Selection Criteria for Education Session Proposals
- Does the proposal provide important, new or novel insight?
- Does the proposal provide important data or new techniques?
- Is the proposal relevant to radiation oncology, the Annual Meeting, and the field?
- Is the proposal creative, original, new or cutting-edge?
- Is the proposal methodology strong, of high quality, and academically rigorous?
- Is the proposal organized, logical and coherent?
- Is the proposal based on current and evidence-based education?
- Does the proposal address overarching practice gaps in patient safety, quality, multidisciplinary care?
- Is the information immediately usable in practice?
- Does it address barriers and challenges to practice?
- Are proposed speakers and moderators new? (Speakers should rotate every three to four years)
- If included, do case studies highlight relevant clinical practice issues and spur discussion?
- Does it highlight or address published ASTRO guidelines or best practices?
- Is it reflective of ASTRO policies/agendas?
Selection Criteria for Extended Session Proposals
In addition to the above, does this proposal:
- Require a deeper dive into a specific topic? Extended sessions are typically reserved for topics that require extended time for presentation, interaction or discussion than a traditional education session.
- Require direct training, breakout topics, or pre-reading/work?
- Require expected additional reading by the attendee?
- Address overarching practice gaps in patient safety, quality and multidisciplinary care?
- Is the information immediately usable in practice?
- Does it address barriers and challenges to practice?
- If included, do case studies highlight relevant clinical practice issues?
Selection Criteria for Storytelling Session Proposals
In addition to the above, does this proposal:
- Highlight those affected by cancer and experts in the field of treating cancer to reflect on their experiences through the art of storytelling?
- Address interesting and compelling stories that are not traditionally covered?
- Include stories that touch on policy, engagement, adverse experiences, triumph, equity, diversity and inclusion?
All submissions must have ONE primary track and can have an optional secondary track.
- Breast Cancer
- Central Nervous System
- Digital Health Innovation and Informatics
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Health Care
- Gastrointestinal Cancer
- Genitourinary Cancer
- Global Oncology/International
- Gynecological Cancer
- Head and Neck Cancer
- Health Policy
- Health Services Research
- Hematologic Malignancies
- Immunotherapy
- Lung Cancer/Thoracic Malignancies
- Miscellaneous
- Nonmalignant Disease
- Nursing and Supportive Care
- Palliative Care
- Patient Reported Outcomes/Qol/Survivorship
- Patient Safety and Quality
- Pediatric Cancer
- Practical Radiation Oncology
- Professional Development/Medical Education/History
- Radiation and Cancer Biology
- Radiation and Cancer Physics
- Sarcoma and Cutaneous Tumors
In addition, each year the ASTRO President selects a theme that resonates throughout the meeting program. The 2025 theme is Rediscovering Radiation Medicine and Exploring New Indications. You will be able to indicate in your proposal if it is related to this year's theme.
View the session proposal template to assist with your planning purposes. Please note that this is just a planning tool and that all session proposals need to be submitted via the online submission site.
All education session proposals should address and incorporate the following criteria to ensure Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism* has been considered in the proposed session content and delivery:
- Is the proposed session content culturally sensitive, accurate, balanced and evidence-based?
- Does the education activity pertain to and consider different identities and abilities, e.g. ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation/identification, religion, etc.?
- Are the planned speakers inclusive of different identities and abilities?
- Does the content address root cause of health disparities, factors that impact patient wellness or provide any mitigating factors to improve patient outcomes?
- Is the content sensitive to those who may experience systemic barriers?
- Do you plan to discuss DEI perspectives of this topic within your session?
- Is there adequate and diverse representation of patient populations?
- Does the educational activity promote understanding of diverse perspectives, including the values, attitudes and behaviors that support cultural pluralism?
- What steps have the submitters taken in addressing your education session through a diversity, equity and inclusion lens? (Open response section)
*Guidelines and Recommendations for Incorporating DEIA into Continuing Education for Healthcare Professionals © 2022 Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME©).
ASTRO is an accredited provider of continuing medical education and adheres to the policies and standards set forth by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). As such, moderators and speakers are required to disclose relationships with ineligible companies.
An ineligible company is defined as “any entity developing, producing, marketing, re-selling or distributing health care goods or services consumed by or used on patients.”
To ensure its compliance, ASTRO expects that the content and related materials will promote improvements or quality in health care and not a specific proprietary business interest or commercial bias.
We employ several strategies to ensure absence of bias:
- Moderators and speakers are required to provide disclosure of relationships with commercial interests.
- Moderators and speakers are required to provide a balanced view of therapeutic options.
- All proposals undergo a rigorous peer review process.
- Potential conflicts are managed by additional committee review, advance slide review and session audits.
ASTRO Education Staff Support
ASTRO Staff may be reached by emailing the Annual Meetings team.
ASTRO Proposal Submission Site Technical Support
Technical problems should be reported by email to Technical Support.
Urgent technical questions may be asked by phone at 401-334-0220 (Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Eastern time).
