INSAR 2027: Call for SIG Proposals
The INSAR SIG Committee is soliciting applications for New and Returning SIGs to meet at INSAR 2027.
A SIG is a group of researchers, students/trainees and other stakeholders who are interested in a particular area of autism research that is emerging, underdeveloped or underrepresented. The SIG will offer an opportunity for focused interaction to increase capacity in the area.
We anticipate being able to accommodate 6-7 SIGs within the 2027 INSAR Annual Meeting program. We encourage submissions for both New SIGs and Returning SIGs. We note that SIGs selected in response to this call—whether New or Returning—are supported for 2027 only, but leaders of successful SIGs can reapply for future considering as a Returning SIG, to a maximum 3-year term.
Selected SIGs will be scheduled within the main Annual Meeting (Tuesday-Friday) program. SIG applicants will be notified of the outcome of their submissions by the end of January 2027. Successful applicants will receive their assigned session dates and times once the Annual Meeting program has been finalized.
Review and Rating Criteria
The SIG Committee and Reviewers will consider the following, when ranking SIG submissions for selection for the 2027 Annual Meeting.
Applicant Eligibility
The SIG Lead/s and Co-Lead/s are confirmed as:
- Both/all current INSAR members
- Both/all based at different institutions
- Including balance of more senior and student/trainee applicants (i.e., minimum one each)
Key Review Criteria
(applicable to both New and Returning SIGs):
- Novelty and Significance of the SIG Topic:
- The proposal concerns an emerging, underdeveloped or underrepresented topic in autism research to date.
- Development work requires interdisciplinary connections and/or broad stakeholder input.
- The proposed SIG topic must not duplicate a past SIG or an existing topic area within the main INSAR Annual Meeting program. Applicants are encouraged to review the 2027 Abstract Topics and Descriptions. If the proposed SIG is similar to a previous SIG or an existing topic area, applicants should explain how their proposal is different and what new perspectives or content it will offer.
- Effectiveness of the Proposed SIG:
- The proposal for the SIG session can achieve depth in work toward the identified topic/need within the 2027 Annual Meeting and includes indication of plans for further progress beyond this specific INSAR-supported event (i.e., beyond a 2027 New SIG event, or between sessions of a Returning SIG scheduled for 2027, as relevant).
- The proposed 2027 SIG session will provide structured opportunities for attendee interaction, distinct from a Panel format (i.e., a few presentations with audience Q&A), and scalable to accommodate relatively small (e.g., <30) or larger (e.g., 100+) participant numbers.
- There is a plan to deliberately, actively involve Students/Trainees (e.g., evidencing mentorship and/or other career development opportunities).
- There is evidence of effectively considered lived-experience stakeholder engagement.
- Clarity and Alignment of SIG Goals:
- The SIG proposal 2027 session for New SIGs; continuing program of work for Returning SIGs aligns with INSAR's strategic pillars.
- The SIG topic has broad relevance to INSAR membership (i.e., spanning disciplines, geographic regions, and other representation).
- The SIG proposal—whether New or Returning—includes some appropriate consideration of longer-term outputs, beyond activities of the proposed 2027 SIG session activities; such as:
- Developing a collaborative position paper, consensus statement, resource pool/database, funding application, etc.
- Working toward an increased number of individual abstract submissions, or a Panel submission, for a future INSAR Annual Meeting.
- Developing training initiatives.
- Potential Impact of SIG:
- The SIG proposal shows potential for impact beyond within-session information exchange and networking.
- The proposal includes some indication of how SIG Leads might evaluate the success of their program in achieving its goals across the potential 3-year INSAR supported series of sessions, and beyond (noting no requirement for a formal evaluation plan).
Technical Support
Contact Technical Support for help in submitting an abstract online.
INSAR login is required to continue. If you do not have an INSAR profile, please visit the INSAR website: https://www.autism-insar.org to create a profile.
The login is a 2-step process before the redirect to the submission form: 1) Login using your INSAR Profile Username and Password (as in past years); and 2) Allow access to your INSAR full_profile (default will show the box already checked), you just need to click Submit to accept.