Dr. John N. Whitaker was a world famous researcher in multiple sclerosis. Not only did Dr. Whitaker engage in research himself, he encouraged budding scientists to enter the field and develop their skills and talents in this important work. The CMSC is proud to honor Dr. Whitaker’s memory by presenting the Whitaker Research Track each year as part of its annual meeting. This project of the CMSC includes the work of emerging scientists working in the field of MS. Students, post-doctoral fellows, and young investigators are encouraged to submit abstracts of their work for presentation during the Whitaker Track. A panel, headed by Dr. Ahmed Obeidat will judge the presentations and will award the Whitaker Prize for MS Research. A monetary grant will be awarded by the Foundation of the CMSC to the winner to support his or her continued work in the field of MS. The Whitaker Platform Session will take place on TBA. Investigators whose abstracts are chosen will be provided with transportation, hotel accommodations for two nights and complimentary registration.
Submission Dates: October 16, 2023 at 12:00 am ET – January 15, 2024 at 11:59 pm ET
Submission Dates: Submission is now closed. Decision notice will be sent out no later than February 28.
INSTRUCTIONS AND GUIDELINES
Submission of a proposal implies a commitment to present at the meeting. Authors of accepted abstracts must register for the conference. Restrictions: No continuation page, illustrations or tables are to be included. Abstracts must report work not presented or published prior to the meeting. Disclosure Statement: This statement must be completed by all authors in order for abstract to be considered.
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION
- Abstracts must be proofread carefully. Author will be responsible for correct grammar and spelling.
- Abstract content should not exceed 2,500 characters. Spaces are included.
- Abstract title should be no more than 150 characters, excluding spaces.
- Abstracts submitted should not have been published or presented elsewhere prior to the CMSC meeting.
- In support of improving patient care, the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. CMSC is committed to comply with the rules and guidelines set forth by these agencies to ensure that these standards are strictly followed. The work of commercial interest authors and presenters will be considered for review provided that the content focuses on basic science and not on the product or on the commercial aspects of the discovery. Acceptance of an abstract for Whitaker Track depends solely on the decision of the CMSC Whitaker Review Committee.
- Slides containing scientific or clinical information may not be presented if they have been developed by a commercial interest.
- Abstracts must follow formatting guidelines. Please make sure that all information is correct. Abstracts submitted with incomplete information will not be reviewed.
ACCEPTED ABSTRACTS
Review Process: The Whitaker Review Committee will review submissions. Submissions are evaluated for clarity, nature and originality and scientific merit. Submissions will be evaluated on an equal basis, whether theme related or of general interest, although preference will be given to data-based submissions for presentations.
Notification: No later than February 28.
VIRTUAL SessIONS
In 2020, we were forced by the pandemic to cancel our onsite annual meeting and switch to virtual events. The success of these virtual events were so great that we decided to offer both onsite and virtual sessions for our 2021 Annual Meeting.
Our abstract submission will now include a question regarding the authors’ interest to join our virtual session. The author’s response will not affect the Review Committee’s decision to accept or reject an abstract.
More details and instructions on the virtual session will be provided as we finalize the process. Please check back our website for updates.