Please Note: The submission deadline has passed. This page is now for reference only.

PLEASE NOTE: Submissions will only be accepted from people practicing as MR Technologists, Radiographers or equivalent. A current CV/resume is required as part of the submission process. Authors will be notified of acceptance in mid-January 2016.

Abstract Withdrawal: Written requests for withdrawal of abstracts must be received by 06 February 2016 at the ISMRM/SMRT office, 2300 Clayton Road, Suite 620, Concord, CA 94520, USA.

All copyrights to accepted abstracts become the property of the SMRT. No proprietary information may be withheld by the authors.

Abstract Submission Instructions:

Please read through the submission instructions listed below before preparing your abstract.

Step 1: Read the General Policies and Requirements for the submission of abstracts.
Step 2: Write your abstract following the Abstract Format & Layout Guidelines
Step 3: Download Clinical Practice Focus or Research Focus templates and insert/add your abstract text. Save as a .doc document to your computer.
Step 4: Complete the Abstract Submission Form and upload your WORD DOCUMENT abstract and resume/CV.
New: At the end of each submission, there is a fee for each submitted abstract. See Step 4 below for more details.

Step 1 of 4: General Policies and Requirements

• Abstracts received after the deadline will not be accepted. The organizers will not be held responsible for abstract submission errors caused by internet service outages, hardware or software delays, power outages or unforeseen events.
• Submissions will only be accepted from people practicing as MR Technologists, Radiographers or equivalent. A current resume/CV is required as part of the submission process.
• Abstracts must be the author’s own original work that has not been previously published or presented.
• All abstracts must be submitted electronically. Paper abstracts will not be considered for review.
• Abstracts must be submitted using the templates provided. Authors are required to read the Abstract Format & Layout Guidelines carefully. The reviewing committee reserves the right to change the category of submission (Clinical Practice Focus or Research Focus) if deemed appropriate.

Abstract Review Process:

All abstracts will be peer reviewed. Abstracts will be blind reviewed (reviewers will be blind to the author details and institution(s) of origin).

Abstracts will be reviewed using the following criteria:

1. Clinical Practice Focus category
   • Clarity and organization of information
   • Background justification and purpose
   • Soundness of teaching point
   • Originality and importance of the topic to the profession
2. Research Focus category
   • Clarity and organization of information
   • Background justification and purpose
   • Soundness of methods used (study design)
   • Originality and importance of the topic to the profession

Abstract Acceptance and Notification:

The seven (7) top scoring abstracts will be selected for oral presentation at the 26th SMRT Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawai’i, USA, and will receive a Proffered Paper Award. Notifications of acceptance will be sent via e-mail to the submitting author in mid-January 2016. Authors of the remaining abstracts and those specifically requesting poster-only presentations, will be considered and reviewed for a poster presentation. If your abstract is accepted for presentation as a poster you will receive detailed instructions on requirements for poster submissions.

NOTE: Authors of abstracts accepted for oral or poster presentation MUST register and attend the meeting.

Proffered Paper Awards:

The SMRT is offering Travel Scholarships to qualified SMRT members to the 2017 Annual Meeting. Preference is given to those who have an accepted abstract. In addition, the ISMRM Research and Education Fund is supporting all SMRT Proffered Paper Awards with a special grant!

Proffered Paper Awards are determined by abstract submission, NOT the oral presentation.

The President’s Award: Awarded to the most outstanding abstract submitted for oral presentation in either the Clinical Practice Focus or Research Focus categories. The honoree will receive an educational stipend to support the presentation of the award-winning abstract at the 26th SMRT Annual Meeting in Honolulu.

Proffered Paper Awards: 3 additional awards are presented to the next highest scoring abstracts in each category:

• Oral Presentation – Research Focus: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place
• Oral Presentation – Clinical Practice Focus: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place

Poster Awards:

Poster awards are determined by submission of an electronic poster in PDF format by the required deadline. Three awards are presented in each category:

• Poster Presentation – Research Focus: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place
• Poster Presentation – Clinical Practice Focus: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place

Authors of abstracts accepted for oral or poster presentation MUST register and attend the meeting. Authors submitting in the Oral Presentation format who are selected to receive a Proffered Paper Award are required to present their paper at the scheduled date and time. All oral and poster presenters will receive detailed instructions and information pertaining to their presentation at the 26th SMRT Annual Meeting with their acceptance letters. All award winners are required to attend the SMRT Awards Presentation on Sunday, 23 April 2017.

Step 2 of 4: Abstract Format & Layout Guidelines

Abstract Presentation Types: Abstracts may be submitted for presentation as an oral paper or as a poster presentation. Posters are presented as traditional posters only. Only 3-4 abstracts are selected for oral presentation from each category (Clinical Practice Focus or Research Focus). Abstracts not selected for oral presentation will automatically be considered for poster presentation.

Abstract Presentation Categories: There are two options for the focus of the submitted work:

1. Clinical Practice Focus: This category is for the presentation of work which demonstrates an improvement in patient care or diagnosis through the application of existing MR techniques. This is an opportunity to share your innovative ideas with your colleagues. The category does not require a formal study to have been undertaken.
2. Research Focus: This category is for the presentation of work which describes novel or innovative MRI investigations or developments which have been tested by standard research methodology, i.e. a hypothesis is tested, results are obtained and analyzed and a conclusion is drawn as to whether or not the hypothesis was correct.

Options for the presentation may include:

• Describing a technique and its applications that you currently employ.
• Presenting innovative ways to improve professional practice.
• Undertaking a literature review to research a topic/technique that is new or uncommon for the purpose of presenting your colleagues with an overview of current practice or standard of care.
• Conducting your own research into a new technique or application.

Examples of abstracts for the Clinical Practice Focus and Research Focus categories are provided to assist you in preparing your abstract.

• Clinical Practice Focus Abstract Example 1
• Clinical Practice Focus Abstract Example 2
• Research Focus Abstract Example 1
• Research Focus Abstract Example 2

Abstract Elements

The purpose of the abstract is to define the precise subject of the presentation to an audience. The abstract title should be short, informative and contain the major key words. An abstract must contain sufficient information so that if published it would be a complete report independent of presentation. The text should not contain statements alluding to results or conclusions not presented within the text.

A properly submitted abstract will have the following elements:

Clinical Practice Focus

• Background
• Teaching Point
• Summary or Conclusions
• References (Truncated listing if space is an issue)

Research Focus

• Background or Purpose
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusions
• References (Truncated listing if space is an issue)

Abstract Format

• The abstract must not exceed one page.
• The uploaded file should contain only the body of the abstract.
• The text should be formatted in one column across the page. Please use standard fonts such as Arial, Times, or Times New Roman. The font size should be 8pt or larger.
• Please do not use section breaks in formatting your submission.
• Text wrap around equations, tables, and figures will be accommodated in the output.
• In order to achieve a proper conversion of your abstract to its final form, please use a template that is 8.5″ (21.5 cm) wide x 11″ (28 cm) high with a top margin of 0.5″ (1.25 cm), bottom margin of 0.5″ (1.25 cm), and right and left margins of 0.5″ (1.25 cm). You must leave 2 inches of space above the bottom margin so that the website can insert the title and authors entered online. (See templates below)
• In order for your abstract to be blinded for peer review, DO NOT include title, authors, and affiliations in your uploaded file.

Author Listing

• Authors and institutions will be entered in the submission website separately from the body of the abstract.
• Only five (5) co-authors will be listed in the syllabus. Additional authors will be listed as “et al.”

NOTE: Compliance with the above specifications is compulsory. Any abstract that does not comply with these specifications will not be accepted for review.

Step 3 of 4: Abstract Templates

These templates have been provided to assist you in formatting your abstract correctly. Simply insert your text and submit as directed. If you do not use these templates, your abstract must still meet the Abstract Format and Layout guidelines detailed in Step 2.

Step 4 of 4: Abstract Submission Site

IMPORTANT: You MUST create a NEW user account on the submission site.

The site will not accept your SMRT login or accounts from previous years.

Submission Fees:

• A flat fee of $10 (USD) will be charged to members for each submission.
• A flat fee of $35 (USD) will be charged to non-members for each submission.
• 2017 membership dues must be paid in order to receive the member rate for abstract submissions. You can Join SMRT or Renew your membership prior to submitting your abstract.
• The abstract submission fee is a non-refundable processing fee, and not based on approval of your abstract submission or attendance at the Annual Meeting.
• Do not withdraw a paid abstract submission to make edits. Refunds will not be issued for abstracts that are withdrawn and resubmitted, and payment will be required for any resubmissions.
• After an abstract is submitted, it can be accessed and edited until the abstract submission deadline (16 November 2016). After this deadline, edits cannot be made.
• The only method of payment accepted for abstract fees is by credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express) in the abstract submission system. Wire payments or purchase orders requested from SMRT cannot be accommodated.
• If you experience any technical issues with payment or receive an error message, please verify that your credit card number, CVV number and expiration date are entered correctly. If you receive an error message, please contact technical support by email at SMRT2017@mirasmart.com or via phone at 866-341-9589 between the hours of 08:00 and 17:00, CST.
• The abstract submission fee does not register you for the meeting. Separate registration fees apply. All presenters must register in order to attend the Annual Meeting.

The Abstract Submission Deadline Has Passed