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PRIM&R Call for Session Proposals: Conference and Educational Programming

PRIM&R's Call for Session Proposal Program is an opportunity to contribute session ideas for our annual conference AND educational programming outside of the conference. If you have an idea, review this webpage and contribute by February 6, 2026.

How to Submit a Proposal

• Review the submissions guidelines below before completing the submission form.
  Please note: You cannot save a submission once you start the form.  
• Complete the submission form by February 6, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.
• Notification of your proposal status will be sent between March and July of 2026.  
  

Content

Proposals should address topics relevant to a diverse audience involved in research oversight and compliance, including professionals from HRPP/IRB, IACUC, and IBC, as well as researchers, institutional leaders, QA/QI staff, legal and PR professionals, and more. Submissions may target specific groups or explore cross-cutting issues such as ethics in research, emerging technologies, and research translation.

All ideas will be considered, but we’re especially seeking proposals that focus on:

• Topics that pertain to both human and nonhuman animal research programs and would be of interest to HRPP/IRB, ACU/IACUC, and/or IBC personnel (e.g., shared oversight challenges, challenges to ethics/trustworthiness in research, emerging technologies, translation, etc.)
• Emerging technology and AI
• Ancillary services IBC, CoI, DSMB, etc.
• Post approval monitoring
• International research ethics practices and frameworks
• Animal health and FDA regulations
• Investigational drugs/ medical devices, FDA practices, and IRB reviews
• Intersections with research administration practices (JIT, closeout, contracts, etc.)
• SBER issues/challenges/etc.
• Advancing equity and justice in research
• Enhancing trust and trustworthiness in research
• Clinical research/research ethics
• Challenges and topics for institutional leadership/officials
• New and emerging research ethics topics driven by regulatory agencies, such as New Approach Methods (NAMs), evolving guidance on placebo-controlled trials for new vaccines, decentralized and digital trial models, and other innovations impacting ethical oversight

If a session was offered at PRIMR25, do not submit that as an idea. We review prior year sessions to determine which to carry over to the current year.  

Submission Fields

Proposals must include the following content information:

1. Title, descriptor (two to three sentences), three learning objectives (what will attendees learn upon leaving the session) 
2. Track(s): Content is organized by thematic tracks. Select up to the two track(s) that best aligns with the session’s focus. If a track is not listed, use the “Other” field.

Learn more about session formats and tracks! 

Proposal should, ideally, include speaker recommendations. Please note the following about recommending speakers:

• Proposals must include speakers from different institutions. Proposals that do not adhere to this will be provided with speaker suggestions.
• Proposals may include up to four speakers, however, some sessions are only appropriate for two-three people. Authors should expect that not all speakers suggested will be invited to present.  
• PRIM&R is interested in including speakers who have not presented at our meetings before.
• PRIM&R is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Speaker recommendations should reflect this commitment, with an eye toward diversity in race, gender, sex, religion, age, career level, disability status, institution type, geography, and professional role.

Please submit your session idea even if you don’t have speaker suggestions.

Proposal Review Process

Session proposals will be reviewed by the Conference Planning and Education Committees, which are composed of subject matter experts. These committees work to shape each program’s agenda by evaluating submitted proposals, considering high-impact sessions from previous years, and identifying new session topics. Due to limited space and a high volume of submissions, not all proposals can be accepted. 
Proposals that are selected typically:

• Address a topic need as outlined above
• Are well-written, thoughtful, and complete
• Reflect a diversity of perspectives in both content and presenters

While proposals highlighting a single institution’s approach can be valuable, we encourage sessions that offer broader relevance and multiple viewpoints. For institution-specific innovations or program outcomes, we recommend submitting to the Poster Presentation Program, which will open its call in early 2026.

Submitting a Proposal

Submit a proposal online by February 6, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET. Submissions received after this date will not be considered. Notification of your proposal status will be sent between March and July of 2026.

Terms and Conditions

By submitting a proposal, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

• PRIM&R reserves the right to modify accepted proposals. Any changes will be discussed with the author. 
• PRIM&R often receives multiple proposals on the same topic and so, you may be asked to work with another proposal author on a single session. PRIM&R will discuss this with the proposal authors.  
• PRIM&R will make every effort to invite speakers listed on the proposal but will recommend alternate speakers if there is a lack of diversity as outlined above. 
• Any speaker invited to present at the annual conference will be responsible for paying a discounted speaker registration fee. 

Questions?

Review our list of FAQs. Contact Karina Reyes, Conference Program Coordinator, with questions.