The SPARTAN Annual Meeting and International Congress of Spondyloarthritis provide a forum for presenting cutting-edge research in the field of spondyloarthritis (SpA). Abstract submissions from trainees, academic investigators, and industry partners are central to the meeting’s scientific program, reflecting SPARTAN’s mission to advance the understanding of SpA and improve patient care through collaborative research. This document outlines the eligibility criteria, submission and review process for meeting abstracts, timelines, and presentation logistics for the 2026 Annual Meeting in Toronto, as well as the recognition awarded to outstanding contributions.
Eligibility:
- Meeting participants (including SPARTAN members and non-members) are invited to submit research abstracts for the 2026 SPARTAN Annual Meeting and International Congress of Spondyloarthritis.
- Abstracts may be submitted in one of three submitter categories:
- Trainee (research initiated by academic investigators; the submitting author may be SPARTAN trainee members or non-member trainees; the research mentor is not required to be a SPARTAN member)
- Academic Researcher (research initiated by academic investigators, the submitting author is a non-trainee, and does not need to be a SPARTAN member)
- Industry (research initiated and funded by a company)
- The submitting author is expected to attend the meeting in Toronto in person to present the research.
- Abstracts presented at other meetings within one year are eligible for submission. However, results should not already have been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Abstracts submitted to the SPARTAN Annual Meeting may also be submitted to the ACR Convergence meeting.
Fee Structure:
- There is no limit on the number of abstracts submitted per submitting author and submission is free for Trainee and Academic Researcher submissions.
- In the Industry category, SPARTAN sponsors may submit the number of abstracts allowed per sponsorship level. Abstracts not covered by the sponsorship agreements, e.g. additional abstracts from sponsors or submissions from non-sponsors, require a submission fee as determined in the financial plan of the annual meeting.
Deadlines and timeline
- Call for abstracts: December 15, 2025
- Abstract submission deadline: February 1, 2026
- Abstract review complete: March 23, 2026
Submission and review
- Abstracts must be submitted through the SPARTAN website as a single PDF, maximum 2 pages total. Basic information collected through a web form includes:
- Name, affiliation, position, and contact information of the submitting author (typically the first author)
- Names of all co-authors
- Abstract title
- Abstract submitter category: Trainee, Academic Researcher or Industry
- Abstract content category: Basic/Translational or Clinical
- Relevant financial relationships
- Abstracts will be ranked according to their mean priority scores in the categories Basic/Translational and Clinical. The ranked list and mean priority scores will be available to all committee members. The highest-ranking trainee abstracts in each content category will be reviewed by the research committee to identify the best abstracts for oral presentation. The discussion may center on the two top submissions in each category if two abstracts emerge as clear frontrunners. Additional abstracts may be considered for deliberation if scores are identical or nearly identical. Committee members with COIs will be recused from the discussion and voting, while non-committee members who participated in the abstract review are invited to participate.
Poster session logistics
- Duration of the poster session is 90 minutes. We expect about 40 posters. If the number of accepted posters is significantly higher, a second poster session will be scheduled, with half of the posters presented in each.
- The submitting author is expected to be present at the poster during the poster session.
Recognition
- The 4 top trainee abstracts (2 Basic/Translational, 2 Clinical) will be selected for oral presentation. Each oral abstract presenter will also receive a $1,000 SPARTAN Travel Award to present their work at a future scientific meeting, such as ACR Convergence.
- Recipients of a People’s Choice Poster Award (up to 4, 2 Basic/Translational, 2 Clinical, $100 gift card) will be determined by attendee voting for the best Trainee or Academic Researcher poster. Awards will be announced at the SPARTAN Annual Meeting reception.
