1. GENERAL GUIDELINES

Please read these guidelines carefully prior to submitting your abstract. YOUR ABSTRACT MAY BE REJECTED IMMEDIATELY IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES. 

ICHAMS 2019 Rules & Regulations:

  • The Lead Author (i.e. the individual submitting the abstract and presenting at the conference) has the authority to submit the abstract and has obtained permission from their supervisor (i.e. corresponding author) and all other authors; 

  • Upon abstract submission, the Lead Author and co-authors agree to all copyright transfer terms;

  • The registration fee of €50 (plus applicable administration fees) must be paid at time of submission and is non-refundable. If you are from a country that does not support our payment portal (PayPal), then please email ichamsit@rcsi.ie to arrange another payment form. If your abstract is not selected by the judging committee or if you choose not to present your abstract at the conference, you will not receive a refund;

    • Abstract withdrawals can be requested by the Lead Author by emailing ichamsresearch@rcsi.ie with the subject “Abstract Withdrawal”. Please ensure the Lead Author and title of the abstract are listed exactly as they were on your submission form.

  • All Lead Author’s whose abstracts are rejected by the judging committee are welcome to attend as a Passive Participant at no additional cost;

  • The primary responsibility for compliance with any disclosure or nondisclosure requirements resides solely with the researchers;

  • There is no limit to the number of abstracts that an individual may submit. However, you must register and pay the abstract submission fee for each abstract you submit;

  • To have your abstract published in the BMC Proceedings you must sign and hand in your waiver at registration during the conference weekend

    • In order to have your abstract published with BMC Proceedings your data cannot be published with any other conference and/or publication;

    • Plagiarism will be checked and will not be tolerated.

2. SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Abstract submission for ICHAMS 2019 was open from September 1, 2018 to November 4, 2018.

Undergraduate Category 

Research must have been completed during an undergraduate degree or as part of a professional degree including medicine, pharmacy, or physiotherapy.

Graduate Category 

Research must have been completed as part of a Master’s or PhD degree.

ABSTRACT REQUIREMENTS

*NEW FOR 2019* – research work completed as part of a Master’s degree or PhD will now be accepted. Please see above to identify your category.

  1. Abstracts will only be taken into consideration if they are written in English and do not exceed the maximum of 250 words. In addition, only original research will be considered – case reports and literature reviews will not be accepted.

  2. All topics in medicine and biomedical sciences are welcome. When submitting, please assign your abstract to one of the categories below that best suits your research topic.

A. Abstract Categories

  • Cardiology/Respirology

  • Gastroenterology/Endocrinology

  • Haematology/Immunology/Infectious Disease

  • Musculoskeletal/Orthopaedics/Dermatology/Physiotherapy

  • Nephrology/Urology

  • Neurology/Psychiatry

  • Obstetrics/Gynaecology/Pediatrics

  • Oncology/Pharmacology

  • Opthalmology/Otolaryngology

  • Public Health/Epidemiology

  • Surgery/Anaesthesiology

B. The Lead Author must be assigned for each abstract submission:

  • This individual is the first author listed on the submission and has the primary responsibility for communications with ICHAMS.

  • They are responsible for ensuring all co-authors and company sponsors approve the submission, publication, and potential presentation.

  • They will deliver the oral or poster presentation if the submission is accepted. The lead author should be comfortable to present and answer questions in English.

C. The Corresponding Author must be assigned for each abstract submission:

  • This individual is often the final author listed on the submission and is the most senior author or research supervisor.

  • They will be listed as the corresponding author in the BMC Proceedings abstract publication (provided the Lead Author request that the abstract be published and signs the appropriate waiver at the conference).

  • They are ultimately responsible for the quality of work, including any plagiarism.

  • ICHAMS reserves the right to contact the corresponding author should any concerns about the quality of work be raised.

D. Abstract Layout

  • The abstract submission should contain a maximum of 250 words, including: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Title and author details are NOT included in the word count.

NOTE: do not include references, tables, or figures in your submission.

  • TITLE: Titles must be concise, function, and informative, but need not be dull. Use simple language. The title of the research work should be clear and contain the necessary information to make classification of the article possible. The title may contain a maximum of 150 characters.

  • AUTHORS: For every submission there must be a designated Lead Author, co-authors, and corresponding author. You must provide all of the following details for EACH author:

    • Full names (first name, surname, middle initial if required)

    • Institutional affiliation (department, institution, city/town, and country)

    • If the abstract is being presented on behalf of a study group or is affiliated with an organization that patronizes the investigation, this should appear in a separate Acknowledgements section.

  • INTRODUCTION: Give background information that is useful for introducing your research and makes it clear to the reader why you are asking the research question. The research question or aim of the study: state the question either as a question or a hypothesis. Use key terms that will re-appear in the answer to the question in your conclusion.

  • METHODS: The study design, including both independent and dependent variables and use of statistics.

  • RESULTS: Describe the results obtained based on the research or study question and the methods applied.

  • DISCUSSION: The answer: give a clear summary of the outcome to the research or study question. If important for your research, state some conditions that could have influenced your data. Keep it as short and concise as possible. It is of great importance to state the implication or relevance of your research or study. Do not use words like “we intend to study” or “work will be done to prove” etc.

3. ABSTRACT SELECTION

  • All abstract submissions are reviewed by our judging committee, consisting of a panel of academics. For more information about the judging criteria and selection process, please click here.

  • Please note that one your abstract is submitted, no additional changes can be made at any time. If you need to make changes you will have to withdraw your abstract and enter a new submission up until the submission deadline. If you must contact the abstract review committee for any other reason, please email them here.

  • Abstract decisions will be announced sometime between mid-December to early-January. You will be notified by email, indicating if you were accepted or rejected. If accepted, you will also be notified as to what presentation you have been invited for (Plenary session, oral, or posters)

4. ABSTRACT FAQs

Q: Do I submit under the graduate or undergraduate category?

Undergraduate research must have been completed during an undergraduate degree or as part of a professional degree including medicine, pharmacy, or physiotherapy. Research completed as part of a Masters degree or PhD should be submitted under the graduate category. If you have any questions, just email ichamsresearch@rcsi.ie.

Q: When will I hear if my abstract has been accepted?

Participants will be informed about abstract decisions between mid-December to early January prior to the conference.

Q: Can I apply for an Invitation Letter for my Visa before I hear about my abstract?

Yes. We would encourage students who require a visa to request an invitation letter as soon as possible. It is not a requirement that your abstract be accepted – only that you have submitted and paid for the conference. Please go to our visa page to submit a request for an invitation letter.

Q: What do I do if my abstract is not accepted?

All applicants with an unsuccessful abstract submission will be invited to attend the conference as a passive participant at no added cost.

Q: Is there a template to help me format my abstract?

Yes, please review to our “abstract layout” heading further up on this page.

Q: Can I submit more than one abstract?

Yes, you may submit as many abstracts as you wish. All abstracts must confirm to the standards set out in the submission guidelines. You must pay the registration fee for each abstract submitted.

Q: What kind of research can I submit?

ICHAMS accepts original research only. Case reports and literature reviews are NOT accepted.

Q: I am a mature student who has already completed a degree (Post-Grad, Post-Bac). Can I still submit an abstract to ICHAMS?

Yes, research completed as part of a post-baccalaureate program or research done previously during undergraduate studies is acceptable for submission to ICHAMS. Additionally, research done during your time in medical school or during your pharmacy/physiotherapy degree is accepted. If your research was conducted as part of a higher-level degree program (Masters, PhD), then submit your work as part of the Graduate Category.

Q: Can I present an abstract that has already been presented at another conference?

Yes, you may submit work that has already been presented at another conference. However, in compliance with copyright regulations you may not publish the same abstract more than once. Therefore, if you have already published your work you can present at ICHAMS but cannot sign the waiver for publication in the BMC Proceedings.

Q: My supervisor is not aware that I am submitting my abstract to ICHAMS – can I still submit?

No, as this is an undergraduate research conference all abstracts must be reviewed by your supervisor and the supervisor must be listed as a co-author.

Q: I have already submitted my abstract, however I have recently received new results that change the outcome of my abstract – can these changes now be made?

No, once an abstract has been submitted no further changes can be made. If accepted for oral or poster presentations, you may supplement your results with new data obtained since abstract submission. However, these changes will not be published in the BMC Proceedings (i.e. only the originally submitted abstract is published).

Q: I have more abstract authors than there is room for in the submission form – how do I add them all?

If you have more than 10 authors please send an email to ichamsresearch@rcsi.ie with your full name and the full title of your abstract. Please provide a list of all authors including first name, middle initial (if necessary), surname, and affiliation). Please mark the most senior author as the corresponding author.

Q: Who is the corresponding author?

The corresponding author is the most senior author of your abstract, commonly your supervisor. If you choose to submit your abstract for publication in the BMC Proceedings, the corresponding author will be listed in the publication. Please note that all correspondence regarding the conference itself will be directed at the Lead Author. The corresponding author designation is strictly used for abstract publication.

Q: Will my abstract be published if I submit it to ICHAMS?

All abstracts accepted for oral or poster presentations that have not been published previously can be published in the BMC Proceedings. During registration at the conference, you will be provided with a publication waiver. This waiver must be signed in order for the abstract to proceed to publication. If you do not attend the conference or do not sign the waiver, your abstract will not be published.

Q: What if I do not want my abstract published?

If you do not sign the publication waiver on the day you register for the conference during the conference weekend, your abstract will not be published.

Q: How do I format my Oral or Poster Presentation?

Please see the presentation guidelines page for more information.

Q: Can I submit an abstract that has been or will be published as a full article in the RCSI Student Medical Journal (SMJ) - *RCSI STUDENTS ONLY*

Yes, you can publish and present in both journals as the SMJ is not published online.

Q: Can I present my abstract at ICHAMS and at the RCSI Research Summer School Research Day? - *RCSI STUDENTS ONLY*

Yes, however please ensure that you check with your supervisor regarding publication of your abstract with ICHAMS.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE OCTOBER 31ST, 2018