Call for Proposals

To develop a first-class programme for the 8th IOC World Conference, we need your assistance!

Before submitting a proposal, we invite you to review the following example

SCOPE

The conference aims to showcase the latest evidence-based, practical and innovative approaches to protecting athlete health, with a strong emphasis on prevention. Building on the success of previous editions, the 2027 programme will prioritise actionable, practitioner-oriented content that delegates can apply directly in their daily work, while reflecting the breadth of the field across clinical and non-clinical disciplines, including sports medicine, sports science, nutrition, mental health and athlete safeguarding. We are committed to a globally representative, diverse and balanced programme, and we particularly encourage proposals that bring forward early-/mid-career researchers, presenters from low-resource and underrepresented regions, and gender-balanced faculty.

The conference is multidisciplinary, and we encourage proposals to be submitted within all fields relevant to the protection of athlete health – prevention of injuries, illnesses, mental health problems, and harassment and abuse in sport. Please note that proposals outside the prevention scope of the conference, e.g. focusing solely on treatment or rehabilitation, will be rejected. The same applies to proposals on the health effects of physical activity.

PROGRAMME

The conference will include keynote lectures, symposia, head-to-head debates, workshops and abstract presentations (oral or as posters).

We are asking for proposals for invited speakers – for keynote lectures, symposia and head-to-head debates – with a 1 October 2026 deadline.

• KEYNOTE LECTURES – high-profile, plenary presentations delivered by leading authorities to the full conference audience. They should address topics of broad relevance and with significant impact across the field of athlete health protection, presenting cutting-edge science in an engaging, accessible and forward-looking way. We strongly encourage proposals that promote diversity and balance. Proposals can take the form of a presentation by a single keynote speaker or a dual keynote format, pairing an established authority with an early-career researcher or one from a diverse background. “Catchy”, thought-provoking titles are especially welcome for keynotes.
• SYMPOSIA – themed sessions bringing together a small panel of speakers to explore a topic in depth from complementary perspectives. Each symposium is allocated a standardised 75-minute slot, with a maximum of four speakers, and must include a 5-minute introduction by the chair and a minimum of 15–20 minutes of audience interaction and discussion to ensure active engagement. Proposals should specify a chair, the individual lecture titles and speakers, and the duration of each component. We encourage symposia that are practical and clinician- or practitioner-focused, that present clearly defined and complementary viewpoints, and that reflect diversity and balance in their speaker line-up. Where available, presenters are encouraged to provide gender-disaggregated data.
• HEAD-TO-HEAD DEBATES – 60-minute sessions (two speakers and one chair) that present competing, evidence-based perspectives on a controversial or unresolved question related to athlete health. Rather than adversarial drama, the emphasis is on a rigorous, scientific exploration of differing viewpoints that helps the audience weigh the evidence. Sessions are moderated by the chair and typically include short opening positions, rebuttals and a chair’s summary, with strong audience engagement built in – for example, pre- and post-session audience votes and interactive questions facilitated through the conference app. Only well-structured, high-quality proposals with a clear, genuinely debatable question and balanced speakers will be accepted.

Invited speakers for keynote lectures, symposia and head-to-head debates will be entitled to complimentary registration and free accommodation during the conference (30 November to 3 December 2027), as well as participation in the social programme (welcome drinks reception, Sports Celebration Night and faculty dinner). Please note that travel costs will not be reimbursed; to be able to feature a first-class programme, we plan to invite a considerable number of international speakers.

Proposal submission is free of charge. After undergoing the review process, all authors will be informed about whether their submission for invited speakers has been accepted by 1 December 2026.

WORKSHOPS AND ABSTRACT PRESENTATIONS

The conference programme will also include a wide range of hands-on workshops and abstract presentations. The call for proposals for these will open later, from 1 December 2026, with a 1 March 2027 deadline for workshop proposals, and a 1 August 2027 deadline for abstracts.