RDF27 Call for Abstracts

Oral abstract deadline: Friday 16th October
Poster Abstract dealing: Friday 13th November

The R&D Forum Programme Content Group is inviting abstracts for posters, oral presentations and interactive workshops for the 2027 RDF conference. The conference will be held from 9th-11th May 2027 in Birmingham.

This call is aimed at health and care research professionals working across management, delivery and support functions to promote excellence, share knowledge, showcase good practice and demonstrate meaningful impact throughout the health and care research lifecycle.

This is not a call for academic research results. While presentations, workshops and posters may reference academic research study findings, clinical outcomes or scientific results, abstracts should focus on the innovative approaches to management, delivery and support that are making a positive difference to health and care research outcomes.

Format

Guidelines

Necessary information

Submission Form

Submissions are welcome across the following conference themes, as well as other emerging and topical areas in research management, delivery and support.

Step 1 – Choosing Your Submission Format

Before submitting your abstract, please consider which format best suits your proposed content:

Presentation

A speaker-led presentation delivered to delegates in a standard conference room setting, usually followed by time for questions and discussion. Any audience interaction should be straightforward and achievable within the standard room set-up, e.g. using Slido and roving microphones.

Interactive Workshop

A participative session where delegates are actively involved through activities such as group exercises, facilitated discussions, practical tasks or other interactive elements. Workshop submissions must clearly describe how delegates will participate and provide full details of the proposed room set-up, equipment, materials, printed resources or other requirements. Requirements not included within the original submission may not be possible to accommodate.

Poster Abstract

A visual way to share a practical initiative, improvement, experience, approach or example of good practice with delegates. Posters should focus on useful learning and ideas that others can take away or apply, rather than presenting academic research or research findings.

Step 2 – Read the Submission Guidelines

Please carefully read the following information before you submit an abstract. You must read the General Guidelines and the guidelines for whichever type of abstract you wish to submit.

General Abstract Guidelines

Language
Number of Presenters

You can have up to four presenters for the oral presentation/poster. The lead applicant should be listed first and should also be the main point of contact. Each presenter’s full name and professional address including employing organisation should also be submitted.
Number of Abstracts

You can submit more than one abstract either as lead, or part of another team. Should more than one oral abstract be accepted, we will ensure the presentations are scheduled to ensure there are no time conflicts.

Please do not submit the same abstract more than once.
Abstract Selection

All submitted abstracts will be reviewed and selected on criteria including content, relevance, inclusivity and shared best practice to the UK health and care research community.

Notification of acceptance or rejection of oral abstracts and poster abstracts will be sent in due course. It is the responsibility of the lead presenter to notify others who were involved in the submission.

If the lead presenter or author hasn’t heard from us, it simply means decisions are still being finalised. We kindly ask that you wait for our notification before getting in touch to ask about the status of your submission.

If you are unsuccessful for the oral abstract, there is still the opportunity to be considered for a poster abstract. Please indicate on the submission form if you would like to be considered for a poster. Note: there is no guarantee of being selected for a poster – this is only a chance to be considered for a poster.
Event Registration and run up to the Event

Successful applicants will be offered the early bird rate. The timelines for submission and notice of acceptance allow for applicants to take advantage of the early bird offer.

If your application is successful, all presenters commit to present, register to attend and engage fully with the conference organisers to ensure that, on the day, the session and conference will run as smoothly as possible for everyone involved.
Abstract Template
Length
Organisation Permission

Please obtain any necessary internal approvals before submitting your abstract. This includes ensuring that you are authorised to share any information, examples, case studies or other content included within your submission.

By submitting an abstract, you are confirming that the necessary organisational permissions have been obtained.

Poster Abstract Guidelines

Guide for topics

RDF27 posters are not academic research posters and should not be used to present academic research findings.

Posters should provide an engaging and accessible way to share practical experience, learning, initiatives, approaches, improvements, examples of good practice or ideas that will be valuable to the wider research community.

Posters should be designed to encourage conversation and the exchange of ideas with other conference attendees.
Poster Presenters and Conference Attendance

By submitting a Poster Abstract, you are confirming that at least one of the individuals listed on the submission will be available to attend RDF27 on Sunday afternoon to put the poster on display.

Poster presenters are expected to participate in the conference. When submitting, please ensure that at least one of the listed presenters is willing and able to register for and attend the conference if the abstract is accepted.

A maximum of two discounted conference places will be available per accepted poster. Any additional presenters wishing to attend will need to register at the applicable conference rate.
Organisation Listed on the Conference Website

Each accepted poster will be associated with a main organisation, which will be displayed alongside the poster information on the RDF27 website and other conference materials where applicable.

Please ensure that the correct main organisation is identified within your abstract submission. Where a poster involves contributors from multiple organisations, only the designated main organisation will be listed as the poster organisation.
Presenter Information

Please provide accurate details for all individuals associated with the poster as requested within the submission form.

The individuals listed should be those genuinely involved in the poster and its presentation at RDF27. At least one named individual must be available to attend on Sunday afternoon to put the poster on display.
Commitment to Attend RDF27

Please only submit a Poster Abstract if you are prepared to attend and participate in RDF27 should your submission be accepted.

Posters form part of the wider conference programme and are intended to support discussion, networking and shared learning throughout the event. Acceptance of a poster should therefore be viewed as an invitation to participate in the conference, rather than simply an opportunity to display a poster.

Before submitting, please consider the conference registration costs and ensure that at least one of the proposed presenters is willing and able to register and attend if the poster is accepted. Posters have to be displayed until lunchtime on Thursday 11th May at the earliest.
Poster Dimensions

Oral Abstract Guidelines

Audience Interaction

Audience interaction is welcomed and encouraged within standard conference presentations where it adds value to the session. This might include a small number of live polls, questions to the audience, Q&A or other simple engagement activities.

An audience interaction platform will be available, including live polling and questions. Speakers may receive the results from their polls following the conference; however, all delegate responses will be anonymous, and no individual participant data will be provided.

If you plan to include audience interaction, please provide clear details within your submission about what you would like delegates to do, how the interaction will work and approximately how much of your session it will involve.

A standard conference presentation should remain primarily speaker-led. If your proposed session relies heavily on audience participation, group discussion, exercises, activities, movement around the room or a particular room set-up, you should consider submitting it as an Interactive Workshop instead.
Participant Involvement

We welcome the involvement of participant representatives where this is relevant to the proposed session.
If your presentation will involve a participant representative, you must select “My presentation will involve a guest participant representative” when submitting your abstract. Participant representatives cannot be added to a session at a later stage if their involvement was not declared as part of the original abstract submission.
You do not need to have the participant representative’s full details confirmed when submitting your abstract. However, if you already know who will be involved, please provide their details in the “Speaker Details” section of the submission form so that they can be included in the conference programme. Their job title or organisation should include “participant representative” or “participant voice.”
If their details are not yet confirmed, these should be provided to the Conference Organisers as soon as possible following acceptance of the abstract.
We will also need to be informed of any accessibility or additional requirements for the participant representative, and whether they are under 18 years of age. Any relevant accessibility or additional requirements should also be included when their conference booking is completed.
Speaker Information
When you fill out the call for abstract form for an oral presentation, you must supply:

Prospective speaker headshots (not AI Generated/edited, at least 400×400 pixels)

Job titles

Organisations

Short bios (80-150 words)

This information will be used on the website speaker page (e.g. RDF26 Speaker Page), social media announcements, delegate guide, Programme, Event App, and promotional mailings.

Oral abstracts without speaker information will not be considered.
Consideration for Poster

When completing the RDF27 Abstract Submission Form for an Oral Abstract, you will have the option to indicate whether you would also like your abstract to be considered for a Poster Presentation if it is not accepted for an oral presentation.

Please note that selecting this option means your abstract will be considered separately for a Poster Presentation. It does not guarantee that an unsuccessful Oral Abstract will be accepted as a poster.

Additional Guidelines for Interactive Workshops

Workshop Audience Interaction

Interactive Workshops should be designed around active delegate participation. This might include facilitated group discussions, practical exercises, problem-solving activities, scenario-based tasks, group work or other activities where delegates actively contribute.

Your submission must clearly explain what delegates will be asked to do, how they will participate and approximately how much of the session will be interactive.

Please do not simply state that the session will be “interactive”. The Programme Committee needs enough information to understand how the workshop will work in practice and how delegates will be involved.

Just like for any presentation, if you intend to use the audience polling platform, please explain how it will form part of your workshop. Presenters may receive the results from their polls following the conference; however, all delegate responses will be anonymous, and no individual participant data will be provided.

If the interaction is limited to a small number of polls, audience questions, Q&A or a short discussion, your submission is likely to be better suited to an Oral Presentation.
Workshop Format and Group Activities

If delegates will be asked to work individually, in pairs or in groups, please explain this clearly within your submission, including how you envisage the activity working.

Please consider the practicalities of delivering your proposed activity to a conference audience. Workshops should not rely on a particular room layout, group size or number of attendees unless this has been clearly identified within your submission.

The Conference Organisers will aim to provide a room set-up that supports the accepted workshop format, but specific layouts, furniture arrangements or room capacities cannot be guaranteed.
Room Set-Up and Equipment

You must provide details of any specific room set-up, furniture, AV equipment or other resources required to deliver your workshop as part of your submission.

Please be as specific as possible. For example, if delegates need to move around the room, work around tables, use flipcharts or access particular equipment, this should be stated clearly.

Requirements that are not identified during the abstract submission process may not be possible to accommodate at a later stage.
Materials and Printing

If your workshop requires worksheets, handouts, activity sheets, cards, stationery or any other physical materials, please provide details within your submission.

If you would like the Conference Organisers to print or prepare materials for your workshop, you must tell us what will be required. Final materials will need to be supplied by the deadline communicated to accepted workshop facilitators.

Requests for printing or additional materials made close to the conference may not be possible to accommodate.
Changes After Acceptance

Workshops will be reviewed and selected based on the format and interaction described within the original submission. It is therefore important that you provide an accurate picture of how you intend to deliver the session.

Significant changes to the workshop format, including the addition of new activities, equipment, materials, room requirements or participant representatives, cannot be guaranteed after acceptance and may not be possible to accommodate.

Step 3 – Prepare the Information you’ll need for the Call for Abstracts Form

Before starting your submission, please make sure you have the information below ready. Preparing your responses in advance will make completing the form quicker and easier.

Please have the following information ready:

Submission format: whether you would like your abstract to be considered for an Oral Presentation, Interactive Workshop or Poster Presentation
Abstract title
Abstract: maximum 300 words, prepared in line with the abstract guidelines.
Three learning objectives for your proposed presentation or poster
Presenter details for each proposed presenter:
- First name
- Surname
- Organisation
- Job title
- Email address
Permission to submit: confirmation that you, and all presenters, have permission from your respective organisations to submit the abstract and, if accepted, present the proposed content at RDF27.

Oral Abstract Submission also requires... (see more)
Confirmation of whether the presentation will include a participant representative as a speaker.

Confirmation of whether the presentation will include audience interaction, including polls.

If audience interaction is proposed, details of how you will involve delegates during the presentation.

Confirmation of whether, if your abstract is not accepted for an oral presentation, you would like it to be considered for a poster display at RDF27.

The required speaker information, including headshots and short biographies for each speaker.
Interactive Workshop Submission also requires... (see more)
If you are submitting an Interactive Workshop, please also prepare full details of:

The activities you are proposing

How delegates will participate and interact during the workshop

How the proposed activities relate to the subject and learning objectives of the workshop

Your preferred room set-up

Any equipment required

Any materials required

Any printing required

Any other practical, technical or logistical requirements

The required speaker information, including headshots and short biographies for each speaker

Please provide as much detail as possible about your proposed workshop so that the requirements can be assessed in advance.

You may find it helpful to prepare your responses in a separate document before starting the form. In particular, we recommend preparing your abstract, learning objectives, speaker photos & biographies and any descriptions of audience interaction or workshop activities in advance.

Please note that the form is divided into sections, and some questions will only appear based on the submission format you select. You will therefore not see every question when you first begin the form.

Step 4 – Submit your RDF27 Abstract

Please ensure you have all the necessary information, permissions and have read the guidelines before you begin.

Oral abstract deadline: Friday 16th October

Poster Abstract deadline: Friday 13th November

Begin your abstract submission