Submit Your Abstract
PREVCON 2027 will be held from October 27-30, 2027 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD where we anticipate over 800 attendees representing unintentional child injury prevention practitioners, researchers and policy makers from across the United States and more than 30 countries across the globe.
Safe Kids Worldwide invites submissions addressing preventable injury to children. While all preventable injury topics will be considered, we are particularly interested in submissions addressing:
- Child passenger safety
- Drowning prevention
- Safe sleep
- Vulnerable road user safety, including e-micromobility safety
- Fire/burn prevention
- The impact of climate change and disasters on child injury
- Efforts to address existing injury inequities through systems change
- Emerging & innovative uses of technology, including AI
Submission Deadline
Abstracts are due by 11:59 p.m. PST on Monday, November 30, 2026.
Submission Types
Individual scientific abstracts (oral presentations, posters, and rapid-fire presentations)
Individual Scientific Abstracts will be considered for oral, poster, and rapid-fire presentations. Authors may indicate their preferred presentation format(s) during the submission process. Abstract submissions are limited to 300 words and should describe research, program or policy evaluation, or pilot initiatives. Submissions must be organized under the following headings: Statement of Purpose; Methods/Approach; Results; Conclusions; and Significance/Contribution. Individual Scientific Abstracts will be reviewed by Safe Kids Worldwide for acceptance and presentation format based on scientific merit, relevance, and overall quality.
Oral Presentations are approximately 12-minute spoken presentations delivered by an abstract author or co-author. This format provides an opportunity to highlight research findings, program outcomes, or innovative practices, followed by a brief discussion with attendees. Accepted submissions will be organized by Safe Kids into conference sessions featuring three to four presentations on related topics or approaches, fostering dialogue and the exchange of ideas among presenters and participants.
Poster Presentations showcase research, evaluation findings, and innovative initiatives through a visual display presented during one of two 75-minute poster sessions. These interactive sessions enable attendees to engage directly with authors and explore projects in greater depth. At least one author must be present during the assigned session to answer questions and discuss the work with attendees.
Rapid-Fire Presentations are concise, 6-minute presentations delivered by an abstract author or co-author using no more than four slides. Designed to showcase innovative research or programming in a fast-paced format, these sessions challenge presenters to communicate their work clearly, succinctly, and engagingly. This presentation format is intended to expand opportunities for students, trainees, and early-career professionals. Accepted abstracts will be organized by Safe Kids into conference sessions featuring six to seven presentations spanning a variety of topics, methods, and areas of practice. This dynamic format allows attendees to gain exposure to a broad range of ideas and innovations in a short period of time.
Scientific Symposia
Scientific Symposia are 75-minute, chair-organized sessions featuring three to five presentations on a common child injury prevention topic. By bringing together complementary research, programs, policies, or perspectives, symposia provide an opportunity to examine a topic in greater depth and stimulate focused discussion. Symposium proposals must include a session title and a 500-word integrative summary describing the session’s overarching theme and significance including identifying the presenters and topics covered.
Technical Workshops
Technical Workshops are interactive, skill-building sessions designed to strengthen participants’ knowledge and practical abilities in methods, tools, and approaches that advance child injury prevention. These sessions emphasize active learning and provide opportunities for attendees to apply new concepts, build competencies, and engage directly with workshop facilitators and peers. Safe Kids welcomes workshop proposals on all areas of child unintentional injury prevention, but submissions that align with the priority areas listed above are especially encouraged. Technical Workshops are offered as 75-minute concurrent sessions during the conference and should be designed to maximize participant engagement.
Workshop proposals must include: a workshop title; a detailed description of the workshop content (500-word maximum), including the relevance, importance, and timeliness of the topic; the intended audience; at least three learning objectives; and at least one interactive, hands-on activity that actively involves participants in the learning process.
Roundtable Discussions
Roundtable Discussions are highly interactive sessions designed to foster idea exchange, encourage collaboration, and generate meaningful feedback on emerging work, challenges, and opportunities in child injury prevention. This format is ideal for works in progress, innovative concepts, and topics that benefit from deeper peer-to-peer discussion. Unlike traditional presentation formats, roundtables emphasize conversation over formal presentation. Presenters will provide a brief overview of their topic and then engage attendees in a facilitated discussion aimed at exploring practical questions, sharing experiences, and identifying solutions. Accepted presenters will be asked to prepare: a 12-minute verbal overview of their topic (slides are not permitted), a brief written summary to share with participants at their table, and two to three discussion questions or key talking points to guide conversation. Following the overview, participants will engage in approximately 12 minutes of small-group discussion. An assigned moderator will manage time and facilitate participant rotation among tables to maximize networking, knowledge exchange, and exposure to multiple topics.
Instructions for Abstracts
– For oral and poster sessions, please include at least one measurable learning objective (what you want the attendees to learn or achieve from your presentation) using action words from the table below. Technical workshops should include 2-3 measurable learning objectives.
– If you are submitting more than one abstract, you will need to submit each one separately using the link above.
Selection and Notification
Applicants will be notified by email on Friday, January 8, 2027 if their abstract has been accepted.
All accepted presenters are required to sign a speaker agreement that includes registering for the conference by a registration deadline. More information about registration, accommodations and other conference details will be available soon.
Questions?
Contact Morag MacKay, Chief Research and Network Officer at Safe Kids Worldwide, at mmackay@safekids.org.
