Call For Abstracts - - 2026 National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms

The 2026 National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms aims to bring attention and focus to the current state of the science and research on firearm related harms across the lifespan.

The 2026 Conference Scientific Committee is seeking symposium, workshop, oral, lightning science, and poster submissions on research encompassing all aspects of firearm-related harms, and from a wide array of disciplines (e.g., criminology, economics, education, engineering, medicine, nursing, psychology, public health, public policy, social work, sociology), focus areas (e.g., suicide, youth violence, community violence, unintentional injury, intimate partner violence, school shootings, mass shootings, technology and firearms, police violence, politically motivated violence), and along the translational research spectrum (e.g., law reviews, implementation, impact evaluation, phenomenological meaning, epidemiology, risk and protective factors, primary prevention, secondary & tertiary prevention, policy, implementation). We also invite submissions focused on cross-cutting issues including novel data, design, and measurement methodology.

Submission Guidelines

Authors may submit proposals for symposia, workshops, oral presentations, lightning science presentations, and/or poster presentations. For 2026, all submissions will adhere to the same deadline, requiring presenters to submit abstracts for consideration within presentation formats, with no opportunity to resubmit if not selected.

Only submissions that follow the stated requirements will be considered. We understand that different fields may have different guidelines for writing abstracts, but to ensure fair scoring, all guidelines must be followed. Due to a limited number of presentation slots, all submissions will undergo a selective review process, with priority given to submissions demonstrating innovative or rigorous methodological approaches or impactful results.

Abstracts should not be published or presented elsewhere prior to submission. We will not accept abstracts of proposed research or projects. Abstracts must have, at a minimum, preliminary findings at the time of submission.

Accepted submissions must be presented in person during the live meeting in Baltimore, Maryland at an assigned time and date (December 9-11, 2026). There will be no pre-recorded or virtual presentation options, and all presenters must be registered to attend (registration fee required).

Tips for Submitting

You will need to create an account prior to beginning your submission. After clicking the button to submit an abstract, you will be prompted to create an account by selecting "Need to create an account?". Provide your email address and create a password. This step will need to be done for each of the submission types as they are separate web pages. We suggest using the same log in information each time.

Additionally, we suggest clicking "Save" to ensure you preserve your progress as you complete your submission.

If you log in to submit another abstract, or make changes after an initial submission, you will be taken to the "My Submissions" page after logging back into this system. Your contact information will automatically populate as the primary contact details for the submission.

You may return to the online submission site to revise your abstract up until the deadline. After this date/time, the submission site will close and no additional changes, edits, revisions, etc. can be made to the title, content, authors, or disclosure information.

All abstracts must be submitted through the online submission system links below. We cannot accept abstracts that are emailed or mailed to us. Abstracts must be written and presented in English.

Symposia are 60-minute sessions with up to five (5) presenters presenting a topic in depth and stimulating discussion. Speakers may present several studies on a related topic; summarize the state of the science on a topic (e.g., Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs, lethal means safety counseling, sources of data on firearm injury); or discuss an emerging, novel, or nuanced topic in firearm harm prevention research (e.g., the use of artificial intelligence in screening for future firearm risk factors). At least 15 minutes must be reserved in each session for Q&A or discussion time. Priority will be given to submissions demonstrating innovative or rigorous methodological approaches or impactful results.
Symposium sessions should be submitted by one contact person, who will identify all presenters to be involved in the proposed session.
Submissions must include: the session title, a brief summary of the symposium (maximum of 400 words), at least three (3) learning objectives, and presenters’ names, affiliations, and expertise or qualifications. Submissions should not be published or presented elsewhere prior to submission.

Workshops are 60-minute sessions with up to five (5) presenters providing instruction on a topic relevant to firearm-related harms prevention researchers. Workshops are often methodological and/or technical in nature.
Workshop sessions should be submitted by one contact person, who will identify all presenters to be involved in the proposed session.
Submissions must include: the workshop title, a brief summary of the workshop (maximum of 400 words), at least three (3) learning objectives, and presenters’ names, affiliations, and expertise or qualifications.

These presentation formats will share a submission form, during which authors will indicate which presentation format(s) they would like their science to be considered for:
- Oral Presentation: A presentation, up to 12 minutes in length, highlighting a study’s research objectives, methods, major results, limitations, and implications. Presentations will be selected to fill a panel session of five (5) presentations organized around a specific topic. Abstracts on topics of broad interest , that use rigorous methods, and include impactful results and clear conclusions are well-suited to this presentation format.
- Lightning Science Presentation: A brief presentation limited to five (5) minutes and four (4) slides delivered by one author who highlights only the key points of a study in a quick, engaging format. Abstracts well-suited to this presentation format include those with: innovations in measurement, data, or research methods; preliminary or pilot data from research on programs, policies, or practice; or early‑stage or rapid‑response studies on emerging or urgent issues. Lightning Science Presentations will be grouped together in a dedicated session, with approximately eight (8) presentation slots per hour.
- Poster Presentation: During a session with other posters, at least one author will display a visual summary of their study and discuss their work with attendees who browse, ask questions, and engage in one-on-one conversations. Abstracts focusing on a specialized topic or with results that are preliminary or exploratory are well-suited to this presentation format.
Authors submitting abstracts will indicate the presentation format(s) for which they would like their science to be considered. Authors may select more than one presentation format. Due to a limited number of presentation slots, all submissions will undergo a selective review process, with priority given to submissions demonstrating innovative, rigorous methodological approaches and impactful results.
All abstract submissions for oral, lightning science, and poster presentations are limited to 400 words, and must be organized around the following topic headings:
- Background/Purpose
- Methods/Approach
- Results/Outcome
- Conclusions/Implications
Generally, each section should include a concise description of the relevant points of the study, although exact content will vary by abstract topic. For example: Background/Purpose might include a sentence identifying the study rationale and the main research questions or hypotheses; Methods/Approach might include study design, setting, and analytic approach; Results/Outcome might include key findings (e.g., qualitative themes or quantitative results); and Conclusions/Implications might include the significance of the findings and their implications for research, policy, practice, or future study.