Abstract Submission Frequently
Asked Questions

Below is a list of frequently asked questions specifically for abstract submission via the online system. Additional speaker and moderator instructions and FAQs will be provided at a later date.

We are currently planning for all conference sessions to be held in-person; however, we will continue to monitor circumstances and public health recommendations for group gatherings. The conference website will be updated on an ongoing basis, so check back often for new information.

General Information

Abstract Submission Topics

Online Abstract System

Guidelines for Submission

General Information

What is the conference format for 2023?

We are currently planning for all conference sessions to be held in-person; however, we will continue to monitor circumstances and public health recommendations for group gatherings.

When will I be able to submit an abstract?

The call for abstracts will go out on Tuesday, November 1 2022, at which time you will be able to submit an abstract through the online abstract system.

What is the deadline for abstract submission?

All abstracts must be submitted via the online abstract system no later than Thursday, January 5, 2023, by 11:59 p.m. EST. Proposals that are incomplete, late or submitted in an inappropriate format will not be considered.

What is the abstract word limit?

Abstracts are limited to 400 words, not including the title or bio. Titles should not exceed 185 characters. The bio should not exceed 100 words.

Do I have to register or pay registration fees for the conference if my abstract is accepted?

By submitting an abstract, please make sure you or an alternate presenting author are committed to presenting in-person at the Annual Conference. All presenting authors are required to register and pay related registration fees for the conference.

When and how will I be notified of my abstract status?

Formal letters of invitation and regret will be sent by e-mail from the CSTE National office by Friday, March 25, 2023. All authors receive a formal communication that informs them of the Planning Committee’s decision. Presenting authors with an accepted abstract will receive a link to their online “Speaker’s Corner” where you may view session details, respond to the invitation and upload your presentation. Co-authors will receive a determination email but not a link to the online Speaker’s Corner.

Can an abstract be submitted for the CSTE Annual Conference if it is also being submitted for another meeting?

Yes, CSTE will consider an abstract submitted to another meeting.

What types of presentation formats are available?

Presentation formats are available in the Guidelines for Abstract Submission. While the Program Planning Committee will attempt to honor the submitted format for presentations, this will not always be possible.

Has the breakout session length of time recently changed?

Yes, breakout sessions are now 75 minutes in length to provide attendees with longer breaks for networking between sessions.

How many abstracts can I submit as a presenting author?

There are no restrictions on the number of abstracts you may submit or on the number of submissions you may be selected to present.

How many co-authors can be included on my abstract?

Please limit co-authors who contributed substantially to the study design, statistical analysis, or interpretation to no more than fifteen (15) people. Restrictions may apply based on presentation type, which are detailed in the Guidelines for Abstract Submissions.

Is a bio required for all authors?

Bio information is only required for presenting author(s). The bio should not exceed 100 words on your background experience. If selected for oral presentation, this information may be utilized by the session moderator to properly introduce you.

Why do I need to provide pronunciation of my name?

If selected for oral presentation, this will assist session moderators in correct pronunciation of presenting author’s name, so correct pronunciation is required in bio section. Use the sounds–like or phonetic spelling like the examples below:

• Jane Knowles silent K, sounds like “noles”
• Allie Pyan Pie-n, like Ryan but with a P
• Lisa Takeuchi Tah-keh-oo-chee

Online Abstract System

Is there a new way for me to view my abstract submission(s)?

Yes, presenting authors will have access to a User Portal where you can view and modify all your abstract submissions in one place. You will be prompted to create a password linked to your email address. Please remember to use the same email address for all your submissions.

How do I know if my abstract was submitted correctly in the system?

After you complete Step 1 (Committee and Topic selection), you will receive an email from [email protected] with the subject line “2023 CSTE Annual Conference Abstract (number and title) Submission Initiated.” Then, after you complete Step 5 (Confirmation), you will receive an email from [email protected] with the subject line “2023 CSTE Annual Conference Abstract (number and title) Submission Completed.” Please check your spam and clutter folders for emails.

What if I forgot my password?

If you forgot your User Portal password, use the Reset Password link on the portal. CSTE staff do not have access to your password, so you will be required to utilize that link if needed.

How do I make corrections to my abstract?

You may view and edit an abstract any time before the abstract submission deadline on Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Abstracts may not be modified after the submission deadline during committee review. If your abstract is accepted for presentation, minor content changes may be made by contacting the CSTE National Office at [email protected] no later than Friday, April 28, 2023. Author changes may be made online before the abstract submission deadline or after acceptance until Friday, April 28, 2023.

How do I change the presenting author?

You may edit the presenting author via the online abstract system before the abstract submission deadline or after acceptance, but no later than Friday, April 28, 2023.

If I would like to withdraw my abstract, what should I do?

Withdrawal of an abstract can be made at any time during submission and review. The deadline to decline presentation or withdraw after invitation acceptance is 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, April 28, 2023, and should be done utilizing the online abstract system. Withdrawal of a presentation after invitation acceptance or after the deadline should be communicated by email to CSTE National Office at [email protected]. Withdrawals made after the invitation deadline, failure to present an accepted abstract, or find a replacement presenting author could result in disqualification from presenting an abstract at future conferences.

Whom can I contact for technical assistance with the online abstract system?

For system support, contact technical support through the following form: Click to contact support .

Abstract Submission Topics

Abstracts will be divided into committees for review and programming purposes based on topic areas. The Program Planning Committee reserves the right to reassign your abstract within committees.

Chronic Disease/Maternal and Child Health

CD – Program Evaluation and Performance Measures
CD – Risk or Protective Factors
CD – Surveillance Systems
CD/MCH/Oral – Addressing Epidemiology Workforce Capacity
CD/MCH/Oral – Clinical Data Use for Maternal and Child Health, Chronic Disease or Oral Health Reporting
CD/MCH – The Effect of Mental Health and Substance Use on Maternal and Child Health and Chronic Disease
CD/MCH – Population & Place (Novel GIS Analyses)
CD/MCH – Intersection with Emergency Preparedness and Response
CD/MCH – Using Social Determinants of Health to Address Disparities
MCH – Birth Outcomes
MCH – Mortality and Morbidity
MCH – Program and Performance Evaluation
MCH – Surveillance Systems
Oral Health

Environmental Health/Occupational Health

Acute pesticide poisoning surveillance and intervention
Challenges and new methods in occupational health surveillance
Disparities and special populations in occupational health
Emerging issues in occupational safety and health
Industry-specific topics in occupational health (e.g., Construction industry)
Innovative ways to showcase occupational health data, intervention findings, or prevention messages (e.g., digital stories, social media, infographics)
Integrating occupational health and safety into public health practice
Lead exposure surveillance and intervention
Novel topics in occupational safety and health
Occupation-specific topics in occupational health (e.g., health care workers, first-responders)
Occupational health and informatics (e.g., I/O variables and work information in surveillance systems, EHRs, electronic case reporting, health alert network)
Occupational Health Indicators
Occupational Health Surveillance
Occupational lung disease surveillance and intervention
Partnerships and outreach to promote worker health and safety
Using data to promote workplace solutions
Using worker safety and health data in existing surveys (e.g., BRFSS, NHIS, PRAMS, and ACS)
Using workers’ compensation data for surveillance and intervention
Work-related issues and COVID
General issues in occupational health morbidity and mortality surveillance
Informatics and data modernization for environmental health
Air Quality & Respiratory Health
Children’s Environmental Health
Climate & Health
Disaster Epidemiology
Environmental Health Investigations
Environmental Justice & Health Equity
Environmental Public Health Tracking
Water Quality, Waterborne Disease, & Harmful Algal Blooms

Infectious Disease

Advanced Molecular Detection (i.e., whole genome sequencing, genomic epidemiology, and associated bioinformatics topics, etc.)
Antimicrobial Resistance & Antimicrobial Stewardship
Emerging & Miscellaneous Infectious Diseases (including Legionnaires’ Disease, Monkeypox, Ebola, other mycotic/fungal disease, bacterial disease, and AFM)
Enteric Disease
Healthcare-Associated Infections
Hepatitis
HIV & STD
Influenza & Other Respiratory Disease (including non-vaccine related COVID-19 topics and TB)
Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (including vaccine-related COVID-19 topics)
Vector-Borne & Zoonotic Diseases

Special Topics

Border and International Health
Health Equity
Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
Public Health Law, Ethics, and Policy
Tribal Epidemiology
Special topics related to COVID-19, Monkeypox, and Ebola

Substance Use & Mental Health/Injury

Alcohol Misuse
Application of Epidemiology Methods in SUMH/Injury
Behavioral Health and Behavioral Health Policy
Cannabis Use and Misuse
Child Abuse and Neglect
Drug Overdose and Other Poisoning Epidemiology and Surveillance
E-cigarette or Vaping Associated Lung Injury (EVALI)
Fall-Related Injuries
Health Equity in SUMH/Injury Epidemiology
Injuries from Motor Vehicle or Other Transportation Modes
Injury Epidemiology in the ICD-10-CM Era
Mental Health
Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and Drug Diversion
SUMH/Injury Data Linkage Methods
SUMH/Injury Public Health Policy
SUMH/Injury Trends and COVID-19
SUMH/Injury Workforce Capacity
Traumatic Brain Injury
Violence and Suicide Epidemiology and Prevention

Surveillance/Informatics

Electronic case reporting
Electronic laboratory reporting
Syndromic surveillance
Surveillance strategies for the detection and management of outbreaks/clusters
Interdisciplinary approaches to surveillance/informatics
Other surveillance and informatics
Surveillance policy, governance, data sharing, and/or standards for health IT
Interoperability and linkages across public health surveillance systems and other information systems & infrastructure (e.g., vaccine registries, HIEs, EHRs)
Evaluating electronic disease surveillance systems
Informatics infrastructure, capacity, and workflow at state and local health departments
Novel or innovative informatics solutions (e.g., data lakes, shared services, master patient index, implementation of FHIR, open-source software)
Processes and tools to improve data quality, completeness, and standardization
Case notification to CDC/National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS)
Data visualization tools, dashboards, and applications
Data modernization efforts
Utilizing vital records data or nontraditional data sources for public health surveillance