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If you have already submitted your abstract, you may... VIEW, MODIFY, or WITHDRAW your abstract

APHA 2016 Annual Meeting & Expo (Oct. 29 - Nov. 2, 2016) CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

The American Public Health Association is now accepting abstract submissions for oral and poster presentations for the Annual Meeting and Expo in San Antonio, TX, November 1 - 4, 2026. Authors are encouraged to submit abstracts on the meeting theme — Creating the Healthiest Nation: Ensuring the Right to Health — and current and emerging public health issues.

Log in with your current APHA account (members and non-members) or create a new account if you have no previous account with APHA.

APHA 2026 will be an in-person meeting and selected presenters will be required to become a member of APHA, pay for registration, attend the meeting in-person and abide by any COVID-19 vaccination requirements. For general presenter questions, please email annualmeetingprogram@apha.org.

  • Abstract Submission Deadline — Thursday, February 18, 2016, 11:59 PM (PDT). There will be no extensions.

  • Abstract Notification — Presenters will be notified of abstract status via email on Wednesday, June 1, 2016.

Submission Rules

You do not have to be an APHA member to submit an abstract.

  • If your abstract is accepted for presentation, the presenting author MUST become an individual APHA member and MUST register for the Annual Meeting. The membership requirement does not apply to APHA Learning Institutes faculty or invited session speakers.
  • Abstract text is limited to 250 words or less, unless otherwise noted in a section’s Call for Abstracts.
  • APHA does not accept abstracts or research from alcohol, tobacco, or firearms companies. Tobacco relationships are described as if you are employed, associated, or affiliated with a tobacco or non-therapeutic nicotine company or their subsidiaries, representatives, producers, wholesalers, retailers, associations, foundations, or trade organizations or received funding (direct or indirect) from a tobacco company to conduct this research.
  • Accept/Reject notices will be sent to the individual listed as the presenter. It is the responsibility of the presenter to ensure that all authors are notified of the abstract status. Note: Only one author can present if the abstract is accepted.
  • Abstracts submitted and accepted for the APHA Annual Meeting may not be presented at any other meeting or published prior to November 4, 2026.

Presenter Rules and Policies

  • Presentations will be done in-person. Digital/Hybrid presentations are not available.
  • Accepted presenters must abide by APHA’s policies and code of conduct rules (see 2026 Annual Meeting information).
  • It is the policy of the American Public Health Association to hold events where physical and communication barriers do not exclude people with disabilities from attending and participating. Video presentations must include closed captioning for accessibility. See guidelines for creating an accessible presentation here.
  • APHA records all oral presentations for on-demand viewing.
  • Submission of an abstract constitutes a commitment by the presenting author to present the work in person if the abstract is accepted. If your plans change and you are unable to present, you must arrange for a qualified substitute presenter. If a substitute cannot be secured, please notify APHA at annualmeetingprogram@apha.org and include your abstract ID so that the abstract can be withdrawn.
  • Presenters who fail to show up for their scheduled presentations without notifying the Program Chair of cancellation will not be permitted to present papers or posters at any APHA-sponsored meeting for two years following the "no-show."
  • An author may not present more than three abstracts during an APHA Annual Meeting, and each abstract must be different. Duplicate submissions will not be accepted. Violators will be removed from the program.
  • Presenters whose abstracts were accepted for presentation but subsequently withdrew their abstracts two or more times within the last five years will be excluded from the program.

APHA Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

  • The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in research, data collection, analysis, or the development of presentation materials is permitted. However, to promote transparency and maintain scientific integrity, we request that all presenters who have used AI in any stage of their work disclose this at the beginning of their presentation. This disclosure should briefly describe how AI was used (e.g., data analysis, literature review, drafting content, etc.) and how the content was subsequently reviewed/validated/authenticated by a human, since you are fully responsible for the content of your presentation.

Session Proposals

  • Certain member groups allow the submission of full session proposals that include four to five related abstracts on a shared topic. Since not all groups accept session proposals, please review the member group’s Call for Abstracts carefully. If session proposal instructions are not provided, the group is accepting individual abstracts only, which will be organized into sessions after review.

Review Process

  • You may review, modify, or withdraw your abstract any time before Thursday, February 18, 2016, 11:59 (PDT) by logging back into the abstract submission site. Check your email for the link or click on the link on the top right of the abstract submission page.
  • Each abstract will be blind reviewed by the 144am Review Committee, and decisions to accept or reject abstracts rest with the Program Chair of your member group.
  • Presentation format and scheduling (date and time) will be determined by the Program Chair. Preferred presentation formats may be indicated upon submission but cannot be guaranteed.

Continuing Education Credit Guidelines

  • APHA values the ability to provide continuing education credit to physicians, nurses, health educators, and those certified in public health at its annual meeting. Complete all required information when submitting an abstract, so credit can be claimed by attendees. These credits are necessary for attendees to keep their licenses and credentials. For a session to be eligible for continuing education credit, EVERY presenter, panelist, discussant, and/or faculty member must follow these guidelines:
  1. Do not use trade names or commercial product names.
  2. Include at least one measurable objective: Use ONLY the following measurable action verbs: Explain, Demonstrate, Analyze, Formulate, Discuss, Compare, Differentiate, Describe, Name, Assess, Evaluate, Identify, Design, Define or List. Do not use (a) unmeasurable objectives such as “to understand” or “to learn” or (b) compound objectives.
  3. Submit a signed conflict of interest disclosure form with a relevant qualification statement (short biography).

For general inquiries regarding continuing education credit and/or conflict of interest statements, contact Education@apha.org.

Example of Acceptable Biographical Qualification Statement:

"I have been the principal or co-principal of multiple federally funded grants focusing on the epidemiology of drug abuse, HIV prevention and co-occurring mental and drug use disorders. Among my scientific interests has been the development of strategies for preventing HIV and STDs in out-of-treatment drug users."

Begin your submission.

From the list below, select the APHA member group/topic area that best aligns with your work. If your abstract is accepted, it will be scheduled under that program. Once you select a program, a new window will open to begin the submission process.

  • Read and follow the instructions provided by the specific member group.
  • If you have questions about the submission process, email the program planner. Contact information is listed below.

Tip: APHA suggests that abstracts be developed and finalized off-line in a program such as Microsoft Word for ease of editing and then copied into the online submission form.

Topic List: If you are unsure where your presentation would best fit, view the list of topics organized by each member group.

Select an APHA program

All Deadlines 11:59 p.m. PST
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Academic Public Health Caucus
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Aging & Public Health
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Caucus
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
APHA-Committee on Women's Rights
Abstract Submission
closed on
May 20
APHA-Global Public Health Film Festival
Abstract Submission
closed on
February 18
APHA-Industry Expert Theater
Abstract Submission
closed on
February 19
APHA-Learning Institute (APHA-LI)
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
APHA-Public Health Funder Network
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
APHA-Student Assembly
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Applied Public Health Statistics
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Asian & Pacific Islander Caucus for Public Health
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Black Caucus of Health Workers
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Breastfeeding
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Cancer Forum
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Caucus on Homelessness
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Caucus on Public Health and the Faith Community
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Caucus on Refugee and Immigrant Health
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Chiropractic Health Care
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Community Based Public Health Caucus
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Community Health Planning and Policy Development
Abstract Submission
closed on
August 5
Community Health Planning and Policy Development Late Breakers
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Community Health Workers
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 14
Disability
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Environment
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Epidemiology
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Ethics
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Family Violence Prevention Caucus
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Food and Nutrition
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Genomics Forum
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 10
Health Administration
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Health Informatics Information Technology
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Health Informatics Information Technology Center (HIIT Center)
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
HIV/AIDS
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Human Rights Forum
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Injury Control and Emergency Health Services
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Integrative, Complementary and Traditional Health Practices
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
International Health
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Latino Caucus
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Law
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 11
LGBT Caucus of Public Health Professionals
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Maternal and Child Health
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Medical Care Section
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Men's Health Caucus
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Mental Health
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Occupational Health and Safety
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Oral Health
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Peace Caucus
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Pharmacy
Abstract Submission
closed on
April 15
PHEHP Materials Contest
Abstract Submission
closed on
November 30
Physical Activity
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Podiatric Health
Abstract Submission
closed on
July 1
Podiatric Health Late Breakers
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Population, Reproductive and Sexual Health
Abstract Submission
closed on
February 24
Public Health Education and Health Promotion
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 14
Public Health Nursing
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Public Health Social Work
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
School Health Education and Services
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Socialist Caucus
Abstract Submission
closed on
February 26
Spirit of 1848 Caucus
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Trade and Health Forum
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 6
Veterinary Public Health
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Vision Care
Abstract Submission
closed on
March 4
Women's Caucus
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