Submission Criteria & Instructions

The submission form will require you to enter all the requested information into the appropriate fields. You will be able to save your submission and return to finish it at any time before the  June 12th deadline. Incomplete proposals will not be considered or programmed. The call for abstracts opens in October 2024. 

Title: Try to be informative, broad, and catchy. Use title case.

Chair(s): Name and contact information of chair(s). Proposal chairs must be active AAA members. Non-members are invited to submit a proposal if an AAA committee member recruited them to submit a proposal or if they have a co-chair who is an AAA member. Chairs must be informed about the speakers and their talks to provide appropriate introductions and moderate the Q&A. 

Description: Limit 250 words. Should contain the following elements:

  • Description of the topic
  • Relevance of the topic to human health, anatomical sciences, education research, teaching, and/or professional development
  • Provide an example that shows why the prospective topic is important now
  • Rationale for the choice of speakers
  • Have speakers already been asked? Have speakers confirmed?

Any additional requests/comments on format, session timing or set-up? - Include any additional requests or comments that should be considered when reviewing the proposal.  Such as timing, room set-up or general format.  Standard set up is theater seating for symposia and round tables for workshops and roundtable sessions.

Describe how your proposal promotes diversity, equity and inclusion and how it follows AAA's Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan?
AAA is a diverse and inclusive scientific organization. The annual meeting program reflects these principles. Proposals are expected to represent the diversity of the Association as much as possible, including gender identity, ethnicity, and institutional balance. See important note below about repeat speakers.  The committee will not accept a proposal with a repeat speaker unless it fits into one of the exceptions below. 

Speaker Talk Title & Description: Non-member speakers are welcome. Should not exceed 100 words for each suggested speaker. For each speaker, include:

  • A talk title 
  • A brief description of the topic
  • Rationale for the speaker's contribution to this session
  • Speaker name, institution, and website

Speaker Selection: AAA is a diverse and inclusive scientific organization.  In order to be inclusive, repeat speakers and chairs from the previous annual meeting will not be allowed except under extraordinary circumstances. Exceptions include award winners and competition award finalists. In addition, speakers in a professional development/career talk one year can give an oral talk in their educational or scientific area of research the next year. However, as with all programing options, preference is given to speakers who have not spoken in several years and new speakers to AAA. Speakers can be AAA members or non-members.

Deadline to Submit

June 16, 2024

Submit a Proposal »

Proposal Review & Notification Process

The Professional Development, Educational Affairs, and Program committees review, score and program the proposals.

Review committees can request edits to proposals, such as speaker or content changes. Acceptance notifications will be sent in mid August.