Frequently Asked
Questions
Oral Presentations
Have the abstract notifications been released?
Yes.
Letters were released on June 1. Abstract notification letters (accepted, not accepted) are sent to the abstract submitter and the presentation author. If you have not received your 2026 abstract notification, check your junk box first and then contact Program Support at https://mhsrs.health.mil/MHSRS_Submissions/contactus with any questions.
I was selected for an oral presentation at a breakout session. How do I find out the date and time of my session?
Refer to your notification letter for the name of the breakout session under which your abstract was selected and the date and time of this session. The dates and times of all Plenary and Scientific Breakout Sessions can be accessed through the official MHSRS app which is scheduled to be launched the week of July 27.
I was selected for an oral presentation at a breakout session, but I cannot attend. Can I send a substitute presenter?
Yes, with one exception. Substitute presenters are not permitted for the Young Investigator Competition (oral or poster).
If you are unable to attend but have a substitute presenter:
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Log in to your abstract on the MHSRS website and update the presenter information.
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Upload a signed Conflict of Interest (COI) form for the new presenter.
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Notify your session moderator of the presenter substitution.
The COI form is available under Spotlight on the MHSRS website homepage.
If you are unable to attend and do not have a substitute presenter:
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Log in to your abstract on the MHSRS website and select Withdraw Abstract (located at the bottom of your abstract).
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Notify the MHSRS team of your withdrawal by submitting a message through Contact Us / Program Support on the MHSRS website.
Do substitute presenters need to submit a COI form?
Yes.
A new COI is not required for substitute poster presenters.
Is there a specific length for my oral presentation?
Yes.
The standard presentation time is 15 minutes to include questions. Individual presentation times (e.g., 1300 – 1315) will be posted when all speaking schedules have been submitted.
Is there a standardized slide template for oral presentations?
No.
Use your organizational template and utilize the wide format (16:9). All presentations must include a Disclaimer/Conflict of Interest slide. Contact speakers@MHSRS.net for a sample, if needed.
How do I load my slide presentation?
The portal for uploading your PPT presentation is open. Go to session-guidelines to make sure requirements for upload have been met and then follow the instructions on that page to upload your PPT.
Scroll down on this page to Upload Your Presentation.
All sessions receiving abstracts are considered for CE credit.
When are my slide presentations due?
Presentations are needed as close to July 2 as possible to allow the Continuing Education (CE) provider ample time to review slides for CE eligibility before the meeting starts on August 3. CE review process is determined at the session level, not by the individual speakers. All presentations submitted to an abstract driven session are up for CE review.
We cannot accept presentations by email. You must use the portal to upload your PPT presentation.
Why is the deadline to upload slide presentations so early?
The CE provider, before they will award CE credit for any of the abstract based breakout sessions, reviews each individual slide presentation in conjunction with the presenter COI that was submitted with the abstract. For the number of slide presentations expected at the 2026 MHSRS, the CE provider needs ~4 weeks to review and request for presentation revisions, as needed. The goal is to know the CE credit status of as many of the 2026 sessions as possible before the meeting.
In addition, the meeting support contractor needs sufficient time to queue up the ~450 individual slide presentations expected by breakout session and speaking order.
That said, we understand that many organizations require an extended clearance process before release of the presentation is authorized. Please submit your slide presentations as close to the July 2 deadline as possible.
Contact speakers@mhsrs.net with any questions.
I am the moderator of a grandfathered session that is not seeking CE credit. When are my slide presentation due?
Slides for presentations selected for oral talks in the designated grandfathered sessions not seeking CE credit are due no later than Wednesday, July 22. Presentations by email will not be accepted. Please contact speakers@mhsrs.net with any questions.
What is my responsibility for organizational clearances for my presentation (poster and/or slide)?
Attendees are responsible for obtaining all required organization clearances (e.g., Public Affairs Operational Security) for their oral presentation slides or posters.
New regulations mean that not only do presenters need to get their slides approved internally, but they also need to route through the agency’s legal department for review. This will add time, so be sure to factor this into your planning to hit the July 2 deadline to upload.
DoW attendees: All information presented in a public forum must be formally cleared for public disclosure. Distribution A.
Is it possible to make edits to my accepted abstract after the notification letter is received?
Yes, the system is open to make changes to your accepted abstract. Only the original submitter of the abstract can make these changes through their portal on the MHSRS website.
Changes include minor text changes, change of presenter, adding a disclaimer, presenter name change, and/or abstract withdrawal.
Will you be publishing the accepted abstracts on the MHSRS website?
Yes, we will publish abstracts whose authors have given us permission to publish. These can be accessed on the MHSRS website approximately 3-4 weeks after the notification letters are released.
I have co-authors. Can I list them on my title slide?
No.
Only the Speaker(s)/Presenter(s) should be listed on the title slide. This individual/individuals have submitted a COI/Disclosure form for review.
All presentations must also include an acknowledgement slide. On this slide, list individuals who may have contributed to the overall work but NOT the individual slide deck preparation. These individuals do not require a COI form.
Is there anything specific guidance to preparing my slide presentation?
Yes.
Before preparing and uploading your PPT slide, visit these two pages:
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Be sure to review “How to Upload Your Slide Presentation” on this page to make sure the 5 criteria listed have been met.
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Presentation Do’s and Don’ts. Consult this list when formatting your content for presentations, to ensure compliance with ACCME Standards. This includes things such as not using logos and brand names, as well as the proper use of products, images and company names.
Please ensure that the content of your slide presentation complies with all Executive Orders that have been released.
If you fail to comply with these guidelines, you will be required to make the necessary edits and it will slow down the CE approval process for the entire MHSRS program. Failure to comply means you put your entire session at risk of not being awarded credit.
I am the moderator or speaker in a non-abstract breakout session that is not seeking CE credit. When is my slide presentation due?
Slides for presentations selected for oral talks in the non-abstract breakout sessions where CE credit is N/A are due no later than Wednesday, July 22. Presentations by email will not be accepted. Use the portal directions described above to load your presentation. Contact speakers@mhsrs.net with any questions.
Is it possible to make edits to my submitted presentation once I upload it to the portal.
Yes, you may make edits to your PPT and re-upload a NEW version to the Dropbox. PLEASE NOTE: we are managing nearly 600 PPT presentations so please use discretion and do not flood the Dropbox with repeated edits/uploads. You will need to use the same naming convention as in the instructions but append something such as V2 so it’s easily identified as the newer version and we will delete the old version. (https://www.mhsrs.net/session-guidelines ).
Once onsite, you can still re-upload a new version straight to the Dropbox or go to the speaker ready room and use one of the laptops to access your current presentation and make changes directly to it. That version which lives in our Dropbox will be the same one that is feeding to the room where you are presenting.
Will we have access to our in-slide speaker notes and a slide advancer during the presentation?
Please note there is no access to your PPT deck notes, you will either need to print and bring them with you or make notecards. Conversely, you can also bring your laptop to the podium and work the notes version on your own laptop while using the slide advancer. We are NOT able to change out the event laptops holding/streaming all presentations for presenters, as it slows down the transition time between speakers and as you know, the timing is tight.