenses, including the rental of space for its own sessions, the organization requires membership of its panelists (please see below). It also means that CLAH session proposals pass through two processes of review – one for adoption as a joint CLAH/AHA session, and one for adoption as a CLAH-only session. Panel proposals that pass through both CLAH and AHA review maximize their chances at selection: on average, approximately half of all panels at each annual meeting are CLAH-only panels not selected by the AHA.

How do proposals get reviewed?
Panel proposals are evaluated by both the AHA Program Committee and the CLAH Program Committee. All session organizers interested in having their session considered by the CLAH must submit the proposal electronically to the AHA, and then forward the full session proposal proof to the CLAH Program Committee. The AHA does not forward the session proposals to the CLAH, so for your session to be considered by the CLAH, you must submit it separately to the CLAH by the deadline, typically February 15.

How can I increase the chances of my panel being accepted?
The CLAH Program Committee encourages diverse panels, and also encourages submitters to follow the published guidelines for submitting proposals.

Do I or other participants of my panel need to be CLAH Members?
We require CLAH membership at the time of proposal submission for the year of proposal submission (the calendar year preceding the annual meeting). An exception is made for scholars from Latin America or the Caribbean, from fields outside of Latin American History, or from other disciplines, who are encouraged but not required to join the CLAH. As a session organizer, please make sure that your panelists understand that they must be current in their dues, regardless of their status with the AHA, in order to participate in the program. Immediately after submission, we will contact panelists who are not current CLAH members and give them an opportunity to join the organization. The CLAH Program Committee will not consider any panelists included in the membership requirement who have not joined the CLAH within 30 days after submission of the panel or paper proposal.

When will I learn if my session has been accepted?
Organizers of sessions that have been adopted as joint-CLAH/AHA sessions will be notified by the AHA in late April. Sessions that are not adopted as joint sessions undergo a second round of consideration as CLAH-only sessions, and the outcome of that process, which depends on the merit of the proposal and space allocated by the AHA, is reached by the end of July.

How many sessions can I participate on?
Both the CLAH and AHA require that no person present more than one paper at the annual meeting. In addition to this role, a person may serve as commentator or chair on another session or participate in a round-table discussion. No person may play more than two roles at the annual meeting. Both the CLAH and the AHA believe it is in the spirit of these guidelines that participants not play multiple roles in the CLAH and AHA programs (in other words, presenting in a CLAH session and in an AHA session at the same meeting).

Can I submit an individual paper?
Yes, the opportunity to submit individual proposals is a benefit of CLAH submission, as individual papers will not be considered by the AHA Program Committee. In the case of individual paper proposals, the Program Committee considers the quality of the proposal and its possible fit. In some cases, the Program Committee may constitute panels from individual paper proposals.