PharmaSUG 2018 Call for Papers

Update 1/25/2018: We are still in the process of notifying authors regarding the status of their submissions. This could potentially extend into next week. Please bear with us - we are experiencing some minor growing pains as we adapt to a new system this year that will hopefully allow us to serve you better in the long run.

Presenting a paper at PharmaSUG is a great way to deepen your own technical skills, gain recognition for yourself and your company, and connect with the larger community of statistical programmers, statisticians, data analysts, and researchers in the life sciences. No matter how long you've been in the industry, you've probably learned something that could benefit others. Come and share that learning at PharmaSUG 2018!

Below is some essential information to guide you as you create your paper and prepare your presentation or poster. Before submitting a paper proposal, please review the information below carefully. If you have any questions, please contact Paul Slagle, Academic Chair, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To modify or withdraw your paper proposal, use the PharmaSUG Paper Submission System.

Submission Basics

Your proposal will need to include a paper title of no more than 128 characters and a summary (abstract) of no more than 250 words. You will also be asked to provide the name of each author along with each author's affiliation (company, etc.), email address, and a short biography of no more than 75 words.

To improve the chances of your paper being selected for the conference, it is strongly recommended that you include a working draft or outline. This will give the section chair a better idea of the content, style, and quality of your paper.

Presentation Options and Sections

There are several ways to present: 50-minute papers, 20-minute papers, 10-minute papers (Quick Tips section only), and e-posters. Papers will be assigned to one of 13 academic sections. Several presentation tracks will run concurrently at the conference.

When you submit your paper proposal, you will specify the section you think your paper best fits. You can also specify a second-choice sections. If your first-choice section is full, or if the section chair feels your paper fits better elsewhere, your paper may be assigned to another section. If we are in doubt as to the best choice, we will talk to you.

Click here to review the list of sections and their descriptions.

Paper Guidelines

Every presentation and poster requires submission of a companion paper. These papers will be published as part of the official Conference Proceedings at the PharmaSUG website. (We no longer produce printed proceedings.) To meet the expectations for publication in the Proceedings, please refer to the PharmaSUG 2018 Paper Guidelines, Paper Template, and other tools found with our Presenter Resources.

Presenter Obligations

If the proposed paper is accepted for presentation at PharmaSUG 2018, the author(s) agree to:

  1. Submit the Copyright Grant Form signed by all authors on or before March 15, 2018;
  2. Submit a final paper in PDF format consistent with the PharmaSUG 2018 Paper Guidelines on or before March 15, 2018;
  3. Register for the conference on or before the early registration deadline of March 29, 2018. Registration opens on January 29, 2018.
  4. Be available to present your paper at any point during the conference from 8:00am Monday (April 30, 2018) through noon Wednesday (May 1, 2018). Due to the complexity of the scheduling process, special scheduling requests cannot be honored. Make your travel plans accordingly.

If any of the above terms and conditions is not met, PharmaSUG reserves the right to remove the presentation from the Conference Schedule and exclude the paper from the Conference Proceedings.

Presenter Timetable

Item Date Details
Paper Proposals Dec. 15, 2017 All paper proposals must be submitted through the PharmaSUG Paper Submission System.
Notification Jan. 22, 2018 Section Chairs will notify paper proposers whether their paper has been accepted.
Copyright Grant Form March 15, 2018 The Copyright Grant Form must be signed by ALL authors, scanned, and submitted electronically through the PharmaSUG Paper Submission System.
Papers Due March 15, 2018 The final PDF version of each paper must follow the PharmaSUG 2018 Paper Guidelines and be submitted to the PharmaSUG Paper Submission System. Early submissions are encouraged and appreciated by the section chairs. The conference committee will review the paper and provide any necessary feedback to each presenter. Any revisions will be required on a timely basis.
Registration Deadline March 29, 2018 Presenters must register by the early registration deadline to receive the presenter rate. We reserve the right to cancel presentations by unregistered presenters.
Presentation files loaded April 16, 2018 Please submit your presentation through the PharmaSUG Paper Submission System.