Neuroethics 2027
Madrid, Spain
April 7-9, 2027
The convening partners of the Neuroethics 2027 conference invite students, researchers, and professionals from around the world to submit abstracts to be considered for research presentations on April 7-9, 2027. The conference includes opportunities to participate online or in-person in Madrid, Spain.
We welcome research that addresses any topic or issue related to neuroethics and the ethical, legal, clinical, social, and policy considerations raised by brain sciences and technology. Research may align with the theme — Neuroethics at a New Frontier: Brain, Body, Data, and the Human Condition — but this is not required.
Authors with an accepted research abstract will be invited to either present a poster or give a talk. Presentations may be given in-person or online, depending on the availability of space in the program and technological capabilities of our conference spaces. See the research presentations section for details.
Conference planning is led by the International Neuroethics Society (INS), the Program Committee, and with support from the International Center for Neuroscience and Ethics (CINET), the Tatiana Foundation, and other partners.
This event is generously supported and made possible with contributions from our sponsors and individual donors. Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities!
Submit
All research abstracts must be made through the online submission form, linked below. Please review this entire call and all requirements before submitting an abstract. See the Abstract Submissions Question List (.docx) to prepare content for all required fields.
Authors will promptly receive an email receipt confirming that their submission was received through the online form. If you have trouble submitting your abstract, or have any questions about the submission requirements, contact INS staff by email <staff@neuroethicssociety.org>.
Deadlines
Similar to last year, we will have an early submission date and a later final deadline. Please note that we will not extend these dates. All dates listed below are final. No research abstracts received after the final deadline will be considered for presentation.
We encourage you to submit your research abstract early, if possible. This will ensure you receive the earliest possible acceptance notice with more time to secure travel documents and funding. Authors who will travel internationally to the conference are strongly encouraged to submit early.
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Submission period opens | October 1, 2026 |
| Early submission date | November 5, 2026 |
| Early acceptance decision notices issued by | December 20, 2026 |
| Final submission deadline | January 21, 2027 |
| Final acceptance decision notices issued by | February 26, 2027 |
| All talk invitation notices issued by | March 1, 2027 |
Review
Submitted abstracts for research presentation are anonymized and peer reviewed. Reviews are completed by members of the Program Committee and other volunteer judges using the Abstract Rubric (pdf) — which includes some differences between empirical research and for research that is conceptual, theoretical or normative. Acceptance is based on the content and quality of the submission and overall program fit.
Research abstracts submitted for consideration are not guaranteed to be accepted and become part of the program. The committee is not required to provide feedback to abstract authors regarding reviews or final decisions. Authors can expect to receive notices of acceptance and presentation invitations no later than the dates listed above.
All accepted abstracts are invited and encouraged to present a poster. Top-ranked abstracts may be selected to receive an invitation for oral presentation (research talk). From the over 200 abstracts we receive annually, about 10% are not accepted and less than 10% are invited to give a talk.
Reviewer Signup
If you are interested in reviewing abstracts, complete the Abstract Reviewer Signup form. You can be a reviewer even if you submitted an abstract for this conference. Please note that we do allow high school students to review abstracts.
Components
See the Abstract Submissions Question List (docx) to prepare all materials and details required as part of the research abstract submission.
Abstract
Research abstract text should be 250-350 words in length and must be in English. We allow and encourage authors — regardless of their English proficiency — to draft their abstracts in another language and translate it to English for the purpose of submission.
The research may address any topic related to neuroethics — a field that studies the implications of neuroscience for human self-understanding, ethics, and policy. Topics may, but are not required to, align with the conference theme.
Abstracts should clearly demonstrate that the research in some way relates to the brain and/or brain functions, and that it engages in some way with ethics and ethical/legal considerations. Abstracts that do not make these connections clear are at risk for not being accepted.
Abstracts will be evaluated on the following criteria categories. Reviewers will assess whether an abstract has included, and how well it has articulated, the:
- Problem
- Background
- Methods or Argumentation
- Results and/or Conclusions
- Importance (of the scholarship)
Criteria categories vary slightly between empirical research and research that is conceptual, theoretical or normative. For general guidance on how to construct your abstract, review the Writing Tips post and tips sheets. Authors should also review the Abstract Rubric (pdf) to understand how reviewers are instructed to evaluate abstracts with regard to these criteria categories.
Research Details
In addition to the prepared abstract text (250-350 words), the initial research abstract submission must include a:
- Research title (up to 25 words)
- All contributing authors (full names)
- Authors’ affiliations (primary institutions only)
- Research methodology (empirical, theoretical, legal, etc)
- Topics, terms, concepts, keywords, disciplines, etc
- References and citations consistently formatted (any style)
- Disclosure of all conflicts of interest (see below)
- Submitting author’s name and email (one person only)
- Presenting author’s name and email (up to two people allowed)
If needing to update these details after initial submission, email INS staff (staff@neuroethicssociety.org). Do not resubmit your abstract through the submission form.
Presenter Demographics
Personal and demographic details of the presenting author are also required with your submission. For the presenting author only (with details combined if two people present), you must identify:
- Country(ies) of residence/affiliation
- Region(s) of residence/affiliation
- Career level
- Gender (optional)
- Pronouns (optional)
Personal demographic information for presenting authors is captured for internal demographics reporting. Authors may elect not to provide information for questions marked optional. Collected demographic data are anonymized and will not be directly attributable to specific authors during the review process. These anonymized data enable the Program Committee to assess whether it has adequately been able to: 1) empower underrepresented people and cultures; 2) promote a diversity of perspectives, identities, and research disciplines; and 3) reach a representative balance among the group of authors invited to give research talks.
Conference Participation
The conference includes opportunities to participate online or in-person in Madrid, Spain. As part of your submission, we also ask submitting authors to identify the presenting authors’:
- Likely participation (online or in-person)
- Region and time zone (for scheduling online presentations)
- Access to and reliance on financial support to attend or participate
- Visa application requirements
- Potential barriers to participation
These questions are required to better understand the circumstances that members of our research community are facing. Answers do not impact individual decisions regarding acceptance, talk invitations, or travel funding allocations.
Compliance / Disclosures
Work presented in abstracts must be in compliance with: local policies, ethical review related to the use of humans and animals in research, and disclosure of any conflicts of interest. Authors are responsible for reporting any real or perceived financial conflict of interest.
A brief disclosure and conflict of interest statement should be submitted with the abstract and viewable on the presentation. Disclosures should appear on the bottom left corner of the poster, or on a presentation slide, and may follow the recommended format:
- “Disclosures: None” (or)
- “Disclosures: The author(s) disclose a relationship with…”
Authors
Authors at all career stages are eligible and encouraged to submit abstracts for consideration. There are no restrictions or limitations regarding an author’s program, discipline, or area of study. We especially welcome abstracts from our colleagues from marginalized groups and/or with perspectives that are underrepresented in the field.
Authors do not need to be members of the INS before submitting an abstract, and membership status is not considered as part of the research abstract review process or talk selection.
Presentation Commitment
All presenting authors who have an accepted abstract and have been invited to present their research at the meeting — either as a poster or a talk — must confirm their participation by registering for the conference. A final deadline date will be provided.
If you are waiting to register because you are waiting for confirmation of funding or a travel visa, we encourage you to complete the registration form without making the payment by selecting the ‘invoice’ option for payment method. If you are having trouble with the registration form, contact INS staff <staff@neuroethicssociety.org>.
Presenting Authors
Each accepted abstract and invited presentation must have at least one (1) and no more than two (2) presenting authors. Authors may only be identified as a presenting author on two (2) abstracts submitted to the conference. If an author is listed as a presenting author on more than two abstracts, INS staff will contact the submitting authors to decide which submission should be adjusted to meet this requirement. Authors can be listed as a co-author on multiple abstracts, with no limit.
Any changes to the presenting author after submission must be communicated in a timely manner to INS staff by email <staff@neuroethicssociety.org>.
Presentations
Research presentations can be given in several formats — depending on whether you participate in-person or online. Learn more about research presentation formats. A link to all presentations will be provided later.
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