2026 Abstract Submission Instructions and Eligibility

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS FOR G-CAN EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATOR PRESENTATIONS
G-CAN 12th ANNUAL RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM: NOVEMBER 4-5, 2026

VIRTUAL AND LIVE PRESENTATIONS: In-Person for those able to travel: Caribe Royale, Orlando, Florida USA OR Virtually, streaming live online if not attending in person.

 Abstracts submission deadline is no later than Friday, July 31, 2026, at 22:00 USA Pacific Daylight Time.

Dear Investigators:

  • Abstracts are now invited for submission to the Gout, Hyperuricemia and Crystal-Associated DiseaseNetwork (G-CAN) 2026 Early Career Investigator Symposium at the G-CAN 12th Annual Meeting November 4-5, 2026 in Orlando, Florida, USA. This is an in-person meeting using a hybrid model that allows those who do not wish to travel the option to present virtually.
  • For established investigators, please convey this information to your promising research trainees and others, such as junior faculty, who qualify as Early Career Investigators. This program focuses on work driven by MD and PhD students and fellows, including clinical and bench research trainees, bench and clinical research graduate students, and emerging junior faculty investigators. *
    *Please see eligibility criteria on page 2.
  • Those selected to give an Early Career Investigator Short Talk will present at the November 4 or 5 plenary sessions. These oral PowerPoint presentations will be a maximum of 3 minutes either in person or streamed live via the internet with 2 minutes for questions submitted live or via a chat function.
  • The second to seventh top ranked abstract authors will be invited to give Early Career Investigator 10-minute talks at the November 4 or 5 plenary sessions. These oral PowerPoint presentations will be a maximum of 10 minutes either in person or streamed live via the internet, with 2 minutes for questions submitted via a chat function.
  • The top-ranked Early Career Investigator abstract will be awarded the “2026 H. Ralph Schumacher Memorial G-CAN Young Investigator Lecture” The awardee will give a 10-minute talk with 2 minutes for questions during the November 4 or 5 plenary sessions.
  • All accepted abstracts will be published in our societal journal, Gout, Urate and Crystal Deposition Disease in the January 2027 issue. Submission of an abstract thereby grants permission for 2026 oral presentation and 2027 publication of the abstract, including unpublished data. All unpublished data in the abstracts will remain in strict confidence until the work is presented orally at the meeting November 4-5, 2026, and the abstract is later published in the 2027 issue of Gout, Urate and Crystal Deposition Disease. A press embargo will be in place to ensure there is no premature release of confidential data in abstracts. Please see the 2026 agenda for details of the 2026 annual meeting.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR “EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATORS” AND ABSTRACT GRADING CONSIDERATIONS

 Age <40 years old on November 6, 2026.

  1. Medical, DO, graduate students, and postdoctoral trainees are eligible. Undergraduate students are not eligible.
  2. The abstract submitter has a primary academic nonprofit institutional appointment as trainee or faculty member.
  3. Career advancement to no further than Assistant Professor at time of abstract submission (i.e., Associate Professors are not eligible)
  4. Does not have past or present independent non-pharma research grant as principal investigator equivalent 6. Appointees on NIH R01 grants (or training grant equivalent such as K award, or ACR RRF award) are eligible as an Early Career Investigator).
  5. Abstracts by those with three past yearly abstract submissions to G-CAN as an Early Career Investigator may or may not be selected for presentation (will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis).

A panel comprised of the G-CAN Board members will rank the abstracts. Abstracts are graded on criteria including originality and quality of the research. For those with a terminal postgraduate degree such as MD or PhD, including those in training, abstract grading assigns higher weighting to those with up to 7 years following completion of terminal degree and postdoc or fellowship training. Career development plans and the potential for development into an independent and successful investigator in the gout, hyperuricemia, crystal arthropathy field are factored into grading of the abstract.

Abstract Submission Rules and Guidelines, and “How to Submit an Abstract”

  • “Early Career Investigators” must submit a maximum 2750-character abstract (spaces between words are not included in the count) describing their work. If it exceeds 2750 characters, it will be sent back for revision.
  • Attaching up to a maximum of 3 figures or tables is permitted, and these attachments should have terse legends of up to 3 lines. Figures do not count towards the character count.
  • Abstract submitters must agree to create a PowerPoint presentation to be submitted to G-CAN by October 12, 2026. This is a firm deadline.
  • The abstract should describe a research project in Gout, Hyperuricemia, or Crystal Arthropathy primarily driven by the Early Career Investigator. The research should be of potential interest to rheumatologists and/or nephrologists, or others working in the fields of Gout, Hyperuricemia, or Crystal Arthropathy.
  • The abstract research project cannot have been previously published.
  • An individual applicant may submit up to a maximum of 2 abstracts as the first author. (Abstracts submitted as other than first or senior author are not counted in the maximum total of two abstract submissions).
  • The abstract does not have to be substantially different from the 2026 abstract submissions to other meetings, but the impact and originality of the abstract will be judged accordingly if the same abstract has been submitted to another international symposium in 2026.
  • There is no abstract submission fee or meeting registration fee for accepted presenters. All abstract submitters will be asked to register for this meeting.
  • Abstracts will be ranked no later than the end of the first week of August 2026. Announcements will be made shortly thereafter.
  • If a score of “not at priority score for presentation” is assigned, the author will still be invited to attend the G-CAN Annual Meeting, but there will not be an invitation to present research at the meeting.


How to Submit an Abstract

Please submit abstract(s) to our Executive Director, Rebecca Hill via this email snyders.rebecca@outlook.com as follows: The subject header of the email should begin with: G-CAN 2026 “Early Career Investigators” SUBMISSION: (Your last name).

Submit the following:

  1. A separate cover page with complete contact information: Name of trainee, title/degree e.g. MD/PhD, name of university and department, trainee street address (either at work or home), phone number and email address(es).
  2. Your abstract (in WORD only, a maximum of 2750 characters, and up to 3 attached Tables or Figures)
  3. Your CV (in Word or PDF)
  4. Letter of recommendation (maximum of 1 page) from your research or departmental supervisor/mentor (as a PDF file).
  5. A completed ICMJE Disclosure Form (see below)
  6. The abstract should include a title, date submitted, name of trainee, “Early Career Investigator” as first author, other authors, name of university and department, trainee mailing address, phone number and email address.
  7. See an example below of how the first page of the abstract should look. If any of this information is omitted, the abstract will be returned for revision. Name the document this way: (Your last name_ your first name_first few words of title_2026) like this: Smith_Jane_Patient-centered studies_2026. Send it with a cover page that includes complete contact information: Name of trainee, title/degree e.g. MD, PhD, name of university and department, trainee street address (either at work or home), phone number and email address(es). Both the cover page and the abstract should include complete contact information in the order described. Two email addresses are preferred to ensure we can contact you.
  • Sample Front Page. Please follow this format for your submission:
    • Jane Smith, MD
    • Gout and Parkinson’s Disease: a longitudinal study June 5, 2026
    • Jane Smith, MD; Peter R. Rock, MD; Bill Valdez, MPH, University of Yukon
    • 400 East River Road, MS 4-300
    • White River, Yukon, B2W 105 Canada
    • Phone: 999 – 466 – XXXX
    • Email: Smith@yukon.edu
    • Secondary email: ImaJS@gmail.com
  • Please save your document titled THIS WAY:
    • Smith_Jane_PsA_and_gout _2026 (Last Name_First Name_First few words of your title_2026)
    • ***Please use Microsoft WORD. Do not use a PDF***
  • Indicate in the email subject line that this is an Early Career Investigator G-CAN abstract submission.

For more information, contact G-CAN Executive Director, Rebecca Hill:  RebeccaH@g-can.org.

ICMJE-2026-Disclosure-Form_Blank