ACT Research Symposium 2026

Call for Proposals

The call for abstracts and proposals from junior researchers is open now through January 16, 2026! 

Eligibility: Any junior researcher (defined as assistant professor equivalent or below – including post-doctoral scholars, graduate students, or undergraduate students) who plans to attend the ACT Symposium is eligible.

Submission details:

Please use this form to submit either an abstract with research results or a proposal with a new study idea.  Submissions should use or propose to use ACT study or affiliated data (e.g., data from a different grant that developed out of ACT).

All submissions should include the following information:

• Name of presenter (must be a junior researcher as defined above) and academic degree(s)
• Presenter email address
• Presenter’s institutional affiliation
• Names of co-authors/collaborators (if applicable)
• Title of abstract or proposal
• In 400 words or less:
• Abstracts structured in sections to include Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. Abstracts should include study results, not simply a statement implying that results are forthcoming.
• Proposals structured in sections to include Specific Aims, Background, and Proposed Methods. Proposals must leverage the ACT study data in some way.

Selection process: Abstracts will be reviewed by a committee and rated on scientific merit, innovation, appropriate methods, relevance to ACT study, overall quality, and relation to the Symposium theme. Presenters will be notified in February 2026.

If selected: You will be asked to present your abstract or proposal virtually at the ACT Symposium on April 28 or 29, 2026. You will receive feedback on your work from faculty and partners with expertise in aging and dementia.

Regardless of whether you are participating as a presenter or not, you are invited to attend the Symposium. There is no cost associated with registration.

Special Instructions for Selected Proposals only

To support the development of high-quality proposals, accepted proposals will complete two brief steps in preparation for the Symposium (NB: these do not need to be done prior to submitting):

1)      Consultation with an ACT Researcher – We will connect presenters with an ACT-affiliated researcher for a short meeting to discuss their proposal and receive feedback.

2)      Completion of the ACT Proposal Form – Presenters will submit a draft of the ACT Study Publications and Proposals Committee Data Request form, which outlines key elements such as the analytic plan and required variables. The form can be previewed here.

These steps are designed to be straightforward and not overly time-consuming. Their aim is to help presenters refine their proposals, maximize the value of their Symposium feedback, and prepare for potential future use of ACT data. Completion of the form is also a prerequisite for accessing ACT data should the project move forward. Researchers may use the ACT study Data Query Tool to obtain numbers and information about data availability, and more information on the process of working with ACT data can be found here.

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