Poster Guidance & FAQs
What size should my poster be?
Is there a template that I should use? Any content guidelines?
There is no poster template for USASP annual meetings. We encourage creativity and clarity in your poster design. Some examples that move away from traditional poster designs are the Better Poster and Even Better Poster designs. Although there are no guidelines for content, we encourage using plain language, minimizing jargon, and using clear graphics to explain your work to a broad audience. For example, consider including a big picture impact/summary statement to highlight the key takeaway from your work.
If you have worked with people with lived experience of pain or other community leaders through your research in a partnership or advisory role (e.g., community advisory board, project consultant, project co-investigator), please acknowledge those partners/advisors on your poster.
When is my poster session? When should I set up and take down my poster?
Please see this document to find out when your poster is scheduled. Because we need to assign posters for judging, we will not accept any requests to move poster sessions/times after March 10, 2026. For morning poster sessions, please put up your poster prior to the morning plenary session and take down your poster during lunch. For afternoon poster sessions, please put up your poster during lunch and take down after your poster session has ended. Any posters that remain in the Millennium Hall on Thursday, March 26, will be thrown out, so we recommend taking down your poster by Wednesday evening!
Will my poster be considered for an award? Do I need to prepare anything for judging?
During your poster abstract submission in December 2025, there was an option to select whether you would like for your poster to be considered for an award. The categories are basic/preclinical science, clinical/translational science, and engagement of people with lived experience (new category as of late December 2025). See the "Poster Judging" tab of this document to check whether your poster will be considered for an award. To prepare for judging, we recommend having a 3-5-minute "elevator pitch" of your poster ready to share with the judges. Some tips are to use plain language, define any jargon, focus on big picture takeaways and impact, and highlight any unique elements of your work that make it stand out!
Have travel award decisions gone out?
Travel award decisions went out through email on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. Please check your email or spam folder to see the status of your award.
Poster Abstract Submission Instructions
Presentation Formats: Poster abstracts will be presented in person
Topics: Submissions related to pain research (basic science, translational, and clinical) and pain management are encouraged.
Download poster abstract instructions.
Poster Abstract Submission Guidelines
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Length of abstract: 250 words max
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Abstracts must be submitted using the designated link (see below)
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Each abstract submitted must have a unique corresponding/presenting author
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The first author will be the main contact for the submission.
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Abstracts will be published in the Journal of Pain.
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Members and non-members are eligible to submit abstracts.
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Abstracts of unpublished work will be accepted if the abstract is not currently in Press (i.e., at the time of abstract submission)
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Trainees, students and postdoctoral fellows, are eligible to have their abstract reviewed for poster awards. Please indicate on the submission form if you would like to be considered.
Formatting: (See below for example)
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Only the first author's affiliations should be included at the end of the author list due to space limitations for publication in the Journal of Pain.
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Double check the spelling of all author names and make sure all authors’ are included.
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Present complete name of first author’s affiliation. National Institutes of Health vs. NIH
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The abstract should be written all in one fluid paragraph without subheadings or indentations.
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No figures or tables are permitted.
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Capitalize each word in the title, abbreviations are not permitted.
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If possible, please avoid using special characters in the text. (eg. mean age§SD=39.43§12.58)
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Do not include numbered references/bibliography. Authors who wish to cite specific research may do so parenthetically such as, (Palermo, 2019).
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Funded sources may be included at the end of the abstract. (eg. Funding: RO1AGO4891)
Note: You'll need to insert the text of the abstract in the submission portal as well as upload a Word document of your abstract.
Please organize the body of the abstract as follows:
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A statement of the purpose of the study.
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An outline of the methods used.
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A summary of the results presented in sufficient detail to support the conclusions.
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A statement of the conclusions reached. It is not satisfactory to state that “the results will be discussed.”
Note: Abstracts submitted that do not follow these formatting guidelines will be rejected and sent back to the main contact.
Travel Awards: Applications are part of your abstract submission. See the Fourwaves submission platform for more information.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with us at admin@usasp.org
