2026 Western Alliance Symposium Call for Abstracts

  • CONTACT INFORMATION

    Convenors
    Drew Aras, Executive Director
    email: drewaras@westernalliance.org.au

    Sarah Shaw, Executive Officer
    email: sarahshaw@westernalliance.org.au

    Administration
    Cassandra Hamilton, Administrative Assistant
    email: cassandrahamilton@westernalliance.org.au

  • The 2026 Call for Abstracts is now OPEN.

    The annual Western Alliance Symposium is an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, forge new collaborations and showcase some of the fantastic research from across western Victoria and beyond.

    The 2026 Symposium will be held at The Mantra, Lorne on Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 November 2026.

    We are now calling for abstracts for presentations for the Western Alliance Symposium Concurrent Sessions (day two of the Symposium).

  • ELIGIBILTY

    Abstracts are invited from those working in health services, primary care and universities describing a research or research translation project that aims to change health policy, clinical practice or health outcomes in regional and rural settings.

    Abstracts will be accepted from people working in Western Alliance member organisations, and for the first time Western Alliance will also be accepting abstracts from non-member organisations.

    Priority for Concurrent Session presentations will be given to abstracts submitted by Western Alliance member organisations, as well as abstracts describing research that has achieved results or outcomes that have influenced health policy, practice or health outcomes in regional and rural settings.

    Abstracts without at least one nominated presenting author will not be accepted.

    Past STaRR participants are encouraged to submit an abstract. Selected past STaRR participants may also be invited to present at the STaRR Showcase on day one of the Symposium.

  • PRESENTATION FORMATS

    If accepted, abstract authors will be assigned a 10-minute oral presentation or a ‘5 slides in 5 minutes’ oral presentation.

    Applicants may indicate their preferred format; however scheduling challenges may mean the preferred format will not be possible.

  • ACCEPTANCE

    Abstract submissions will close at 5pm Monday 20 July.

    Invitations for oral presentations will be forwarded by email to the presenting author/s by Friday 31 July.

    At least one presenting author must register and attend to present the work submitted. All presenters must register to attend the Symposium at the time of acceptance of the offer to present (unless already registered).

    Registration for the Symposium is free of charge for people working in Western Alliance member organisations. There will be a small cost-recovery registration fee for people working in non-member organisations to present or attend the Symposium.

  • PRESENTATION SELECTION

  • PRESENTING AUTHORS (if co-presenters, please complete for both)

  • ABSTRACT

    The abstract should be a maximum of 400 words (not including the title and co-authors), following these subheadings:

    * Title
    * Background and aim
    * Population/setting
    * Methods
    * Key results/findings
    * Has the work influenced or changed health policy, practice or health outcomes in the regional or rural setting? If yes, how? If no, what next steps could make this happen?
    * Conclusion

    Where applicable, please indicate how consumers or community members have been involved in your research or research translation project.

    Please note that abstracts exceeding the word limit will not be accepted.
  • Add Title, First name, Surname in author order
    (2, 3, 4 etc. for second, third, fourth etc.)
  • Add the primary/main affiliation of each co-author in the same order as above
    (2, 3 etc. for second, third etc.)