Late-Breaking Science Submission Guidelines

Important Information

The 2026 Annual Meeting Program Committee (AMPC) recognizes that the results of some exciting research may not have been available in time to meet the general abstract submission deadline. To further enrich the Annual Meeting scientific program, the committee has opened a call for late-breaking abstract submissions seeking ALL research that is novel, innovative, contemporary, and of high scientific significance for presentation at the AAO-HNSF 2026 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, October 17 – 20, in Los Angeles, California. Late-breaking Scientific Oral Presentations will be five-minutes in length. Submissions should be either clinical or basic/translational. They are limited to a maximum of six authors, including the presenting and senior authors identified at the time of submission.

Late-Breaking Scientific Oral Presentations are short, 6-minute, podium presentations focusing on current evidence-based research, surgical procedures, and approaches in clinical sciences and their application to patient care. Based on merit, Scientific Oral submissions are selected and recognized as “Best of” within each specialty area.

  • Submission Review Process: After the submission deadline, all completed abstracts and proposals will be peer reviewed by the AMPC. Incomplete abstracts or proposals will not be reviewed. To ensure the integrity of the review process, revisions to abstracts and proposals will not be accepted after the submission deadline—no exceptions. Make sure you have clicked the final “submit” button after all aspects of the submission are complete.
  • Submission Status Notifications: The AAO–HNSF will notify all submitters in July 2026 of the status of their submissions upon the final review and decision of the AMPC and Program Chair. Refrain from directly contacting the AAO–HNSF staff to obtain information regarding the decision status, notification distribution, or publication dates. Check the Annual Meeting website regularly for the most up-to-date information.
  • Key Dates:
    • May 19, 2026: Late-Breaking Abstracts Submission Site Opens
    • June 9, 2026: Late-Breaking Abstracts Submission Site Closes
    • June 2026: Submissions Reviewed by the AMPC
    • Late-June 2026: Submission Status Notifications Sent
    • July 17 to October 26, 2026: Deadlines for Submissions of Required Manuscripts for Scientific Oral Presentations as well as those Scientific Poster Presentations seeking publication.*

Eligibility Requirements

Members and nonmembers of the AAO-HNS are eligible to submit.

If a proposal is accepted, all speakers are required to complete the following tasks:

  • Agree to present at the AAO-HNSF 2026 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO. Submission of a proposal constitutes a commitment by the speaker(s) to present if selected. Failure to present may result in exclusion from the program for up to two years.
  • Complete a “Financial and Intellectual Relationship Disclosure.” Failure or refusal to complete the form or disclose any potential conflicts of interest will result in cancellation of the session.
  • Acknowledge and agree to Scheduling Agreement: By submitting a proposal, all submitters and proposed speakers acknowledge and agree that sessions may be scheduled at any time during the Annual Meeting, from Saturday through Tuesday. Presenters must be available to present on any of these days. Date change requests will only be considered in cases of extenuating circumstances.
  • Submit a full-length manuscript by the given deadline to one of the AAO-HNSF journals if presenting a Scientific Oral Presentation or planning to publish a manuscript related to a Scientific Poster Presentation. Failure to submit a required manuscript will result in exclusion from the program for two years and exclusion of content from the meeting archive on OTO Logic.
  • Complete all tasks listed within the Speaker Management Portal. Failure to complete these required tasks may result in cancellation of the session.
  • Provide permission to record your presentation for the meeting archive on OTO Logic, the AAO-HNSF online education platform.
  • Agree to only present in a maximum of five sessions during the 2026 Annual Meeting.
  • Register for the 2026 Annual Meeting and pay all applicable fees.
  • Confirm email for all speaker communication: Presenters are identified in the Speaker Management Portal by email address. For those presenters who are listed on multiple submissions, ensure that the same email address is used on all.
  • Submitters, verify the following:
    • Double-check accuracy and spelling of all email addresses.
    • Check email settings to ensure that [email protected]does not filter to a spam/junk folder.
    • Ensure that the email address selected is not subject to an institutional firewall that will reject communications from AAO-HNSF.
    • If you are submitting a mandatory manuscript related to a Scientific Oral Presentation or an optional manuscript related to a Poster Presentation, ensure that the related manuscript has not been previously published or submitted elsewhere for possible publication.
    • Use an email address that will be active from the opening of the Call for Science through the dates of the Annual Meeting (October 17-20, 2026), particularly for those graduating or in a job transition.
  • Professional Conduct Agreement: All submitters and proposed speakers agree to uphold professional standards of conduct throughout the review and selection process. Decisions of the AMPC are final. Harassment, intimidation, or inappropriate communication with AMPC members regarding submission outcomes will not be tolerated.
  • The Annual Meeting Program Committee (AMPC) reserves the right to change any component of an accepted proposal. Submissions must be completed online by the deadline. Changes to proposals may not be made once the deadline passes.
  • All abstracts must be submitted in English.
  • A limited number of late-breaking abstracts will be accepted for Scientific Oral Presentation.
  • The research must be novel, innovative, contemporary, and of high scientific significance to deserve special consideration after the original abstract deadline.
  • Abstracts should describe either large clinical investigations or high-impact translational research that could not be completed prior to the original deadline.
  • Late-breaking abstracts must not be a revision of an abstract submitted prior to the original submission deadline unless previously withdrawn for consideration or given specific permission.
  • Late-breaking abstracts must not have been presented or accepted for presentation at any other scientific meeting or published in any other journal at the time of submission and are subject to the same Annual Meeting presentation and publication embargo rules outlined in the original 2026 Call for Science.

Copyright and Embargo Policy

  • Copyright: The AAO-HNSF holds copyright on all material presented at the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO. The AAO-HNSF will not consider material that has already been published or submitted for publication.
  • Confidentiality and Embargo Policy: Submitted abstracts are considered CONFIDENTIAL and EMBARGOED from the time of submission. For a study to be eligible for presentation, information contained in the abstract, as well as additional data and information to be presented about the study, may not be made public before the findings have been presented/published in compliance with the embargo policy. The one exception to these policies applies to abstract information that has been previously made public through presentation at another meeting. In these cases, the confidentiality and embargo policies apply only to any updated information. Prior to the embargo being lifted, the Senior Author and coauthors of the research may not:
    • Publish the information or provide it to others who may publish it
    • Release the findings to news media
    • Use the information for trading in the securities of any issuer or provide it to others who may use it for securities trading purposes

Disclosure Information

The AAO-HNSF is committed to creating high-quality education that is independent of industry influence. All persons who have been in control of this education content for this accredited CE activity have been asked to disclose all financial relationships with any ineligible companies they have had over the past 24 months.

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) defines ineligible companies as those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. There is no minimum threshold in all financial relationships, regardless of amount, with ineligible companies.

In accordance with ACCME policy, AAO-HNSF requires that any potential conflicts of interest disclosed below be reviewed and resolved prior to the beginning of the activity. AAO-HNSF shall convey this information disclosed by the faculty member to the CME program audience by: (1) including a description in the program; (2) displaying the information on a slide shown in the meeting room at the time of presentation; and (3) the statement being read aloud by the moderator preceding the faculty member’s presentation.

AAO-HNSF also requires presenters to disclose to participants any uses of drugs or devices mentioned in their presentations that are off-label or investigational. Any faculty member/participant who refuses to disclose relevant financial relationships, or who violates the policy related to unapproved or off-label usage, shall be disqualified from participation in this CME activity and may be precluded from consideration of future presentations at AAO-HNSF CME events/programs.

  • Disclosure Declaration: In the past 24 months, have you (or an immediate family member) had a financial relationship with any ineligible company? The ACCME defines ineligible companies as those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. There is no minimum threshold in all financial relationships, regardless of amount, with ineligible companies. If so, click the “Add a financial relationship” link below.
    • I have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
    • I have financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
  • Financial Relationships: Fill in the details of the financial relationship below.
    • Company Name: Please limit to one company (you will be able to add more companies on the next screen)
    • Individual(s) Involved: Select who has the financial relationship.
      • Self
      • Spouse/Partner
      • Both Myself and my Spouse/Partner
  • Type of Financial Relationship: Check all that apply
    • Advisory Committee/Board Member
    • Advisory Board
    • Consultant
    • Committee/Planning Member
    • Contracted Research (Principal Investigators must provide information, even if received by the institution)
    • Dividends
    • Employee
    • Grant/Research Support
    • Ownership Interest
    • Honorarium
    • Stock options or bond holdings in a for-profit corporation or self-directed pension plan
    • Stock Shareholder (excluding mutual funds)
    • Other Financial or Material Support: Please write in a value for Other Financial or Material Support (Maximum 150 characters)
  • Status of Financial Relationship
    • Ongoing
    • Terminated
  • Date Financial Relationship Ended: Enter Date
  • Presentation Bias: If you reported relationship(s) above with a commercial organization that produces healthcare products or services, does the education content (over which you have control) involve the products or services of the commercial organization?
  • Attestation: I certify that the information I have provided is complete to the best of my knowledge and I accept responsibility for the accuracy of the information in response to the aforementioned questions.

*By signing with my electronic signature, I attest that all information above is true and correct.
**Financial Relationship are those relationships in which the individual benefits by receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, ownership interest (e.g., stocks, stock options or other ownership interest, excluding diversified mutual funds), or other financial benefit. Financial benefits are usually associated with roles such as employment, management position, independent contractor (including contracted research), consulting, speaking and teaching, membership on advisory committees or review panels, board membership, and other activities for which remuneration is received or expected. ACCME considers relationships of the person involved in the CME activity to include financial relationships of a spouse or partner. The ACCME has not set a minimum dollar amount for relationships to be significant. Inherent in any amount is the incentive to maintain or increase the value of the relationship.

Journal Publication Requirements

The AAO-HNSF holds copyright on all material presented at the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO. The AAO-HNSF and its journals will not consider scientific material that has already been published or submitted for publication.

  • Late- Breaking Scientific Oral Presentations: All accepted Late- Breaking Scientific Oral Presentations must be submitted as a full-length manuscript to one of the AAO-HNSF journals, Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery or OTO Open. While under review, these manuscripts are prohibited from being submitted and published elsewhere.

Manuscript submissions must comply with all journal author instructions. Failure to follow the journal submission requirements and submit a required manuscript by the given deadline will result in exclusion of the Senior Author from the Annual Meeting education program for two years and exclusion of content from the meeting archive on OTO Logic. See the “Manuscript Submission Best Practices” guide for examples of acceptable and unacceptable journal submission practices. Contact the AAO-HNSF journals’ Editorial Office via [email protected] with any questions about manuscript submissions.

2026 Manuscript Submission Deadlines

The manuscript submission deadlines are determined by the last name of the Senior Author.

  • Last names beginning A–F: Friday, August 21
  • Last names beginning G–L: Friday, September 18
  • Last names beginning M–S: Friday, October 26
  • Last names beginning T–Z: Friday, July 17
  • Submission Waiver Requests: Submission waiver requests must be made by the Senior Author. All waiver requests are reviewed by the journals’ Editor in Chief. Submitting a request for a waiver does not guarantee that the waiver will be granted. A form for submitting waiver requests will be provided to the authors of accepted abstracts. Waiver requests received after August 7, 2026, will not be considered.
  • Submission Deadline Extension Requests: Submission deadline extension requests must be made by the Senior Author. Requests made by other authors will not be considered. Any extension request exceeding one month will require approval from the journals’ Editor in Chief. A form for submitting deadline extension requests will be provided to the authors of accepted abstracts. Extension requests received after July 1, 2026, will not be considered.

Manuscripts first rejected by Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery or OTO Open may be submitted to another journal but should reference the original presentation at the Annual Meeting. Published papers related to Scientific Oral or Poster Presentations may only be presented elsewhere after the Annual Meeting and provided that the original presentation and published paper are cited.

Abstract Publication Information: The abstracts of all accepted and presented Scientific Oral Presentations, including Late-Breaking, and Poster Presentations will be published in a supplement to Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery in an issue after the 2026 Annual Meeting as a record of the meeting program. Failure to present at the Annual Meeting or withdrawal of an accepted submission prior to the meeting will result in the presentation’s removal from the supplement issue.

Submission Instructions

The following section outlines the tasks and questions you may need to complete during the submission process. Please ensure that all required information is accurate and complete before finalizing your submission.

While all questions in the submission site are required, the specific tasks and questions applicable to your proposal may vary depending on the selected education format.

  • Log in to the submission site using your AAO-HNS member ID and password (If you are not a member, create a non-member account here)
  • Read and provide consent for the Privacy Notice
  • Select “Click Here” to begin a new proposal”
  • Speaker(s): 
    • You may have up to a total of seven (7) authors including the first author and the senior author. You must designate one presenting author and one senior author for this submission, although one author may serve both roles.
    • Enter Speakers – Create the list of speakers for this submission. It is important that you have each speaker’s full professional name as they would want it to be published, including middle initials and credentials, when adding speakers.
      • To add a speaker:
        • Type the speaker’s first name, middle initial, last name, email address and select a role
        • Important notes about email addresses:
        • Verify that you are using the most current email address for all speakers.
        • Ask speakers to use the same email address for all submissions as their identity in the Speaker Management Portal is linked to their email address. This prevents creating duplicate accounts.
        • Consider using an email address that is not restricted by institutional firewalls.
        • For transitioning physicians (graduation, employment change), use a permanent email address that will still be active after the transition.
    • Click ”Add Speaker” – To complete a presenter’s profile:
      • Click on the “Edit Speaker” button to complete the profile.
      • A green check mark indicates a complete profile.
      • Once the profile is complete, click “Save Speakers” to complete the task.
  • What is your primary practice setting?
    • Academic Practice
    • Government (VA, NIH, Military)
    • Hospital or Health System (Employed)
    • Off Campus Hospital Department
    • Private Practice
    • Staff Model HMO
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accommodation: AAO-HNSF is committed to making the Annual Meeting accessible to attendees and presenters with disabilities. If you identify as a person with a disability and wish to disclose your specific accommodations requests, please indicate below.
    • Do you require an accommodation or service to fully participate? If yes, please provide details on accommodations needed.
    • Enter N/A if not applicable.
  • Are you an AAO-HNSF member?
  • If yes, what is your membership number?
  • Are you a part of a community underrepresented in medicine (URM)? According to the American Medical Association and Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), URM means “those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population.”(Yes/No)
  • Do you identify as a women speaker on this submission? (Yes/No)
  • Are you a member of the AAO-HNS Otolaryngology Private Practice Section (OPPS) on this submission?
  • Abstract:
    • Proposal Title: Your proposal title has a 15-word limit. Be sure your title is listed as you would like it to be published (if selected) on the website and other promotional and marketing pieces, including correct grammar, capitalization, and punctuation. While a catchy session title can attract the attention of meeting attendees, the proposal itself should be clear and complete to be favorably viewed by the AMPC.
    • Track: Select one (1) of the following track areas that best describes your presentation:
    • Promoted Gap: Select one (1) of the following promoted gap areas that best describes your presentation:
    • Study Type: Enter one (1) description that best matches the type of research performed.
      • Basic/Lab Science
      • Clinical/Translational Science
      • Database Study
      • Small Case Series/Case Report
      • Systematic Review/Meta-analysis
      • Other
  • What was the hypothesis for this study?
  • If this is a Database Study, please provide the following:
    • Database Name? (Text answer)
    • Data Sources? (single institution, multiple institutions)
    • Government Database? (Yes/No)
    • Who owns and maintains this database? (Text answer)
    • What is the web address for information about this database? (Text answer)
    • Which institution is the senior author affiliated? (Text answer)
      • Note, database answers should not include personal information. If the submitting author is involved in the study, please list “First author on study” or “Senior Author at institution.” Enter N/A is not applicable.
    • You are allowed a total of 1,800 characters for the four sections combined. Total abstract Word and Character count is displayed at the bottom of the webpage.
  • Why is this study being submitted as Late-Breaking? Please explain to the AMPC why this study should specifically be considered late-breaking in terms or timing and impact.
  • Introduction: one (1) to two (2) sentences that explain the topic, purpose, and research question(s).
  • Methods: Summarize the information listed below in paragraph form, not a bulleted list.
    • Study Design
    • Year(s)/Month(s) Study Conducted
    • Disease/Condition Studied
    • Subjects Studied
    • Setting in Which Subjects Studied
    • Intervention(s)
    • Outcome Measurement(s)
    • Independent Variables
    • Preliminary Analyses (Analysis of Ongoing Study)
  • Results: State the main outcome(s) of the study, including confidence levels or p values, if applicable.
  • Conclusions: Include a precise statement of conclusion(s) directly supported by the results, giving equal emphasis to positive and negative scientific findings.
  • Proposal Information:
    • Will this submission specifically and predominantly address issues of cultural competency or diversity, equity, and inclusion in healthcare or health professions? If yes, please briefly describe how.
    • Are there other ways in which your submission specifically supports the AAO-HNSF goal of producing an Annual Meeting that is reflective of our full Academy membership and the communities we serve? If yes, please explain.
    • If not accepted as a Late-Breaking Scientific Oral Presentations, would you like to be reviewed and considered for Scientific Poster Presentation?
    • Are there presenters on this submission from underrepresented in medicine (URiM) communities? According to the AMA and AAMC, URiM means “those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population.
    • Are there any women presenters on this submission?
    • Is there an Otolaryngology Private Practice Section (OPPS) member included on this submission?
  • Submission Comments: Please use this section to enter additional information about your submission that you deem important for the AMPC to consider during the review process.
  • Review and Sign the Eligibility Requirements
  • Review and Sign the Copyright and Content Embargo Policy
  • Review and Sign the Publication Requirements
  • Disclosure Information
  • Select “Preview & Submit”
  • Review and click “Submit” – Abstracts will not be complete and considered for presentation unless formally submitted. Incomplete information including presenter disclosures may prevent the “Submit” function.
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