American Society for Microbiology

Does the presenting author have to be a member of ASM?

ASM Membership is not required to submit or present an abstract. However, membership is required to apply for, and receive, an ASM award or travel grant.

May I submit more than 1 abstract?

Yes, you may submit up to 3 abstracts. However, if you are listed as the presenting author on more than 1 accepted abstract, which is scheduled at the same presentation time, a co-author(s) will be required to make 1, or more, of your presentations.

What is an early abstract versus a regular abstract? 

An early abstract is a mechanism for abstract submitters who need an early decision for a VISA to submit and be reviewed, with a decision, no later than Dec. 20, 2022. To utilize this option, chose early abstract when submitting. Early abstract submission closes Dec. 1, 2022. 
Regular abstracts may be submitted by Jan. 25, 2023, 12 p.m. ET. They will be reviewed in the regular window with dispositions being sent by March 1, 2023.   

If I have more than one abstract that is accepted for presentation, how can I guarantee they will not be scheduled at the same time?

For a meeting of this size, it is not possible to consider special scheduling requests. If 2 or more abstracts are scheduled at the same time, you are invited to have a co-author present 1 of the abstracts.

Should the presenting author be the submitter of the abstract?

Whenever possible, yes. Contact information is collected for the submitter and the presenting author. ASM prefers to correspond with the presenting author of the accepted abstract. This policy ensures that the presenter knows when, and where, to present the abstract.

Note: If you and a colleague are both submitting an abstract, there is no guarantee that both will be placed into the same session(s), if accepted. Due to the size of the meeting and the number of presentations, we will not accept special scheduling requests for abstract presentations.

The abstract I submitted has 3 authors from 2 different affiliations, but my on-line view of the author block of my abstract shows 3 different affiliations. Did I do something wrong?

Yes. If you and your co-authors come from more than 1 affiliation, be sure to type common affiliations in exactly the same manner. Review the author block when displayed to see if the correct numbers of affiliations are displayed.

If I am submitting through ASM’s website, how should I organize the research in my abstract?

Your abstract may be written without the use of the following bolded headers (such as, Background, Materials, Results, Conclusion). However, follow the abstract guidelines to ensure all required information about your study is provided in your abstract.   

If I am submitting through ASM’s website, how can I save a copy of my abstract submission?

We recommend that you prepare and save a copy of your abstract in your personal electronic files before going to ASM’s web page. After your submission is complete, you will receive a confirmation email. 

What is the Embargo Policy?

All ASM Microbe abstracts will be embargoed until May 15, 2023 (emerging science abstracts until June 15, 2023). Some abstracts will be embargoed to coincide with the times they are presented at the meeting. Embargo times and dates will be clearly marked on all press releases.

Additionally, press releases and other promotional activity by third parties must coincide with the date and time of the presentation.

When asking for outside comments on press releases or news stories before the embargo has lifted, journalists are requested to ensure that the embargo is respected. ASM reserves the right to ban any journalist from the meeting who breaks the embargo or breaches the media policy in any other way.

If your research has already been published, please contact the ASM communications office to discuss how to handle promoting your abstract at communications@asmusa.org.

Is there a limit on how long my abstract can be?

Yes. Your abstract may have a maximum limit of 2,200 characters which includes tables/graphics (spaces not counted). Title, authors, groups and institutions do not count toward the character count maximum.

A Times New Roman Font is recommended. Avoid use of fonts specific to the software application you use. This is particularly true for symbols as some character sets do not translate well resulting in lost information.

Note: An additional entry line has been added to the electronic submission to accommodate credits, footnotes, etc.; a character limit of 300 is applied to this field but does not count towards the character count of the abstract body.

How do I apply for a travel award? 

You apply for a travel award via the abstract submission site. In order to be considered for a travel award, in addition to each award’s specific eligibility qualifications, you must have a complete, accepted abstract. However, this does not guarantee you a travel award. 

There is a separate review process and travel award dispositions will be sent in late-Feb. 2023. Additionally, if selected, you are only eligible to receive one travel award per abstract submitter.   

How do I know that my abstract submission was received?

The Abstract Submission system will provide a control number as soon as you complete the affirmations and provide a title for your abstract. As you complete individual steps in the process, the system will display the results. At the end of the process, a final summary page will be immediately displayed with all information successfully received. You may edit your abstract until the submission deadline of Jan. 25, 2023, 12 p.m. ET. Thereafter, no further changes can be made.

The summary page states that my abstract is complete. Does this mean that my abstract has been accepted?

No. If your abstract is complete, it means you have completed all the steps required to be reviewed. Abstracts are assigned to the reviewers in January. Disposition letters will be e-mailed to submitters by late March 1, 2023.

If my abstract is rejected, can I address the reviewer’s concerns and ask for a new review?

Programming decisions are final.

What is the deadline for withdrawal without penalty?

To withdraw your abstract without incurring a penalty, you must do so by March 15, 2023. You can withdraw your abstract by sending an e-mail or letter to asmmicrobemtgprogram@asmusa.org.

If my abstract has been previously published in any journal or presented at a meeting/conference, will my abstract still be accepted for ASM Microbe 2023?

You may submit an abstract that has been previously published or presented at another national or international meeting but the abstract must first go through a review process and be accepted. It is preferred that ASM Microbe 2023 be the first major presentation of the abstract.

What are some examples of abstracts that may be rejected?

• Abstracts that are general descriptions of a new product.
•  Abstracts that read like advertisements.
• Abstracts that are a general description of managerial innovation.
• Case reports (unless truly remarkable).

What is the plagiarism policy?