Call for Abstracts

AACN invites leading nursing academics to submit an abstract for upcoming conferences! 

Showcase programs, courses, initiatives and/or evaluation strategies that characterize the conference theme and address the many changes and challenges faced in undergraduate and graduate nursing education. 

Reasons to Submit an Abstract:

  • Contribute to leadership, innovation, and excellence in academic nursing.
  • Elevate awareness of your scholarly work.
  • Expand your professional network.
  • Build meaningful professional connections to move your scholarship forward.
  • AACN recognizes Excellence in Scholarship for accepted poster presentations to award first place as well as honorable mention.

Upcoming Call for Abstracts

Conference Presentation Formats Conference Dates Presentation Dates Open Date Closing Date
Transform 2025 Poster and Podium December 4-6, 2025 December 4-5, 2025 June 2, 2025 August 18, 2025
Faculty Leadership Network (FLN) Program Poster December 4, 2025 December 4, 2025 June 2, 2025 August 18, 2025
2026 Doctoral Education Conference Poster and Podium January 14-16, 2026 January 14-15, 2026 June 9, 2025 August 25, 2025
Faculty Practice Pre-Conference Poster January 13, 2026 January 13, 2026 June 9, 2025 August 25, 2025
Research Leadership Network (RLN) Program Poster January 14, 2026 January 14, 2026 June 9, 2025 August 25, 2025

  • Completed work or projects may be submitted for a poster or a podium presentation. Projects in progress may be submitted as poster presentations only.

  • Abstracts may highlight original research, quality improvement projects, evidence-based practice, or programmatic innovations. 

  • Abstracts may have been presented elsewhere or published within the past 12 months but shall be updated to relate specifically to this conference. 

  • Presenters are asked to identify any potential conflict of interest related to the content to be offered (e.g., commercial interest, affiliation with a vendor, and/or receipt of royalties) and affirm that their abstract presentations will not be used to sell a particular product or service. AACN exerts the right to rescind the acceptance of an abstract due to any conflict of interest discovered after the fact. 

  • Sub-committee members are not eligible to submit to their respective conference. 

  • The primary author will be the point of contact for all communication with AACN and is required to share all necessary information with their co-author(s). 

  • Primary authors on all accepted abstracts must register for the conference and present the abstract. Co-authors wishing to present with their primary author are required to register for the conference as well.  

  • Presenters are responsible for their own expenses, including the conference registration fee, travel, accommodations, and other expenses.

  • All abstracts must be submitted electronically through AACN’s submission website by creating an account to upload an abstract.  

  • Only a complete submission is eligible for review; ensure that a completed abstract is evident in your submission.  

  • A confirmation email will automatically be sent to the email provided for the primary author once the abstract has been fully submitted (see Submission Guidelines Step 7 on how to submit a completed abstract).  

Single Author Submission Instructions:

  •  List single author as primary author.

  • The primary author is allowed to submit one (1) abstract per pre-conference and one (1) abstract for the main conference.

  • The primary author must submit the abstract.

  • The primary author is the corresponding author and is the point of contact for all communication with AACN.

  • The primary author must indicate their preferred type of presentation format (Podium Presentation or Poster Presentation).

  • Abstract submissions that are incomplete after the submission deadline will not be eligible for presentation nor will they be considered for review.

  • Submissions shall not exceed 500 words and must include either the research or EBP/quality improvement criteria listed in the scoring rubrics found on the respective conference and pre-conference sites (view general rubric).

  • Submissions should reflect conference title or abstract themes. 

  • Abstracts may highlight original research or EBP/quality improvement projects. Formatting of the abstract should be consistent with the type of project being presented.  

Team of Authors Submission Instructions:

  • List the primary author first.

  • A team of authors are allowed to submit one (1) abstract per pre-conference and one (1) abstract for the main conference.

  • The primary author must submit the abstract.

  • The primary author is the corresponding author and is the point of contact for all communication with AACN; and is expected to relay all necessary information to their co-author(s).

  • Abstract submissions that are incomplete after the submission deadline will not be eligible for presentation nor will they be considered for review.

  • Submissions shall not exceed 500 words and must include either the research or EBP/quality improvement criteria listed in the scoring rubrics found on the respective conference and pre-conference sites (view general rubric).

  • Submissions should reflect conference title or abstract themes.

  • Abstracts may highlight original research or EBP/quality improvement projects. Formatting of the abstract should be consistent with the type of project being presented.  

For detailed step-by-step instructions on how to submit an abstract, please review the submissions guidelines by clicking on the button below.

Submission Guidelines

Female standing behind a podium, giving a presentation

Podium Presentation

  • Offered as in-person concurrent sessions at the conference venue.
     
  • Individual podium presentations are allotted 20 minutes: 15 minutes for presentation/5 minutes for Q&A.
     
  • Up to three podium presentations are grouped around a similar topic to develop a 60-minute session. 
     
  • Sessions will be audio-recorded for on-demand offering on AACN’s Digital Conference Library after the event.

 

Female presenting a poster board with one hand indicating information on the board to the female standing beside them

Poster Presentation

  • Offered in-person at the conference venue.
     
  • Posters are presented one poster per poster board. 
     
  • All posters should be oriented in landscape format and must not exceed 48" W x 36" H. 
     
  • Posters will be featured online in the AACN Virtual Poster Showcase. 

  • Each abstract is peer-reviewed by at least two reviewers following AACN's general abstract scoring rubric (conference-specific rubrics are found on their respective conference and pre-conference pages).

  • Reviews are blind; hence, reviewers do not see names of submitters or school affiliations.

Acceptance Notification

  • Email notification of abstract acceptance will be sent to the primary author only. 

  • The primary author must respond by either accepting or denying the invitation to present the abstract by the given acceptance deadline.

  • The primary author’s failure to accept the presentation invitation via the submission platform (“intent to present”) will automatically default to “deny” after the deadline has passed and disqualify the abstract from presentation. 

  • Once the primary author has accepted, AACN will collect additional materials to include a short biography of the primary author, a PDF of the Poster and/or the Power Point of the Podium Presentation. Materials will be made available to all conference attendees as part of the conference materials.

Female in a pink pantsuit presenting a posterPeople standing in a group chatting at a conferenceTwo females standing side-by-side in front of a poster

Presentation Guidelines & Recommendations

AACN deeply values the commitment of all individuals who dedicate their valuable time to plan and present sessions at our conferences! To help you prepare to successfully present at our conference(s), we have curated useful tips and tools to ensure you are fully confident in your presentation, co-presenters, and finally, your tech! 

We look forward to your presentation at an upcoming AACN Conference! 

What You Need to Do What You Should Do
  • Use a PowerPoint Slide design that allows well-contrasting colors for text and background.
  • Dress to impress.
  • Use up-to-date, quality resources and reporting best practices — Please openly cite all resources (including images) in your presentation.
  • Keep your presentation within your allotted time.
  • Audio-Visual Set-up: The standard AV package includes a podium with a microphone, slide advancer, laptop computer, projector, and screen. A basic wireless internet connection will also be available.
  • If you provided AACN with your presentation in advance, it will be pre-loaded on the provided laptop computer. Otherwise, you will be responsible for bringing your presentation to the session.
  • Provide a takeaway for your audience.
  • Practice your presentation with a friend or colleague.
  • Develop a few questions attendees might ask during your session to answer during low points of the Q&A portion.
  • Keep eye contact and engage with your audience.
  • Provide your presentation slides and materials to AACN early. 

For questions, contact the AACN Conference Team today!

Phone: 202-463-6930    |     Email: conferences@aacnnursing.org     |    Website: www.aacnnursing.org/conferences