Abstract submission

Copyright policy

Abstracts should not include libellous or defamatory content. Material presented in abstracts should not violate any copyright laws. If figures, graphics and/or images have been taken from sources not copyrighted by the author, it is the author’s sole responsibility to secure the rights from the copyright holder in writing to reproduce those figures, graphics and/or images for both worldwide print and web publication. The author must bear all reproduction costs charged by the copyright holder. 

Language

As the official HIVR4P 2024 language is English, all abstracts must be in English. If English is not your native language, please arrange for a native English speaker to review your abstract before submission. Please use the UNAIDS terminology guidelines and People First Charter when drafting and submitting your abstract. Please ensure that you DO NOT use stigmatizing language. DO use: people or person living with HIV; person or people with TB; healthcare seekers or clients. DO NOT label people as: HIV-infected; infected; cases; carriers; victims; patients.   

Resubmission policy

An abstract that has been previously published or presented at a national, regional or international meeting can be submitted to HIVR4P 2024 only if there are new methods or findings, updated information or other valid reasons for resubmitting. 

If preliminary or partial data have been published or presented previously, the submitting author will be required to provide details of the publication or presentation, along with a justification of why the abstract merits consideration for HIVR4P 2024. The HIVR4P 2024 Organizing Committee will consider this information when making final decisions. 

If the author neglects to provide these required details and justification or if evidence of previous publication or presentation is found, the abstract will be rejected. 

Plagiarism

The conference organizers regard plagiarism as serious professional misconduct. All abstracts are screened for plagiarism and, when identified, the abstract and any other abstracts submitted by the same author are rejected. In addition, the submitting author’s scholarship application (if one has been submitted) are cancelled. 

Ethical research declaration

The conference supports only research that has been conducted according to the protocol approved by the institutional or local committee on ethics in human investigation. Where no such committee exists, the research should have been conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association. If you answer “no” or “not applicable”, you must provide a written explanation for your answer. The HIVR4P 2024 Organizing Committee may enquire further into ethical aspects when evaluating abstracts. 

As is the case with most scientific and medical conferences, abstracts from HIVR4P 2024 are released to delegates and media under a strict embargo policy. Find the conference embargo policy here. All conference delegates, presenters and media agree to respect this policy.

Conference account 

Authors must create a conference account to submit an abstract. More than one abstract can be submitted through a conference account. After an abstract has been created, modifications can be made until 10 April, 23:59 CEST. 

Choosing an abstract category 

The abstract category is the general heading under which the abstract will be reviewed and later published in the conference materials, if accepted. The category that best describes the subject of the abstract should be chosen. 

Abstract structure 

Abstracts should contain concise statements of: 

• Background: Indicate the purpose and objective of the research, the hypothesis that was tested, or a description of the problem being analysed or evaluated.

• Methods: Describe the study period, setting and location, study design, study population, data collection and methods of analysis used.

• Results: Present as clearly and in as much detail as possible the findings and/or outcomes of the study. Please disaggregate data by age and gender where possible and summarize any specific results.

• Conclusions: Explain the significance of your study’s findings and/or outcomes and future implications of the results.

The following review criteria will be used in scoring submitted abstracts:

• Is there a clear background and justified objective?

• Is the methodology and/or study design appropriate for the objectives?

• Are the results important and clearly presented?

• Are the conclusions supported by the results?

• Is the study original and does it contribute to the field?

Disaggregation by sex and other demographic data in abstracts    

Authors are encouraged to disaggregate data by gender identity and/or assigned sex at birth and other demographics, such as age, geographic region, racial/ethnic identity and/or other relevant characteristics, in submitted abstracts, when appropriate. They should provide analyses of any gender-based differences or any other differences between sub-populations in the results section.    

Meaningful engagement of people living with HIV in research

The IAS actively encourages the submission of research that meaningfully engages and involves people living with HIV, fostering collaboration through co-authorship and presenting author roles, in alignment with the principles outlined in the UNAIDS Global Advocacy Policy Brief on the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV (GIPA).

Font 

A standard font, such as Arial, should be used when formatting the text. This helps prevent special characters from getting lost when copying the text to the online abstract submission form. Ensure that you check the final abstract with the system’s preview function before submission and edit or replace as necessary. 

Word limits 

The abstract body is limited to 350 words. Titles are limited to 30 words. 

A maximum of two tables and two graphs/images in total can be included. A graph or image (in JPG, GIF or PNG, ideally at least 600dpi) counts as 50 words and a table counts as five words per row (50 words maximum). 

Common reasons for abstract rejection:  

• Abstract poorly written 
• Not enough new information 
• Clear objective and/or hypothesis missing
• Methods (either quantitative or qualitative) inadequate and/or insufficient to support conclusions
• Summary of essential results inadequate and/or missing 
• Study conclusions not supported by the data 
• Linkage between different parts of the abstract not comprehensible 
• Duplicate or overlap with another abstract 
• Study too preliminary or insufficient to draw conclusions 
• Study originality lacking 

Recommendations

Abstracts should disclose primary findings and avoid, whenever possible, promissory statements, such as “experiments are in progress” or “results/lessons learnt will be discussed”.

Submission confirmation 

After submission of the abstract, a confirmation email will be sent to the abstract submitter. Please ensure that your email provider does not mark emails from hivr4p2024@abstractserver.com as spam.    

Scholarship application
 

Other support programme

The IAS is determined to assist less-experienced and early-career researchers in improving their abstract submissions through innovative mentorship and learning initiatives. We invite you to join the IAS Mentorship Programme, register for the upcoming JIAS interactive workshops, and visit the IAS+ learning platform.

Abstract review 

All submitted abstracts go through a blind peer-review process carried out by a team of international experts in the field of HIV, in addition to members of the Organizing Committee. Each abstract is allocated to four reviewers and will receive at least three scores. 

Abstract selection 

Abstracts will be selected for oral presentation in a session or as a paper poster to be displayed on site.

Notification of acceptance or rejection to corresponding author 

Notification of acceptance or rejection will be sent to the submitting (corresponding) author by mid-June. Please note that only the corresponding author will receive an email concerning the abstract; this author is responsible for informing all co-authors of the status of the abstract. The presenting author, whose abstract has been accepted, will receive instructions for the presentation of their abstract. 

Rule of two 

Each presenting author may present a maximum of two abstracts at the conference. The number of submissions is, however, not limited. If an author has more than two abstracts accepted for presentation, a co-author must be named as presenting author for one or more abstracts. 

Each presenting author may also present one late-breaker abstract at the conference.

The submission of the abstracts constitutes the authors’ consent for publication. If the abstract is accepted, the authors agree that their abstracts are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) licence. The licence allows third parties to share the published work (copy, distribute, transmit) and to adapt it for any purposes, under the condition that HIVR4P 2024 and authors are given credit and that in the event of reuse or distribution, the terms of this licence are made clear. Authors retain the copyright of their abstracts, with first publication rights granted to the IAS. 

Accepted abstracts may, therefore, be published on IAS websites and publications, such as the HIVR4P 2024 online programme and other conference materials, the IAS abstract archive and the Journal of the International AIDS Society (JIAS). 

For HIVR4P 2024, the 5th HIV Research for Prevention Conference, an abstract is a standalone statement that briefly explains the essential information of a study, research project, policy or programme.

HIVR4P 2024 welcomes the submission of abstracts for original contributions to the field in the following categories:

• Adaptive immunity  
• Antibody functions (neutralizing and non-neutralizing)
• Behavioural and social science research
• bNAbs and HIV prevention
• Community engagement in prevention research
• Contraception, pregnancy and HIV prevention (including vertical transmission)
• Correlates of protection (including immunogenetics) and restriction factors
• Cure, viral reservoirs and eradication/remission
• Delivery technologies: Novel approaches, formulation and multi-purpose
• Demand creation, market research and human-centred design
• De-medicalization of prevention approaches
• Drug development and pharmacology (PK and PD studies)
• Epidemiology of HIV
• Ethics in HIV prevention research
• HIV sequencing insights, including viral diversity and antiretroviral resistance
• Implementation science, including structural interventions, PrEP and VMMC
• Innate and trained immunity
• Lessons from SARS-CoV-2 research
• Mathematical modelling: Impact and effectiveness
• Microbiome and mucosal immunity
• Novel vaccines (preventive or therapeutic)
• Novel antivirals
• Other STIs
• Perinatal prevention
• Policy and advocacy
• Preclinical studies for HIV prevention
• Product acceptability and adherence
• Testing: Technology, coverage, viral load, point of care and CD4 count
• Transmission of HIV
• Treatment as prevention

Abstract submissions are open from 7 February to 10 April. During this period, abstracts will be accepted through the online submission form available on the conference website

The deadline to submit abstracts is 10 April, 23:59 Central European Summer Time (CEST).

Abstracts are intended to present scientific studies, research, programmes and policies, highlighting both the methods or description and results or recommendations. If you are describing a study that is still in the planning stage, it would not be suitable for submission unless the method that you use is, for example, of particular scientific interest. However, if your study is currently ongoing and you have preliminary data that seem relevant or significant, please submit the abstract.

Late-breaker submissions must introduce data of unquestioned significance. Data analysed after the regular submission deadline (10 April) should not be sent in as late breakers if the data do not meet an extremely high threshold of scientific merit. The percentage of abstracts selected for late breakers will depend on the number of submissions, but selection will be more rigorous than for regular abstracts.

During their abstract submission, the author will have to declare the reason why their abstract is a late breaker. The same submission rules apply for late-breaker abstracts as for regular abstracts, but each presenting author may present only one late-breaker abstract at the conference. Late-breaker abstract submissions will be open from 5 June to 3 July, 23:59 CEST.

An abstract consists of a title, author list and abstract text no longer than 350 words. It can also include tables, graphs and/or images. It should not include literature references.

Abstracts should contain concise statements of:

• Background: Indicate the purpose and objective of the research, the hypothesis that was tested or a description of the problem being analysed or evaluated.

• Methods: Describe the study period, setting and location, study design, study population, data collection and methods of analysis used.

• Results: Present as clearly and in as much detail as possible the findings and/or outcomes of the study. Please disaggregate data by age and gender where possible and summarize any specific results.

• Conclusions: Explain the significance of the findings and/or outcomes of your study and future implications of the results.

Before submitting an abstract, you are asked to create a conference account. One or several abstracts can be submitted through the conference account.

To submit abstracts, please log in to your conference account and click on the “Abstract” box on the conference account overview page. Then click on the button, “Submit an abstract”. In the abstract submission system:

1. Select the category and country of research. Enter your abstract title and text.
2. Enter the presenting author and co-authors (individually).
3. Preview your abstract and check format and correctness.
4. Submit your abstract.

After an abstract has been created, modifications can be made at any time until the submission deadline. After submission, the abstract submitter will receive a confirmation email with an abstract reference number. Please include this reference number in all conference correspondence. 

After an abstract has been submitted via the conference account, modifications can be made until the deadline, 10 April, 23:59 CEST. After making your modifications, you need to save your abstract. No modifications will be accepted after the submission deadline.

A good abstract title is short, specific, representative and informative. It helps the reviewers categorize your abstract and, if accepted, may help conference delegates find your presentation. The title should summarize your abstract without going into excessive details. Describe the topic clearly, including, for example, the population, country and issue of the research. Titles are limited to 30 words.

It is possible, but not mandatory, to include tables, graphs and/or images in the abstract. A maximum of two tables or graphs in total can be included. A graph or image (in JPG, GIF or PNG, ideally at least 600dpi) counts as 50 words and a table counts as five words per row (50 words maximum). As a reminder, the abstract text body is limited to 350 words.

Please create your table or upload your graph or image following the instructions in the abstract submission system. Place the table, graph or image into your abstract text and save the changes. Review the abstract preview page to ensure that your table, graph or image displays properly.

There is no limit to the number of co-authors per abstract, although we strongly recommend the use of a study group name for abstracts with a high number of co-authors. A person can be listed as a co-author if they meet ALL the following criteria:

1. Made substantial contributions to concept and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data
2. Drafted the abstract or revised it for intellectual content
3. Approved the final version to be submitted

If the abstract is accepted, the presenting authors are asked to disclose all financial and personal relationships between themselves and others that might be perceived as biasing their work. IAS – the International AIDS Society – asks that all presenting authors disclose any conflict of interest at the time of presentation for the benefit of conference delegates. The purpose of this is to guarantee that all potential conflicts of interest are recognized and mechanisms to resolve them prior to the conference are implemented.

Material presented in abstracts should not violate any copyright laws. If figures, graphics and/or images have been taken from sources not copyrighted by the author, it is the author’s sole responsibility to secure the rights from the copyright holder in writing to reproduce those figures, graphics and/or images for both worldwide print and web publication. The author must bear all reproduction costs charged by the copyright holder.

All submitted abstracts will go through a blind peer-review process carried out by international experts. Each abstract will be reviewed by at least three reviewers. The HIVR4P 2024 Organizing Committee makes the final selection of abstracts to be included in the conference programme.

The methodology or study design presented in your abstract should be appropriate to address the purpose and objectives. Results should be clearly presented and support the conclusions. In addition, the findings should contribute to the advancement of knowledge and development in the field.

If English is not your native language, we strongly recommend that you have your abstract reviewed by a native English speaker working in your field before submission.

Please use the UNAIDS terminology guidelines and People First Charter when drafting and submitting your abstract. Please ensure that you DO NOT use stigmatizing language. DO use: people or person living with HIV; person or people with TB; healthcare seekers or clients. DO NOT label people as: HIV-infected; infected; cases; carriers; victims; patients. 

You may check the common reasons for abstract rejection in the abstract submission guidelines found further up on this page. 

Notification of acceptance or rejection will be sent to the submitting (corresponding) author in early June.

To obtain a certificate for abstracts accepted, please contact abstracts2024@hivr4p.org

The submission of the abstract constitutes the authors’ consent to publish. If the abstract is accepted, the authors agree that their abstract can be published under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) licence. The licence allows third parties to share the published work (copy, distribute, transmit) and to adapt it for any purposes, on condition that HIVR4P 2024 and the authors are given credit, and that in the event of reuse or distribution, the terms of this licence are made clear. Authors retain the copyright of their abstracts, with first publication rights granted to the IAS.

Accepted abstracts will be published on IAS websites and publications, such as the HIVR4P 2024 online programme and other conference materials, the IAS abstract archive, HIVR4P Abstract book and the Journal of the International AIDS Society (JIAS).