1.1.    Timeline

• • Abstract Submission Closes: 15 October 2025, 23:59 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC +10).
  • Acceptance of abstract: 15 November 2025, 23:59 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC +10).
  • Registration Closes: 31 January 2026, 23:59 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC +10).
  • WISC conference 8-11 March, 2026

1.2.    General

• Abstract submission is free of charge.
• Receipt of abstract submission will be sent to the Presenting Author via e-mail.
• After undergoing the review process, only the Presenting Author will be informed about the outcome of the submission.
• The Presenting Author will also be informed of the type of presentation as determined by the review committee. Accepted abstracts will be published in an e-edition of the proceedings of the 3^rd Women in Sport Congress only if the Presenting Author has registered to attend the conference.
• All presentations must be IN PERSON, in Brisbane for WISC2026.
• All written abstracts and recordings of oral presentations will made available on the WISC2026 website for 1 month after the congress.

1.3.    Authorship

• The abstract content is the responsibility of all authors.
• It is the responsibility of the Presenting Author to gain written consent from all authors for the submission of the abstract.
• The Presenting Author must be registered – An abstract associated with a Presenting Author that has not registered will be removed.
• In the event of unforeseen circumstances, where the Presenting Author is unable to present at the congress, the WISC Co-chairs must be notified via email femaleperformancehealth@ausport.gov.au. Upon request, permission may be granted for an alternative author to present at the congress. The Alternative Presenting Author must be registered to present. Late registration of an Alternative Presenting Author will be considered under these circumstances. The registration of a Presenting Author who does not attend is not transferable nor is it redeemable beyond the close of registration date.

1.4.    Instructions

1. Read the abstract submission guidelines before beginning a submission.
2. Obtain written consent (email is acceptable) from all co-authors before submitting an abstract.
3. Ensure the abstract adheres to the abstract rules and meets the formatting guidelines.
4. Ensure the presenting author is available to present IN PERSON at WISC2026 during the academic program (9-10^th of March 2026)
5. Ensure the abstract aligns with the overall themes.
6. Select a preferred presentation mode.
7. Submit the abstract online including:
   • Authors names and affiliations
   • Presenting author contact details
   • Award entry
   • Abstract title
   • Main text
   • Disclosure(s)
   • Portrait photo of Presenting Author for marketing materials (should abstract be accepted)

1.5.    Presentation mode

• Authors have the option of selecting their preference of presentation from:
  • Oral only
  • Oral or poster
  • Poster only
• Where the author selects Oral only and the submission is unsuccessful for an Oral presentation, the author will be offered a poster, but this is not guaranteed.
• Where the author selects Oral or Poster and the submission is unsuccessful for an Oral presentation, they will be automatically considered for a poster, but this is not guaranteed.

1.6.    Abstract formatting and content

• Authors: Do not include titles, degrees, or qualifications.
• Affiliation(s): Include authors’ affiliations e.g., [Department], [Organisation], [Main city], [Country].

Title:

Typed in UPPERCASE (15 words maximum)

• Abstracts must be submitted under one of the following three categories: Original Research, Case Study, or Professional/Practice-Based Experience.
• Original Research: (max 3000 characters) and must include the following headings (written in UPPERCASE) separated by a paragraph space: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion/Conclusion. (see below for more information)
• Case Study: (max 3000 characters) and must include the following headings (written in UPPERCASE) separated by a paragraph space: Introduction, Case Description, Outcomes/Analysis, Discussion/Conclusion. (see below for more information)
• Professional Experience/Practice Based Experience (max 3000 characters) and must include the following headings (written in UPPERCASE) separated by a paragraph space: Context/Background, Innovation/Approach, Impact/Reflection. (see below for more information)
• The abstract should be grammatically correct and free of spelling errors.
• The main text should be typed in lower case.

PORTRAIT: The presenting author should provide a high resolution portrait photo.

Original Research(max 3000 characters): 

• • INTRODUCTION – background, rationale, objectives
  • METHODS – study design, participants, procedures, analysis
  • RESULTS – key findings (with data if available)
  • DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION – interpretation, implications, limitations

Case Study(max 3000 characters): 

• • INTRODUCTION – context and significance of the case.
  • CASE DESCRIPTION – detailed account of the case (patient, intervention, project, or event)
  • OUTCOMES/ANALYSIS – results, challenges, or observations.
  • DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION – key lessons learned, broader applicability

Professional/Practice-based Experience (max 3000 characters) 

• CONTEXT/BACKGROUND – professional setting,issue addressed or problem identified.
• INNOVATION/APPROACH – description of the strategy, program, or intervention implemented
• IMPACT/REFLECTION – observed outcomes, professional insights, and recommendations for other.

1.7.    Rules

• Must be written in English.
• References are not permitted within the abstract submission.
• Symbols and standard abbreviations (define upon first appearance) are permitted.
• Only the units of measurement of the Systeme International de’Unite (SI) should be used.
• General statements indicating that, ‘…results will be presented/discussed’ are not acceptable.
• The content should relate to high-performance sport or be written in the context of improving performance and/or health in elite-level athletes or the high-performance sport system.
• No tables or figures are permitted.
• It is the responsibility of Presenting Authors to seek appropriate Copyright permissions, should the abstract be published elsewhere prior to WISC2026.
• Editing of an abstract is not permitted after submission.
• Presenting Author can only submit one abstract but may co-author as many other abstracts as desired. If more than one abstract is submitted as Presenting Author, only one will be accepted; all others will be rejected.

1.8.    Abstract review

• Abstracts will be reviewed by two members of the WISC2026 Program & Advisory Committees .
• WISC2026 program & Advisory Committee members will not be permitted to review an abstract where there is a real or perceived conflict of interest .
• Abstracts will be reviewed based on IMPACT, RESEARCH QUALITY, CLARITY and TRANSLATABILITY. The following criteria provides guidance:
  • A clear connection to female athlete performance and healt .
  • An interesting new topic or innovative approach to female athlete health and performance
  • Demonstrates a solution to a question in basic, applied, or clinical research with clear translation to female athletes.
  • Free of spelling mistakes, slang, and poor grammatical expression.
  • A clearly stated purpose and rationale.
  • Appropriate methodology and data analysis to answer question.
  • Data and/or findings that address and answer the research questions.
  • How the research shows the connection to real-world application and translation of the research that can be applied by attendees
  • Concluding statement that accurately reflects the results/findings.

1.9.    Withdrawals

• Withdrawal requests must be made via email to the WISC26 co-chairs femaleperformancehealth@ausport.gov.au. The title of the abstract, a statement indicating that all authors approve of the withdrawal (all authors must approve retraction of the abstract), and the reason for withdrawal should be clearly stated.
• In case of rejection or withdrawal of an abstract, there will be no reimbursement for the registration fees.

The research theme for WISC2026 is “The lifecycle of the female athlete”. Incorporating sub themes.

• Adolescence (inclusive of puberty & development)
• The Elite Female Athlete,
• Pregnancy, post-partum, parenting & fertility and
• Retirement & post sport life

Authors are advised to ensure that their abstract fits into this overall theme & the WISC2026 program and advisory committee will place all successful abstracts into the appropriate sub theme for the conference.

3.1.    Categories

Best Presentation for Outstanding contribution to athlete health

• Awarded to the Presenting Author of the best oral presentation that contributes to athlete health.
• Award = $2000 cash

Best Presentation for Outstanding contribution to athlete performance/innovation

• Awarded to the Presenting Author of the best oral presentation that contributes to athlete performance/innovation.
• Award = $2000 cash

Best Presentation for Outstanding contribution in Game changing research for female athletes.

• Awarded to the Presenting Author of the best oral presentation that contributes to game changing research for female athletes.
• Award = $2,000 cash

Best Poster

• A cash award will be awarded to the Presenting Author of the best overall poster presentation.
• Award = $500 cash

WISC2026 Best Overall Presentation

• An award for the best oral presentation delivered over the 2 days of academic content will be selected.
• Award = $5,000 contribution to attend the Female Athlete Conference (FAC), Boston, 2027 upon successful submission of paper to FAC2027.
• This award is not transferrable.

3.2.    Eligibility

• Open to all presenters at all career levels except those with a direct affiliation with the Female Performance & Health Initiative including Co-chairs and WISC2026 Committee members.
• FPHI Research Reference and Advisory Group members and their colleagues/students are eligible to receive an award should they nominate.

3.3.    Criteria

• Oral presentations will be reviewed based on: IMPACT, RESEARCH QUALITY, and CLARITY. The following criteria provides guidance:

• • A clear connection to female athlete performance and health.
  • An interesting new topic or innovative approach to female athlete health and performance
  • Demonstrates a solution to a question in basic, applied, or clinical research with clear translation to female athletes.
  • A clearly stated purpose and rationale
  • Appropriate methodology and data analysis to answer the  question
  • Data and/or findings that address and answer the research question.
  • Visually pleasing
  • Verbal Expression
  • Style
  • Overall impression

• Posters will be reviewed based on: IMPACT, RESEARCH QUALITY, and CLARITY.
  
  The following criteria provides guidance:
• • A clear connection to female athlete performance and health.
  • An interesting new topic or innovative approach to female athlete health and performance.
  • Demonstrates a solution to a question in basic, applied, or clinical research with clear translation to female athletes.
  • A clearly stated purpose and rationale
  • Appropriate methodology and data analysis to answer the research question
  • Data and/or findings that address and answer the research question.
  • Visually pleasing
  • Clear messaging
  • Easy to navigate
  • Overall impression

3.4.    Review committee

• Oral presentations and posters will be judged by three members of the WISC2026 Program & Advisory Committee .
• WISC2026 Committee members will not be permitted to judge an oral presentation or poster where there is a real or perceived conflict of interest.
• The WISC2026 Co-chairs will make a final decision on all awards and decide the WISC2026 Best Overall Presentation.

3.5.    Terms & conditions

• Awards are not transferable.
• The AIS will facilitate award payment via email within 4 weeks of the congress.
• In the case of the WISC2026 Best Overall Presentation, the AIS will be reimburse the winner up to an amount of $5000 on evidence of flights and accommodation to Boston for the FAC 2027.

4.1.    Posters

Formatting

• • A poster is a visual abstract of the research. It should not be a large-scale replication of the abstract.

• Both Portrait/Landscape layout is acceptable
• Poster size is strictly A0. Larger/smaller posters will not be displayed.
• Maximum of 250 words
• Paper or soft cloth (please iron!) is acceptable.

Poster presentation requirements

• The poster will be displayed during the 2 days of the academic program.
• The Presenting Author must be standing next to their poster during the poster session Monday, 9 March 2026 – 16:30 – 18:00.
• Delegates will be free to move around the Poster session and converse with Presenting Authors.
• It is the responsibility of the Presenting Author to display and remove their poster at the start and finish of academic program.

4.2.    Oral presentation

Facility

• Main stage with lectern and screen.
• Presenting Authors will be required to upload their presentation in advance of the session on USB, details for this will be given well in advance of WISC2026.

Formatting

• 9 min (7 min + 2 min of questions).
• Timing is crucial and will be carefully managed by timekeepers who will stop your oral presentation after the allocated time.
• Presentations not adhering to timing will be ineligible for awards.