Abstract Submission Information

Call for Posters Reopened

The conference committee has reopened the call for Poster Presentations and will be accepting new abstracts until August 7, 2023 at midnight. For more details please see the Poster Presentations section under Types of Abstracts, below. We look forward to receiving your submission.

Submission Deadline is Monday, August 7, 2023.

The CSAM-SMCA 2024 Annual Scientific Conference brings together researchers, leaders, educators and clinicians in addiction medicine. This conference offers the opportunity to share your work with colleagues from across Canada and around the world. Our theme for 2024 is Shaping the Future Together, and we seek abstracts that speak to the many meanings of our theme for addiction medicine.

We encourage abstracts about:

  • New research in the understanding or treatment (pharmacological and/or psychological) of substance use disorders and behavioural addictions;
  • All substance use disorders and behavioural addictions including opioids, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, stimulants, gambling and gaming.
  • New use of technology in addiction care including virtual care, AI, digital therapeutics, leveraging EMRs and using technology to enhance traditional face-to-face care;
  • Providing treatment and care during the opioid epidemic and/or the COVID-19 pandemic;
  • Workshops that will help attendees learn a specific psychotherapy modality or skill, that focus on health care practitioner wellness and resilience, or skills in advocacy;
  • Abstracts about under-represented groups, vulnerable populations, and the social determinants of health

Our objective is to present new scientific research and best practices in addiction medicine, promote evidence-based care, and encourage the sharing of diverse perspectives on addiction treatment and recovery.

The conference will be held in person in Hamilton, Ontario, November 14-16, 2024. A selection of the presentations may be recorded live and made available for on-demand viewing following the in-person event to make our conference accessible to as many people as possible.

Submission Deadline is Monday, April 8, 2024.

Please review the abstract types carefully, to determine what type of presentation best fits the information you want to share. Authors are required to present in person in Hamilton (except for digital-only poster presentations) and must pay the registration fee. Some presentations may be video recorded for on-demand viewing after the live event.

Symposium

A symposium is a 60 or 90 minute session designed to give conference attendees an in-depth understanding of a specific clinical or scientific topic. Symposia are organized by small groups and should include between three and six related presentations by members of the group. A complete submission needs to include a “Symposium Overview,” abstract and a separate abstract for EACH presentation in the symposium. List the title of the Symposium Overview for EACH abstract submitted as part of the symposium. A symposium must allocate 25 percent of the session time to questions and answers, as required in CME guidelines. Symposia will be presented in person in Hamilton, and may be recorded for on-demand viewing at a later date.

Workshop

A workshop is a 45, 60 or 90 minute session intended to give attendees new skills and understanding. Workshop presenters are encouraged to use interactive and experiential teaching formats such as small group discussions, case examples, demonstrations, interactive polls and other skill-building exercises. The plan for the workshop should be described in the abstract. The number of participants in each workshop will be limited to facilitate skill-building and active participation by attendees. Workshops will not be video recorded. Lectures submitted as workshops will be declined.

Oral Presentation

Oral presentations are concise presentations about a research project, new clinical program, educational initiative or other project in addiction medicine. Lead authors will have 10-15 minutes to describe their project accompanied by visual aids (slides), followed by five minutes of questions. Abstracts will be grouped together and delivered in moderated Oral Presentation Sessions. These will be in-person presentations, delivered live during the conference and may be recorded for the on-demand conference materials. Submissions from trainees are encouraged. Please note that a project or report may only be submitted for one type of presentation: oral, poster or digital poster.

Poster Presentation

A Poster presentation is a visual summary of a research project, new clinical program, educational initiative, or other project or proposal in the field of addiction medicine. Submissions from trainees are encouraged. Posters are to be presented in person. Lead Authors will prepare a printed poster to be mounted and displayed during the poster session, describing the project (we suggest organizing the poster with Introduction, Methods, Results and Conclusions, although other written formats are acceptable). Lead authors are expected to attend the poster session in person to discuss their work with conference attendees. Bulletin board space will be provided for each poster along with mounting materials. Lead Authors of Poster Presentations may ALSO share their poster in the conference app by uploading the poster in digital form to their profile. Posters by trainees will be evaluated, with an award for the Best Poster by a Trainee. Please note that a project or report may only be submitted for one type of presentation: oral, poster or digital poster.

Digital Poster

A Digital Poster presentation will ONLY be available in the conference app. It is a video summary of a research project, new clinical program, educational initiative, or other project or proposal in the field of addiction medicine. Lead Authors will prepare a pre-recorded five-minute video describing the project with up to 12 slides for on-demand viewing within the conference app. We suggest organizing the video with Introduction, Methods, Results and Conclusions, although other formats are acceptable. Lead authors are expected to register for the virtual conference but do not need to attend in person. Communication with conference attendees about the poster can take place using the chat function within the conference app. Digital posters will not be evaluated for the Best Poster by a Trainee award. Please note that a project or report may only be submitted for one type of presentation: oral, poster or digital poster.

TED-Style Talk

A TED-Style Talk is an opportunity to present a great, well-formed idea in under 18 minutes, followed by five minutes of questions. TED-Style talks are focused on the power of ideas to change lives and, ultimately, the world. These talks are generally delivered without notes, although presenters may use some basic outline notes on cards or a computer during their presentation. These are NOT spontaneous presentations, they are scripted and carefully rehearsed! PowerPoint slides are limited to only absolutely essential illustrations, traditional slides that summarize content are not allowed. TED-Style talks focus on you and your presentation–the slides only complement your ideas, they do not repeat your words. 

  • TED-Style talks are personal. The only reason to give a TED talk is that you feel passionately about something, and your sense of purpose creates an energy boost for both you and your audience.  
  • TED-Style talks often take us on a journey. As the speaker shares their transition from ignorance to understanding of some important truth, we follow along in their footsteps.
  • TED-Style talks are concise. With only 18 minutes, speakers need to cut out any extraneous ideas so that every word counts.

The abstract for a TED-Style talk should be a SUMMARY of your presentation, not a description of what you plan to talk about. TED-Style talks may be recorded live at the conference for the on-demand event. A coach will contact each author selected for a TED-style talk to support their preparations to present at the conference. Last year the TED-style talks were well-received and the most talked-about sessions at the conference!

Other

Do you have a concept for a presentation that ventures beyond conventional categories? These ideas might take the form of a panel discussion, debate, captivating storytelling session, lecture, or any other creative approach to knowledge translation. We are reserving a select few slots, spanning 45-60 minutes, for such “other” presentations. Abstracts submitted under the “other” category will not be considered for other types of presentations.      

Invited Presentation

Please select this presentation type ONLY if you have been invited to give a presentation at the CSAM-SMCA conference.

  • Lead Authors must agree to follow the CSAM-SMCA guidelines for abstracts before submitting an abstract.
  • A signed Conflict of Interest form for EVERY author must be uploaded with the abstract submission. Abstracts without the disclosure statements will be declined.
  • Disclosure Slide: a disclosure slide is required for each oral presentation. Having a financial disclosure will NOT preclude the acceptance of an abstract.
  • After submitting an abstract, the Lead Author will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive the confirmation email within 24 hours, please contact .
  • Publication: Select conference abstracts may be published in the Canadian Journal of Addiction.
  • CSAM-SMCA has permission to use the abstracts submitted, accepted and the presentations of these abstracts for educational and marketing purposes.
  • Abstracts included in the conference proceedings will be available through the conference app.
  • Abstracts accepted for in-person presentation MUST be delivered in person.
  • Digital posters will be uploaded to the conference app before the conference starts, so that attendees can watch and engage with authors during the conference.
  • Presentations that are recorded during the conference will be uploaded to the app when available for on-demand viewing. CSAM-SMCA has permission to use these videos for educational and marketing purposes by CSAM-SMCA.
  • Please do not submit an abstract if you are not confident that you will be able to give the presentation. Cancellations impose a serious burden on the development of the conference program and may negatively impact the overall quality of the program. If extenuating circumstances prevent the attendance of a presenter, please notify as soon as possible so the presentation can be removed from the program
  • Decisions regarding abstracts will be completed by May 6, 2024.
  • Abstracts that are accepted:
    • Acceptance emails will be sent by May 10, 2024 to the Lead Author.
    • Once the Lead Author has accepted to present, they will receive an email with the date and time of their presentation by July 5, 2024.
    • All presenters must register for the conference and pay the registration fee before their presentation is finalized in the program
  • Abstracts that are not accepted:
    • The Lead Author will receive an email.
    • Decisions of the Conference Committee are final.

Thank you for your interest in contributing to the CSAM-SMCA 2024 Annual Scientific Conference. Please review the following submission instructions carefully.

  • Abstracts on all aspects of addiction are welcome; abstracts that reflect the theme of the conference, Shaping the Future Together are encouraged.
  • The objectives for the abstracts at the conference are to:
    • present new scientific research;
    • present best practices in addiction medicine;
    • promote evidence-based treatments, care and interventions;
    • present original, new work based on the latest evidence and data;
    • encourage sharing of diverse perspectives;
    • engage and build community.
  • To submit an abstract you must first enter the title and category of abstract, add all the authors, enter the abstract text and related fields, and finally review the information before it can be submitted. Only complete abstracts can be submitted.
  • Abstracts will be evaluated by members of the Scientific Conference Committee. Decisions of the Scientific Conference Committee are final.
  • Please use non-stigmatizing language, generic pharmaceutical names, and a minimum of abbreviations.
  • Abstracts can be submitted in English or French. Abstracts must present material in a clear manner with grammar and spelling of a quality suitable for publication. Presentations will be in the language of the abstract. Translation services are not available.
  • Abstracts and presentations must be free of commercial bias and cannot be used to advertise or advocate for a specific commercial interest.
  • Correspondence will only be with the submitter, who must notify any co-authors. The Scientific Conference Committee is not responsible for notification emails not received due to incorrect contact information.

We look forward to receiving your submission!