How to Submit a Proposal

Please review the instructions below in their entirety before proceeding with proposal submission. All proposals must be submitted online. If you have any additional questions, please visit our FAQ. Contact AACC at [email protected] with questions.

Submit a Proposal

Submission Process | Speaker Benefits | Proposal Guidelines

Proposal Submission Process

The deadline for proposal submissions for the 2023 AACC Annual Scientific Meeting is Friday, November 4, 2022 at 5 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time. AACC strongly recommends reading the detailed information on how to prepare your proposal submission below. We also recommend you complete the proposal template prior to starting your submission. The main steps to proposal submission include:

• Submitter information. The proposal submitter is the Moderator of the session or Roundtable Speaker. You will be required to enter contact information and conflict of interest disclosures.
• Proposal information. This includes session type, overview, statement of need, pertinent references, and learning objectives.
• Speaker details. For AACC University Courses and Scientific Sessions, you may add Speakers and talk titles to the proposal.
• Submission agreements. This is the last step. Once confirmed, the submission is complete.

Download Proposal Template

Speaker Benefits

Faculty broadly include Moderators, Speakers, and Roundtable Speakers. Moderators may submit proposals for AACC University Courses or Scientific Sessions that include Speakers. Please note, Moderators are not automatically considered Speakers. If a Moderator plans to present and contribute to the session content, they must also list themselves as a Speaker. Roundtable Speakers may submit Roundtables and are the sole presenter. Multiple submissions are welcome from both Moderators and Roundtable Speakers.

Below are the benefits for Speakers of accepted sessions.

AACC University Courses and Scientific Sessions

• Speakers receive complimentary 2023 AACC Annual Scientific Meeting registration.
• Speakers receive economy roundtrip airfare when booked through AACC’s travel agent or compensation for self-driving.
• Speakers receive an honorarium of $500 USD for each session in which they are a Speaker. (Note: Individuals may serve as a Speaker in a maximum of 2 sessions).
• Please note that Speaker travel is provided to Speakers traveling and is not provided in cases where the Speaker delivers their presentation remotely (e.g., via live remote presentation or prerecording).
• Individuals who are a Moderator only do not receive complimentary registration, honorarium, or any other compensation.

Roundtable Speakers

• Roundtable Speakers receive $50 compensation per day they present, and do not receive complimentary registration or any other compensation.

Proposal Guidelines

Submission Site

AACC membership is not required but a free AACC account is needed to submit a proposal. Create a free AACC account here.

All proposals must be submitted online in AACC’s Proposal Submission Site. Proposal submitters may also visit AACC’s Proposal Service Center to review fully submitted proposals and/or finish incomplete proposals.

Submitter Information

You will need to select a faculty role. Select “Moderator” if you are submitting an AACC University Course or Scientific Session. You will add additional Speakers later in the submission process. Select “Roundtable Speaker” if you are submitting a Roundtable session. You will be the sole presenter of the session. The submitter is the main AACC point of contact and is responsible for maintaining contact with Speakers within the session and coordinating the development of session content (reminder that Roundtables do not have additional Speakers). An accurate and up-to-date email is crucial for communication.

Disclosures and Agreement

AACC is accredited by the Accreditation Council of Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and AACC’s Annual Scientific Meeting will be certified for ACCENT credit and AMA Category 1 Credit™. Proposals must be educational in nature and not promote commercial interests. Submitters must submit disclosures of any financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies as defined by the ACCME that have occurred within the past 24 months. There is no minimum financial threshold. An ineligible company is one whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. Please note that all faculty (Moderators, Speakers, and Roundtable Speakers) must complete a COI disclosure. Please also note that Moderators are responsible for ensuring their session Speakers (for AACC University courses and Scientific Sessions) complete the online COI disclosure form.

Session Type

There are three types of educational sessions that you may submit. Use of multiple learning formats is encouraged.

AACC University Courses
AACC University Courses are 3- or 6-hour educational workshops held Sunday, July 23, 2023. AACC University Courses are interactive and hands-on ticketed workshops with a moderator and typically two to four speakers. AACC University courses are expected to focus on foundations of laboratory medicine, development of hands-on skills, and topics that advance professional development. Proposals for AACC University Courses must outline the planned course including lectures, interactive and/or hands-on components, and description of any handout materials. As special ticketed courses, AACC University should focus on education that is interactive and can be carried out in a typical Scientific Session. Please note that space is limited for AACC University Courses.

• Held Sunday, July 23, 2023
• Expected audience size is approximately 30-50 participants.
• 3-hour courses typically have up to 3 Speakers in total.
• 6-hour courses typically have up to 4 Speakers in total.

Roundtable Sessions
Roundtables are 1-hour, small group discussions held Monday, July 24 – Wednesday, July 26, 2023. Roundtables are ticketed events delivered by a single presenter (i.e., the Roundtable Speaker is the proposal submitter) to an audience of up to 10 participants. Each Roundtable Session is expected to be delivered twice by the Roundtable Speaker (in a morning and mid-day session). Roundtable Speakers are encouraged to draw participants into focused discussions and learning exercises. Topics may range across the spectrum of laboratory medicine with a focus on practical skills and/or case examples. Roundtables do not include AV or use of an audience response system. Materials must be made available online and/or provided onsite. In-person presentation is required. Lab professionals at all career stages are encouraged to submit.

• Held Monday, July 24 – Wednesday, July 26, 2023.
• Expected audience size is up to 10 participants.
• Roundtable Speakers are the sole faculty in Roundtable sessions.

Scientific Sessions
Scientific Sessions are the core component of AACC’s Annual Scientific Meeting. Sessions are typically 1.5- or occasionally 2.5-hour sessions with a moderator and up to two to three speakers, respectively. Scientific sessions may vary in education format and style. A focus on emerging information and the latest and/or unpublished research is strongly encouraged.

• Held Monday, July 24 – Thursday, July 27, 2023.
• Highly variable audience range of 50-150 participants.
• 1.5-hour sessions (most common) typically have up to 2 Speakers.
• 2.5-hour sessions typically have up to 3 Speakers.

Proposal Title

Provide a title in 25 words or less using title-casing. Do not use ALL CAPS. A title should catch an audience’s attention and clearly represent the topic.

Session Overview

Provide an overview in 150 words or less. The session overview is crucial so that proposal reviewers understand the need, goals, and format of the session. Use this space to describe the importance of the session, what participants will learn, and any key design elements (e.g., audience questions, small group discussions, panels, etc.). If accepted, this information will appear in the online program and print program guide.

AACC University Course Outline

This is for AACC University Courses only. Provide a course outline in 500 words or less. List the key parts of the course as an outline. For example, intro, breakout exercises, lecture, assessment, etc. Use this space to describe interactive elements. Do not only list faculty and talk titles in this.

Statement of Need

Provide a statement of education need in 500 words or less. Note that references can be provided in a separate section. A statement of need should succinctly describe why this session is needed in terms of professional or educational need. For example, changes in practice or procedure, new technologies, necessary skills for early career professionals, etc. Describe any sources of information that support the need (e.g., guidelines, government data, public health sources, databases, etc.).

References

Provide a minimum of two peer-reviewed publications that support the statement of need. Focus on key references or reviews. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Use AMA format when possible. Include PubMed ID when possible.

Learning Objectives

Provide a minimum of two learning objectives. Learning objectives should begin with a verb and describe what participants will be able to do after participating in the session. Visit the "Developing Learning Objectives" resource for more guidance.

Presentation Level

Select a single best presentation level for the overall session. If accepted, this information will appear in the online program and print program guide.

• Basic. Entry level; no prior knowledge of subject necessary.
• Intermediate. Refresher session; some basic knowledge required; for experienced individuals with some years of experience.
• Advanced. Highly technical; for those with current skills/knowledge and extensive experience.

Topics

Select a primary (required) and secondary (optional) topic that best represents your proposal. Each submission must be linked to at least one of the following topics. A detailed description of topics is available online.

• Analytic Techniques and Applications (technologies such as chromatography, mass spec, point-of-care testing)
• Data Analytics and Informatics (automation, EMRs, information systems, data processing, etc.) 
• General Clinical Chemistry (area of disease pathophysiology such as cardiology and endocrinology, and universal lab issues such as standardization)
• Hematology and Coagulation (diagnostic assays and management of bleeding and thrombotic disorders)
• Laboratory Management and Leadership (billing, reimbursement, ethics, quality management, regulatory, etc.)
• Laboratory Stewardship and Patient Safety (error prevention, process improvement, test selection, etc.)
• Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (infectious disease, vaccine development, virology, bacteriology, etc.) 
• Molecular Diagnostics (NGS, PCR, microarrays, genomic and genetic topics in diagnostics, etc.)
• Preanalytical and Postanalytical (decision support tools, sample collection and transport, results reporting, etc.)
• Precision Medicine (diagnostic and/or therapeutics tailored to the individual)
• Special Patient Populations (pediatric, maternal-fetal, geriatric, transgender patient populations, etc.)
• Toxicology and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (kinetics and dynamics, drugs of abuse, patient compliance, toxicity, etc.)

Intended Audience

Select all audiences from the list that this session is designed for.

• Advanced practice professionals (NPs, PAs, RNs, etc.)
• Lab supervisors
• Lab directors (and/or assistant directors)
• Lab managers (supervisory and/or non-supervisory)
• Medical technologists
• Point-of-care coordinators
• Physicians
• Pathologists
• Toxicologists
• In-training individuals
• Other laboratory professionals

Learning Formats

AACC encourages use of interactive learning when appropriate and possible. You may consider multiple formats in the education design of your session. Be mindful to select and employ formats that are needed to meet your learning objectives and can be carried out in your session (e.g., Roundtables cannot easily involve a debate since each Roundtable has only one Speaker).

• Audience Questions. Use of an audience response system (e.g., Sync) to have audience members participate in questions, ratings, case selection, etc.
• Case-Based Learning. Reports of real-life events and problems to facilitate discussion. Discussions should be primarily audience driven and may include audience response questions.
• Debate or Point/Counterpoint. Typically, distinct perspectives of a topic are represented by two speakers with opposing viewpoints. Recommended to include time for presentation and rebuttal. Often used to highlight controversial topics with multiple supported paradigms. Moderation is a major component of design.
• Expert Lecture. An expert Speaker conveys information to a large group. Often used to provide background information or details on recent updates in practice. Recommended to keep succinct and consider incorporating audience questions and/or case-studies.
• Hands-on Workshop or Exercise. Typically reserved for AACC University Courses. The audience is given an exercise or problem to solve using skills taught earlier in the sessions. This may be done individually or in small group discussions. Session faculty may facilitate exercises by “walking the room” or sitting in the small group discussions.
• Lightning Talks. A lightning talk is a very short presentation only lasting a few minutes (typically 5-10 minutes). Some formats of lightning talk, including PechaKucha and Ignite, involve a specific number of slides. A series of lightning talks can cover multiple topics with alternating Speakers. An expert lecture sometimes begins a lightning talk session to provide context. A panel discussion sometimes closes a lightning talk session to include all Speakers. Timekeeping is important for this type of session.
• Panel Discussion. A panel discussion led by the Moderator may be used as part of a session or as the entire session. Often used to present multiple expert perspectives on a topic. Often focuses on addressing audience questions submitted by audience response system (e.g., Sync). An experienced Moderator with some predetermined panel questions is crucial.
• Small Group Discussion. Typically used in conjunction with case-based learning and/or small group exercises. The audience divides into groups (self-selected or assigned) to discuss a topic, case, or problem posed by the faculty. Each group may include a faculty facilitator (although not required). Planning a report out period to follow discussions may be helpful to engage the audience.

Developed with AACC Divisions or Other Organizations

You will have the opportunity to indicate if the proposal was developed in cooperation with and approved by the leadership of an AACC Division or leadership of another organization. You will need to provide contact information of the collaborating organization.

Adding Additional Speakers

Moderators submitting an AACC University Course or Scientific Session will be able to add Speakers and presentation talk titles to proposal submissions. See session types for typical faculty number. Please note that Moderators are not automatically considered a Speaker. If a Moderator plans to present and contribute to the session content, they must also list themselves as a Speaker. Each Speaker must have a unique presentation title. Depending on learning format, Speakers may present more than once within a single session.

Accreditation

American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME®) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. AACC also offers ACCENT® credit to laboratory professionals to document their continuing education and meet requirements for licensure or certification. All faculty must adhere to the policies to have your session accredited.

AACC requires all individuals in a position to control the content of an accredited continuing education activity to submit disclosures of any financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies as defined by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) that have occurred within the past 24 months. There is no minimum financial threshold; we ask that you disclose all financial relationships, regardless of the amount. You should disclose all financial relationships regardless of the potential relevance of each relationship to the education. Even if a product is not specifically referenced or discussed during the activity, individuals must disclose their financial relationship(s) with the ineligible company. An ineligible company is one whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. For specific examples of ineligible companies visit https://accme.org/eligibility.

Opportunities for employees of ACCME-defined ineligible companies to speak at the AACC Annual Scientific Meeting are limited. The use of employees of ACCME-defined ineligible companies as faculty and planners or in other roles where they are in a position to control the content of accredited CME is prohibited, except in specific situations. Please note that if a speaker in your proposed session is an owner or employee of an ACCME-defined ineligible company, CME credit may not be applied. But the science and education are still important and therefore ACCENT credit may still be applied. All disclosures will be reviewed by the CME Subcommittee and you will be notified of any steps after the acceptance notice.