Engaging the Past to Energize the Future: Creating Space for Inclusive Public Discourse

The 25th anniversary of ASBH is an opportunity for us as a community to reconsider the role of bioethics and humanities in society. For example, how best to respond to divisive policies and frame honest and open discussions with those with whom we disagree. Part of this reconsideration calls for creating spaces—physical or otherwise—that facilitate interaction and deliberation.

In that vein, the 2023 ASBH Annual Conference will address critical questions including: How can we frame conversations and debates to identify substantive discussion points without resorting to pure rhetoric? How best can we solicit the perspectives of key stakeholders when making decisions with broad implications? How can we destructuralize racism and other biases routinely built into healthcare access?

Important information on proposal submissions and submission types can be found below. In order to submit any proposal, you will be prompted for your ASBH website login credentials; if you do not have an ASBH website account, you will have the opportunity to create one.

The call for proposals is now closed. No proposals or changes will be accepted after the deadline.

• As you submit your proposal, you should be aware that ASBH is unable to accommodate requests for specific dates and times, as any rescheduling has a serious cascading effect on other presenters. If your proposal is accepted, you should be prepared to pay for registration and attend the meeting on the day on which your presentation is scheduled.
• All presenters are required to complete a registration form, pay the registration fee, and cover all travel and personal expenses. For information on ASBH’s Guest Speaker Policy, visit the FAQ page. Only submit proposals including presenters that will agree to register and pay to attend the conference in Baltimore.
• ASBH has a “two submission” rule. You can submit no more than two abstracts (including flash presentations) or be included in no more than two workshops, panels, debates, or performances submitted by others. This rule does not apply to pre-conference workshop presenters or to non-presenting co-authors of papers or flash presentations.
• ASBH has a “two presentation” rule. You may present no more than two times during a meeting. This rule does not apply to pre-conference workshop presenters or to non-presenting co-authors of paper or flash presentations.
• All presenters must complete a disclosure of any financial interests or other relationships that could be considered a conflict of interest. Each co-presenter must submit their own conflict of interest disclosure. Proposals will not be accepted into the conference schedule without the completion of all presenters’ COI information.
• Keep a copy of your proposal.
• In order for your proposal to be considered “complete” and entered into the review process, you must click the “submit” button at the top right of the proposal page. In order to submit your proposal, all proposal tasks must be completed. You will receive a confirmation email when you have submitted your proposal successfully.
• If the conference switches to a virtual or hybrid model, you may be asked to reformat your presentation for the virtual landscape.

Submission Requirements

Be sure to allow time to collect all the following information before the submission deadline. You must provide all the information requested to complete your submission. Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed.

Keep in mind that all abstracts should be prepared for an anonymous review process, so be sure to remove all identifying information, including institutional affiliations, in the body of the abstract text. Abstracts with identifying information will not be reviewed.

For each presentation, you must submit the following pieces of information:

• title
• preferred presentation format
• topic category
• abstract
• 2-3 learning objectives

For each presenter and co-author

• name
• credentials
• institution name, city, and state
• mailing address
• email address*
• phone number

*Please provide the most up to date email address as possible and consider using your personal email address if your institution may change throughout the year. Abstract notification status and presentation updates are communicated via email ONLY and it is extremely important that email addresses (submitters, presenters, and co-authors) are as up to date as possible.

Audience Engagement Strategies

If your proposal is a workshop, panel, debate, or performance, you will be asked to provide a brief description of the strategies you will use to engage the audience during the session.

Diverse Discipline Submissions

If your workshop, panel, debate, or performance brings together speakers from diverse disciplines to examine or demonstrate the intersection of health humanities and bioethics related to your topic, please provide a brief explanation.

Submission Formats

Submit your proposal in one format only. Do not revise your proposal and submit it in more than one format. If you are experiencing issues with the submission system, please reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before submitting your proposal under the incorrect format.

Allowable formats include:

Preconference Workshops

These sessions are offered as extra-cost events before the beginning of the annual conference proper. Preconference sessions focus on teaching content that is actionable and provides tools, information, and knowledge that can be applied by attendees in their own work. These submissions will not be anonymized for the peer review process. These sessions can run anywhere between two and three and a half hours. 

Workshops

Workshop presentations are designed for instruction and interaction in a 75-minute session. Presenters must engage and involve members of the audience for a significant portion of the session in small group activities, breakouts, role play, audience feedback, discussion of cases or other content, design of materials and models, and similar forms of interactions. These sessions are limited to 4 presenters, preferably from multiple disciplines and institutions.

Performances or Exhibitions

These sessions feature work created to be performed or exhibited and invite the audience to reflect critically on relevant issues or topics. Possible formats include, but are not limited to, staged dramatic performances, readers’ theater, movement-based compositions, exhibitions, two- or three-dimensional works, projection, sound art, and readings of original work. Performances or exhibitions may be proposed by one or more presenters and may include more than one performance/exhibition, in which case identifying a critical theme that connects the pieces is strongly recommended. Sessions are 75 minutes and must incorporate at least 15 minutes for audience interaction, questions, or other opportunities for response. Proposals should include space requirements and other relevant specifications. These sessions are limited to 4 presenters. No additional funding is available for producing performance sessions.

Panel Presentations

The ideal panel presentation compares and contrasts a variety of perspectives on a cohesive theme or includes presentations that are cross-disciplinary and build on one another. Panels are limited to 4 presenters who should be from multiple disciplines and institutions. One of these 4 presenters will serve as a moderator, and will be responsible for teeing up the discussion, introducing the presenters, keeping the session on schedule, and facilitating questions and answers as time allows. You are required to list one primary presenter and at least one co-presenter; you must indicate which panelist will serve as a moderator. Panel presentations are 75 minutes.

Debates

The 75-minute debate session provides an opportunity to present opposing views on a topic. Sessions must include a moderator to introduce the topic and up to three other presenters, each presenting alternative approaches or views to the topic. Proposal abstracts should include the topic to be debated, the structure of the debate, descriptions of the major points likely to be argued by each presenter, and the general qualifications of each presenter (without compromising anonymity) to ensure a fair debate. You are required to list one primary presenter and at least one co-presenter; you must indicate which panelist will serve as a moderator. Presenters must incorporate at least 15 minutes for audience interaction, questions, and response.

Paper Presentations

In paper presentations, one individual will have 15 minutes to present a brief structured discussion or lecture based on a work in progress or a paper with central, substantive content that has not been previously published, followed by 10 minutes for addressing questions from the audience. Three paper presentations will be grouped in a 75-minute session.

Flash Presentations

In each flash presentation, one individual will have 5 minutes to present three slides: one with a title and their name and institution, a second with key points on a work-in-progress or a completed project, and a third with a bibliography. Each 75-minute session will include presentations by up to 10 individuals, concluding with a period for individual conversations with the presenters. Members of the ASBH Board of Directors and Program Committee will moderate presentations, transitions between speakers, and interactions with the audience. This format may be especially appropriate for projects that might otherwise be presented on a traditional poster.

Previous conference evaluations have indicated attendee interest in unique, engaging session formats, including debates and storytelling sessions. We strongly encourage you to consider audience engagement strategies and formats as you develop your proposal.

Topic Categories

Submit your proposal in one topic category only. Do not revise your proposal and submit it in more than one area. 

• Clinical Ethics
• Diversity, Disparity, and Inclusion
• Education/Interprofessionalism
• Health Humanities
• History, Religion, and Culture
• Law, Public Health Policy, and Organizational Ethics
• Philosophy
• Research Ethics and Social Sciences

Previous conference evaluations have indicated attendee interest in sessions relating to the humanities, animal bioethics, mental health, nursing, pediatrics, climate change and environmentalism, and independent clinical ethics consultation work. If you are considering submitting a proposal addressing one of these topics, we encourage you to do so.

Abstract

In 250 words or fewer, describe the content of your presentation or nature of your study as you wish it to appear in the program. If accepted, your abstract will be added to the program exactly as submitted. Please take the time to review your abstract for errors before submitting.

Your submission will not be reviewed if you include the names of presenters or institutions or other information that will compromise the anonymous review process in the body of the abstract.

Learning Objectives

Provide a minimum of 2 and no more than 3 objectives.

Begin each objective with a verb, such as understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create, etc. Construct each objective from the point of view of the attendee by completing the following sentence: “At the end of this session, attendees will be able to…”

If accepted, your learning objectives will be added to the program exactly as submitted. Please take the time to review your learning objectives for errors before submitting.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure and Attestation

In order for the proposal to be submitted, all presenters must disclose any financial interests or other relationships that could be considered a conflict of interest. Proposals will not be accepted into the conference schedule without a complete COI disclosure from every presenter.

Review and Notification

Only complete, online submissions will be reviewed. Proposals received via fax, mail, or e-mail will not be reviewed.

Any proposals that contain identifying information in the abstract will not be reviewed.

ASBH uses a rigorous 3-stage review process:

1. All submissions are reviewed anonymously by three ASBH members recruited for their expertise in the topic category selected. Each reviewer is asked to score the proposal on a 5-point scale considering contribution to existing knowledge; innovation, cutting-edge, and novelty; presentation of innovative solutions to current issues in the fields of bioethics and humanities; cross-disciplinary approaches; and quality of the written proposal.
2. At the second stage of the process, one experienced reviewer for each category assesses all the individual and average scores throughout that category, taking into consideration factors such as significance, innovation, relevance, breadth of topic, and appropriateness for the meeting.
3. Finally, the Program Committee—with access to all the previous assessments—selects the strongest proposals that address topics of interest to a multidisciplinary community. The committee then considers balance among the categories and subjects, and scans for unique or unusual topics. At this stage, the names of all presenters are revealed to ensure compliance with the two-presenter rule.

The program committee may accept some proposals in a different format, e.g., a proposal submitted as a 20-minute presentation may be accepted as a 5-minute presentation. You will be notified if your proposal type is changed.

You will receive notification of your proposal’s status via email in late June/early July 2023.

Questions? Visit the ASBH FAQ page, call 847.375.4745, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..