How Can We Help?
Themes, spotlights and formats
- Do abstracts need to match a sub-theme spotlight?
- Do the two new formats require video?
- In the case of products that cross several thematic areas, is it better to choose a single subtopic?
- What are the session formats?
- What is the exact word/character limits per format?
- Which languages are accepted?
Eligibility & participation
- Are there age limits to attend?
- Can a private company submit?
- Can I come without an abstract?
- Can I submit as a team?
- Is 18–35 an eligibility requirement for the youth focused theme?
- Is it possible to submit abstracts for projects that were terminated by USAID?
- What hotels near the Panama Convention Center are recommended?
- Where will the SBCC Summit 2026 be held?
- Will there be an option to present abstracts virtually?
Submissions & review
- Are abstracts Scopus-indexed?
- Can I review abstracts if I also submit one?
- Does “session organizer” mean a person or an organization?
- How many proposals can I submit?
- What goes in “Session Organizer” on the form?
- What is the submission deadline and when will we be notified?
- Will abstracts be published anywhere?
- Will reviewers move my abstract to a different format if it fits better?
- Will you check whether an abstract was written using AI?
- Will you review abstracts using AI?
Content expectations
Format-specific guidance
- Are abstracts submitted as videos or documents?
- Are English subtitles on the original language (other than English) audio acceptable, or is it mandatory to include English dubbing? Is this true for audio in Portuguese and French?
- Are there any time limits for media clips?
- For the Multimedia Showcase, can the maximum seven-minute clip be a reel edited specifically for the Summit, or must it be a literal excerpt from the finished product?
- For the Multimedia Showcase, how important is the technical quality of the audiovisual product compared to its thematic relevance and contribution to the field of SBCC?
- How will posters be presented?
- If a person is the main author of a Multimedia Showcase proposal, can they also participate as a co-author in a panel or other format?
- If selected, will the video be available on any Summit platform and what usage rights will the authors retain?
- What are skills-building workshops?
- What is a multimedia showcase?
- What will be considered under the “Failing Better: From Oops to Aha” format?
- What will be considered under the “Stories that Flip the Script” format?
Funding, fees, and visas
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Are English subtitles on the original language (other than English) audio acceptable, or is it mandatory to include English dubbing? Is this true for audio in Portuguese and French?
UpdatedSeptember 23, 2025
English subtitles are fine if that is what is already available. As noted in the session descriptions, “All submissions should be dubbed or subtitled if the audio is in a language other than English.”
