Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Friday November 29th 2024
Abstract submission deadline: Monday May 20th 2024
We are delighted to invite abstract submissions for UK Public Health Science: A National Conference Dedicated to New Research in UK Public Health that will be held in Cardiff on Friday November 29th, 2024. This annual conference showcases leading innovative public health research from across the UK and Ireland with accepted submissions published online by The Lancet. The conference will bring together researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and experts by experience to share and discuss contemporary issues, perspectives, and challenges in public health science and explore their impacts for practice, policy, health services, and research.
Abstracts are welcomed from people and groups working across all sectors and disciplines on topics related to any aspect of public health in the UK or Ireland. Relevant research is invited from the national health services, local authorities, charities and advocacy services, government bodies, universities, or other research bodies. This cross-sectoral approach makes for a fascinating and valuable event where participants can be inspired by novel world-class research.
Conference themes – Alongside the overall focus on public health science, this year’s conference will explore the connection between healthy neighbourhoods, the built environment, and public health from a multidisciplinary perspective. Cities have a central role in shaping population health. Understanding and optimising the built environment within urban settings is vital for cultivating health-promoting spaces. Submissions are invited* that address evidence-based interventions and policies relating to not only the physical aspects of neighbourhoods, but also to the quality of the air, reduction of noise pollution, and mitigation of other environmental stressors. By highlighting these issues, the conference seeks to stimulate discussions that can inform policies, interventions, and research initiatives dedicated to fostering healthier communities and mitigating the impact of environmental pollutants on population health.
*Note: Abstracts on all aspects of public health are welcomed and do not have to address this theme.
Conference structure – The conference will consist of oral paper presentations, chaired poster sessions, and keynote speeches. All abstracts will be considered for oral presentation. Abstracts can be submitted under any of the three core categories: creativity in public health science; new methodological approaches to public health science; or impact and implementation of public health science in policy and practice. Research described in the abstracts may have been undertaken anywhere in the world but must be relevant to public health science, practice, and policy in the UK or Ireland. We particularly encourage submissions that include experts by experience or early career researchers.
The conference will be preceded by an early career researcher event and networking conference dinner on Thursday November 28th, 2024. In line with our ongoing commitment to work towards delivering a net-zero conference, details of the conference carbon reduction plans and carbon offsetting will also be published on the conference website in due course.
Prizes – Prizes for best oral and best poster presentation will be awarded in two categories. The first category is for presentations by an early career researcher. These prizes will be generously provided and awarded by the NIHR School of Public Health Research. This category is open to pre-PhD researchers (eg, MSc student, foundation year trainee, research assistant, public health trainee, or academic clinical fellow), PhD students, postdoctoral trainees (eg, clinical lecturers, clinician scientist fellows, early career post-doctoral, or equivalent posts), and researchers from other pathways that self-identify as being early in their career.
The second category of prizes recognises that experts with lived and living experience of public health issues have a crucial role in shaping and carrying out impactful research. Abstract submissions for this category are particularly encouraged from, or in collaboration with, experts by experience where the research shows meaningful involvement of people with lived experience. These prizes are kindly sponsored by University College London’s online Master of Public Health programme, which has lived experience involvement as one of its core underpinning values and cross-cutting themes.
Abstract instructions – All abstracts should be 300 words or fewer, written in English, and structured with the following sections: background (which should provide context and briefly outline the research aim); methods; findings; and interpretation. Submissions must not contain references, tables, or figures. Abstracts should include the following: a non-declaratory title that includes a study descriptor (eg, retrospective cohort study, randomised controlled trial, ethnographic study); names, titles, highest degrees, and affiliations of authors; postal and email address for the corresponding author and (if different) the presenting author; whether any of the authors are considered experts by experience; whether the presenting author is an early career researcher; any funding received (please also state if none); and a brief summary of each author’s contributions and competing interests (please also state if none). Abstracts should not have been published elsewhere and must include some results (results of ongoing analyses are acceptable). Reports of randomized controlled trials should follow the CONSORT extension for abstracts. Abstract guidelines are available on The Lancet’s website. Any abstracts that do not follow these formatting requirements will be rejected without peer review.
Abstracts need to be submitted through The Lancet’s online submission system and should be Microsoft Word documents. A covering letter should be included stating the submission is for the UK Public Health Science conference 2024. All submissions will undergo peer review. The deadline for abstract submission is Monday May 20th, 2024. The authors of successful submissions will be informed by Monday September 16th, 2024.
We look forward to receiving your submissions and seeing you all in Cardiff, The Lancet UK Public Health Science conference committee.