NORDP 2025: What to Know Before You Go

Greetings NORDP 2025 attendees:

We are thrilled to have you join us for this year’s conference, where you’ll have the opportunity to connect with and learn from research development colleagues from the comfort of your own space. We on the NORDP 2025 Conference Planning Committee have put together the following guide to help you make the most of your conference experience, from navigating the virtual conference platform to engaging in professional development, networking, and volunteering activities. We look forward to coming together to build community at NORDP 2025!

🙂  Find Your Way Around

We encourage you to spend time between now and the start of the conference familiarizing yourself with our virtual conference platform: Whova. There will be a pre-conference Tools & Tips (TnT) webinar focused on using Whova on Wednesday, April 15, at noon ET/9am PT. Register today.

If you’re just getting familiar with Whova, here’s a link to the Whova guide on how to upload your information.

Fun Fact: You can use the Whova App to directly message Conference Organizers. Find this feature under Community → Ask Organizers Anything.

Note: if you are NOT using the Whova app, you can still navigate the conference via the Whova web platform. 

🔘 ​​ Conference Code of Conduct 

We have posted a NORDP Conference Code of Conduct on the conference website. It can be found under More → Inclusivity and Accessibility → Conference Code of Conduct. Please take a chance to review it prior to the start of the conference. If you witness any violations of the Code of Conduct during the conference, please report it using the reporting form linked in the Code of Conduct.

💻 Virtual Conference Best Practices

Maximize your experience at this year’s conference by staying engaged and comfortable. Mute your mic when not speaking, participate in chats or Q&As, and take regular breaks to avoid screen fatigue. Find a cozy spot, grab snacks, and settle in with what you need to stay focused during each conference day.

We also encourage you to make the most of networking opportunities—introduce yourself in the chat, join breakout rooms, and explore attendee profiles. The Whova app is your best friend: use it to build your agenda, connect with others, and join discussion boards. Whether you’re attending live sessions or engaging through the app, staying present and proactive will help you get the most out of NORDP 2025!

🏙️ ​​ Social and Networking Activities

Looking to connect and socialize with fellow conference attendees? Join us for a variety of engaging social activities at the beginning and end of each conference day. From virtual coffee hours and committee- or region-hosted events to art classes and yoga sessions, there’s something for everyone!

Find the current list of social activities in the Whova App under Community → Meet-ups & Virtual Meets. Don’t see something that you’d like to do? Feel free to create your own meet-up for others to join!

🤝  Volunteer Sign Up

NORDP is fueled by volunteers, and this conference is no exception! Contribute to enhancing your own conference experience, as well as that of others, by volunteering in one of the following capacities:

  • Become a Session Host to help moderate a colleague’s presentation!
  • Serve as a Tech Host to ensure a colleague’s presentation goes off without any technical hitches
  • Host a social activity (e.g., coffee hour, happy hour, bingo, trivia, networking dinner, etc.) and create your own virtual adventure!
  • Help the Resume Coaching Corner run smoothly

To find out more about volunteer roles, visit the Volunteering webpage.

Ready to volunteer? Sign up here!

📄  Resume Coaching Corner

Whether you’re looking to refine your resume, highlight your achievements, or tailor your CV for your next big opportunity, consider checking out the Resume Coaching Corner to receive tailored support from one of our resume coaches. The Resume Coaching Corner will be open on each conference day, immediately before and after program content. Participants will have the ability to sign up in advance for a 20-minute 1:1 appointment with a coach.

If you’re interested in receiving support, sign up for a time slot here and learn about how to prepare for your appointment using our Resume Coaching Corner Guide for Participants.

Eager to lend your experience to support others? Consider volunteering to be a Resume Corner Coach! Learn more about coaching expectations in our Resume Coaching Corner Guide for Coaches, and sign up for a time slot here.

🖼️  Virtual Poster Session

In addition to exciting and informative presentations, this year’s conference will also include a virtual poster session. You can view posters at any time in the Whova App under Agenda → Posters and interact with poster presenters using the Chat feature (access this by clicking on any individual poster) or by attending the live poster session from 1:15-2:15 PM ET/10:15-11:15 AM PT on Wednesday, April 30.

📋  Give us Your Feedback

Our goal for each NORDP Conference is to provide timely, relevant, and valuable information for conference attendees and your input is an important part of that process. Throughout the conference, you’ll have the opportunity to provide feedback on specific sessions by completing a brief evaluation form at the end of each session, and you can provide feedback on the overall conference experience by completing a final evaluation at the conclusion of the conference. Your feedback is important and will inform the planning of future conferences!

🌟  NORDP Sponsor Shout-Out

Our sponsors make the conference happen! A huge thank you to this year’s conference sponsors: InfoReady, Bouvier Grant Group, AtKisson Training Group, McAllister & Quinn, and Overton. You can learn more about this year’s conference sponsors in the Whova app.

❤️  NORDP’s Got Heart 

Launched in 2023, NORDP’s Got Heart is our annual social good campaign, held during the conference to support a community organization that aligns with NORDP’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility. Past efforts have supported The Sophia Way in Bellevue, WA (2024) and Carpenter’s Shelter in Alexandria, VA (2023). 

For our 2025 campaign, we’re turning inward to support our own community by raising funds for Conference Attendance Awards for NORDP 2026 – our next in-person annual meeting. With this year’s conference theme of “Building Community” we wanted to respond to the uncertainties many of us are facing and rethink what “local” means in a virtual world.  We hope for all of us that the NORDP community is a safe space to connect and that the annual meeting is a prime opportunity to do just that.

We recognize that the ability to attend an in-person gathering is often dependent on department/university funding, which can be uncertain. These attendance awards will cover the cost of member registration and are intended for those who need financial support beyond what their institutions or organizations can provide. An application process, similar to previous years, will open in early 2026. 

The donation portal for this year’s campaign will open in late April. We hope you’ll consider giving back to help more of our members come together next year.