Call for Abstracts: The Future of Scientific Conferencing
Abstract Submission Deadline: Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EDT
Acceptance Notification: Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Event Date(s): June 6, 7, and 11, 2024

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) and the NIH Planning Committee invite researchers to submit abstracts for a virtual poster hall for The Future of Scientific Conferencing workshop. Participation options for the fully virtual event include live and on-demand sessions, Q&A, and networking opportunities.

The Future of Scientific Conferencing workshop will bring together diverse perspectives from multiple disciplines to explore advantages, challenges, gaps, and opportunities in the future of scientific conferencing. The event will emphasize virtual and hybrid approaches; the impact of these approaches on diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging (DEIAB) and environmental sustainability; and how behavioral and social science research insights can be leveraged to address these broad societal challenges.
 
We seek abstracts describing published or unpublished research focused on one or more of the following topics as they relate to scientific conferencing:

• DEIAB (e.g., diversity, equity, work–life balance, caregiving, accessibility, well-being)
• Environmental impacts and sustainability
• Engagement (e.g., attention, cueing, gamification)
• Science of science (e.g., communication, collaboration)
• Career development, promotion, tenure, and networking
• Conference incentives, payment structures, and formats (e.g., hybrid vs. in person)
• Technology and innovation 

Submission criteria: Submit a brief (350 words maximum) plain-text abstract with no additional information (i.e., without symbols, graphs, charts, references, and pictures).

Eligibility criteria: Researchers of all educational levels are encouraged to apply. Both previously published or presented work and original submissions are eligible.

Date and Time: The virtual poster hall will be open for viewing on the LabRoots platform throughout the event on June 6, 7, and 11, 2024. If selected, you will need to upload your virtual poster with audio by June 3, 2024. Live attendance for all three event days is not required, but select submissions may also be invited to participate in a live Q&A session on Friday, June 7.

Please direct specific questions to Sydney O’Connor, Ph.D., at sydney.o'connor@nih.gov or Jessica Gowda at jessica.lobo@nih.gov.