2026 Abstract Submission Process

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The 2026 Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in STEM will be held in Atlanta, Georgia on March 19th – 21st, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta (265 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30303). The conference begins with the opening plenary session at 6:00 PM on Thursday, March 19, and concludes at 9:00 PM on Saturday, March 21.

The portal for student abstract submissions and travel award applications opened on Monday, August 18th at 2:00pm EST. The deadline has been extended to 11:59pm EST on Friday, September 19th, 2025. Decisions will now sent to applicants on October 27th, 2025.

Click here to access the Abstract Submission and Travel Award portal. 

Undergraduate and graduate students at two- or four-year colleges and universities who are conducting STEM research in the U.S. are invited to submit an abstract for the ERN Conference.

Download the abstract submission guidelines and sample abstract here.

Abstract Guidelines:

Submission of abstracts for review must also adhere to the following guidelines:

  1. Only one (1) poster or oral abstract can be submitted per student. However, a student may be listed as a co-author on a second abstract.
  2. Students working in the same lab must independently submit original abstracts. Identical abstracts submitted by different students will be automatically rejected.
  3. The primary author will present the project during the conference. NO co-presentations are allowed.
  4. Approval must be obtained from all co-authors listed on the abstract. Failure to do so will result in the immediate rejection of the abstract.
  5. Students must obtain approval from faculty advisor(s)/research mentor(s) before submitting the abstract. Failure to do so will result in the immediate rejection of the abstract.
  6. Abstracts must be written by the student and reviewed by the faculty or research mentor.
  7. Abstracts must adhere to the highest quality standards, with correct grammar, spelling and sentence structure, i.e., with editing and proofreading prior to submission.
All abstracts MUST INCLUDE the following:
  • Hypothesis or statement about the problem being investigated and why the research is important;
  • Methods and controls;
  • Results and discussion of findings;
  • Conclusions, future research, and key references;
  • Acknowledgement of funder(s); and
  • Faculty approval.
Abstract Categories
Abstracts can be submitted in the following broad STEM categories:
  • Biological Sciences
  • Chemistry and Chemical Sciences
  • Computer Sciences and Information Management
  • Ecology, Environmental, and Earth Sciences
  • Geosciences
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Nanoscience or Materials Science
  • Neuroscience
  • Physics
  • Science and Mathematics Education
  • Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
  • Technology and Engineering
  • Forensic Sciences
  • Data Science
Abstract Rejections

Abstracts will be rejected for one or more of the following reasons:

  1. No Hypothesis or Statement of the Problem: When the reason for conducting the research is not clearly explained or the proposed question(s) are not clearly explained.
  2. No Methods: Explanations of the methods are not clearly presented or appear to be inappropriate.
  3. No Results/Insufficient Data Presented: The investigators failed to show either evidence of the results or the status or the outcome(s) of their research. Insufficient data are presented to support conclusion(s).
  4. No Conclusion or Expected Outcomes/Future Research: The investigators failed to describe the conclusions or expected outcomes of their research with regard to their hypothesis.
Abstracts should NOT include embedded images or charts and graphs.
Abstract Acceptance or Rejection Notifications
Once an abstract has been received by the conference staff, the most efficient means of communication and notification of status will be by email. Therefore, it is very important that a valid and current email address be on record for all students and faculty/mentors to help speed the notification process. Author should notify AAAS with changes in email addresses or other contact information (Contact information is provided on the ERN Conference website). Decisions will also be made available within each applicant’s student abstract account. 
Abstract Review Process
All abstract submissions will be reviewed for:
  • Originality and innovation;
  • Scientific content supported by quantitative information and references;
  • Merit of the research;
  • Quality of written content; and
  • Adherence to guidelines and format.
Abstracts will be reviewed by a panel of scientists in the appropriate STEM discipline and according to the criteria presented in these guidelines.
All abstract review decisions are final. Because of the timeline, there is no appeals process or opportunity to resubmit once an abstract is rejected.
Once accepted, the conference staff will group abstracts with similar themes in the conference oral or posters sessions. The presentation session schedule is FINAL and session times cannot be changed.
Presentation Schedule: 
  • All poster and oral presentations were scheduled for Friday, March 20th or Saturday, March 21st, 2026. 
  • Please note that during the submission process, you will have the opportunity to select either POSTER or ORAL presentation as your presentation type. If your abstract is selected for presentation, this is the presentation type you will be expected to present during the conference.
  • ALL GRADUATE STUDENT PRESENTATIONS WILL BE ORAL PRESENTATIONS ONLY.
Accepted poster and oral abstracts will be listed in the ERN Conference App. Cash awards will be given for the top poster and oral presentations for each STEM category. Undergraduate and graduate students will be reviewed in separate award categories. *** Awards will be announced during the conference at the closing banquet on Saturday, March 21st.