Abstract Submission

Invitation to Submit

We invite you to submit an abstract for consideration for the 2027 International Allied Health Conference (IAHC), incorporating the 17th National Allied Health Conference (NAHC) being held from 16 – 18 August 2027 in Canberra, Australia.

The International Allied Health Conference provides an excellent opportunity for allied health professionals from across Australia and around the world to showcase their work, engage in networking, critical thought and discussion to encourage innovation in clinical practice, research and service delivery. The audience at the conference will consist of a comprehensive mix of allied health stakeholders from different parts of the health sector in clinical practice, service delivery, research, education, policy and workforce development.

Authors are invited to submit an abstract summarising interesting and topical research, quality improvement or other initiatives within any of the conference themes listed below. Submissions are sought for Oral Presentations, Lightning Oral Presentations, and Poster Presentations. All abstract submissions not accepted for Oral Presentation will be considered for a Poster Presentation.

We particularly encourage submissions from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health professionals, students, educators, and community workers, and both established and early-career researchers.

Presentations should be focused on original research, case studies, frameworks, or practical applications relevant to the theme Innovate, Integrate, Inspire: The Next Era of Allied Health. Submissions will be reviewed by our Scientific Committee to ensure the selection of high-quality contributions for presentation.

To submit your abstract, please visit our submission portal and follow the instructions provided. Please contact our conference managers, at mail@conferencedesign.com.au, if you have any questions.

We look forward to receiving your abstract and having you join us for an inspiring and stimulating conference.

Kind regards,

2027 International Allied Health Conference Organising Committee

Submit an Abstract

Click Here to Submit
Submission Instructions
Presentation Formats
Presentation Themes
Review & Selection Process
Other Information

Important Dates

  • Call for Abstracts Open
    Tuesday, 22 September 2026
  • Call for Abstracts Close
    Wednesday, 17 February 2027
  • Abstract Decision Notification
    Wednesday, 14 April 2027
  • Presenter Registration Due
    Monday, 7 June 2027
  • Conference Starts 
    Monday, 16 August 2027

Abstract Submission Instructions

All abstracts are submitted online via the portal above (opening soon).

1. Prepare your Abstract

  • Title: Use a descriptive title of up to fifteen words that indicates the content of the abstract. Use uppercase for your title.
  • Authors:  Include the given name and family name of every contributing author, separated by a comma.
  • Affiliations: Include each author’s organisation, suburb and state, and at least one email address. The presenter will be indicated in the program, not the abstract.
  • Abstract: Prepare a 250-word abstract including:
    • The purpose of the presentation
    • The issue or problem under consideration
    • The methodology chosen
    • The findings/outcome
    • The impact and conclusion reached

2. Corresponding Author

Open the submission portal and enter the contact details of the corresponding author. The corresponding author will be the only point of contact for all communication regarding the abstract, including acceptance notification.

3. Abstract Submission Details

You will need to enter the following details for each abstract you submit:

  • Presentation title (up to 15 words)
  • Preferred presentation format
  • Preferred theme and sub theme
  • Names of all authors
  • Affiliations of all authors
  • Name of (primary) presenter.
  • Short biography of the presenter (up to 100 words)
  • Abstract (up to 250 words)
  • The Award you wish to be considered for, if any.

Presenter Registration

All presenters must register for the conference and pay the appropriate registration fee. Presenters also need to meet their own travel and accommodation costs.

Travel Grants and Scholarships

The conference organisers are not offering any travel grants or scholarships to present or attend. Presenters need to meet their own travel and accommodation costs.

Abstract Requirements

  • You must declare any potential conflicts of interest.
  • Ensure that your abstract is grammatically correct and free of errors.
  • Use single spacing for all text.
  • Avoid using abbreviations in the title of the abstract. When using abbreviations in the abstract, spell them out in full at the first mention.
  • Capitalise the first letter in trade names.
  • Avoid including references, images, tables, or figures.
  • Accepted abstracts will appear exactly as submitted.

Presentation Themes

The Organising Committee have chosen the below five overarching themes and sub themes to organise the Conference abstracts. Select up to three sub-themes for your abstract that best reflect your topic.

THEME 1 – From Silos to Systems: Allied Health Designing Seamless Care

  1. Community and primary care
  2. Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary models
  3. Integrated care pathways
  4. Hospital avoidance, discharge and transitions
  5. Public–private–NGO partnerships
  6. Value‑based care

THEME 2 – Learning Health Systems: Evidence → Practice → Impact

  1. Evidence translation
  2. Quality and safety
  3. Implementation science
  4. Measuring outcomes and value
  5. Scaling what works

THEME 3 – People Power: Workforce, Scope and Leadership for the Next Decade

  1. Workforce planning and future skills
  2. Advanced and extended scope practice
  3. Allied Health Assistants
  4. Leadership at all levels
  5. Education, supervision and capability
  6. Workforce wellbeing and retention

THEME 4 – Living Well Across Life and Complexity

  1. Childhood, adolescence and transition points
  2. Ageing and frailty
  3. Chronic disease and multimorbidity
  4. Mental health integration
  5. Rehabilitation and prehabilitation
  6. Disability across life stages

THEME 5 – The Next Starts Now: Digital, Innovation and Sustainable Care

  1. Digital and virtual models of care
  2. Data‑informed practice
  3. AI‑supported workflows (safety, ethics)
  4. Innovation methods and service redesign
  5. Environmental sustainability
  6. Interoperability (data sharing, consistent data terminology, enabling software to communicate)

CROSS CUTTING THEMES

The Organising Committee would like to see the below cross-cutting themes appear in the conference program and will be prioritising abstracts that include these cross-cutting themes. These themes are included in the abstract assessment rubric.

A. Equity, Community Engagement and Voice

  • Community‑based or community‑led practice
  • Lived‑experience or consumer voice

B. First Nations Representation, Cultural Responsiveness and Inclusion

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, knowledges or outcomes
  • Cultural responsiveness and inclusion

C. Rural Health Equity

  • Rural and remote context (i.e. geographically isolated/disadvantaged areas, underserved areas)
  • Addressing health equity or access in a rural and remote context

Presentation Formats

You are asked to note a preferred presentation format when submitting. As there are limited places, particularly for oral presentations, the Scientific Committee may request that you consider an alternative format. Authors will be approached and asked to confirm if they wish to accept an alternative format.

Oral Presentations

Oral presentations will be allocated 15 minutes, inclusive of 3 minutes for questions. Oral presentations will be grouped into 60 or 90-minute sessions on a common theme.

  • A 15-minute presentation, including 3 minutes for questions.

Lightning Oral Presentations

Lightning oral presentations are shorter, focused oral talks that allow presenters to share a concise overview of their research or a specific aspect of their work.

  • A 5-minute presentation, no question time.
  • A maximum of 3 PowerPoint slides including the title slide.

Display Posters

Display posters allow for direct interactions with other attendees and facilitate detailed discussions. Posters can present research, projects, professional topics, quality improvement initiatives, and case studies.

  • An A0-size portrait poster displayed for the duration of the conference.
  • The abstract and a PDF of each poster will be included in the conference app for delegates to view on their smart devices.
  • Presenters will also be asked to attend their poster during a poster viewing session to discuss the poster with delegates.

Display Poster Dimensions

A0 Poster Dimensions

  • A0 Portrait
  • 841 mm wide x 1189 mm high
  • 33.1 inches wide x 46.8 inches high

PDF Poster Measurements for the Conference App

  • A4 Portrait
  • 210 wide x 297 mm high

Review and Selection Process

Double-Blind Review

Authors and affiliations will be removed from each abstract, and abstracts will be assessed by two reviewers against a scoring rubric.

Selection Process

The Organising Committee will allocate presentations to the program considering the score of the abstract, recommendations from reviewers, the author’s preference for presentation format, and the balance of the program.

Abstract submitters will be notified of acceptance, rejection or change of format via email at the date specified above. Presenters are then required to confirm their acceptance and their participation in the conference. Unsuccessful abstracts submitted for oral presentation will be offered a poster presentation if the selection criteria are met. No correspondence will be entered into as to why individual abstracts did not receive an oral presentation.

Industry representatives are welcome to submit an abstract for consideration, however, submissions that are commercially or sales-focused will not be accepted.

Scoring

All submissions will be reviewed against the following criteria to ensure consistency and fairness in the review process.

  • Originality: Is the subject original, contemporary and significant?
  • Methodology: Is the concept, methodology and supporting theory sound?
  • Clarity: Is the abstract clearly written and organised coherently?
  • Results or Findings: Are the findings informative and comprehensive?
  • Conference Fit: Will it have relevance to a wide audience of allied health professions? Does the abstract clearly address one or more of the conference sub-themes?
  • Contribution to the Field: To what extent does the abstract contribute to advancing knowledge or practice in the field?
  • Overall Quality: Is the abstract of high quality, including its readability, coherence, and adherence to formatting guidelines?

Abstracts will also be reviewed against the three cross-cutting themes, asking questions such as:

  • Does this work demonstrably benefit equity, access or community connection?
  • Did the work include strong engagement with consumers or those with lived experience?
  • Does the work have a strong connection to cultural responsiveness and inclusion improvement?
  • Did the work include strong engagement with First Nations people?
  • Does the work address health inequities among people living in rural and remote areas?
  • Does the work benefit equity or access in a rural or remote context?

Submission and Presentation Information

Authors’ Permission

By submitting an abstract all authors are deemed to have agreed to release the content to the conference organisers and give permission to publish the abstract and presentation in all conference publications including on the website, in the app and printed conference material.

Presenter Guidelines

A set of guidelines to assist presenters will be made available before the conference.

Cancellations or Change of Presenter

Please avoid late cancellations or changing the presenter as material will be pre-printed with the speaker’s name and organisation and cannot be changed at a later date. If you need to cancel or change the presenter, please advise Conference Design at mail@conferencedesign.com.au as early as possible.

Prizes and Awards

See the Awards page for the presentation awards offered.

Disclosure of Interest Statement

We recognise the considerable contribution that industry partners make to professional and research activities. We also recognise the need for transparency and the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest by acknowledging these relationships in publications and presentations. Where relevant, all authors must include a disclosure of interest statement in their abstract submission and if accepted also in their presentation. For example, The Melon Institute and Metabolism Corp are funded by the University of Oxbridge, UK. No pharmaceutical grants were received in the development of this study.

Medical Technology Association of Australia Code of Practice

If your presentation refers to medical devices, your abstract and presentation must comply with the Medical Technology Association of Australia Code of Practice.

Speaker Biography

A brief (up to 100 words) biography of the presenter must be provided when you submit your abstract. Biographies may include the presenter’s job title, profession, career details and major work achievements. Biographies must be written in the third person. If your abstract is accepted, your biography will be used when introducing you as a speaker at the conference.

Uploading Your Presentations and Posters

You will be sent details to upload your PowerPoint slides and posters via Drobox.

Publishing your Presentation in the Online Portal

Presentations will be made available to registered delegates for viewing in the online portal for twelve months unless you advise otherwise. Any additional files authors choose to share via the online portal, as well as live Q & A/panel discussions, will also be available to view during and after the presentation. Access to the portal will be password protected and limited to conference registrants. If presentations are to be used or published in any other format or forum, your specific consent will be requested.

Permission for Material Presented

Please ensure you have documented permission to use any images, music or other content in your abstract and presentation. Do not include any images copied from the internet. Getty Images and other image agencies crawl the internet looking for images that have been copied without the appropriate licenses. You are liable for all copyright infringements that arise from your presentation.

Copyright and Ownership of Material

All materials, including but not limited to presentations, slides, posters, abstracts, papers, and any other written or visual content presented at the event, are the intellectual property of us or the respective authors and presenters. The authors or presenters retain ownership rights to their materials.

Recording or Downloading Presentations

During the registration process, attendees agree to the Conference Terms and Conditions, which include rules on unauthorised photography and recording of conference material. We cannot enforce this rule completely, so presenters should assume a participant may take unauthorised photographs, screenshots, audio, or video recordings. You may wish to adjust the content of your presentation accordingly. Presentations in the online portal and conference app are available only to view and cannot be downloaded.

Audio Visual Equipment Available

Each session room will be equipped with the following equipment:

  • A presentation computer running Windows 10 or 11
  • Data projector
  • Screen
  • Lectern
  • Microphone
  • A clicker to progress your slides
  • A laser pointer or mouse for pointing.

All slides will be run from the presentation computer.

If you use a Mac, have a complex presentation or require a specific or uncommon program, we suggest you bring your laptop as a backup in case of difficulties loading your presentation. You will need to arrange this in advance with the AV technicians. Please provide any specific audio-visual requirements to the Conference Secretariat at mail@conferencedesign.com.au.

PowerPoint Presentation Tips

  • All presentations should be in PowerPoint.
  • PowerPoint should be in a 16:9 aspect ratio.
  • Video and audio clips should be embedded in your slides rather than linked to external files.
  • There should be no more than 5 x 1-line bullet points per slide.
  • The optimum title text is 45 – 55 points and no smaller than 36 points.
  • Body text should be at least 26 points.
  • Avoid UPPERCASE as it is hard to read.
  • Please keep to the time limit of your presentation.

Speaker Preparation Room

Please bring your PowerPoint presentation to the conference on a USB stick as a backup. Go to the Speaker’s Preparation room at least 4 hours before or the day before your presentation. A technician will be available to load and check your presentation and to discuss any audio-visual queries you have. If you are not using slides for your presentation, please advise the AV technician in the Speaker’s Preparation room 4 hours before your session.

Writing an Abstract

An abstract is a short document that captures the interest of potential attendees of your session. Your abstract should engage the reader by telling them what your presentation is about. The title of the proposed presentation is also important; short, attention-catching titles are the most effective, however, it is also important to ensure that the title describes the subject.

These are questions to consider when writing your abstract.

  • Does the title succinctly describe the topic?
  • Does the abstract clearly state the topic of the presentation?
  • Does the abstract say how the research or project was or is being undertaken?
  • Does the abstract give a concise summary of the findings?
  • Does the abstract indicate the value of the findings and whom the findings will benefit?
  • Does the abstract engage the reader by telling them why they should attend the presentation?
  • Is the abstract well written in terms of conciseness, language, and grammar?
  • Does the abstract conform to the structure outlined and the word limit?

While the format of your abstract will vary with the topic and type of information you are presenting, most abstracts will include the following:

  • Background of the project or initiative,
  • Method of research or project implementation,
  • Results of the project or research,
  • Discussion of the outcomes and implications.

Finally, your abstract should not include diagrams or images; references are not required in the abstract.

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