nbc-call for posters





2025 National Biotechnology Conference

Track 1:Inspiring Innovation in Formulation, Bioprocessing and Drug Delivery

Theme 1:  Accelerating Novel Formulation Development of Biologics for Newer and Established Modalities
Theme 2: Bioprocessing, Characterization & Comparability for Complex Biologic
Theme 3:  Patient-Centric Product Design and Precision Medicine

Track 2: From Bench to Bedside: Bioanalysis and Translational Science  

Theme 1:  Breaking Barriers: Bioanalytical Innovation for Complex Biologics
Theme 2: Managing Global Clinical Trials and Crises in Sample Logistics
Theme 3: Preclinical and Clinical PK/PD, Safety Translation of Newer Modalities

 
    

IMPORTANT DATES

November 27, 2024

 Open for submissions
January 22, 2025 at 5:00 PM ET Deadline: Poster Abstract Submission Site Closes 
Febuary 14, 2025 Abstract Accept/Reject notifications issued
March 12, 2025 Deadline: Poster Presenting Author Registration
March 17, 2025 Schedule Notifications
March 20, 2025 Poster uploading begins
April 28, 2025 Deadline: Poster Upload 
May 4-7, 2025 NBC takes place

All Dates Subject To Change


ABSTRACT AND POSTER POLICY

By submitting an abstract for presentation at the AAPS National Biotechnology Conference, you agree to abide by the conditions and policies provided below, as well as the decisions of the Abstract Screening Committee and AAPS staff. Direct questions about this (NBC) policy to [email protected].

ABSTRACTS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE SUBMISSION WEBSITE BY 5:00 PM ET ON THE INDICATED DEADLINE DATE. 

Abstracts submitted after this deadline or by different means will be rejected without review.

DATA SUPPORTING THE CONCLUSION OF THE ABSTRACT MUST BE DEVELOPED PRIOR TO SUBMISSION. 

Abstracts stating that data will be developed between the time of submission and the time of the meeting will be rejected without review.

PERMISSIONS/CLEARANCES 

AAPS recommends the designated presenting author submit the abstract. The submitter is responsible for obtaining the necessary permissions and clearances for all research, information, and graphics used in both the abstract and the poster, and the submitter will receive all abstract and poster-related communications. AAPS assumes no liability or responsibility for the publication of any material that is submitted. Use of the AAPS logo in any abstract submission or poster presentation is STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT FOR PARTICIPATION AND PUBLICATION 

The presenting author is required to attend the meeting to present the poster. If the presenting author is unable to participate during the meeting, a coauthor is required to assume the responsibilities of the presenting author and present the poster. If no authors are able to participate in the meeting, a presenter may be appointed who is not an author of the abstract. The presenting author or presenter is required to register either as a full-conference, one-day, exhibitor, or exhibit-hall-only attendee for the meeting by the Presenting Author Registration Deadline, or AAPS will withdraw the abstract/poster. Abstracts/posters that are withdrawn for any reason, including the failure of the author to show at their assigned presentation date and time, will not be published online or included in the poster collection. Exhibitors who are presenting authors must complete their registrations by the Presenting Author Registration Deadline, even if they are using an exhibitor registration provided by their employer.

POSTERS MUST INCLUDE THE ACCEPTED ABSTRACT 

Posters that are uploaded for presentation must include the accepted abstract, including all methods used and data resulting from the research. The title of the poster must match, verbatim, the title of the accepted abstract. The use of an AAPS poster template is required. All posters are presented digitally—no printed posters are allowed. Omitting data from a poster presentation that was included in the submitted abstract is unethical. Authors and organizations violating these requirements will be subject to penalties including withdrawal of their abstract/poster and their being barred from submitting to any future AAPS meeting.

ABSTRACT FORMAT

Abstracts must contain the following elements:

  • DATA: Including all research information either in paragraph format or in charts and graphs. AAPS rejects any abstract that is not based on data.
  • TITLE: In headline style: 200-character limit with no period at the end
  • AUTHORS: Limit of 13 authors
  • AFFILIATIONS: One affiliation per author
  • PURPOSE: In paragraph format
  • METHODS: In paragraph format
  • RESULTS: In paragraph format
  • CONCLUSIONS: In paragraph format
  • REFERENCES: Reference any research previously published in a journal and used in the abstract’s research. Do not include references such as previously presented posters or marketing materials as they prevent our blind review process.
  • IMAGES: In jpg format, no more than three (3). Do not include images in the Purpose, Methods, Results, or Conclusions sections.
  • TABLES, CHARTS, AND/OR BULLETED/NUMBERED LISTS: No more than 3. Convert each to a jpg and upload into the Images section. Do not include tables, charts, bulleted lists, or numbered lists in the Purpose, Methods, Results, or Conclusions sections.
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, DISCLAIMERS, FUNDING, AND OTHER DISCLOSURE OR CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENTS: This area should include any disclaimers, acknowledgements, funding, and other disclosure or conflict of interest statements, such as ethics approvals for animal use or human participation, which would prevent a blind review. This information will not be available to reviewers during the review process.

ABSTRACT LENGTH AND IMAGES:


  1. Abstracts may contain a maximum of 800 words in the Purpose, Methods, Results, and Conclusion sections.
  2. 1 to 3 images in jpg format may be included.
  3. Data tables must be uploaded as one of three possible images and not included in the abstract text boxes.

Abstract Format Checklist

Acceptance Criteria

Acceptance of the abstract for presentation will be based on the concise, accurate presentation of new data. It is imperative that data is presented in the Results section so that AAPS scientific screeners can judge the scientific value of an abstract. Include all research information, data, charts, and graphs in the submission so that it can be screened in its entirety. Abstracts will be reviewed and scored based on the following:

  • Is the CONCLUSION of the research data driven?
  • How EXCITING/NOVEL will viewers find this research?
  • How well does the RESEARCH incrementally advance its field?
  • How well does the author’s selected strategy for evaluating the HYPOTHESIS suit the project? 
    

Common causes for Rejection

AAPS reviews each abstract to ensure it is qualified for consideration. Abstracts that do not meet the requirements outlined above are rejected. Causes for rejection include:

  • Lack of data
  • Acknowledgements were included in the abstract, preventing a blind review.
  • Affiliation or company name(s) were included in the abstract or in images, preventing a blind review (product names are permitted)
  • Commerciality
  • Inconsistent or ambiguous data
  • Reviews of literature
  • Lack of novelty or innovation
  • Stating that data or information will be included in the poster presentation instead of including it in the abstract
  • Previously published research
  • Including previously published information in your research without citing the information in the abstract submission.
  • Failure to follow format guidelines (Purpose, Methods, Results, Conclusion, References, Acknowledgements, and Images).
  • Failure to upload tables or charts as images as directed (tables and/or charts are not to be included in the text box for the Purpose, Methods, Results, or Conclusion. Tables and/or charts must be uploaded as images—refer to the Abstract Format section).
  • Failure to submit one strong abstract instead of several abstracts presenting the same work. The submission of multiple abstracts covering the same or similar work is discouraged and may be rejected by the committee.

Encore Presentations

AAPS accepts encore presentations, which are unpublished abstracts and posters that have been presented elsewhere. No abstract or resulting poster may be displayed at the National Biotechnology Conference or any other AAPS event without the review and approval of the Abstract Screening Committee, regardless of prior presentation elsewhere.

Abstract Revisions

  • Revisions can be made at any time before the poster abstract submission deadline listed above under Important Dates.
  • If you revise your abstract submission, you must be sure to save your changes and click Submit. Failure to complete all the steps will result in an incomplete submission, and your abstract will not be sent to the Abstract Screening Committee. Revisions cannot be made after the poster abstract submission deadline. 
  • Author names and affiliation or company names will be published as submitted. Authors must ensure they have the correct and current author information.
  • Proofread, spell-check, and make sure all authors are listed on the abstract before submitting. Abstracts will be presented in conference materials exactly as they appear at the time of submission. 

Notification of Receipt and Verification of Submission

  • You will receive an immediate email confirmation of completion when you have successfully submitted the abstract. This notification only confirms receipt of your submission and is not a notification of acceptance. 
  • If you do not receive an immediate email confirmation, your submission is not complete. You will need to return to the submission site to complete the submission process. 
  • If you return to the submission site to review or make changes to your abstract for any reason, you must complete all submission steps again in order to be sure your abstract is successfully submitted.

SCREENING PROCESS

Qualified abstracts are reviewed by a blind panel of at least 3 scientists who score each abstract based on these questions:

  1. Is the CONCLUSION of the research data driven?
  2. How EXCITING/NOVEL will viewers find this research?
  3. How well does the RESEARCH incrementally advance its field?
  4. How well does the author’s selected strategy for evaluating the HYPOTHESIS suit the project?

WARNING

Abstracts are screened during a blind review process. No author or affiliation names may be included in the abstract Title, Purpose, Methods, Results, or Conclusion sections or in uploaded images. Including this information in these areas will result in an automatic rejection of the abstract because a blind review would not be possible. 

Authors of accepted abstracts and posters will abide by the decisions and instructions of AAPS. If authors fail to follow AAPS’ policies and instructions, their abstract(s) and/or poster(s) will be removed from AAPS’ displays. Authors may also have their acceptances rescinded and, in extreme cases, may see themselves and the organizations they represent barred from future meetings.


TOP 4 REASONS ABSTRACTS ARE REJECTED
Each year, AAPS rejects a few dozen abstracts—many “without review,” which means the abstracts were not qualified for consideration and were never shown to a panel of scientific screeners. 

  1. The abstract does not contain any data. AAPS will not accept an abstract that is not based on data that has already been developed.
  2. The abstract is too commercial. AAPS welcomes research conducted by any scientist, but it does not permit sales pitches.
  3. The abstract does not follow the formatting and guidelines outlined in this document.
  4. The abstract contained author name, company name, or affiliation, preventing a blind review process.
    

Notification of Acceptance/Rejection

Notification of accept/reject and other pre-submission deadline correspondence will be sent to the submitting author. Once a poster abstract is accepted, additional communications will be sent to the designated presenting author.

Appeals

Appeals based on proposed additions or changes to an abstract or poster that has already been submitted will be rejected without consideration by AAPS as these changes constitute a new abstract or poster. 

To appeal the rejection of an abstract or poster, the submitting author must email the following to [email protected] within 5 business days of AAPS issuing the rejection: 

  1. Email Subject Line: Appeal (Abstract Submission ID Number)
  2. Abstract title
  3. Contact information for the submitter
  4. Statement explaining on what grounds the author feels AAPS should reverse its decision

Appeals submitted by someone other than the submitter of the abstract, or by any means other than stated above, do not constitute an appeal and will be rejected without review.
Upon receiving a request for an appeal, the Abstract Screening Committee Chair will seat a Review Committee of three members. The Review Committee will: 

  1. Consider the policies and requirements for abstracts as described in AAPS’ materials
  2. Review the abstract as submitted
  3. Review the reasoning behind the rejection
  4. Review the argument provided by the submitting author

The Review Committee will not consider any proposed changes to the abstract as submitted.

The final decision will be communicated to the author by email.


REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT

If selected for presentation, authors presenting posters must:

  • Register as a full-conference, one-day, exhibitor, or exhibit-hall-only attendee for the 2025 AAPS National Biotechnology Conference by midnight ET on the Presenting Author Registration Deadline listed under important dates.

  • The posters of authors who fail to register by the deadline will be withdrawn from AAPS’ collection of posters. 

  • Coauthors may present in place of the presenting author if notification is made to AAPS at [email protected]. The presenting coauthor must complete and pay for their registration before the change in presenting author can be made. 

  • A presenter who is not an author or coauthor of the abstract may present the poster if no authors are able to participate. Changes in the presenter or presenting author must be sent to AAPS at [email protected]. 

  • Authors working in an exhibitor’s booth may register as an exhibitor, but their registration must be completed by midnight ET on the Presenting Author Registration Deadline indicated under important dates

Change in Presenting Author

All requests for a change in presenter or presenting author after the final submission deadline must be sent by the submitting author to AAPS at [email protected] and include the Submission ID Number as well as the name and email address of the new presenter or presenting author. No authors may be added after the submission deadline.

Poster Schedule

AAPS will notify presenting authors of the scheduled day, time, and assigned poster number by email. 

  • If you do not receive notification, contact AAPS at [email protected] for an update on the scheduling of your abstract.
  • Notifications will be sent only to the designated presenting author.
  • All posters are included in the collection and accessible online.
  • Posters are presented in person. AAPS does not permit virtual presentation of posters under any circumstance.
  • Authors are required to be present during the full 60 minutes of their scheduled poster session.
  • Posters are presented digitally. Paper posters are not permitted.
   

Policy for Cancellations & Substitute Presenters

  • All requests for refunds and/or substitutions must be submitted in writing and emailed to [email protected].
  • Authors who cancel their registration on/before April 1, 2025, will be refunded their registration fee minus an administration fee of $100 for members/nonmembers, or $50 for students/postdocs.
  • No refunds will be given for “no shows” or for cancellations received on or after April 2, 2025.
  • Refunds will be credited back to the original credit card used for payment.
  • Substitutions from the same company may be submitted in writing at any time without penalty. If the membership status of the substitute differs from that of the original registrant, a refund or additional charge at the current rate may apply.
  • Membership cancellation requests must be sent in writing by email to [email protected] within 30 days of the membership start date. AAPS membership is non-transferrable and this offer is not valid if the individual has taken advantage of discounted member pricing during their current membership term.

Abstract/Poster Withdrawal

The submitting author may withdraw their abstract or poster at any time.

To withdraw, send written notification to [email protected], and include:

  1. Submission ID Number (Assigned Poster Number if withdrawing after Poster Schedule is issued)
  2. Abstract title
  3. Names of authors
  4. Contact information for the submitter

AAPS will acknowledge all withdrawal notifications by email.
Withdrawal is not complete until AAPS issues notification of withdrawal to the submitting author.

POSTER REQUIREMENTS

All posters are presented in a digital format. 

  1. Authors must format their posters using one of the PowerPoint templates provided by AAPS. Templates include instructions and format policies that must be followed in order to have a poster accepted for presentation.
  2. The poster title must match the accepted abstract word-for-word/verbatim. No edits or changes are permitted. The poster must describe all the methods used and data generated by the research. Omitting data from a poster that was described in the abstract is an ethical violation that may result in the poster being removed and the author and the organization represented by the author being barred from future meetings.
  3. Authors of accepted abstracts and posters will abide by the decisions and instructions of AAPS. The posters of authors who fail to follow AAPS’ policies and instructions will be removed from AAPS’ online collection. Authors may also have their acceptance rescinded and, in extreme cases, may see themselves, and the organizations they represent, barred from future meetings. 
  4. Posters must be uploaded by the date indicated in the Important Dates section. AAPS recommends uploading posters as soon as they are complete. All posters are reviewed prior to display by AAPS to ensure proper formatting.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Do I have to be a member of the AAPS to submit an abstract? 
A: No. Membership is not required. 
Q: Can a paper previously presented be submitted? 
A: Encore presentations are acceptable and do not need to be referenced as an encore presentation. Research that has been published in a journal is not allowed.
Q: Who owns the copyright on the abstract and poster? 
A: The author(s)* maintains copyright of the abstract and poster, including all proprietary rights other than copyrights, such as patent rights. *The submitting author is responsible for all authors knowing that their names appear in the abstract. 
Q: How will AAPS use my abstract?
A: If the abstract is accepted for poster presentation at the conference, the abstract will be displayed on the conference website/mobile app before, during, and after the meeting for a limited amount of time, and on the AAPS member website and the AAPS poster viewing site after the conference for one year.
Q: How will AAPS use my poster?
A: If your abstract is accepted for poster presentation at the conference, your poster, which will include the abstract text plus other relevant information and graphics, will be available for display during the author(s) presentation period and throughout the conference through all digital poster monitors. It will also be accessible to attendees through the online poster collection. After the meeting, AAPS will make all posters available to registrants and AAPS members for a limited time.
Q: Will my poster be on the app or in the Proceedings? 
A: Your abstract and poster will appear on the conference website, available to registrants only, and will be available on the AAPS poster viewing website after the meeting.