Call for Short-Talk and Poster Abstracts
We invite submissions of abstracts from the maize genetics community. Authors may choose to submit for Short Talks or for Posters — poster authors may also opt in for lightning talks.

How to Submit
Abstracts must be submitted electronically via the Abstract Form linked at the meeting website (see below) and must be 300 words or fewer.
In the form, you will indicate your preference to present a poster or be considered for a short talk.
Due to time constraints, some authors who request short talks may be asked to present their work as a poster instead, but may still be selected for a lightning talk if they opt in to be considered for one.

Important Deadlines

• Abstract submission deadline: December 19, 2025.

• Short-talk selections and notifications: authors will be notified by January 30, 2026.

• Poster authors selected for lightning talks will be notified by February 6, 2026.

Abstract selection process for short talks:

When selecting short talks for the Maize Meeting, the Maize Genetics Meeting Steering Committee (MGMSC) aims to highlight the most exciting science while representing the breadth of the maize genetics community. Each voting member independently scores abstracts based on:
(1) broad scientific appeal,
(2) scientific quality, and
(3) demographic balance, including career stage, gender, global representation, and race.
Members with conflicts of interest—such as those from the same institution, those who have collaborated on a grant, or those with a mentoring relationship—do not score those abstracts.

Abstracts with clear importance, novel and exciting findings, and broad accessibility typically receive the highest scores, and top-ranking abstracts are prioritized for talks. Additional considerations include balancing subject areas, giving preference to students and postdocs, and ensuring overall demographic diversity. Usually, no more than one abstract per lab or multi-investigator project is selected each year.

When abstracts are tied within a category, priority is given to presenters who have not spoken in the past three years and to labs submitting only one abstract, thereby helping to broaden the range of topics featured across meetings. We recognize that not being selected can be disappointing, so we hope this explanation clarifies the process and helps you prepare a strong abstract.

Preparing an abstract for talk consideration:

Please refer to this abstract preparation guide for tips and suggestions for preparing a compelling abstract. By submitting your abstract for short-talk consideration, you consent to having your presentation recorded. The recording will be available to in-person registrants and those who register for recording access. Recordings will be available for six months after the meeting on a password-protected site. After this period, you will have the option to opt out of hosting the talk archive on MaizeGDB

Poster Size Guidelines
Maximum poster dimensions: 120 cm horizontal x 150 cm vertical (47” × 59”). Authors are responsible for bringing their own tacks or push pins for hanging the poster.

Reporting on new genes:
If you are reporting on new genes in your abstract, then please take the time to check MaizeGDB to see if your gene already exists and to review the nomenclature guidelines. If you require assistance, contact Carson Andorf at carson.andorf@usda.gov for questions about naming genes and John Portwood at john.portwood@ars.usda.gov for technical questions about abstract submission.