General Submission Questions
Authorship Questions
Abstract Formatting Questions
Payment Questions
Abstract Review and Programming Questions
Abstract Presentation Questions

General Submission Questions

When is the abstract deadline?
The abstract submission deadline is Monday, June 9, 2025, at 5:00 pm U.S. Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4).

How do I access the abstract submission site?
Please access the submission site using the following link [coming in April]. Non-members are required to pay the abstract submission fee before beginning to enter abstract information. Members must also complete the payment step but should see the price as $0 and not be required to enter payment information before completing the step and continuing to abstract submission.

Do I need to create an ASHG portal account to submit an abstract?
Yes, an ASHG portal login is required to access the abstract submission site. If you have ever been a member, submitted an abstract, or attended an ASHG meeting, you should already have an ASHG account. Your username is your email address. If this is your first time interacting with ASHG, you will have the option to create an account regardless of your membership status.

Do I need to register for the Annual Meeting if I submitted an abstract?
By September 9, 2025, first (presenting) authors of accepted abstracts must register for the Annual Meeting and plan to attend to present their work in person. Payment of the abstract fee does not include registration. An abstract presenter must register as a scientific attendee, i.e., member, non-member, trainee member, trainee non-member, resource limited country member, resource limited country trainee member, or exhibitor conference. You may not register as exhibitor, guest, or one-day registrant (if available).

Is work posted on a preprint server or presented at another meeting considered ‘previously published’?
A preprint server is not considered previously published. Refer to ASHG’s Prior Publication Policy to determine if your work is considered previously published.

Are narrative reviews/education/trials-in-progress/case report abstracts allowed to be submitted?
Yes, these types of abstracts are permitted and will be considered during the review process. Keep in mind that whether new findings presented in an abstract are experimental or theoretical, specific results must be included. The results, whether experimental or calculated, must be stated in the abstract. An author is free to include their latest data in the final presentation at the meeting, but the results included in the original abstract must be substantive.

The Program Committee reserves the right to decline a presentation to any submitted abstracts that lack scientific content or merit, is unrelated to human genetics or genomics, or that merely announce the availability of a resource or service.

Am I able to select a presentation preference?
No, all submitted abstracts are up for consideration to be in a plenary, platform, lightning talk, or poster session rather than choosing format preference.

How will I know my abstract has been submitted successfully?
After clicking the “Complete” button, you will receive an immediate, on-screen confirmation of receipt, followed by a confirmation email. Please save these confirmations for your records. If you do not receive an on-screen confirmation, your abstract was not submitted successfully, and you must try again.

What is my abstract control number?
Your abstract control number (e.g., SESS-08) will be assigned to each abstract submitted online and will be listed beside the abstract title in the speaker portal. If your abstract is accepted for presentation, it will be assigned a permanent presentation number that will be used to identify it in all online abstract materials. Please place the presentation number on your poster/presentation and use it in citations of your published abstract. Do not place the control number on your poster/presentation – the control number is internal only.

Can I revise my abstract?
Yes, as long as you do this before June 9, 2025, 5:00 pm U.S. Eastern Time. To make any changes to an abstract, including author block changes, log in to the speaker portal and select the title of your abstract. Click “View Submission” to view all of your abstract details and make changes. Be sure to click through all steps of the submission form and click “Complete” to save any edits.

Can I withdraw my abstract?
To withdraw an abstract before the withdrawal deadline of September 9, 2025, please email withdrawal requests to meetings@ashg.org. After this deadline, abstracts accepted by the Program Committee will be included in the meeting program and available as a searchable abstract on the meeting website.

Abstract submission fees are non-refundable. Withdrawn abstracts cannot be reinstated at any time, and payment will be required for any resubmissions.

When will I be notified of acceptance?
Notifications will be sent via email in early August. To ensure you receive all ASHG correspondence, add meetings@ashg.org to your email “safe senders” list.

When will abstracts be made available to the public?
Abstracts will be published online only in mid-September and will be citable from the Annual Meeting website.

Will there be a call for late-breaking abstracts?
The Program Committee does not plan to have a call for late-breaking abstracts at this time. If this changes, an announcement will be made on our website and social media in the fall.

Authorship Questions

How do I submit an abstract on behalf of a colleague?
Abstracts must be submitted using the first (presenting) author’s ASHG portal account since the submitter will receive all correspondence regarding the abstract and be considered the presenter. ASHG membership is not required to create a portal account.

Can a lab head/PI (principal investigator) submit abstracts for everyone in their lab if the PI is a member?
No, we do not permit multiple abstract submissions from the same first author/with the same presenter. The person who submits the abstract should be the first (presenting) author, and their ASHG membership status determines whether the $75 abstract submission fee is required or waived.

The system will not allow you to have two submissions as first (presenting) author under your account. However, there is no limit to the number of times an individual may appear as co-author on additional, unique abstract submissions.

Can I change the first (presenting) author of my abstract?
The first author’s name on a submitted abstract cannot be changed.

• If you notice that your name is incorrect prior to the submission deadline, then you may edit your submission to correct the error. If you notice that your name is incorrect after the submission deadline, please contact us at meetings@ashg.org for assistance.
• If the first (presenting) author is no longer able to attend the meeting and present the abstract, you must inform ASHG by completing the Presenter Change Request Form by September 9, 2025, at 5 pm, U.S. Eastern Time.

Can I submit more than one abstract as first author?
No. An individual may be first (presenting) author of only one abstract. The presenting author’s name should be the first name to appear in the author listing.

Note, there is no limit to the number of times an individual may appear as co-author on additional, unique submissions.

Can I designate a co-first author on my abstract?
We only allow one first (presenting) author. If your abstract is programmed in the meeting, you may recognize your colleague’s contributions in your presentation.

Can I add an author or remove an author from my abstract?
Yes, as long as you do this before June 9, 2025, 5:00 pm U.S. Eastern Time. See Step-by-Step Instructions (coming soon) for more details.

What if my author block exceeds the maximum character count limit?
We recommend that, whenever possible, large groups or consortia be cited to keep the number of authors under 30.

Abstract Formatting Questions

Is there an abstract template?
We do not have an abstract template to follow, but you may follow our Step-by-Step Instructions (coming soon) to prepare your abstract submission. Additionally, you can read this article on tips to write an effective abstract. Here are some of our favorite tips from previous meeting years as well:

• Make your ASHG abstract shine
• Elevate your ASHG abstract – Here’s How

What is the maximum length of an abstract?
You are allotted 2,300 characters (including spaces) for the body text of your abstract. Title, author, and institutional data are not included in the 2,300 characters. See Step-by-Step Instructions (coming soon) for details.

Are tables allowed to be included in the results/abstract body?
No, we do not allow for tables to be included in your abstract submission. If your abstract is programmed in the meeting, you may include tables in your presentation.

Do I need to include references/citations in my abstract submission?
No, you do not need to include citations during submission; however, we do ask that you include references and citations on your poster and/or presentation if your abstract is programmed in the meeting.

How do I cite an abstract?
See How to Cite Abstracts for a suggested format.

Payment Questions

What is the abstract submission fee (U.S. Dollars)?

• ASHG Member Abstract Fee: $0
• Nonmember Abstract Fee (non-refundable): $75
  • Become a member prior to submitting your abstract to waive the fee.
• Resource-Limited Country Abstract Fee: $0
  • Must reside in an eligible country.
• U.S. Government/NIH Employee Abstract Fee: $0
  • Must have a “.gov” email address to apply.

Abstract Review and Programming Questions

How will my abstract be reviewed and programmed?
See Abstract Review and Programming for details.

Will my abstract score lower or be rejected if I indicate that the work has been previously published or accepted for presentation at another meeting?
Not necessarily. If this is the case, the author should be clear that the abstract includes additional and/or new data that distinguishes this body of work from other presentations or publications. The author should check the appropriate box during submission noting whether the abstract has been described in a recent publication or meeting presentation.

If the abstract does not contain any new data, then it is unlikely to be accepted. The Program Committee reserves the right to decline a presentation to any submitted abstracts that lack scientific content or merit.

When will I learn if my abstract was accepted?
All presenting authors will be notified via email in early August whether their abstract was accepted or declined. This email will include the type of session for which your abstract was accepted, but the date and time of the session will not be finalized yet. Accepted presenting authors are required to respond to the acceptance notification by a set date to confirm participation before date and time is finalized.

Abstract Presentation Questions

When will I receive my presentation information?
Presentation information is sent to all accepted presenting authors via email in mid-August. This email will include the title of the session your abstract has been included in and the date, time, and location of the session.

If my abstract is accepted, is there an option to present virtually?
You are submitting this abstract with the intent of attending and presenting your work in person at the American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting being held October 14-18, 2025, in Boston, MA. If you do not pay for a scientific registration and attend in person, your abstract may be withdrawn and your opportunity to present in Boston, MA, forfeited. ASHG is not making any commitments to host virtual or hybrid content formats and reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to make adjustments to presentation format and style.

Can I change my presentation date/time?
We will not change presentation dates/times to accommodate travel schedules. If you book your travel arrangements prior to receiving your abstract programming details, we recommend booking your return flight for the end of the meeting (afternoon of Saturday, October 18, 2025).

Schedule accommodations may be requested for religious observances only by emailing meetings@ashg.org by July 16. ASHG will do its best to accommodate requests.

Do you have guidelines for speakers in Plenary and Platform Sessions?
Yes, speaker guidelines will be made available in August. Any additional questions can be sent to us at meetings@ashg.org.

Do you have guidelines for speakers in Poster Sessions?
Yes, poster presenter guidelines will be made available in August. Any additional questions can be sent to us at meetings@ashg.org.

If I present a poster, are people allowed to take photos of my data or text?
See Camera, Mobile Phone, and Video Recording Policies (coming soon) for details.

Can my co-authors present with me?
Only one presenting author is permitted. If your abstract is programmed in the meeting, you may recognize your colleagues’ contributions during the presentation. While co-authors are not permitted to present with the first (presenting) author and co-authors are not required to attend the meeting, co-authors are welcome to register and attend the meeting as regular attendees.

Can I have a colleague present on my behalf if I am unable to attend?
After abstracts are accepted, if a first (presenting) author is no longer able to attend the meeting, they must contact us at meetings@ashg.org to withdraw the presentation or request a change in presenting author by completing the Presenter Change Request Form by September 9, 2025, at 5 pm, U.S. Eastern Time. All presenter changes require prior written approval, and alternate presenters cannot already have a presenting role in the meeting, including speakers in Featured Symposia.

 

Still have questions? Email meetings@ashg.org