Conference 2026 Academic Poster Session

The Academic Poster Session is a joint venture between the Journal of Collegiate EMS (JCEMS) and the NCEMSF. Established in 2018 at the 25th Annual NCEMSF Conference, the Academic Poster Session is held annually at the NCEMSF conference. The session provides a forum for collegiate EMS leaders and scholars to share research findings and innovative and novel collegiate EMS programs and initiatives. Presented abstracts and posters are published in JCEMS to promote open access scholarship.

At the annual NCEMSF Conference, The College EMS Research Poster of the Year Award is announced at the NCEMSF Awards Ceremony. This award recognizes excellence in campus-based EMS research and promotes advancements in the field through academic research. Winners are selected from among the submitted posters for the JCEMS poster competition at the annual conference. 

Posters are generally accepted in one of two tracks:

• Original Research
  This track is for posters highlighting academic research on a topic of relevance to the emergency medical services profession. 
  • Includes all of the following sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion/Conclusion.
  • Includes all author names and institutional affiliations (academic department or EMS organization) indicated by superscript footnotes/endnotes. 
  • No tables, figures, or references. 
  • All required documentation regarding funding sources and/or potential conflicts of interest is provided per the JCEMS directions. 
  • Research is conducted in accordance with the JCEMS ethical guidelines. 
  • Content (not including author names and any required statements on funding and ethics) of the poster does not exceed 300 words. 
• Development and Evaluation of Novel Programs
  This track allows authors to describe a novel program or initiative recently developed by the author or their organization. 
  • Includes all of the following sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion/Conclusion.
  • Includes all author names and institutional affiliations (academic department or EMS organization) indicated by superscript footnotes/endnotes. 
  • No tables, figures, or references. 
  • All required documentation regarding funding sources and/or potential conflicts of interest is provided per the JCEMS directions. 
  • Content (not including author names and any required statements on funding) of the poster does not exceed 300 words. 

Abstracts will be reviewed by the JCEMS editorial board and at least two blinded, independent reviewers with subject-matter expertise. Abstracts will be reviewed for quality, accuracy, scope, methodological rigor, depth of research or program evaluation, originality/novelty, and style/organization. You may be asked to incorporate reviewers' recommendations and revise abstracts prior to selection. Final selection will be made by the JCEMS editorial board. You will be notified in early February whether or not your abstract has been selected for the Academic Poster Session. 

To submit an abstract, please use our online abstract system. You must be logged in to our website to submit (if you do not have a website account yet, please create one here before continuing). Please follow these directions to ensure your submission is correctly routed: 

Be sure to select "Poster Session" under "Submission Type." Following the submission link in the previous paragraph will ensure this box is automatically checked. 

You will need the following information to complete your submission:

• Full name(s) of speaker (as it should appear on a name tag and in the published program with academic degrees and clinical certifications)
• School Affiliation / Campus Based EMS Group and any applicable leadership titles
• Email address(es) and Telephone number
• A brief biography (100 words) suitable for printing.
• Proposed poster title and abbreviated abstract both suitable for printing in the program (abbreviated abstracts should be no more than 200 words)
• An extended abstract to be evaluated by the Poster Session reviewers.
• A listing of any funding sources or conflicts of interest.
• A listing of any previous presentations of the same research. 
• Confirmation that you have adhered to the JCEMS ethical guidelines.
• An informational question on whether or not the author(s) will be present at the Conference. Attendance at the Conference is not required for a poster to be selected. Selection of a poster for the Academic Poster Session will not give the author(s) complimentary Conference attendance unless they are also presenting a session that meets the requirements for complimentary registration.  

The deadline for Academic Poster Session submissions will be January 16, 2026. 

JCEMS has provided templates for use in designing the poster, but all selected authors will be required to print their own posters in the format of 48" wide and 36" tall. 

•   document JCEMS Poster Template (Original Research) (836 KB)
•   document JCEMS Poster Template (Program Development) (838 KB)  

A list of past Collegiate EMS Research Poster of the Year winners can be viewed in our Awards Hall of Fame.