Submission Guidelines

ARO 2025 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
OPEN – WEDNESDAY, MAY 1st, 2024

The ARO Program Committee welcomes Symposia, Young Investigator Symposia and Special Session submissions for the MidWinter Meeting. The submission deadline is Saturday, June 14, 2024, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Late submissions will not be considered.

SYMPOSIA SUBMISSION
Symposia are organized as a series of oral presentations on a theme. Preference will be given to submissions that (i) strive for timely syntheses across or within existing disciplines; (ii) explore novel approaches that will expand research in new directions; (iii) include diverse speakers who are first-time ARO speakers, women, represent different labs, include speakers spanning career levels, and/or speakers from underrepresented groups. Speakers from outside the usual ARO circle are encouraged insofar as they contribute a novel perspective. Submissions that bridge clinical and basic research are encouraged. Submissions on topics covered by other recent ARO Symposia or Special Sessions (formerly known as Workshops) are discouraged (see recent ARO Program books https://aro.org/meetings/past-midwinter-meetings/).

YOUNG INVESTIGATOR SYMPOSIA SUBMISSION,
Young Investigator Symposia should be organized by a young investigator and the majority of participants should also be young investigators. A young investigator is someone who is within 10 years since receiving an AuD, PhD or MD. Young Investigator Symposia are otherwise subject to the same guidelines as Symposia. Please see the Symposia Submission section above for more details.

For both Symposia and Young Investigator Symposia, there is a required format:

• All Symposia have a maximum duration of 2 hours.
• Individual presentations may be either 15 or 30 minutes, but at least one 30-minute presentation is required. Combinations of 15/30 minute presentations are welcome.
• A minimum of 4 and a maximum of 7 presenters may be named.
• Allocation of presentation times is at the discretion of the organizers. Symposium chairs will be asked to allocate speaking times for each presenter if the symposium is selected for presentation.

SPECIAL SESSION SUBMISSIONS

The Workshop category has now been replaced with the Special Sessions category. This will allow organizers to design and propose a variety of presentation formats such as a moderated panel, a debate, a public forum, an interactive session, a workshop, or another session type on a topic that is of interest to ARO members.  Special Sessions are typically 1 hour in length; however, 2 hours may be approved based on rationale showing that the extended time slot is warranted. There is no required format or limitations on the style of the session. Please be creative.  Submissions on topics covered by other recent ARO Symposia or Special Sessions (formerly known as Workshops) are discouraged (see recent ARO Program books, https://aro.org/meetings/past-midwinter-meetings/).

Available Financial Support for non-ARO members:

• Travel funds are available for non-ARO members presenting in accepted Symposia or Special sessions. However, a budget justification should be included with each proposal which identifies which speaker(s) would be supported by these funds, estimated travel costs and the total amount requested.
• A maximum of 2 non-ARO members speakers are eligible for up to $1500 USD each which totals a maximum of $3,000 USD that can be requested for each accepted Symposium or Special session. ARO will also provide eligible non-ARO member speakers with a promo code for waived registration fees. View the full Speaker Funding policy
• Non-ARO member speakers are those who have NOT had membership or registration activity in ARO since 2020 (within 5 years of the speaking engagement). If you or your speakers are unsure about eligibility for financial support, contact headquarters@aro.org to verify past participation.
• Non-ARO members may receive funding from only one symposium/session per meeting.
• If your Symposium or Special session is accepted, your budget for travel funds will then be reviewed by the Program Committee leadership. Allocation of travel funds will be offered based on the proposal review score and the available funds.
• Travel funds are given as reimbursement after the meeting based on receipts submitted.

Please Note: As Symposia or Special Session Chair, you are responsible for communicating this policy to any speakers you invite. Please see the Speaker Travel Funding Policy  for more information.

Submission details:

All submissions must be submitted through the online system. Please access submission via the ARO conference website. Proposals can be edited until the submission deadline of June 14, 2024. Notifications of accepted proposals will be emailed no later than mid-late July.

Symposia submissions must include the following:

• The Symposium title
• Select a category that is applicable to your symposium proposal
• Overall symposium description (at a maximum of 300 words)
• Individual abstract title for EACH presentation, as well as the name of the presenter, and demographic information to include the following to ensure diversity within sessions:
  1. Geographic location
  2. Gender
  3. Race/Ethnicity
  4. Career Status
  5. Lab Affiliation

• List of Co-Authors for EACH presentation
• Abstract for EACH presentation (at a maximum of 400 words)
• If travel funds are requested for speakers who are non-ARO members, include a budget justification which identifies which speaker(s) would be supported by these funds, estimated travel costs and the total amount requested (see guidelines above)

Special Session proposals must include the following:

• The Special Session title
• A selected category that is applicable to your Special Session proposal
• Overall Special Session description (at a maximum of 300 words)
• Individual abstract title for EACH presentation as well as the name of the presenter, and demographic information to include the following to ensure diversity within sessions:

1. 1. Geographic location
   2. Gender
   3. Race/Ethnicity
   4. Career Status
   5. Lab affiliation

• List of ALL presenters and Co-Authors for EACH presentation(s)
• Abstract for EACH presentation(s) (at a maximum of 400 words each)
• A rationale if a 2-hour time slot is requested
• If travel funds are requested for speakers who are non-ARO members, include a budget justification which identifies which speaker(s) would be supported by these funds, estimated travel costs and the total amount requested (see guidelines above)

 If you have any additional questions, please contact the Executive Office at headquarters@aro.org

Poster/Podium Submissions
Opens yearly in August. Late submissions are not considered.

The Association for Research in Otolaryngology is accepting abstracts for the 47^th Annual MidWinter Meeting to be held in-person from February 3-7, 2024, in Anaheim, California. To be considered for presentation, all abstracts must be completed and submitted online no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Friday, September 29th!

All presenters will first update their profile. To update, log in as an existing user with either your institution or personal email address; https://aro.societyconference.com/v2/, select UPDATE PROFILE. If you are new to ARO, you will need to create your account.

Please select ‘Start a New Scientific Submission’ from Actions. The submission type the presenter will select is POSTER/PODIUM. *Important: In Step 2 – Participants, the presenter’s name will be the name to appear, no other names will be listed in this step. If you are a PI creating a submission for a student, please create the submission as if you were the presenter, complete all fields and pay the submission fee. Once the submission is completed, please email headquarters@aro.org to have the submission changed over to the student who will make the presentation at the MidWinter Meeting.

For any presenter changes, please email ARO at headquarters@aro.org.

Within the POSTER/PODIUM submission, presenters will be asked if they wish to apply for a travel award and/or one of the three presentation type offerings:

• Travel Award Application:
  • Applicants will select Yes or No to apply for a travel award. You may not apply for a Travel Award if you are a previous awardee. Application requirements:
    • Upload your current CV in PDF format only. *
    • Rationale Statement (a brief statement (max 1 page)) about why you wish to attend and what you hope to achieve at the ARO MidWinter Meeting; upload text into field. *
    • Enter the name of your PI/Lab.*
    • Enter your self-identification

*required

• Poster Presentation:
  • If the presenter wishes to submit a live poster presentation, nothing more, choose Poster Presentation Only.
  • There is no digital only offering for this meeting. (e.g., pre-recorded talks or livestreams)
  • Poster presenters will be able to upload an e-poster for viewing in the mobile app and e-poster hall, in addition to their physical poster.
  • Presenters will not be allowed to only upload an e-poster as poster presenters must attended the meeting in person.

• Podium Presentation:
  • A Podium Presentation is a live, on-stage, 12-minute oral presentation with 3-minutes of live, audience Q&A. (15-minutes of total presentation time).
  • A PowerPoint or Keynote presentation is required for this presentation type.
  • There is no digital only offering for the meeting. (e.g., pre-recorded talks or livestreams)
  • All submissions are reviewed by the Program Committee, if the presenter is selected to present a podium presentation, no poster presentation is allowed.

• 
  Submission Fees:

*The abstract submission fee is a separate fee from the MidWinter Meeting registration fee.

• ARO Members $30 per submission
• Non-members $120 per submission

*No refunds will be given if a non-member joins ARO after submitting an abstract. Payment must be made at the time of submission for a submission to be considered complete.

 Please read carefully before submitting an abstract for a Poster or Podium Presentation:

• There is no limit on the number of contributed abstract submissions from any one person or lab, fees are charged per
• Abstract submissions are not required to be sponsored by an ARO member.
• There is no additional cost to withdraw an abstract; however, there will be no refund of the fee after the abstract has been successfully submitted.
• When submitting your abstract, you will be asked to identify your abstract’s primary category for review.
• Abstracts will include an overview of the research background, methods, results, and conclusions in text form only, no graphs or images are uploaded.
• Background: Make the specific aim of the presentation clear and relate to current literature.
• Methods: Where relevant, describe the sample including size, variables measured and interventions clearly.
• Results: Should be clear to a broad ARO audience including presenting findings and looping in clinical relevance. Summarize qualitative and/or quantitative changes and note the clinical significance of the outcomes.
• Conclusions: Emphasize new and important aspects of the findings and the conclusions drawn from them. Describe how findings are relevant to the science and practice of Otolaryngology, the need for future research or clinical investigation. Include or mention key “take-away” messages that will be presented.
• The online abstract submission will collect only text. (Figures, graphics and tables will be included in the physical poster).
• The word limit is 450 words maximum per abstract. This word count does not include the title or co-author list.
• In the title text box, enter the abstract title exactly as you wish it to appear in the ARO Program and Abstract books. All information will be displayed and published exactly as it has been submitted. Double-check all spelling and capitalization. No copyediting will be performed, and no embarrassing typos will be corrected. Titles must be in Title Case, which is Initial Caps on All Significant Words. Do NOT type the title in all uppercase. *Example of Title Case: Molecular Basis of Obvious Hearing Loss in the Walking Dead
• The abstract submitter is responsible for ensuring that all information in the abstract is exactly as the authors wish it to appear.
• Following successful submission of an abstract, you can edit any of the fields until the deadline. Edits are not possible after the deadline.

ABSTRACT REVIEW CRITERIA

Abstracts will be reviewed and selected for presentation based on significance, relevance, innovation, appropriate analytic approach, findings, implications for research and practice, and clarity of writing.  Preference will be given to proposals that (i) strive for timely syntheses across or within existing disciplines; (ii) explore novel approaches that will expand research in new directions; (iii) include speakers who are first-time ARO speakers, women, and/or speakers from underrepresented minorities. Speakers from outside the usual ARO circle are encouraged insofar as they contribute a novel perspective. Proposals that bridge clinical and basic research are encouraged.

Questions regarding the submission process or the MidWinter Meeting, please contact the ARO headquarters by email at headquarters@aro.org.

Travel Award Submission
Opens yearly in July. Late submissions are not considered.

The Association for Research in Otolaryngology (ARO) announces that travel awards applications are being accepted to attend the 2024 ARO MidWinter Meeting being held on February 4-7, 2024, in Anaheim, California. The travel award value will be $500 for U.S. based awardees and $750 for internationally located awardees.

Eligible applications will be reviewed and scored by the Travel Awards Committee. The highest scoring applicant from the graduate student category will be awarded a Don Henderson Travel Award of $1,000.

The purpose of the travel award program is to support trainees in attending the Midwinter Meeting and becoming active member in the ARO community. The funds for travel awards come from generous donations from various companies and institutions.

The ARO is committed to inclusiveness, as such individuals with a disability (e.g. loss of hearing, vision, or mobility, as well as individuals with a psychiatric or learning disability) and individuals from groups historically under-represented in the biomedical sciences (e.g. African American, Hispanic, Native American, Alaskan native, or Pacific Islander) are highly encouraged to apply

Applications for ARO Audiologist Travel Awards:

Eligibility criteria:

• Applicants must be current ARO members at the time of application, and at the time of the MidWinter Meeting.
• Applicants must be full-time audiology graduate students or audiology postdoctoral research fellows carrying out research pertinent to the interests of ARO.
• Applicants must submit a first-author abstract for review along with their application materials.
• Applicants must attend the MidWinter meeting in person to receive travel award funds.

Application procedure:

• Applicants must complete the electronic application form.
• Applicants must upload a personal statement (1 page limit) describing why they wish to attend and what they hope to achieve at the MidWinter meeting. Information on financial hardship can be included. 
• Self identification *optional*: ARO is committed to inclusiveness. If an applicant is from a historically under-represented group in the biomedical sciences. (max 300 words)
• Applicants must upload a Curriculum Vitae.
• Letters of recommendation are NOT required, however if more than one applicant comes from a group/program, the supervisor/director/chairperson may be asked to prioritize applicants.

Applications for ARO Graduate Student Travel Awards:

Eligibility criteria:

• Applicants must be current ARO members at the time of application, and at the time of the MidWinter Meeting.
• Applicants must be full-time graduate students carrying out research pertinent to the interests of the ARO (Note: Postdoctoral Fellows, Medical students / Residents and Audiologists should NOT apply under this category).
• Applicants must submit a first-author abstract for review along with their application materials.
• Applicants must attend the MidWinter meeting in person to receive travel award funds.

Application procedure:

• Applicants must complete the electronic application form.
• Applicants must upload a personal statement (500 words) describing why they wish to attend and what they hope to achieve at the MidWinter meeting. Information on financial hardship can be included. 
• Self identification *optional*: ARO is committed to inclusiveness. If an applicant is from a historically under-represented group in the biomedical sciences. (max 300 words)
• Applicants must upload a Curriculum Vitae.
• Letters of recommendation are NOT required, however if more than one applicant comes from a group/program, the supervisor/director/chairperson may be asked to prioritize applicants.

Applications for ARO Post-Doctoral Travel Awards:

Eligibility criteria:

• Applicants must be current ARO members at the time of application, and at the time of the MidWinter Meeting.
• Applicants must be post-doctoral fellows carrying out research pertinent to the interests of the ARO, and not have a research-track, or tenure-track faculty appointment.
• Applicants must submit a first-author abstract for review along with their application materials.
• Applicants must attend the MidWinter meeting in person to receive travel award funds.

Application procedure:

• Applicants must complete the electronic application form.
• Applicants must upload a personal statement (500 words), describing why they wish to attend and what they hope to achieve at the MidWinter meeting. Information on financial hardship can be included. 
• Self identification *optional*: ARO is committed to inclusiveness. If an applicant is from a historically under-represented group in the biomedical sciences. (max 300 words)
• Applicants must upload a Curriculum Vitae.
• Letters of recommendation are NOT required, however if more than one applicant comes from a group/program, the supervisor/director/chairperson may be asked to prioritize applicants.

Applications for ARO Resident / Medical Student Travel Awards:

Eligibility criteria:

• Applicants must be current ARO members at the time of application, and at the time of the MidWinter Meeting.
• Applicants must be a Resident in Otolaryngology or a medical student (Note: Post-doctoral clinical or research fellows are not eligible for this award).
• Applicants must submit a first-author abstract for review along with their application materials.
• Applicants must attend the MidWinter meeting in person to receive travel award funds.

Application procedure:

• Applicants must complete the electronic application form.
• Applicants must upload a personal statement (500 words) describing why they wish to attend and what they hope to achieve at the MidWinter meeting. Information on financial hardship can be included. 
• Self identification *optional*: ARO is committed to inclusiveness. If an applicant is from a historically under-represented group in the biomedical sciences. (max 300 words)
• Applicants must upload a Curriculum Vitae.
• Letters of recommendation are NOT required, however if more than one applicant comes from a group/program, the supervisor/director/chairperson may be asked to prioritize applicants.

Childcare grant

Grants of $500 will be disbursed to defray childcare costs related to travel to the ARO midwinter meeting.  Examples of expenses are to pay a caregiver during the conference, and to pay for airfare for children or caregiver.  Up to 20 grants will be awarded; if applicants exceed this number, priority will be given to earlier career stage applicants.  The funds will be disbursed at the midwinter meeting.  

Application deadline:  TBD  

Apply here: Link and application dates TBD

Poster Blitz Presentation Competition:

• • If the presenter is submitting multiple abstracts, only ONE (1) POSTER abstract submission will be considered per lab for a Poster Blitz Presentation.
  • All Poster Blitz applications are reviewed by the Poster Blitz Organizers.
  • The Poster Blitz Presentation is open only to Graduate Students and Postdoc Fellows with three years or less of postdoc experience, NO individuals in a Faculty Position are eligible. Within the submission you will be asked to attest you are a Graduate Student or Postdoc Fellow.
  • A Poster Blitz Presentation is a fast-paced, live, on-stage, 5-minute presentation with no audience Q&A.
  • If selected for this presentation type, the presenter WILL ALSO present the poster in one of the assigned, live, poster sessions.
  • There is no digital only offering for this meeting. (e.g., pre-recorded talks or livestreams)
  • You can only be a poster blitz award recipient in the competition only one (1) time, you can participate as often as you are eligible. During the in-person poster blitz competition session, a diverse panel of researchers and clinicians will rank the presenter’s ability to convey the impact of their work, the clarity of the presentation, and the overall impression of the project. The winners of the poster blitz session will be recognized at the beginning of the Award of Merit Lecture.
  • Two categories of experience will be selected for awards: Student and Postdoc. Three winners will be selected as 1st, 2nd and 3rd place under each category. This annual competition is generously funded by ARO and provides two monetary awards for 1st Place ($50.00) for each category, Student and Postdoc.