Session proposals

It is no longer possible to submit your proposal.
The deadline was 8 March 2022 (23.59 CET).

ECNP aims to establish an exciting scientific programme for the 36th ECNP Congress with a broad range of topics.

The Scientific Programme Committee (SPC) invites you to contribute by submitting a proposal for a full session in applied and translational neuroscience. The SPC welcomes session proposals from various disciplines, including neurology and psychology.

Check here the full list of scientific topics accepted at the ECNP Congress.

Sessions can be submitted in the following three formats:

  • Symposium proposal
    In a symposium, four speakers present on a specific topic with their most recent data. Your symposium proposal should include:
    - The symposium title
    - Four lecture titles and speakers (additionally, two mandatory and two optional back-up speakers).
    - A short outline
    - Optionally, one chair may be suggested
  • Educational Update Session proposal
    These educational sessions are designed to provide an educational update with emphasis on new information relevant for clinical practice. They focus on a continuous dialogue between the two speakers and the participants. During their talks, the speakers will engage the participants by inviting them to take part in an interactive poll on the presented topics. Each presentation ends with the Q&A. Your educational update session proposal should include:
    - The session title
    - Two lecture titles and speakers (additionally, one mandatory back-up speaker and one optional back-up speaker)
    - A short outline
    - Optionally, one moderator may be suggested

Other format session proposal
During an innovative session, a specific topic or important new information is shared in a new format that allows optimal discussion and interaction. Such a session could be, for example, a panel discussion, a debate, campfire session or case report. For your proposal to be accepted, it is very important that you clearly explain the format of your session proposal. Your proposal for an innovative format session should include:
- The session title
- Format description
- Faculty members
- A short outline
- Optionally, one chair may be suggested

Scientific ProgrammePreparing and submitting your proposal
Your proposal should include an intriguing session title, a brief session outline (max. 500 words), and informative and appealing titles for all the lectures. The outline* should introduce the topic and its relevance and importance for the advancement of the scientific field, as well as its translational value and interest to the scientific community. The outline should also demonstrate that the proposed lectures form a coherent and balanced translational approach to the topic. Proposals that have a clear translational approach are more likely to be selected by the SPC.

The SPC aims to an optimal geographical and gender balance of the speakers in the congress programme. Preference is given to those submissions proposing one speaker per country** and with an equal division between male and female speakers; proposals with speakers from only one country will not be accepted. At this stage, there is no need yet to get formal approval from the proposed speakers.
Please do not invite or ask approval from the proposed speakers. If selected, your proposal (content and speakers) may still be modified by the SPC.
* Please note that, if your session proposal will be accepted, the title and outline will be published in the ECNP Congress programme, after SPC revision and your final approval.
** The SPC encourages proposers to also include speakers from Eastern Europe, Asia and CDE countries.

ECNP encourages the use of Neuroscience-based Nomenclature (NbN-2) terminology for psychotropic medications, as it reflects contemporary pharmacological knowledge, rather than arbitrary descriptors based on indications or chemical structure. Please download the free app for NbN-2 and the Instructions for Authors.

Selection of proposals
When selecting proposals, the SPC will take into account:

  • Whether a topic or speaker has been on the programme of the last three ECNP Congresses (programme details of previous ECNP Congresses can be found here)
  • Whether the proposal is balanced in terms of gender, country and research focus: pre-clinical, translational and clinical elements should be included
  • The expected (near) future scientific breakthroughs and/or highlights
  • The spread over the topics to be covered within the overall programme

You will be informed about the decision of the SPC by 17 November 2022. ECNP will not enter into discussion about the outcome.

Further information
Should you encounter any problems submitting your proposal online, please contact us by e-mail. ECNP does not accept proposals sent in by e-mail.

The ECNP Office will confirm receipt of your submission by e-mail. If you have not received a confirmation within two weeks of submitting your proposal, please notify the ECNP Office via e-mail.