Call for Symposium Proposals

Deadline for submissions: Friday, October 17, 2025 at 11:59pm ET

The Canadian Nutrition Society (CNS) invites its current members to submit session proposals for conference symposia at the 2026 CNS Annual Conference, taking place May 7-9, 2026, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

CNS encourages sessions that represent the full breadth of CNS membership—spanning basic science, clinical practice, and public health—and that reflect CNS's ongoing commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in both topic and speaker composition. Proposals should be thoughtful, complete, and aligned with the mission of advancing nutrition science and practice in Canada. Sessions that integrate basic science, clinical practice, and public health, and that engage delegates across these domains, are considered ideal.

Please read all of the following carefully before submitting your proposal.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

All submissions will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

Relevance to and advancement of the field of nutritional sciences.
Balance across basic science, clinical, public health, and regulatory topics.
Responsiveness to the educational needs of our diverse conference audience.
Inclusion of practical application and implementation in practice. *
Novelty and innovation – sessions that introduce new concepts and/or cross-disciplinary perspectives, particularly those that integrate basic science, clinical practice, and public health, and that appeal to delegates across these domains.
Objectivity, scientific rigour, and lack of bias.
Availability and credibility of proposed speakers.

* Practical Application / Implementation

To effectively serve CNS’s diverse audience of academics, clinicians, researchers, and policymakers, CNS places emphasis on the inclusion of translational research in its conference sessions, in other words - how research findings or insights can be applied in community, policy, education, or clinical settings. Further, CNS encourages sessions that have a cross-disciplinary approach that bridges research and real-world practice.

Each session submission must include a clear explanation about how session takeaways will be relevant and usable for attendees across sectors. This could include:

Guidance for clinical or community-based interventions.
Practical tools or strategies for practice.
Policy implications or regulatory applications.
Key messages and “what this means for…” statements.

As a guideline, each speaker should dedicate a minimum of 20% of their presentation to this type of applied content or combine basic science with practical presentations in a session.

These 'practical application' notes will be included in the session descriptions within the Conference Program to help delegates choose their preferred sessions.

Session Formats

Within the online Proposal Submission Tool, you will be asked to select the format that best suits your session vision. CNS reserves the right to reassign the format if necessary to align with the overall program structure.

Concurrent Sessions (60 minutes)
Include two invited speakers and moderated Q&A. Interactive formats (e.g., workshops or breakout discussions) are encouraged to enhance audience engagement and practical application.
Plenary Sessions (75–90 minutes)
Feature high interest/highly relevant topics that appeal to the broad audience. Plenary sessions are typically not held at the same time as other sessions (non-competing).
Interactive Sessions (60-75 minutes)
May take the form of panel discussions, debates, or workshop-style presentations, and should place a strong emphasis on practical implementation and engagement.
Sponsored Satellite Sessions (60-75 minutes)
Collaborative sessions with CNS and external organizations (e.g., industry, commodity groups, NGOs). Details available on the CNS website.

Submission Instructions

Clearly indicate the session’s primary theme: Basic Science, Clinical, Regulatory/Policy, or Public Health - or a combination of these**.
Include a description of how the session will ensure practical application for attendees.
Include a description of what is new and novel about this topic.
Submit using the online Proposal Submission Tool by Friday, October 17, 2025 at 11:59pm ET

*Please note that all presentations will be delivered in English.

Session Chairs

Session Chairs are integral to ensuring session quality and cohesion. CNS gives preference to Chairs who are:

CNS members in good standing.
Actively involved in speaker coordination.
Committed to ensuring content aligns with the session description.
Responsible for confirming practical application content is included.
Willing to support session logistics, including deadlines, disclosures, and Q&A moderation.

Submit Proposal