Call for Abstracts: Contributed Presentations

Submission of abstracts for oral, poster, and speed presentations is open December 8th, 2017 – January 26th, 2018 for the 2018 North America Congress for Conservation Biology, the theme of which is, Conservation Science, Policy, and Practice: Connecting the Urban to the Wild.  The conference will be held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada July 21-26, 2018 (scientific program takes place July 23 – 25).

The scientific program will include plenary sessions, invited symposia, interactive sessions, poster sessions, and concurrent sessions of contributed oral presentations and speed presentations.  Due to the high level of attendance expected at the meeting and, consequently, limited time and space for oral presentations; poster and speed presentations are strongly encouraged.

  • Individuals are limited to presenting only ONE presentation. Individuals can present in any of the scientific program categories: symposium, interactive session, contributed oral presentation, speed presentation, or poster presentation. If your name appears on more than one abstract, make sure you are listed as the presenter for only one of them.

Calling all conservation practitioners & professional students: This conference is for you too! Please do not hesitate to submit an abstract if you feel you cannot ‘fit the mould’ of a research-oriented talk.  SCB North America recognizes the breadth of scientific contributions to the field of conservation biology and values conservation research AND practice. While this is not an opportunity to use this platform as advertisement for organizations, products, etc., it IS an opportunity to disseminate science, practice, novel ideas, and engage with Society members.

To submit an abstract starting Dec 8th, access the NACCB 2018 Profile portal here:

Log in to NACCB 2018 Profile Home

Criteria for selection

To increase the probability that your abstract will be accepted in your preferred presentation format, please consider the following criteria carefully:

  1. Scientific merit
  2. Application to conservation biology
  3. Clarity of presentation (e.g. abstract begins with a clear statement of an issue and ends with a substantive conclusion)
  4.  Relevance to conference theme (broad or specific are equally acceptable)

All presenting authors must register for the meeting by the early registration deadline of April 25, 2018

Speed Presentations
  • If you would like your presentation to lead to an extended conversation with colleagues who are specifically interested in your work, you may wish to submit an abstract for a speed presentation.
  • Speakers will be given five (5) minutes at the beginning of the session to present their key ideas and results.  After topically grouped speakers have presented, there will be a 15 minute Q&A for the group before moving onto the next speaker group. Depending on time available in the schedule, there will additional time at the end of the session to interact with the audience.
  • To participate in the speed presentations, simply submit an abstract according to the standard guidelines and indicate that you would like your abstract to be considered for a speed presentation.
  • If your abstract is accepted for a speed presentation, you will be notified by the Local Organizing Committee and asked to prepare a five-minute presentation instead of a traditional (15-minute) presentation.
  • If your abstract is not accepted for a speed presentation, it still will be considered for a traditional oral presentation or poster.

“But what about the assumption that a speed presentation signifies research or work that is less valuable or important?”

At SCB North America, we place a HIGH VALUE on sessions that allow time for networking, discussion, further synthesis and opportunities for collaboration on your important work, and recognize the unique skills required to succinctly and effectively communicate science. Help us flip this script and put your name in the ring for a speed talk!

Poster Presentations
  • Poster presenters will receive general instructions on poster format in the email notification of acceptance.
  • Posters will be displayed prominently during a special evening session on Monday July 23rd dedicated to allow in-depth discussion between authors and attendees. Refreshments will be provided.
Oral Presentations
  • Oral presentations will be limited to 15 minutes: 12 minutes for presentation and 3 minutes for questions.
  • Contributed oral presentations will be grouped by topic. Please choose from the list of general topic areas (see list via the green button below).  This will assist us in selecting an appropriate session for your presentation.
  • Each contributed session will have a moderator.
  • All oral presentation rooms will be equipped with AV equipment (computer and projector). Detailed information and instructions on presentations at the meeting will be available to presenters in advance of the meeting.
Guidelines for Abstract Submission

Abstracts should be submitted for all individuals planning on presenting in any format including, oral, speed, and poster presentations as well as for symposia.  Symposia proposals have previously been reviewed.  If your abstract is part of an accepted symposium, please indicate this on the submission form. (Decisions on accepted symposia will be made in November/December 2017).

Please follow the instructions carefully, including all requested information and formatting. After you submit your abstract, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to verify your abstract. It is your responsibility to verify that ALL information submitted is complete and correct. No changes will be made after the abstract submission deadline.  You will be asked to include the following during the submission process:

  1. Your preferred presentation format (traditional oral, speed, or poster presentation).
  2. Whether your presentation has been invited for a symposium, if so please indicate which one.
  3. Abstract title: Please do not only use upper case, but use both upper and lower case.  Titles are limited to 150 characters.
  4. Abstract:  Abstracts may not exceed 1,000 characters (approximately 150 words), including spaces.  Begin with a clear statement of the topic or objectives, give brief methods and major results, and end with a substantive conclusion.  Do not use vague statements such as “results will be discussed.”  It is the responsibility of the author to verify the information submitted and to correct any errors or omissions before the submission deadline.
  5. If appropriate, please note if you are participating in the student presentation award contest (details below):
Topical areas

Choose up to two topics from each of the areas pertaining to your abstract. You will also have the option to enter up to two key words to describe your methods.

Topical Areas

Abstract Review and Notice of Decision

Applicants will be notified whether their abstracts have been accepted or deferred by early March 2018.

Student Presentation Award Candidates

SCB Student Awards recognize the best of the best in outstanding student presentations. Oral, speed, and poster presentations are eligible for this award. Student award candidates must submit two (2) abstracts. The first abstract is the same on used for the general call for contributed papers. The second abstract is an extended abstract (details below). The extended abstract is reviewed by a committee to determine which presentations will be nominated for live judging. Extended abstracts will be evaluated based upon scientific merit, overall clarity of the abstract, and whether they meet the requirements/guidelines described below.

BOTH abstracts must be submitted online by January 19th, 2018 to be considered for an award. and formatted according to the instructions provided.

Extended abstracts that are not submitted according to the guidelines below will not be accepted. In the past, abstracts have been rejected simply because these guidelines were not followed. Extended abstract guidelines are as follows:

  • Presentation title
  • Names and complete contact information for all authors
  • Length should be between 500 and 800 words
  • The abstract should have one key figure or table.  No more than 1 figure or table is allowed.
  • Expected date of Bachelors, MS or PhD degree to be earned
  • Students with a graduation date of Spring 2018 or later are eligible to apply.

For additional questions, contact: jamie.hogberg@scbnorthamerica.org