How to Submit a Poster Abstract for the SCB Symposium

To submit a poster abstract for the Southern California Botanists (SCB) symposium, email it to [email protected] before the posted deadline. The email body must include all authors, their affiliations, and the poster title; the abstract itself is limited to 250 words, and you should state whether the presenter is a student. For the 2026 symposium, abstracts are due October 9, 2026, and submitters are notified of acceptance by October 16, 2026.

These requirements come from SCB's own call for poster abstracts. The steps below walk through preparing and sending a submission that meets them.

Before You Start

Confirm three things before writing:

• The poster has not been shown at a previous SCB symposium. SCB explicitly asks that you not submit abstracts for posters already displayed at one of its symposia.
• You know who the presenter is and whether they are a student. Student status affects both eligibility for the best-poster award and symposium registration.
• You can meet the deadline. The 2026 deadline is October 9, 2026; late abstracts are not described as accepted.

Step-by-Step Submission

1. Write the abstract (250 words maximum)

Keep the body of the abstract within 250 words. SCB does not publish a required section structure, so a standard research summary works: what you studied, how, what you found, and why it matters to Southern California botany. The 2026 symposium theme is "Where Cities Bloom: The Future of Urban Botany in Southern California," so urban plant topics fit the program directly.

2. Assemble the required email content

The email body must contain:

3. Send the email

Address the message to [email protected] with the required content in the body. The call specifies electronic submission by email; no separate form or portal is mentioned.

4. Wait for notification

SCB states that submitters will be notified by October 16, 2026 whether their poster has been accepted. Plan around that date rather than assuming acceptance.

What Student Presenters Get

Two benefits are tied to student posters:

• Best poster award: a free 1-year SCB membership goes to the student with the best poster.
• Free registration: student poster presentations qualify for free symposium registration.

If you are a student, saying so in the email is what makes these applicable, which is why the student indication is a required item rather than an optional note.

Common Pitfalls

• Sending only the abstract. The author list, affiliations, and title belong in the email body alongside the abstract, not only on the poster file.
• Omitting the student note. Without it, the presenter's student status may not be recorded for the award or registration benefit.
• Reusing an old poster. Previously displayed SCB posters are excluded.
• Missing the word limit. Trim to 250 words before sending; the limit applies to the abstract, not the whole email.

Key Dates for the 2026 Cycle

For registration and program details, SCB directs readers to the symposium page on socalbot.org. The same page is the place to confirm whether deadlines have been extended before you rely on the dates above.