The American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (ASCPT) invites members to submit proposals for innovative sessions to be presented at the ASCPT 2025 Annual Meeting being held February 19 – 21, 2025, in Washington, DC. 

Submit your session proposal

ASCPT will also hold one (1) Post-Conference session on Saturday, February 22, 2025. Members are invited to submit Post-Conference proposals during the proposal submission process for the full Annual Meeting that are due no later than the June 6, 2024, deadline. Post-Conference proposals will be considered outside the regular proposal review process for the full conference with final decisions made by the ASCPT Board of Directors. 

Proposal submission deadline: Thursday, June 6, 2024, 4:00 PM ET

For full guidelines and to submit a full conference or Post-Conference proposal, visit www.ascpt.org.

Annual Meeting Session Proposal Requirements
Session proposals should span the Discovery, Development, Regulation, and Utilization (DDRU) continuum to fit within the 2025 Annual Meeting theme of “Patient-Centric Clinical Pharmacology: A Journey from Discovery to Recovery.” The goal of the meeting is to emphasize the continuous evolution and progress in the field of clinical pharmacology and translational science, with a strong focus on placing patients at the center of this journey. 

For best practices on designing a session, follow these simple rules:

• Total presentation time is no more than 45 minutes, with 15 minutes reserved for Q&A.
• The session should include opportunities for attendee engagement such as crowdsourcing/live polling or other innovative interactive elements. 

Session Design
Topic

• Submitters are encouraged to design a novel session that goes beyond the standard Symposia or Workshop format. Such sessions should include interactive discussions on emerging topics of significant scientific and/or policy interests related to the field and align with the theme of the 2025 Annual Meeting.

Timing

• Sessions may be up to 60 minutes inclusive of at least 15 minutes for audience Q&A. 

Format

• Priority will be given to interactive formats such as Ted-style talks, Flash Talks, Fireside Chats, Crowdsourcing, Lessons Learned and other innovative session types. An overview of how the session is novel must be provided. 

Speakers

• Sessions may have 1-2 moderators and a maximum of 3 speakers/panelists with presentations less than 15 minutes each to allow interactivity. 

Budget

• $6,000 for non-member speakers.

*Budget allocations to be used for non-member speakers only. No budget will be allocated for member speakers. 

Your Session Design Should:

• Focus on novel, and unique elements and presentation styles that will engage and excite attendees. Consider unique presentation types such as panel discussions, Flash Talks, Fireside Chats, and Ted-Style talks. 
• Include topics that appeal to a broad audience and consider how the voice of the patient can come through in your session. 
• Include a panel of speakers that represents diversity in gender, ethnicity, career experience, and work settings. Single gender panels will be reviewed by the SPC to determine if they are required to enhance the session.
• Include a title that clearly and accurately communicates the content of the session, will generate interest among attendees, and is reflective of speaker talks. 
• Clearly differentiate the content of the talks within the session.
• Describe the session flow and plans for operationalizing the details of the session.
• When appropriate, incorporate perspectives from multiple stakeholders, including patients and patient advocates. 

NEW FOR 2025
Panel Discussion Format

• Description: This session format features up to three experts discussing a specific topic, facilitated by one or two moderators. The session is designed to last no more than one hour, ensuring a focused and concise exploration of the subject. The discussion allows each panelist to present their viewpoint, followed by a collective discussion and interaction with the audience.
• Structure: Typically, the session would begin with a brief introduction by the moderator, followed by short presentations or statements from each panelist (about 10-15 minutes each). The remaining time (at least 15 minutes) is dedicated to a discussion among the panelists and a Q&A session involving the audience.

Flash Talks Format

• Description: Flash Talks are succinct sessions designed for quick, impactful presentations. They are ideal for speakers to share key insights, innovative ideas, or project updates. The format is particularly well-suited for conveying clear messages in a short amount of time, keeping the audience engaged with crisp content.
• Structure: The total session length is 30 minutes. Depending on the number of speakers (up to two), speakers will have a maximum of 15 minutes to present their topic. This ensures that the content is concise and focused. Following the presentations, a 15-minute Q&A session will be planned to allow the audience to engage with the speakers, ask questions, and explore the topics in more depth.

Interactive Session Formats (e.g., Point/Counterpoint, Fireside Chat, Crowdsourcing)

• Description: Interactive Session Formats are designed to actively engage participants in discussions and idea exchanges. This category includes various session types such as point/counterpoint debates, crowdsourcing activities, and fireside chats. Each format encourages dynamic participation from the audience or between speakers, facilitating a deeper understanding and diverse viewpoints. These sessions are ideal for fostering open dialogue, collaborative thinking, and direct interaction between speakers and attendees.
• Structure:
  • Point/Counterpoint Debates: Two or more speakers present opposing views on a specific topic, followed by a moderated discussion. Each speaker is given equal time to argue their position, followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.
  • Fireside Chats: An informal, intimate conversation between a moderator and a guest speaker(s), often resembling a living room discussion. The session includes significant time for audience questions, making it highly interactive and personal.
  • Crowdsourcing Sessions: These sessions involve presenting a problem or challenge to the audience and using digital tools or open discussion to solicit ideas, solutions, or feedback. The structure is flexible to allow for maximum audience participation and input.

Consistent with the Society’s Strategic Plan, proposals that include early career scientists as active Co-Chairs and/or Speakers, include speaker panels that represent diversity in gender, ethnicity, career experience, and work settings, as well as proposals that include patients or patient advocates will be favorably reviewed by the SPC.  The SPC encourages cross-Community proposals.  Proposals that are developed by multiple Networks and/or multiple Communities will receive increased attention from the SPC.  

The submitter is responsible for any edits to their submission and must finalize the submission by the Thursday, June 6, 2024, 4:00 PM ET submission deadline. 

Audio Visuals Needs
For each scientific session, ASCPT will provide one LCD screen with a projector, one laptop (PC), a podium with a microphone, a laser pointer, and a head table for chairs and speakers. ASCPT will consider providing additional audio/visual support, such as alternative stage set-ups and polling capabilities, on a case-by-case basis based on budget to support novel presentation formats. A full description of additional needs must be included in the proposal to be considered. Requests made after submission or acceptance will not be considered. 

Budget
The session budget covers travel reimbursement for non-member speakers only. ASCPT members are not eligible for travel reimbursement. 

ASCPT will verify the membership status of all chairs and speakers. Speakers who are ASCPT members as of the speaker roster confirmation deadline for all accepted proposals, Friday, September 6, 2024, are not eligible for reimbursement, regardless of member status as of the time of the presentation. Speakers who were members at the time of speaker roster confirmation who fail to renew their membership will not be eligible for complimentary registration and will be expected to pay non-member registration rates. 

All sessions with at least one non-member speaker are required to submit a plan at the time of submission that outlines how the budget will be allocated for in-person presentation and, if necessary, how additional funding will be secured to cover costs over the budget. All outside budget support must be vetted through ASCPT, and chairs/speakers are not permitted to contract directly for such support. 

Proposal Submission and Review
All proposals must be submitted via the ASCPT online submission system. Session proposals that are incomplete, lack sufficient detail, or do not adhere to the guidelines will not be reviewed. 

The SPC reserves the right to revise session proposals as necessary to achieve the goal of a well-rounded, educational program for the Annual Meeting. 

ASCPT Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts
ASCPT believes that the advancement of science and medicine for the benefit of patients and society depends on the inclusion of diverse voices and viewpoints. All proposals should include a panel of speakers that represents diversity in gender, ethnicity, career experience, and work settings. The SPC will ensure that all speaker panels reflect diversity in gender (single gender panels are not encouraged unless necessary to the success of the session), ethnicity, and career experience. 

Chair Responsibilities
Both Chairs must be members of ASCPT at the time of submission and, if the session is accepted, at the time of presentation at the Annual Meeting. Trainee/student members must work in partnership with a full member as co-chair. If your proposal includes co-chairs, both co-chairs must be actively involved in an administrative capacity, “honorary co-chair” appointments are not permitted. For all accepted proposals, chairs will be required to hold a call with ASCPT staff to review special needs and expectations. 

Joint Programming
Submitters interested in developing a joint program between ASCPT and another organization must contact ASCPT staff prior to submitting any such proposals. 

Please contact Abigail W. Gorman, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, at abigail@ascpt.org, who will coordinate with staff/leadership of the partnering organizations. 

The Network/Community Review Process
The ASCPT Networks and Communities will review and prioritize all proposal submissions for consideration by the SPC. Prioritized submissions will be competitively peer-reviewed and selected by the SPC. 

Scientific or programming questions related to session proposal development can be directed to the Network or Community Chair that is most pertinent to the subject. Operational questions can be directed to Britnee Sanders at britnee@ascpt.org or Lauren Rohde at lauren@ascpt.org. 

 *The SPC encourages cross-Community proposals

2025 Annual Meeting Deadlines
SESSION PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS I Thursday, June 6, 2024, 4:00 PM ET
SCIENTIFIC AWARDS NOMINATIONS I THURSDAY, July 25, 2024, 4:00 PM ET
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION I THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2024, 4:00 PM ET