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Research Forum 2027 Submissions

Thank you for your interest in presenting at the Down Syndrome Research Forum 2027.

The forum will be held online from 15 March 2027 to 17 March 2027. It is an annual international event where researchers, students, practitioners and families meet to discuss current research and practice, and learn from each other. Presentation times are staggered to support presenters and delegates across the world.

We welcome presentations of research, including work in progress, and presentations from practitioners who wish to share their experience of particular interventions or service models. Presenters present live over video call. Where live times are a challenge, we will consider a recorded presentation if the presenter can join live to answer questions. Sessions are recorded so that registered participants can watch them later.

Submissions close
8 January 2027 (23:59 UTC−10)
Registration opens
1 February 2027
Decisions sent by
7 February 2027
Programme published by
15 February 2027
Forum (online)
15 March 2027 to 17 March 2027

We welcome individual presentations and symposia. For further information, please refer to the forum information page.

Drafts and submitting

Everything you enter is saved as a draft. A draft is not a submission: the committee only reviews entries that have been submitted. When your entry is complete, open it and select Submit by 23:59 UTC−10 on 8 January 2027. Once it is submitted you can no longer edit it, so check the title, abstract and contributors first.

Individual presentations

Each individual presentation lasts about 20 minutes, including 5 minutes for questions. To submit one, we ask for:

  • Title (maximum 300 characters)
  • Abstract (maximum 3000 characters, about 450 words) – summaries of research presentations should include background, research question(s), method, results (if available) and conclusion
  • Names, affiliations, country of residence and email addresses for each author, starting with the lead author
  • Consent from each author to be listed as a co-author
  • Consent from each presenting author to be recorded

Symposia

A symposium has 3 or 4 individual presentations organised around a clear theme. The organiser and each presenter have a part in it:

  1. The organiser starts a new submission and chooses Symposium. Its abstract (maximum 3000 characters, about 450 words) gives the aims of the symposium and summarises what each presentation contributes. Add the organisers, presenters and discussant as contributors, with their email addresses and affiliations.
  2. The symposium is given a code. Share the code, or the link shown with it, with each presenter.
  3. Each presenter starts a new submission, chooses Symposium presentation and enters the code. They complete their presentation as they would an individual presentation, then submit it.
  4. When 3 or 4 presentations are complete and submitted, the organiser submits the symposium. A symposium cannot be submitted before its presentations.

Awards

The forum aims to encourage both researchers and practitioners in our field. The Research Forum Committee will evaluate the abstracts submitted and present three awards:

  • The DSRF Outstanding Student Research Award – for a current undergraduate or graduate student, or a recent graduate (graduated in the last year) presenting research collected while a student. The student must be the lead author and the presenter.
  • The DSRF Early Career Research Award – for a researcher in the first five years of their career after completing their PhD. They must be the lead author and the presenter.
  • The DSRF Impact Award for Best Applied Presentation – for a non-research, clinical or community presentation, for example by a community organisation, parent, self-advocate or practitioner.

To be considered, choose the award when you create or edit your presentation. For the Early Career Research Award, you will also be asked the year the lead author earned their PhD. Each presentation in a symposium can be considered on its own.

Award winners will receive a certificate, be acknowledged at the forum, be listed on the website as an award winner, and receive free or discounted registration.

DSE Client Id

To submit, you will need to sign in using a DSE Client Id in order to secure access to your submission, and to allow you to return to previously saved drafts. If you do not already have one, you can create one here.

New submission Sign in