The abstract submissions are now open! Sign up for active registration today!
Submission deadline for abstracts is November 15th, 2024
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.
**Case reports cannot be published in the BMC. If you choose to submit a case report, please choose the non-BMC option when registering.
ICHAMS 2025 Rules & Regulations:
The individual submitting the abstract and presenting at the conference (i.e. the corresponding author/ lead author) has the authority to submit the abstract and has obtained permission from their supervisor (i.e. senior author) and all other authors;
Upon abstract submission, the Lead Author and co-authors agree to all copyright transfer terms;
All fees, including applicable administration fees, must be paid by credit card at the time of abstract submission.
All Lead Authors whose abstracts are rejected by the judging committee are welcome to attend as a Passive Participant at no additional cost;
To have your abstract published in the BMC Proceedings:
You must pay the 20 euro publication fee
You must sign and submit the BMC waiver either electronically or physically at registration during the conference weekend
Physical attendance and poster presentation at the ICHAMS conference are required; without presenting, your poster will not be included in the ICHAMS abstract book or BMC conference proceedings
Your data cannot be published with any other conference and/or publication
The primary responsibility for compliance with any disclosure or nondisclosure requirements resides solely with the researchers;
Plagiarism will be checked and will not be tolerated.
2. SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Research must have been completed during an undergraduate degree, graduate degree, or as part of a professional degree including medicine, pharmacy, or physiotherapy.
ABSTRACT REQUIREMENTS
Abstracts will only be taken into consideration if they are written in English and do not exceed the maximum of 300 words + 5 for headings (not including title and authors). In addition, only original research, case reports, and systematic reviews will be considered – literature reviews will not be accepted.
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
General Practice
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 (Corresponding 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 Senior Author must be assigned for each abstract submission:
This individual is often the final author listed on the submission and is the research supervisor.
They will be listed as the corresponding author in the BMC Proceedings abstract publication (provided the Lead Author requests 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. As an undergraduate research conference, all abstracts require a senior author (PI/supervisor).
ICHAMS reserves the right to contact the senior author should any concerns about the quality of work be raised.
D. Abstract Layout
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 once your abstract is ACCEPTED, no additional changes can be made at any time.
Abstract decisions will be announced sometime before the end of December. 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)
Abstract submission will be chosen for poster, oral or plenary based on the decision of the external abstract review committee. The delegate will be notified about the type of presentation in December, along with their acceptance to the conference.
4. Poster and Oral Submission Guidelines
Poster Presentation Guidelines
For poster presenters:
We are pleased to provide FREE poster printing for delegates through Reads Printing in Dublin, Ireland. If you would like to avail of this service please upload your poster to ExOrdo by January 29th.
**This is an optional service and only delegates who have posters submitted by the deadline that have signed up for free printing will be eligible. If your poster is NOT uploaded by the deadline then we will NOT be arranged to print and you will be required to print and bring your poster to the poster session.
All posters that are printed through ICHAMS will be available for pick up at the poster sessions during the conference weekend.
We recommend using Microsoft PowerPoint to create your poster. Please submit it as a 1 page PDF document.
Make the poster A0 size, with a horizontal width of 841 mm and a vertical length of 1189 mm
*Please ensure the posters are oriented vertically, so the vertical length is longer than the horizontal width
*ICHAMS does not take responsibility for any errors in the printing of posters. No changes can be made to posters after the deadline.
You will be required to stand by your poster for the entire length of the poster session you have been assigned. You should discuss your research with anyone walking by. During the poster session, you will be introduced to ICHAMS judges. You will present your poster for 3 minutes followed by 2 minutes of questions. If you are co-presenting in a pair each person will speak for 1 minute and 30 seconds. ICHAMS judges will fill out a marking sheet, giving each delegate a score. The top three scores overall will be awarded ICHAMS prizes. There will also be a student-selected abstract winner, voted on by all ICHAMS delegates.
The judging criteria will include:
1. Research quality:
a. Clear, logical, well-thought-out aims of the project;
b. Clear research approach with appropriate methodology;
c. Results are original, statistically sound, and appropriately presented with relevant figures and tables;
d. Clear conclusions, relevant interpretation, and related back to aims/introduction.
2. Presentation skills:
a. Understandable to non-expert audience;
b. Clear and well-considered answers to questions;
c. Confident, good communication skills.
3. Poster design:
a. Visually appealing;
b. Appropriate balance of text, figures, and tables.
Oral Presentation Guidelines
During your assigned oral session, you will be asked to present a 10 minute presentation. There will be 5 minutes for questions from the judges, following your presentation.
There are prizes available for the top 3 oral presentations. The judging criteria will include the quality of your research, your presentation skills, and the design of your presentation.
*Please bring your presentation on a USB when you register at the conference, AND email it to ichamsresearch@rcsi.ie before February 8th.
Creating your presentation:
Software: The presentation should be created in Microsoft Office PowerPoint (our computers do not support Keynote presentations)
Language: The presentation must be written and spoken entirely in English
Presentation Structure (suggested sections):
Background
Introduction
Methods
Results
Tables and Figures (include titles above tables and below figures)
Discussion
Limitations
Conclusion
The judging criteria will include:
1. Research quality
a. Clear, logical, well-thought-out aims of the project;
b. Clear research approach with appropriate methodology;
c. Results are original, statistically sound, and appropriately presented with relevant figures and tables;
d. Clear conclusions, relevant interpretation, and related back to aims/introduction.
2. Presentation skills
a. Understandable to non-expert audience;
b. Clear and well-considered answers to questions;
c. Confident, good communication skills.
3. Presentation design
a. Visually appealing;
b. Appropriate balance of text, figures, and tables
5. ABSTRACT FAQs
Q: When will I hear if my abstract has been accepted?
Participants will be informed about abstract decisions by the end of December prior to the conference.
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. Your 20 euro BMC publication fee can be refunded. The 15 euro abstract submission processing fee is nonrefundable.
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, case reports, and systematic reviews. Literature reviews are NOT accepted.
Case reports are accepted for presentation at ICHAMS pending the signing of a case report consent form, however they are not applicable for publication in the BMC conference proceedings.
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 senior author?
The senior author is commonly your supervisor. If you choose to submit your abstract for publication in the BMC Proceedings, the senior author will be listed in the publication. Please note that all correspondence regarding the conference itself will be directed at the Lead/Corresponding Author. The senior 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. However, you cannot publish your abstract in both the BMC and RCSI SMJ.
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.