NSGC is pleased to announce the Call for Sessions for the NSGC 45th Annual Conference taking place in Baltimore, Maryland, Nov. 10-14, 2026. All pre-conference symposia, workshops and educational breakout sessions are selected through the Call for Sessions.
The NSGC Annual Conference showcases advancements across the breadth of the genetic counseling profession to provide education and build community. Attendees will gain knowledge of clinical and scientific best practices and insights into emerging research. The conference provides a unique opportunity to engage and network with colleagues and pursue professional development.
The call for session proposals will remain open through Feb. 15, 2026. Those who submit a session proposal will be notified of their submission status in April 2026.
Session Topics
The Annual Conference Program Committee (ACPC) is looking for session proposals that include innovative topics that support the professional advancement of genetic counselors, include evidence-based guidelines, and cover advanced genomic and medical technologies. Based on feedback from past NSGC Annual Conferences and the Education Needs Assessment, NSGC is particularly interested in sessions that cover the following specialty-specific and other requested topics (listed in alphabetical order):
- Access and Service Delivery (billing, reimbursement, legal/policy)
- Advanced Applications of AI in Genetics
- ART/Infertility/IVF
- Cancer Genetics & Oncology (adult and pediatric)
- Cardiology
- Clinical Trials
- Emerging Genomic Technologies
- Endocrinology
- Gene Therapy
- Health Technologies & Evolving Service Models
- Hematology
- Lived Patient Experiences
- Long-Read Sequencing
- Metabolic/Biochemical Genetics
- Neurology and Neuromuscular Conditions
- Newborn Screening
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Precision Medicine
- Prenatal
- Psychosocial Counseling
- Student Supervision/Education
- Variant Interpretation
- Whole Genome Sequencing
While these topics were specifically requested by NSGC members and previous conference attendees, you are invited to submit proposals with content outside of this list.
Session Formats
Please note: Due to technical limitations, NSGC cannot accommodate live-streamed remote speakers or recordings of session speakers. All invited speakers are expected to present in person.
Pre-conference Symposia (Pre-Cons)
Pre-conference symposia include three to five hours of content (in addition to a 30-minute break) allowing time for a deeper dive into a specific topic area. Audience engagement is encouraged throughout the session. Pre-cons typically host up to 100 attendees.
Workshops
Workshops are two-hour sessions that employ skill-based, active learning methods to encourage interaction between session attendees. A minimum of 60 minutes of interactive content is recommended. Workshops should be designed to host up to 250 attendees.
Educational Breakout Sessions (EBS)
Educational Breakout Sessions (EBS) are concurrent sessions that are 60 minutes in length. These sessions cover a variety of topic areas including, but not limited to, clinical specialties, professional issues and counseling skills.
Janus Lecture
The Janus Lecture is an honored keynote address named for the ancient Roman god, Janus, who was depicted with two faces, one looking to the past and one to the future. In this spirit, the Janus Lecture features a genetic counselor with expertise in a specific area sharing their perspective on the past, present and future of their specialty.
One genetic counselor will be selected to give a 30-minute lecture based on nominations. After the close of the nominations process, NSGC staff may reach out to nominees to request a CV. Self-nominations are acceptable, and nominations of colleagues can be submitted anonymously, if preferred. Submit a Janus Lecture Nomination
Learning Objectives
Each session requires one learning objective per 30 minutes of content, regardless of the number of speakers. Learning objectives should:
- Provide a framework for session planning.
- Serve as the basis for selection of content, instructional strategies, and appropriate speakers.
- Describe to learners exactly what knowledge and/or skills they are expected to demonstrate as a result of the session.
- Be clear, concise, and measurable.
- Be written using behavioral verbs (only one behavioral verb must be used per objective). Note: “understand” is not a recognized continuing education behavioral verb.
- For information on writing effective learning objectives, review Tips for Writing Objectives.
Examples of Session Submissions
View sample proposal submissions from the 2025 Call for Sessions (please note these examples are provided as references for quality content submissions and that there have been changes to the 2026 Call for Sessions form and requirements):
Submitting a Session and the Role of the Session Lead
A Session Lead is the individual who submits the initial proposal for consideration. This person maintains responsibility for coordination of the session prior to and during the Annual Conference. Session Leads may also serve as a speaker or moderator within a session. Please note: If the Session Lead is a speaker or moderator and wishes to receive complimentary conference registration, then the Session Lead will count towards the maximum number of speakers and complimentary registrations allotted to your session (refer to the “Description of Session Roles” section for more information).
All Session Leads are responsible for the following:
- Initial communications to proposed speakers confirming their willingness to participate and reporting of confirmed speaker details to NSGC staff. Please reach out to your identified speaker(s) to confirm their availability prior to submitting the Call for Sessions form and confirm that each speaker is not listed in more than two session proposals for the NSGC Annual Conference.
- Distributing important information, such as deadlines and required materials, to session participants.
- Reviewing promotional materials and final descriptions of the sessions.
- Coordinating planning meetings and calls for session participants.
- Finalizing learning objectives, quiz questions, and session slides, and submitting final materials to NSGC staff.
There is an opportunity to designate another individual as the Session Lead during the acceptance phase of the process if the submitting individual cannot fulfill the responsibilities of the role.
Description of Session Roles
Session speakers should be demonstrated subject matter experts in the session topic. Subject matter experts have a deep, specialized knowledge of the session topic, gained through education, training, or experience, and may include patients and patient advocates. Speakers will be expected to attend the conference in person; NSGC’s current capabilities do not allow for live-streamed presentations. NSGC provides complimentary conference registration to a maximum number of speakers per session.
To be considered a session speaker, individuals must speak for a minimum of 15 minutes during the session, exclusive of panel time and time allotted to interactive activities with the audience. (While patients and patient advocates count towards your speaker total, they are not required to speak for 15 minutes.) Depending on the length of a session, the maximum number of speakers may be four to eight speakers per session (including the Session Lead). Please refer to examples below:
- A one-hour Educational Breakout Session (EBS) would have a maximum of four speakers.
- A two-hour Workshop (including one hour of interactive activities with the audience) would have a maximum of four speakers.
- A five-hour Pre-Conference Symposia that includes interactive content and audience engagement throughout the session would have a maximum of eight speakers per session.
Session speakers are eligible to split the session honorarium available for their session type. NSGC also provides complimentary, full-conference registration for session speakers (up to the maximum number of speakers per session). Complimentary registration is non-transferable and does not include add-ons, such as a Pre-conference Symposia or access to recording packages after closure of the virtual platform. Continuing Education Unit (CEU) fees are included in your complimentary registration. You are not eligible to claim CEUs for any session(s) where you are a speaker.
All non-genetic counselor speakers (e.g., physicians, surgeons, patient advocacy representatives, patients and/or families, and other speakers who are not certified genetic counselors) receive a travel stipend in addition to their honorarium. More details will be provided by NSGC pending acceptance of your session.
Session moderators may provide introductions to speakers and moderate panel discussions. They are not considered session speakers.
Session facilitators may facilitate group discussions and activities within the audience during the session. They are not considered session speakers.
Session moderators and facilitators do not receive complimentary, full conference registration.
Review of Proposals
After the close of the Call for Sessions, the ACPC meets to review, score, and discuss all submissions to determine which sessions will be included at the Annual Conference. This review process involves analysis of prior years’ conference evaluation feedback, Education Needs Assessment data, and other NSGC educational strategies to determine gaps and priority areas. View the NSGC Annual Conference Content Evaluation Rubric.
Session Submitter Mentor Program
The ACPC is pleased to offer a mentor program for novice submitters or those looking for additional guidance. Mentors are past ACPC members with an in-depth understanding of the submission process and objectives of the NSGC Annual Conference. Working with a mentor is a great way to transform your idea into a proposal. Mentorship does not guarantee acceptance of your proposal for presentation at the conference.
Interested in being paired with a mentor? Reach out to speakers@nsgc.org with a description of your proposal.
Questions?
If you have any questions about the Call for Sessions process, please email speakers@nsgc.org.