Call for Sessions
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of sessions are welcome during the 2025 call for sessions?
We welcome Instructional Course Lectures (60 minutes) and Scientific e-Posters.
- Instructional Courses are 60-minute instructional sessions. They can take a variety of formats, including a more traditional lecture by one or more presenters, a series of linked short talks, a panel or debate, etc. They may include an interactive component but cannot have a cap on the number of attendees. Speakers should try to allot 10 minutes of the session for Q&A.
- Scientific Podiums are an elevated platform designed to provide a focal point for the presentation of cutting-edge research, insights and innovation.
- Scientific e-Posters are submissions of Critically Appraised Papers (CAP) and Critically Appraised Topics (CAT), which will be blindly peer-reviewed and considered for e-Poster presentation. All posters are digital and will be viewable on the online conference platform and at an on-site digital station for attendees to browse through independently.
What is this year’s theme and specific priorities?
The 2025 theme – “Technology and Innovation” – highlights new and emerging ideas and perspectives from the international hand therapy community. We welcome content in all areas relevant to hand and upper extremity practice, innovation, research and education. Specific priorities within this year’s theme:
- International perspectives – Submissions that include multiple international perspectives reflecting global and cultural world views.
- Multidisciplinary Perspectives – Submissions that integrate perspectives from multiple disciplines in addition to the hand therapist/hand surgery perspective such as psychology, education, engineering, sociology, the arts, neuroscience, lifestyle medicine and other cultural views.
- Inclusion of the Lived Experience – Submissions that include the perspective of those living with the conditions we treat.
- Knowledge Translation and Practice Improvement – Submissions that focus on how new technology and innovation is translated into clinical care using supporting evidence.
Does my submission have to relate to the theme or specific priorities?
No! We welcome content in all areas relevant to hand and upper extremity practice, innovation, research and education. However, please note that proposed sessions that closely link to the theme or specific priorities may be given higher priority for acceptance.
Who can submit a session proposal?
The call for sessions is open to anyone who has content they would like to share with the hand therapy community. We welcome high-quality and innovative content from first-time submitters, including early-career therapists. A proposal can be submitted by an individual or by a group of presenters.
I am interested in presenting at the 2025 IFSSH-IFSHT Triennial Congress, but this is all new to me. Where do I begin?
We recognize that submitting a session proposal can be daunting, especially if it’s your first time. The first step is coming up with an idea. Think of something innovative that you or your team is doing in daily practice. Consider what specialized expertise you have that others may not have. Reflect on what the “you from a few years ago” would want to learn if “that past you” were attending the 2025 Triennial Congress. Ask your colleagues and mentees what they want to learn about. Search online for past meeting programs and review them to see what kinds of ideas have been previously accepted.
Once you have an idea, it is helpful to review the proposal template early on to understand the information you need to gather and consider. When crafting your submission, think about what would make you interested in attending such a course. Consider what session type best aligns with your content and learning objectives.
It can be helpful to have others read through your proposal to ensure it is clear, focused and understandable. Collaborating with a more senior therapist and/or someone who has previously presented at the IFSSH-IFSHT Triennial Congress can be helpful for your first proposal but is by no means necessary for a successful submission. And – most importantly – if you have an idea, just go for it and submit! Remember that every single speaker you will see at the Triennial Congress was a first-time speaker at some point!
Can I submit a session I’ve previously presented elsewhere?
Yes. We welcome content presented elsewhere that is relevant to our hand therapy community. We ask that you provide details about any past presentation(s) that are related to the current proposal in the submission.
What is the cost to submit a proposal during the call for sessions?
There is no fee to submit your proposal.
Do I have to finish my online submission in a single sitting?
No! You can return to your previously started submission in the online platform. However, please remember to submit your proposal prior to the deadline date. Proposals left in draft status after the deadline will not be considered.
How are sessions selected?
Sessions are reviewed and scored by members of the IFSSH-IFSSH Scientific Program Planning Committee. Speakers’ names are masked so that reviewers can focus on evaluating and ranking content. Each submission is scored on seven criteria for a maximum score of 30 points. Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5, with 5 reflecting the highest score.
- The proposal topic aligns with the theme and specific priorities or aligns with another timely priority for the specialty.
- The session title and description are engaging, convey the presentation content and align with the educational interests of IFSSH-IFSHT membership.
- The learning objectives are clearly stated and feasible and align with the session description and audience level.
- A minimum of two current references (within the past five years) are provided that support the session description.
- Presenters appear to have an appropriate level of expertise for the topic.
- Overall, the session proposal is coherent, cohesive and carefully planned. (**Note that this includes planned instructional methods for Instructional Courses and Scientific Podiums)
There is no specific score minimum for session selection. Sessions that are rated the highest within each submission category are initially considered for acceptance, but we also aim for diversity of topics and speakers to ensure a well-balanced program. There are always many more highly-scored sessions than we are able to schedule due to space considerations.
New this year: You can select if you would like your Instructional Course submission to be considered for a Scientific e-Poster if it is not accepted as a 60-minute concurrent session. (Note that selecting this option does not influence whether your proposal will be considered for a course lecture.) If your proposal for a 60-minute session is accepted as a poster, we will reach out to see if you need to modify your session description and learning objectives to align with the new session format.
When will I be notified if my session is accepted?
Notifications regarding acceptances or regrets will be sent in mid-March 2024.
If my session proposal is not accepted, can I get access to feedback?
We do not automatically release the scores and comments. However, we are happy to share feedback to strengthen your submission, particularly if you are an early-career therapist or first-time presenter and you plan to resubmit your proposal to this meeting or another meeting in the future. Please reach out to Aviva Wolff at info@ifssh-ifsht2025.org to discuss. Please note that there is often high-quality content that cannot be scheduled simply due to space considerations.
If my session proposal is accepted, what happens next?
Congratulations on your acceptance! IFSSH-IFSHT meeting staff will be in contact with more details. If you are presenting an Instructional Course or Scientific Podium, you will be provided with a template slide deck to use for your presentation. You will be responsible for submitting your speaker agreement, bio and headshot and your presentation slides, posters and/or handouts. You will also be responsible for registering for the meeting, including paying any registration fees. For first-time presenters who would value guidance while preparing their presentations, IFSSH-IFSHT Triennial Congress Committee members would be happy to assist. Presenters can reach out to Aviva Wolff at info@ifssh-ifsht2025.org for related guidance.
I still have a question that’s not answered here. What should I do?
For administrative and/or content questions please contact Aviva Wolff at info@ifssh-ifsht2025.org. Our goal is to demystify this process as much as possible to ensure that the session proposals we receive reflect the diversity of our therapists, practice roles, settings and patients.
Thank you for considering submitting a proposal for the 2025 IFSSH-IFSHT Triennial Congress. We recognize that it is YOU who creates the content. We look forward to seeing you in Washington, DC for the Triennial Congress on March 24-28, 2025.