Call for Abstracts

2017 CSTE Annual Conference

Abstracts must be received no later than Wednesday, January 4, 2017 by 11:59 PM EST through the online CSTE abstract submission site. The Program Planning Committee will evaluate abstracts based on a number of criteria, including timeliness, relevance, design, clarity, outcomes and potential impact. Formal letters of invitation are sent by e-mail from the CSTE National Office by March 22.

Guidelines for abstract submission and topics selected by the Program Planning Committee are available below.

Steps and Instructions:

1. Presentation Formats

   While the Program Planning Committee will attempt to schedule selected abstracts for the requested presentation format, this will not always be possible. An option is available to select a secondary format if the Program Planning Committee cannot accommodate your preferred format. Below is a brief description of presentation formats. For details, please see the presentation rubric on the Guidelines for Abstract Submission.

   Breakout Presentation

   Findings are presented on a specific topic within a breakout session with the opportunity for audience Q&A. Presentations are approximately 18-30 minutes, with only one (1) presenting author per submitted abstract.

   Quick Presentation (New)

   Findings are presented on a specific topic within a breakout session with the opportunity for audience Q&A. Presentations are approximately 10 minutes, with only one (1) presenting author per submitted abstract.

   Lightning Presentation

   Findings are presented on a specific topic within a breakout session with the opportunity for audience Q&A. Presentations are approximately 5 minutes, with only one (1) presenting author per submitted abstract.

   Poster Presentation

   A visual illustration on a poster board that summarizes findings by way of limited text, graphics, and photographs. Presentations are limited to only one (1) presenting author per submitted abstract.

   Roundtable Presentation

   Informative presentation focusing on recent findings or innovative topics, with substantial opportunity for discussion among attendees. Presentations are limited to up to two (2) presenting author(s) per submitted abstract. Audiovisual equipment will not be available for roundtable sessions.

2. General Instructions

   • Abstracts must be the work of the authors listed and appropriately referenced.
   • Abstracts are limited to 400 words, not including the title.
   • The use of "all caps" should be limited to acronyms generally accepted in the field and names of organizations; the full organization name should be used on first reference.
   • Submit each individual abstract to the appropriate committee. Review the list of committees carefully to determine which one might be the most appropriate for your subject area. Conference committees and abstract topics are available on the CSTE website.
   • Duplicate abstracts will not be considered.
   • Concluding statements such as "to be completed" should be avoided.
   • All information should be reviewed prior to submission to ensure completeness; abstract revisions are permitted at any time before the abstract submission deadline.
   • By submitting an abstract, please make sure you (or an alternate presenting author) are committing to attend the conference and giving the presentation if the abstract is accepted. All presenting authors are required to register for the conference and pay the related fees. CSTE does not provide a travel allowance, honorarium, or reimbursement for attending the conference.
   • There are no restrictions on the number of abstracts you may submit or on the number of submissions you may be selected to present.
   • CSTE membership is not required to submit an abstract.

3. Committee

   Abstracts will be divided into Committees for review and programming purposes based on topic areas.

   Available Committees:

   • Chronic Disease / MCH / Oral Health
   • Cross-Cutting
   • Environmental Health
   • Infectious Disease
   • Injury Control and Prevention
   • Occupational Health
   • Position Statements
   • Substance Abuse
   • Surveillance / Informatics

   The Program Planning Committee reserves the right to reassign abstracts as appropriate.

4. Title

   • The title is not included in the abstract word count; however, titles should not exceed 185 characters.
   • Title case should be used where the first word and all other major words (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) and some conjunctions are capitalized.
     • Articles such as the, a, an, and, but, for, or and nor should be in lowercase.
     • Lowercase the part of a proper name that would be lowercased in text.
   • Do not begin paper titles with "The".
   • Do not end title with a period.
   • Use a concise title that summarizes the content of the abstract.
   • Do not use abbreviations, unless they are widely accepted by the field (for example, HIV/AIDS is acceptable in place of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).

5. Authors

   • The presenting author is defined as the person who will present at the conference. Only the presenting author(s) will be printed in the final program.
   • The submitting author is the author that completes the online abstract submission process. The person is usually involved with the abstract as a presenting author or co-author.
   • The primary contact for communication should be identified as the first presenting author when other presenting authors are allowed.
   • Abstracts should include all pertinent author contact information, including full name, agency, address and email.
   • Co-authors who are not presenting, but contributed substantially to the study design, statistical analysis, or interpretation may be listed as a non-presenting author. There is a limit of 15 co-authors.
   • Formal letters of invitation are sent by e-mail from the CSTE National Office by March 22. All presenting authors receive a formal communication regarding the Program Planning Committee's determination. Any second presenting authors or co-authors do not receive communications from CSTE.
   • It is the responsibility of the first presenting author to communicate with co-authors prior to the presentation. For breakout presentations, the first presenting author is responsible for contacting the session moderator to provide biographic information and coordinate with other presenters in that session.

6. Abstract Text

   Required Body for Breakout, Quick, Lightning, and Poster Presentations

   • Background: Study objectives, hypothesis, or a description of the program.
   • Methods: Study design and appropriate statistical analysis.
   • Results: Specific results in summary form.
   • Conclusions: Description of the main outcome of the study.

   Required Body for Roundtable Presentations

   • Key Objectives or Discussion Points: Learning objective(s) for the discussion.
   • Brief Summary: Description of the discussion.

7. Biodisclosure

   Continuing Education (CE) for the 2017 CSTE Annual Conference is pending through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All presenting authors are required to complete and upload the Biodisclosure form in Word format. An example of the form is available here and at the Biodisclosure step in the process. Once the form is uploaded then you may proceed to the final step.

8. Confirmation

   After you have completed all steps in the process and are ready to submit an abstract for consideration, please carefully proofread your abstract on the final step "Confirmation". To complete your submission, select "Conclude Submission" on the last step. You must correct all errors or omissions before the abstract can be submitted as final. Once you have completed the abstract, you will receive an email confirmation that the abstract has been received. If you exit the system without completing all steps, your abstract will be considered incomplete and you will not receive a confirmation email.