Instructions and procedures for presenters and participants

Please refer to this document for up-to-date information and instructions for participation in the Canadian Neuroscience Meeting

CAN meeting value statement

The Canadian Association for Neuroscience (“CAN”) is dedicated to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all attendees, their guests, and staff at all official CAN events regardless of sex, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, physical or mental disability, perceived disability, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis protected by federal or pertinent provincial laws.

CAN is committed to supporting discovery and scientific dialogue, and providing an atmosphere that encourages the free expression and exchange of scientific and educational ideas. Furthermore, CAN upholds the philosophy of equal opportunity for, and treatment of, all meeting participants and staff in any venue.

CAN does not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment at its Annual Meeting or at any other official CAN event.   We expect all attendees, media, speakers, volunteers, organizers, venue staff, guests, and exhibitors at CAN-organized events to help us in ensuring a safe and positive environment for all.

CAN guidelines for scientific presentation

  1. Each abstract must be signed/sponsored by an author who is a CAN member.
    This person, known as the abstract sponsor, must be listed as an author of the abstract.
  2. No presentation may be given by an individual who is not an author on the abstract.
  3. Material presented at the meeting must be substantively identical to that described in the abstract.

In particular, the title, authorship, and scientific content of the presentation at the meeting must match that in the abstract.

  1. To ensure proper citation in the author index, style your name consistently and list the same contact email address on all abstracts on which you are an author.
  2. Work presented in abstracts must conform to the applicable policy and principles for experimental procedures.
  3. The member who submits/sponsors the abstract is responsible for ensuring that work presented in the abstract is in accord with all applicable ethical rules.
  4. The abstract should state the study’s objective, briefly describe the methods used, summarize the results obtained, and state the conclusions.

Abstracts should emphasize the significance of results and general principles rather than ordinary methods and procedures. When experimental animals are used, the species should be stated. When relevant, state the sex of experimental animals and humans, and whether males and females were analyzed by sex. Use standard abbreviations for units of measure. Other abbreviations should be fully spelled out on first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses.

  1. CAN requires authors to disclose their sources of contributed support (commercial, public, or private foundation grants).

This information will emphasize the importance of the organizations that sponsor research.

  1. CAN requires authors to signify whether there may be a real or perceived conflict of interest.

Any potential for financial gain that may be derived from reported work may constitute a potential conflict of interest. Financial contributions from commercial sponsors to the work being reported may be perceived as a potential conflict of interest and should be clearly acknowledged .  Authors should ensure that no contractual relations or proprietary considerations exist that restrict dissemination of their findings. It is the author’s responsibility to report any real or perceived financial conflict of interest.

If an author indicates a conflict of interest, it is noted next to the published abstract directing readers to listed conflicts in the Program. In general, disclosure is required in any case in which an individual or company stands to benefit financially from research performed. Consequently, the central criterion of this policy places the onus for disclosure on each author to indicate any benefit to an individual or company that may derive from any and all relationships that may potentially lead to financial reward. Examples of conflicts of interest are listed below, but this list is not all-encompassing.  Conflicts of Interest:

  • Author (or first-degree relative) holds an equity position in a company that produces a product or service related to the work being reported;
  • Author has a consultative relationship (including as a member of a scientific advisory board) with a company that produces a product or service related to the work being reported;
  • Author’s research is funded by a company that produces a product or service related to the work being reported;
  • Author founded a company that produces a product or service related to the work being reported;
  • Author receives royalties from a company that produces a product or service related to the work being reported;
  • Patent or license related to the work being reported is held by the author and/or a university without direct corporate involvement at the time;
  • Author (or first-degree relative) derives a real or potential royalty stream through university arrangements and/or directly from a company that produces a product or service related to the work being reported; or
  • Real or potential royalty streams generated from multiple sources from a product or service related to the work being reported.

Parallel Symposium Proposals

Speaker and date substitutions: As a general rule, substitution of speakers and presentation date after the parallel symposium has been accepted and scheduled to be presented at the CAN meeting is not allowed. Under exceptional circumstances, a substitution may be accepted, but the meeting Chair and Co-Chair must approve this. The Chair and Co-Chair can also, if they judge that the speaker substitution modifies the content of the symposium significantly, and at their discretion, prefer to replace the symposium with another in the roster.

Poster Abstract Submission

Abstracts are classified along the following themes:

  1.  Development
  2. Neural Excitability, Synapses, and Glia: Cellular Mechanisms
  3. Disorders of the Nervous System
  4. Sensory and Motor Systems
  5. Homeostatic and Neuroendocrine Systems
  6. Cognition, emotion and motivation
  7. Novel Methods and Technology Development
  8. History, Teaching , Public Awareness and Societal Impacts in Neuroscience

Preparing your presentation for submission

  • Select a Presentation Theme that most closely describes your presentation
  • Prepare to enter all authors (lead and additional) names complete with their affiliation/organization name and email address
  • Prepare an abstract title (max 225 character limit)
  • Prepare the abstract text (max 1600 character limit, spaces included)
  • Submit the abstract via CAN’s online submission tool in the appropriate text box. Please note: when submitting the abstract cut and paste it from a text editor (i.e. notepad, wordpad, textedit et al.) to ensure it does not include underlying formatting that may cause errors.

Guidelines for poster presentation

You will be provided with a maximum surface area of 3.75′ x 3.75′ (114 cm x 114 cm) to display your poster. Posters can not exceed this size.

  • Push pins will be provided for you to affix your poster to the display board.
  • You may hand out information sheets to those viewing your poster.
  • Poster material must be prepared in advance and should be large enough to be viewed from a distance of approximately 3′ (1 m) or more.
  • Each poster must have a top label indicating the title of the paper, the names of the authors and their affiliations. The size of the characters for the title should be at least one inch high.
  • Please indicate the poster number in the top left corner of your poster
  • Keep illustrative material simple. Charts, drawings and illustrations may be similar to those used in making slides – preferably with bolder, heavier figures. These materials should be mounted on fairly stiff paper – but NOT heavy cardboard.
  • “Introduction” and “Conclusion” sections are usually helpful.
  • When feasible, use graphs for demonstrating qualitative relationships, tables of precise numerical values.
  • If used, photographs should be in a matte finish, not glossy.
  • Do not fold posters; roll and carry them in an appropriate container.
  • Do not mail poster presentations in advance; bring them with you to the Meeting.
  • Meeting staff will be present to assist you during the poster set up times
  • Removal and collection of posters at the end of the display period remains the responsibility of the author(s). Posters not removed by the indicated take down time will be removed and disposed of by meeting staff.

For more information on poster presentations, please contact secretariat@can-acn.org

How to submit an abstract

Only active members in good standing can submit or sponsor an abstract to present a poster at the CAN Annual Meeting.

Please follow the steps below to ensure you are compliant with CAN submission procedures.

Step 1: Become a member of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience for the new membership year. Click here to renew / become a member of the Association in order to submit

Step 2: Once you have become an active member, please click here for member only access to the submission portal.  Note that this link is only active during the period of the Call for abstracts.  Submissions received outside these dates are not considered.

Please note: if you are not a member of the Association by the submission deadline, your poster will not be considered for presentation at the CAN meeting.

Guidelines for poster presentation

You will be provided with a maximum surface area of 3.75′ x 3.75′ (114 cm x 114 cm) to display your poster. Posters can not exceed this size.Push pins will be provided for you to affix your poster to the display board.

  • You may hand out information sheets to those viewing your poster.
  • Poster material must be prepared in advance and should be large enough to be viewed from a distance of approximately 3′ (1 m) or more.
  • Each poster must have a top label indicating the title of the paper, the names of the authors and their affiliations. The size of the characters for the title should be at least one inch high.
  • Please indicate the poster number in the top left corner of your poster
  • Keep illustrative material simple. Charts, drawings and illustrations may be similar to those used in making slides – preferably with bolder, heavier figures. These materials should be mounted on fairly stiff paper – but NOT heavy cardboard.
  • “Introduction” and “Conclusion” sections are usually helpful.
  • When feasible, use graphs for demonstrating qualitative relationships, tables of precise numerical values.
  • If used, photographs should be in a matte finish, not glossy.
  • Do not fold posters; roll and carry them in an appropriate container.
  • Do not mail poster presentations in advance; bring them with you to the Meeting.
  • Meeting staff will be present to assist you during the poster set up times
  • Removal and collection of posters at the end of the display period remains the responsibility of the author(s). Posters not removed by the indicated take down time will be removed and disposed of by meeting staff.