Abstract Submission Guidelines

The mission of the International Confederation of Midwives is “to strengthen member associations and to advance the profession of midwifery globally by promoting autonomous midwives as the most appropriate caregivers for childbearing women and in keeping birth normal, in order to enhance the reproductive health of women, and the health of their newborn and their families”.

The Scientific and Professional Programme Committee (SPPC) of the International Confederation of Midwives invites submission of abstracts that align with the congress theme and are relevant to midwives and the midwifery profession.

The theme for ICM’s Congress 2026 is “One Million More Midwives”. We are calling for abstracts for oral presentations, workshops, three-minute presentation competition sessions and posters that are relevant to midwifery audience. We welcome abstracts for midwifery practice workshops, including on practical skills to advance midwives’ competencies.

 We encourage you to submit your abstracts and join us in Lisbon in 2026 for what promises to be an exciting conference, bringing together many midwives and partners from across the globe.

2) Sharing midwifery knowledge and experience

Abstracts for Oral Presentations, Posters, Three-minute Presentation Competition/ Research/ Practice Innovation and Skills Workshops may be submitted that share midwifery knowledge and experience. These may not necessarily be a research-based abstract (but should provide available evidence). They could include midwifery stories and experiences, theoretical debates, or innovative/sustainable midwifery practices. Submitters should describe the practice and its relevance to midwifery. Presentations should include references to supporting evidence if applicable.

Abstract Formatting

• ICM´s official languages are English, French and Spanish. All abstracts are to be submitted in English to facilitate the peer review and moderation process. If your first language is French or Spanish, you may also upload a PDF version of your abstract in French or Spanish. Where possible your abstract will be reviewed by both English-speaking and native-speaking reviewers.

• Please have your abstract checked for correct spelling, punctuation, grammar and formal structure. The organiser reserves the right to edit abstracts, if necessary, prior to the publication.

• The abstract title is limited to 25 words and must be submitted using the Sentence case, that is, only the first letter of the first word is a capital letter (unless there are any proper nouns – such as Lisbon, America, etc.).

• Abstract length is the same for all types of presentations, a maximum of 300 words within the abstract text. 

• Up to 9 authors can be submitted under one abstract (including the presenting author).

• The presenting author is selected first; other authors can be added only when the presenting author is submitted. However, the authors’ order could be changed if needed by swapping the names on the list of the co-authors. The first name is considered to be the main author.

• A short biography of the presenting author is required and should not exceed 50 words.

• No pictures/tables/charts are allowed within the abstract text.

• All authors are advised to make sure to compose the abstract text according to the outlined structure and to include all necessary information – as each presentation type has its specific structure requirements.

Topics for All Types of Presentations

1. Midwifery Education
2. Midwifery Regulation
3. Midwifery Practice and Models of Care
4. Strengthening Midwives’ Associations
5. Midwifery Leadership
6. Health System Designs and Politics
7. Gender Equity
8. Climate Change
9. Humanitarian Issues
10. Other topic of interest for midwives

1) Research Category (Oral and Poster Presentation)

Abstracts need to be clear and must address:

• Background
• Objectives
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusions
• Key message
• Ethics and conflicts of interest

2) Sharing Knowledge and Experience Category (Oral and Poster Presentation)

Abstracts need to be clear and must address:

• Purpose
• Discussion
• Evidence where relevant
• Key message

3) Three-minute Presentation Competition

Abstract needs to be clear and address:

• Relevance to midwifery
• Description of topic (e.g. research, innovation, idea/argument)
• Additional video submission is preferred

4) Skills Workshops

Abstracts need to be clear and must address:

• The learning outcomes
• The process/activities
• Audience participation
• References
• Maximum number of participants
• Name of any sponsor
• Any conflicts of interest are declared

Conditions of Submission

Each abstract submitter must confirm that:

• the abstract is their own work
• it has not been published or presented elsewhere
• for research, ethical approval was obtained (explanation required if no ethical approval obtained)
• any external funding sources and conflicts of interests are disclosed
• they intend to participate physically at the congress

 If you have any difficulties submitting your abstracts, then please get in touch with the Congress Organizer via e-mail at abstracts@midwives2026.org.

Topics for All Types of Presentations

1. Midwifery Education
2. Midwifery Regulation
3. Midwifery Practice and Models of Care
4. Strengthening Midwives’ Associations
5. Midwifery Leadership
6. Health System Designs and Politics
7. Gender Equity
8. Climate Change
9. Humanitarian Issues
10. Other topic of interest for midwives

TYPES OF PRESENTATIONS

The four main types of presentations are:

• Oral Presentations
• Poster Presentations
• Skills Workshops
• Three-minute Presentation Competition

Oral Presentations

Oral presentations are usually delivered by a single presenter in a timeslot of 15 minutes plus 5 minutes for discussion. Oral presentations can be on any topic relevant to midwifery audience and will either be about research or sharing knowledge and experience (as described above). The word limit for oral presentation abstracts is 300 words and must address the criteria outlined below.

Poster Presentations

Poster presentations are visual displays, usually combining text and graphics information. Posters may be on any topic relevant to the midwifery audience and will either be about research or sharing knowledge and experience (as described above). The word limit for poster abstracts is 300 words.

The posters will be displayed in both physical and electronic formats. E-Posters will be displayed for the duration of the Congress. It is expected that the presenter should be available at the physical poster for a designated hour to discuss it with congress participants. Specific information regarding size and mounting requirements will be provided with the notice of acceptance.

Skills Workshops

Skills workshops are interactive sessions for a group of no more than 50 participants highlighting a clinical skill, new technology, active learning technique, self-help approach or education/teaching skills. Skills workshops are either 45 minutes or 90 minutes.

Active demonstration techniques (i.e. demonstrating newborn resuscitation, managing postpartum hemorrhage, showing the use of a new model for insertion of a postpartum IUD, teaching vacuum extraction, demonstrating a new technique for teaching a topic, demonstrating use of research methods, mindfulness, self-health etc.) are preferred over slide presentation and discussion. Sessions should be facilitated by two or more presenters to enable active engagement with participants. Presenters are expected to provide all equipment/materials required.

The individual wishing to lead a skills workshop should submit an abstract (maximum 300 words), which clearly describes the learning outcomes, the process/activity (including a description of how the audience will participate in the session), supporting references and name of sponsors if relevant. The abstract should include any specific requirements for interaction that will influence the room layout and the numbers of participants who can be accommodated (i.e. equipment and room/ desk set up). The Workshop leader should indicate the preferred maximum number of participants (to a maximum of 50).

Three-minute Presentation Competition

The Three-Minute Presentation borrows from the “Three Minute Thesis” competition format (https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/). It aims to promote the communication of research, practice innovation or idea/argument in a concise and compelling way. Presenters will have three minutes to share their topic, demonstrating their ability to engage and inspire the audience and clearly describe their topic whilst highlighting its significance to midwifery.

Attendees will benefit from exposure to a wide range of topics, presented in a succinct but entertaining way. Examples from the Three Minute Presentation competition can be found at:
https://vimeo.com/threeminutethesis

This will be a competition with presenters competing in rounds. Winners of each round will progress to the next stage, including semi-finals and finals.  Therefore, presenters should be prepared to present their topic several times over the conference, if they progress through the rounds.   The final of the Three-minute Presentation Competition will be held as a plenary session. Prizes will be awarded to the winners which will include the categories of “best presentation” (voted by the Scientific Programme Planning Committee) and “popular choice” (voted by the audience).

Potential presenters in this category are strongly advised to familiarise themselves with this format by viewing examples provided before submitting an abstract. The individual wishing to submit a three-minute presentation should provide an abstract (300 words) which includes a description of the topic and its significance to midwifery.

Authors submitting to the Three-Minute Presentation competition are also encouraged to submit a video recording of their presentation. This allows the Scientific Programme Planning Committee to assess the clarity, engagement, and impact of the submission. Video submissions should follow the competition rules, including the use of a single static PowerPoint slide and a strict three-minute time limit. Providing a video alongside the abstract will help ensure presenters are well-prepared for the competition rounds and give the committee insight into their presentation style.

Please note the video does not have to be the final version and can be adjusted after the submission if selected for presentation.

Rules

• Presentations are to be of no more than 3 minutes. Presenters extending beyond 3 minutes will be disqualified.
• One static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no title slides, transitions, animation, or sound or video files permitted)
• No props (costumes, equipment, instruments etc) are permitted.
• No questions or other engagement by audience is permitted.

Examples

The following link will take you to a site that shares a range of 3-minute thesis presentations from around the world:

https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/watch-3mt

ABSTRACT REQUIREMENTS AND REVIEW CRITERIA

Research category (oral and poster)	Sharing knowledge and experience category (oral and poster)
Abstracts need to be clear and must address: Background Objectives Methods Results Conclusions Key message Ethics and conflicts of interest Reviewers will be scoring abstracts in relation to the following criteria: There is a clear purpose to the research Methods are clearly described and appropriate Ethical implications addressed Any conflicts of interest are declared Results are clearly described and discussed; conclusions are valid Originality Relevance to an international ICM Congress audience and/or Congress theme	Abstracts need to be clear and must address: Purpose Discussion Evidence where relevant Key message Reviewers will be scoring abstracts in relation to the following criteria: There is a clear purpose to the presentation There is demonstration of reflective thinking, including evidence if relevant Originality Relevance to an international ICM Congress audience and/or Congress theme
Three-minute Presentation Competition Abstract needs to be clear and address: Description of topic (e.g. research, innovation, idea/argument) Relevance to midwifery Reviewers will be scoring abstract and videos in relation to the following criteria: There is a clear purpose Logical sequence Engages the audience Ethical implications noted Any conflicts of interest are declared Relevance to an international ICM Congress audience and/or Congress theme	Skills workshops Abstracts need to be clear and must address: The learning outcomes The process/activities Audience participation References Maximum number of participants Name of any sponsor Any conflicts of interest are declared Reviewers will be scoring abstracts in relation to the following criteria: The learning outcomes are clearly described The process/activities are clearly described and appropriate Any conflicts of interest are declared References are relevant Originality Relevance to an international ICM Congress audience and/or Congress theme

ABSTRACT REVIEW PROCESS

All abstracts will be subject to double-blind peer review by dedicated reviewers with expertise in the area.

The review criteria are outlined above. Where there is discrepancy between reviewer scores a moderation process will be initiated. Appeals will not be accepted.

Only one abstract per presenter (with the exception of 3-minute Presentation Competition) will be accepted if more than one submitted
abstract meets the review criteria.

Only one presentation on a single research project will be accepted if more than one submitted abstract meets the review criteria.

One exception will be for the Three-minute Presentation Competition. Presenters may be accepted for
the Three-minute Presentation Competition and one other presentation, poster or workshop. A single research project may be accepted for the Three-minute Presentation Competition and one other presentation or poster.

The Scientific Professional Programme Committee reserves the right to group abstracts into sessions with other abstracts addressing similar topics/category. In the event of very large numbers of submitted abstracts fulfilling the criteria, a wait list will be established to replace cancellations, however, all wait-listed abstracts are guaranteed poster presentations.

ETHICS

All submitters of abstracts for “sharing midwifery research results” category must indicate if ethical approval was provided by a relevant authority. If not, an explanation must be provided including ethical principles considered during data collection and analysis.

PLAGIARISM

Copying work or ideas from someone else and presenting them as one’s own is plagiarism and is regarded by the conference organizers as serious professional misconduct. ICM trusts its attendees and recommends that if a presentation builds on the work of another, presenters ensure that they reference the intellectual property of others.

PUBLICATION OF ABSTRACTS

All accepted abstracts and authors’ confirmed contact details will be published in the ICM congress programme and the Abstract Book Impact Factor magazine after authors have registered to attend the congress.

SUBMISSION LANGUAGE

ICM´s official languages are English, French and Spanish. All abstracts are to be submitted in English to facilitate the peer review and moderation process.

If your first language is French or Spanish, we encourage you to also upload a PDF version of your abstract in French or Spanish. Your abstract will be reviewed by both English speaking and native speaking reviewers to ensure a fair review. However, the English version is required as it will be available in the online programme and in the published abstract book.

PRESENTATION LANGUAGE

You may have the opportunity to present in French and Spanish if your presentation is allocated to plenary room that has interpretation facilities, or in case your abstract is selected for a presentation in Spanish/French session. Please indicate on your submission your preferred language for your presentation but note that English may be required if your preferred language does not have a dedicated venue.

Participants from non-ICM language countries may have a dedicated room to present in their own language if numbers permit and prior approval is obtained from ICM.

DEADLINES

Abstract Submission Opens  – 3 March 2025

Deadline for Submissions – 25 June 2025

Evaluation – 23 July – 20 August 2025

SPPC programme allocation meeting – September

Notification of acceptance – Week beginning 6 October 2025

Presenter must be registered by 19 December 2025

Early registration deadline – 3 March 2026

PRESENTER REGISTRATION

All participants whose papers are accepted for presentation are expected to register for attendance at the Congress. Please note that ICM is not able to offer complimentary registration to Presenters.
Should you be accepted to present, you will be required to register and make payment thereof by 19 December 2025. Presenters will be provided with a speaker code that will entitle them to the bonus discount on the registration fee.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Each abstract submitter must confirm that:

• the abstract is their own work
• it has not been published or presented elsewhere
• for research, ethical approval was obtained (explanation required if no ethical approval obtained)
• any external funding sources and conflicts of interests are disclosed
• they intend to participate physically at the congress

Online Submission

Please visit the ICM Congress 2026 Website and follow the links to the abstract submission page. Once here please
complete the information as required. You will note that all abstracts are to be submitted in a standard text format; therefore, no formatting will be visible. Your submission will automatically be limited to 300. Once you have entered all your submission details; click on the option at the bottom of the page to continue. You will be taken to a summary page where you may review and edit your details for one last time before submitting. You will be asked to accept the terms and conditions of ICM and only then may you proceed. Once your abstract has been sent to us you will receive a confirmation email. Please ensure that the email address supplied during your submission is correct and operable as this address will be used for all future communication.

If you have any queries, please email: abstracts@midwives2026.org