ICOH 2027 Abstract Submission Guidelines

ICOH 2027 – Call for Abstracts

Mumbai, India | 14th–19th February 2027

The International Scientific Advisory Committee, the Trustee Committee and the National Scientific Committee of ICOH 2027 invites researchers, professionals, practitioners, and students to actively contribute to the scientific program by submitting abstracts for consideration as oral or poster presentations in the Free Paper Sessions.

1. RULES FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION – (oral free papers and posters)

Language:

• The official language of the Congress is English. Abstracts must be written and presented in English.
• Abstracts that are not written in understandable English will be rejected.

Word Limit:

• Title: Up to 100 characters (including spaces)
• Abstract Body: Up to 1,500 characters (including spaces and section headings)

Authors:

• No more than two abstracts will be allowed for each presenting author. No restriction on the number of authors.
• Provide full names, institutional affiliations, and country for each author.

Abstract Structure: Background, Methods, Results and Conclusions:

• Background: Brief context, rationale, and objective.
• Methods: Key details on study design, population/sample, data collection, and analysis.
• Results: Major findings with concise, factual data (avoid tables or figures).
• Conclusions: Summary of main implications for occupational health practice, policy, or research.

Keywords:

Up to 5 keywords following MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) standards.

Tables, Figures, or References:

Not permitted within the abstract text.

Publication:

Accepted abstracts will be published in an online supplement of the Journal of Occupational Health (JOH) – the official English-language open-access journal of the Japan Society for Occupational Health (Impact Factor 2.0 2024; Clarivate).

Only abstracts presented at ICOH 2027 are eligible for publication and citation.

Submission Topics:

• Authors must select one relevant topic from the complete list attached in annexure.
• Complete list of subthemes is attached in annexure and available on the ICOH 2027 website.

Oral Papers and Posters:

• Oral Papers and Posters are for brief presentations on studies, investigations, or observations in occupational health and safety, and represent a vital component of the Scientific Program of the ICOH 2027 Congress.
• Abstracts accepted as Oral Paper will be for an oral presentation of a maximum of 10 minutes, including Q&A. Instructions for presentation (e.g. ppt template) will be given in the letter of acceptance.
• Abstracts accepted as Posters will be for Posters to be placed in a dedicated area of the Congress Venue. Instructions on how to prepare posters will be given in the letter of acceptance.

Ethical and Reporting Standards:

• Abstracts should adhere to international standards for scientific integrity and ethical research.
• Human or animal studies must indicate appropriate ethical approval and informed consent.
• Avoid promotional language or product-specific claims.
• Conflicts of interest and funding support, if any, should be clearly mentioned within the abstract submission form.

Formatting and Style:

• Use clear, concise English with appropriate scientific terminology.
• Avoid abbreviations unless widely accepted and defined at first use.
• Spell out all chemical names, acronyms, and statistical terms clearly.
• Use International system of units (SI) consistently.
• Do not include personal identifiers or institutional logos.

Evaluation Criteria:

Each abstract will be reviewed by the Scientific Committee based on the following parameters:

1. Scientific quality and originality.
2. Relevance to occupational health themes.
3. Clarity of objectives, methods, and conclusions.
4. Contribution to evidence-based practice or research advancement.

General Notes:

• Authors must indicate preferred format (oral or poster).
• Accepted abstracts are official contributions to the scientific program of the Congress.
• The presenting author agrees to register, to attend the Congress, and to present the abstract as scheduled by the ICOH.
• Abstracts must be original, not previously published or concurrently submitted elsewhere.
• The decision of the Scientific Committee is final.
• ICOH2027 is committed to inclusive participation. Authors with accessibility needs may contact the ICOH2027 Secretariat for support.

2. IMPORTANT DATES

• Abstract submission opens: December 2025
• Abstract submission deadline: 10 April 2026
• Notification of acceptance: 14 July 2026
• Early registration deadline: 15 August 2026

To ensure inclusion of the presentation in the final official program of the Congress and the publication of the abstract in the online Supplement of Journal of Occupational Health (JOH), the presenting author must register for the 35^th International Congress on Occupational Health by 15 August 2026. Until this deadline, the early bird registration remains on offer.

Authors who wish to withdraw their abstract must send a written request to SC@icoh2027.in.

3. GRANTS AND AWARDS

a) Grant application for low- and middle-income country delegates

Participants from countries with GDP less than 15,000 USD who have an abstract accepted for Oral or Poster presentation at ICOH 2027, will be able to apply for a grant to support the cost of their participation. Applicants must be ICOH members in good standing when submitting their application and they must be the presenting author for the abstract.

Countries eligible by income are defined according to the ICOH membership classification. Check your country GDP at ICOH Members Info.

Presenting Authors who meet the eligibility criteria and are submitting an abstract, will be able to indicate their intention to apply for a grant (should their abstract be accepted) by checking the box "Applying for the Grant application for low- and middle-income country delegates" at the end of the abstract submission form.

The Chair and members of the Fundraising Committee will collect and evaluate the applications submitted. Based on available funds and on granting criteria that will be defined by the Fundraising Committee, applicants may receive a partial or total grant.

b) Student Poster Competition

As in previous ICOH Congresses, ICOH 2027 will host a Student Poster Competition.

• To be eligible, students must register and submit an abstract of their work as presenting author within the advertised time frames.
• Following acceptance, they should prepare a scientific poster to be displayed in a dedicated poster area.
• Detailed information on judging criteria will be provided in the official abstract acceptance letter.

The posters will be judged on scientific quality, poster presentation quality and clarity by a panel of international volunteer judges selected among the Congress participants.

There will be a cash prize for the Best Student Poster and up to 7 runner ups will receive a special recognition at the Congress Closing Ceremony.

Presenting Authors who meet the eligibility criteria and are submitting an abstract will be able to indicate their intention to apply for the Student Poster Competition (should their abstract be accepted) by checking the box "Applying for the Student Poster Competition" at the end of the abstract submission form. They will be asked to provide written documentation of their enrolment as a student.

c) ILO Master Fellowship Award

At ICOH 2027 a partial fellowship to attend the ILO Master in OSH will be assigned to three eligible ICOH members from low- and middle-income countries who will present a scientific contribution accepted as Oral or Poster presentation. The winners will receive a partial fellowship which will cover part of the expenses to attend the residential part of the Master Course at the International Training Centre of the ILO in Turin (ITC-ILO), Italy.

Applicants must be ICOH members in good standing when submitting their application and they must be the presenting author for the abstract.

To be admitted to the competition, the candidate must:

• Hold a first university degree (BA) of minimum three years duration;
• Be no older than 40 years of age. In exceptional circumstances, candidates who are older than 40 years of age may be accepted if they have graduated no more than five years prior to the time of application. In these cases, candidates will be asked to provide written documentation as proof of the date of their graduation;
• Have a working knowledge of spoken and written English;
• Have the ability and access to use computer and Internet.

The candidates meeting the preliminary criteria for participation will be requested to return to ICOH Secretariat the following documents:

• Letter of commitment (a template will be prepared and e-mailed by ICOH Secretariat) containing:
  • A commitment to participate in the master course in case of winning the award;
  • A declaration to hold the minimum requirements to be admitted in the competition (first university degree (BA) of minimum three years duration; no older than 40 years of age; working knowledge of spoken and written English; ability and access to use computer and the Internet);
  • A commitment to raise funds for the costs not covered by ICOH.
• CV including education background, working experience, level of spoken and written English and level of ability and access to use a computer and the Internet (requirement needed for the first phase of the Master, non-residential).

The awarding criteria will be published on the ICOH website (www.icohweb.org).

Presenting authors who meet the eligibility criteria and are submitting an abstract will be able to indicate their intention to apply for the ILO Master Fellowship Award (should their abstract be accepted) by checking the box "Applying for the ILO Master Fellowship" at the end of the abstract submission form.

4. ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION

Authors will be notified by 14 July 2026 as to the acceptance status of their submissions. This includes the assignment of session category and presentation format (oral or poster). Detailed instructions regarding requirements and instructions for oral and poster presentations will also be provided at that time.

If your abstract is accepted, you must complete your registration no later than 15 August 2026 on the Registration page of the Congress website (https://www.icoh2027.in/register).

Unless you register by that date, your abstract will not be included in the final official program of the Congress nor will it be published in official Proceedings.

For more information please contact:

Email: SC@icoh2027.in

Annexure: List of Subthemes / Topics