CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The 2027 Better Buying Institute Teaching Innovation Award

 

Submit through Oxford Abstract by April 1, 2027: 

 

The 2027 Theme: Teaching Transparency and Accountability in Apparel Supply Chains

The ITAA Teaching Innovation and Resources Committee invites submissions for the 2027 Better Buying Institute Teaching Innovation Award. This award encourages the development and dissemination of innovative teaching strategies that address responsible purchasing practices in the apparel and textile fields.

Applicants are invited to submit a paper describing teaching materials or classroom activities that help students understand the importance of transparency and accountability in apparel supply chains, particularly in relation to responsible purchasing practices.

Submissions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Thematic Fit: Appropriateness of the materials to the theme.
• Audience: Appropriateness of the teaching materials to the audience.
• Innovativeness: Originality of the materials and approach.
• Effectiveness: Clear articulation of learning objectives and how results are measured and reported.
• Presentation Quality: Clarity, detail, and completeness of the teaching materials and activities.

Winners must agree to present their paper at the 2027 ITAA Conference.

Theme

Research and industry reports highlight how brands’ and retailers’ purchasing practices shape working conditions, supplier relationships, and environmental outcomes in global apparel supply chains (Better Buying Institute, 2025). Responsible practices—such as forecasting, pricing, sourcing decisions, and payment terms—are increasingly recognized as key to strengthening supply chain resilience and reducing risks of labor and human rights violations.

At the same time, the apparel industry faces growing expectations for transparency and accountability. Consumers, governments, and advocacy organizations are calling for greater disclosure regarding sourcing practices, supplier relationships, and the social and environmental conditions under which apparel products are produced. Emerging regulatory frameworks—particularly in Europe—also require companies to demonstrate due diligence to ensure that their business practices do not contribute to human rights or environmental harms in their supply chains (European Commission, 2024).

Educating future industry professionals about these issues is therefore critical. Students preparing for careers in merchandising, sourcing, product development, and retail management need to understand how business decisions made by brands and buyers affect suppliers, workers, and communities across global supply chains.

The 2027 Better Buying Institute Teaching Innovation Award seeks submissions that introduce students to the complexities of apparel supply chains and help them develop the knowledge and skills needed to promote greater transparency and accountability in industry practices. Teaching strategies may include, but are not limited to:

• Classroom activities examining sourcing decisions and supplier relationships
• Case studies analyzing brand transparency related to purchasing practices
• Simulations that evaluate purchasing decisions and their impacts on suppliers
• Projects exploring ethical sourcing, responsible pricing, or supply chain governance
• Teaching approaches connecting purchasing practices with labor conditions, sustainability goals, or regulatory compliance

Through innovative teaching approaches, educators can help prepare the next generation of apparel professionals to engage with supply chain challenges and contribute to more responsible and transparent industry practices.

References

Better Buying Institute. (2025). Better Buying Partnership Index Report 2025. https://cascale.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/BBPI-Report-2025.pdf

European Commission. (2024). Corporate sustainability due diligence.
https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/doing-business-eu/sustainability-due-diligence-responsible-business/corporate-sustainability-due-diligence_en

Submission Eligibility

Only ITAA members are qualified to submit papers to the Better Buying Institute Teaching Innovation Award competition.

Instructional materials for the teaching strategy must have been developed for, and delivered in, textile and apparel or related undergraduate or graduate courses at a post-secondary institution. Submissions may not have been previously published elsewhere. Author(s) must be the original developer(s) of the submitted teaching strategy.

Submissions will be accepted from instructors working independently as well as from faculty members who have worked collaboratively to develop the teaching strategy. This award is also open to graduate students.

The submitting author must be a current ITAA member. Submissions will be double-blind reviewed under the supervision of the Chair of the Teaching Innovation and Resources Committee.

All submitted papers that include assessment data must have approval by a university’s institutional review board (IRB) for human subjects.

Submission Guidelines

All submissions must be in PDF format. Prepare the submission file as follows:

File name format:
AbbreviatedTitle_BBIAward

This file must contain no identifiable author information to ensure blind review.  File size may not exceed 10 MB.

Submission should include:

• Title page containing title and keywords only
• Abstract (maximum 150 words)
• Full paper using APA 7th edition style

Formatting requirements:

• Calibri, font size 12
• Narrative portion up to 20 double-spaced pages
• Full paper (including abstract, graphics, and references) up to 30 pages

Project description should include:

Introduction

• Course(s) for which this activity is appropriate
• Placement of the course in the curriculum
• Instructor and students’ knowledge/skills required
• Recommended format (in-class activity, homework, group project, online activity, etc.)

Activity Description

• Explanation of how the theme is integrated into the activity
• Learning objectives
• Direct and indirect assessment tools
• Directions and resources needed to complete the activity
• Evaluation process

Conclusion

• Number of times the activity has been delivered
• Changes made to the activity (if any) and rationale
• Assessment of learning outcomes (student reflections or quotes encouraged)
• Recommendations, advantages, and limitations of using the activity

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

For studies involving human subjects’ data, authors must include a statement confirming that Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was obtained and that appropriate ethical guidelines were followed.

If IRB approval was not required, this should be clearly stated.

Online Submission

Submissions are due by April 1, 2027.

Submit your proposal using the Oxford Abstracts submission link, which will be announced in the ITAA member newsletter prior to the submission opening date.

Submitted papers will be double-blind reviewed by the Teaching Innovation and Resources Committee.

Award stipends will be:

• First place: $2000
• Second place: $1000
• Third place: $600
• Fourth place: $400

Authors will be notified of review outcomes by email.

Accepted papers will be presented as oral presentations at the ITAA Conference, and authors will receive instructions for uploading the final proceedings paper to the ISU Digital Repository following the conference.