Call for Research Abstracts

The Neurocritical Care Society invites you to submit a research abstract for the 22nd Annual Meeting in San Diego, California. Please submit a research abstract by Monday, May 6, 2024. 

In the submission form, you'll be asked if you want your abstract published in the NCS Journal upon acceptance. If you opt for publication and your abstract is accepted, at least one author per abstract must register for the conference by July 31, 2024. Registration opens in April. If you don't register by July 31, 2024, your abstract won't be published. Please direct all questions on publication to speakers@neurocriticalcare.org. Authors will receive decision notifications at the end June 2024.

Submission Instructions

1. Pay the $50 research abstract submission fee.
   1. Research abstracts submitted without paying the submission fee will not be considered for the program.
   2. The research abstract submission fee is non-refundable and does not guarantee approval of your research abstract submission or attendance at the conference.
2. PLEASE NOTE: If you have more than one submission, you will need to increase the quantity on the final payment page.
   1. Example: You want to submit two research abstracts for consideration. On the final payment page, you will increase the quantity to “2” and pay a fee of $100.00 USD.
3. Receive confirmation email containing the submission link. Authors will submit their research abstract(s) by clicking on the submission link in their confirmation email. The confirmation email will come from info@neurocriticalcare.org after the research abstract fee has been paid. 

Pay Research Abstract Fee

We encourage you to read our step-by-step guide to submitting a research abstract proposal. If the abstract is accepted, the Presenting Author agrees to register for the conference as an in-person delegate with a one-day pass or full registration.

The Annual Meeting Committee is prioritizing research abstract submissions that are relevant to:

• Clinical trials - Ongoing and Completed
  • Ongoing Clinical Trials refer to trials with preliminary results, patients enrolled or enrolling, and data that will be ready to present at the Annual Meeting.
• Basic sciences
• Advanced monitoring and artificial intelligence (AI) in neurocritical care
• Non-ICU research influencing neurocritical care
• Clinical research informing care

During your submission, you will be asked to select an area of focus:

• Brain Death and Post-Cardiac Arrest
• CNS Infections/Inflammatory
• Curing Coma
• Emerging and Other Topics
• Head and Spine Trauma
• ICU Organization, Staffing, and Education
• Intracerebral Hemorrhage
• Ischemic Stroke
• Medical Issues, Pharmacology, and Coagulopathy
• Neuromonitoring and Technology
• Neurosurgical and Perioperative Management
• Pediatrics
• Seizures/EEG
• Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Please note that case reports are no longer being accepted as research abstract submissions. Case reports will be automatically rejected.

Submission of Work Previously Published or Accepted Elsewhere

The Neurocritical Care Society strives to support and present original work; therefore, previously presented material will not be accepted as research abstract submissions. The research abstracts need to be novel studies.

Should an abstract be accepted by another meeting, the author is required to withdraw from the NCS 22^nd Annual Meeting no later than Monday, August 12, 2024. It is the responsibility of the author to ensure they are not in violation of another meeting’s policy when submitting to the NCS 22^nd Annual Meeting.

Important Information

• The Lead Author is most responsible for the research abstract’s content and should be listed first (this may be different from the person submitting or presenting the research abstract).
  • The Lead Author is the ONLY author eligible to be considered for the three awards offered: the Cristanne Wijman Young Investigator Award; the Best Scientific Research Abstract Award; and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Research Abstract Award.
• If the Lead Author cannot present the research abstract, another Presenting Author can be specified during submission. The Presenting Author of accepted research abstracts is required to register for the meeting.
  • The presenter will be the primary contact and will be the ONLY contributor contacted about the submission.
    • All other contributors should receive updates from the presenter/primary contact.
    • All authors entered will have access to your submission, but only the presenting author should make changes to the submission to avoid confusion. 
• The top 5 research abstracts will be selected as Oral Platform Presentations.
  • If you are selected for a platform presentation, your acceptance is contingent on your financial disclosure completion. All other accepted research abstracts must display disclosures clearly on posters.
• The top 10% of research abstracts thereafter will be selected as Distinguished Posters.
  • The inclusion of late-breaking abstracts in distinguished professor rounds is at the discretion of the Annual Meeting Committee. If your abstract is selected for this opportunity, you will be notified.
• Tables, figures and graphs are not allowed as part of the research abstract submission; however, they can be presented on the poster.
• There is a maximum of THREE research abstracts that each Lead Author may present. Submitters are required to pay the fee for EACH research abstract submitted.
• All authors and co-authors must disclose any financial relationships and conflicts of interest on their printed poster.

Preparation of Your Research Abstract

• The word limit for all four research abstract fields together is 300 - NOT including title, authors, affiliations, and disclosures.
  • Your submission will not go through if you exceed the 300-word limit.
  • The submission form does not have a tracker for word count.
  • We recommend preparing your research abstract submission in a Word document to confirm that you stay within the 300-word limit.
• The title should be as brief as possible, but sufficiently long to indicate the nature of the study clearly. Capitalize the first letter of each word; do not capitalize every letter.
• Do not include the names of the authors or institutions in the body of the research abstract, as these details should be hidden in the review process. The authors' names and affiliations (institutions) have a separate place on the submission form to be entered.

Research Abstract Selection Criteria

Research abstracts are scored based on the following criteria:

• Importance and Relevance: Is a clear rationale for the work provided? Does the study address an important question? Do its findings have the potential to advance the field of Neurocritical Care?
• Originality and Innovation: Is the work novel? Does it present new findings and/or address a problem using an original or improved approach?
• Quality of Methods and Writing: Are methods well described and valid to answer the question? Is the research abstract clear and well-written? Is the research abstract within the 300-word limit?

Research Abstract Requirements

• Background & Purpose: Clearly state the purpose of the research and supporting rationale.
• Methods: Describe your selection of observations or experimental subjects clearly. Describe analysis performed. Include statistical tests.
• Results: Present your results in a logical sequence. Results are expected and should not be "pending" unless a publishing embargo is in place, which should be specifically mentioned.
• Conclusion: Emphasize new and important aspects of the study and conclusions that are drawn from them.

Awards

The Lead Author is eligible for the three awards below if they are a current member of NCS. The Lead Author is the ONLY author eligible to be considered, even if they are not the presenter. Presenting authors will be expected to present the accepted research abstract as an oral platform presentation in a mainstage session.

Cristanne Wijman Young Investigator Award

One award will be given for the outstanding research abstract submitted by a junior member of the society (student, resident, or fellow). NCS requires a recommendation to consider Lead Authors for this award.

• Contact your recommender to ensure they complete the recommendation by the time your submission is due.
• If the recommender did not receive the auto email to the recommendation form, they should confirm that speakers@neurocriticalcare.org is added to their safelist and check their spam.
• If they still cannot locate the auto email to the recommendation form, please have them contact support at speakers@neurocriticalcare.org.
• Once the recommendation is complete, the submitter will see the status updated to "Received" in their submissions portal.

Best Scientific Research Abstract Award

One award will be given for the outstanding scientific research abstract submitted by an early career researcher of the Society.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Research Abstract Award

One award will be given at the 2024 meeting for the best research abstract on a topic that explores diversity, equity, and inclusion in Neurocritical patient care, education, or professional development.