Call for session proposals

ECNP aims to establish an exciting scientific programme for the 39th ECNP Congress with a broad range of scientific topics.Session at the ECNP Congress

The Scientific Programme Committee (SPC) invites you to contribute by submitting a proposal for a full session in applied and translational neuroscience. The SPC welcomes session proposals from various disciplines, including neurology and psychology.

ECNP does not accept proposals sent in by e-mail.

Sessions can be submitted in the various session types listed below. Please do not invite or ask approval from the proposed speakers. If selected, your proposal (content and speakers) may still be modified by the SPC.

How to submit
You can submit a session proposal via the button below:

Submit here

Deadline
The deadline to submit a proposal is 4 March 2025 at 23.59 CET (Centra European Time).

Session types
Proposals can be submitted in the various session types:

  • Symposium
    In a symposium, four speakers present on a specific topic with their most recent data. Your symposium proposal should include:
    ✓ The symposium title
    ✓ Four lecture titles and speakers (additionally, two mandatory and two optional back-up speakers)
    ✓ A short appealing session outline (max. 250 words)addressing the translational aspects of your proposal, without mentioning of individual speaker names
    ✓ Optionally, one chair may be suggested

  • Educational Update Session
    These educational sessions are designed to provide an educational update with emphasis on new information relevant for clinical practice. During their talks, the speakers will engage the participants repeatedly by inviting them to take part in multiple interactive polls on the presented topics.

    Questions to speakers can be asked from in-person and online participants, using the Slido automated system.

    Your Educational Update Session proposal should include:
    ✓ The session title (make sure this title sparks interest from our delegates)
    ✓ Two lecture titles and speakers (additionally, one mandatory back-up speaker and one optional back-up speaker)
    ✓ A short appealing outline describing the aim of your Educational Update Session (max. 250 words), without mentioning of individual speaker names
    ✓ Optionally, one moderator may be suggested

  • Campfire Session (in-person only)Campfire session at the ECNP Congress
    The campfire sessions allow for maximum interaction between experts and participants. Sitting in a circle as if around a campfire – and without slides and screens – the expert, with the help of a moderator, will first introduce the topic followed by a conversation with the participants. It is a great platform for low-key two-way interaction and inspiration. The in-person only campfire sessions have a capacity of max. 80 attendees, on a 'first come, first served' basis. To browse examples of this session type please go to the Scientific Programme of our previous congress and look for the orange sessions (Sunday-Tuesday). If you choose this format, please include the following in your proposal:
    ✓ The session title (make sure this title sparks interest from our delegates)
    ✓ The name of the expert, and a back-up expert suggestion
    ✓ A short appealing outline describing the aim of your Campfire (max. 2250 words), addressing the translational aspects of your proposal, without mentioning of individual speaker names
    ✓ Optionally, one moderator may be suggested

  • Innovative Sessions
    During an innovative session, a specific topic or important new information is shared in a new format that allows optimal discussion and interaction. Such a session could be, a Panel Discussion, a Love-Your-Brain Session, Career Development Session, a Clinical Case Report or an alternative interesting format not yet listed above. For your proposal to be accepted, it is very important that you clearly explain the format of your session proposal. Your proposal for an innovative format session should include:
    ✓ The session title
    ✓ Format description (please be clear on the format, the SPC will reject your proposal if the format is unclear)
    ✓ Faculty members
    ✓ A short appealing outline describing the aim of the session, addressing the translational aspects of your proposal, without mentioning of individual speaker names
    ✓ Optionally, one chair/moderator may be suggested

Preparing and submitting your proposalPrepare a session proposal — ECNP Congress
Your proposal should include an intriguing session title, a brief session outline (max. 250 words), and informative and appealing titles for all the lectures (if applicable). The outline* should introduce the topic and its relevance and importance for the advancement of the scientific field, as well as its translational value and interest to the scientific community. Please keep it general and do not mention speaker names in the outline. Proposals that have a clear translational approach are more likely to be selected by the SPC.
The SPC aims to obtain an optimal geographical and gender balance of the speakers in the Congress programme. Preference is given to those submissions proposing one speaker per country** and with an equal division between male and female speakers; proposals with speakers from only one country will not be accepted. At this stage, there is no need yet to get formal approval from the proposed speakers. Please do not invite or ask approval from the proposed speakers. If selected, your proposal (content and speakers) may still be modified by the SPC.
* Please note that, if your session proposal will be accepted, the title and outline will be published in the ECNP Congress programme.
** The SPC encourages proposers to also include speakers from Eastern and Southern European countries. In addition, we would like to encourage you to include Asian and African speakers.


Neuroscience based Nomenclature (NbN)ECNP encourages the use of Neuroscience-based Nomenclature (NbN-2) terminology for psychotropic medications, as it reflects contemporary pharmacological knowledge, rather than arbitrary descriptors based on indications or chemical structure. Please download the free app for NbN-2 and the Instructions for Authors.

Selection of proposals
When selecting proposals, the SPC will take into account:

  • Whether a topic or speaker has been on the programme of the last three ECNP Congresses (programme details of previous ECNP Congresses can be found here).
  • Whether the proposal is balanced in terms of gender, country and research focus: pre-clinical, translational and clinical elements should be included.
  • The expected (near) future scientific breakthroughs and/or highlights.
  • The spread over the topics to be covered within the overall programme.

You will be informed about the review outcome before 30 October 2025. ECNP will not enter into discussion on the review results.

Further information
Should you encounter any problems submitting your proposal online, please contact us by e-mail.
The ECNP Office will confirm receipt of your submission by e-mail. If you have not received a confirmation within two weeks of submitting your proposal, please notify the ECNP Office via e-mail.