Call for Proposals FAQ

MAPS is inviting proposals for our Americas and EMEA Annual Meetings. The MAPS 2027 Americas Annual Meeting will take place in Miami, Florida, March 14-17, 2027. The MAPS 2027 EMEA Annual Meeting will be held in Barcelona, Spain from May 9-11, 2027.

Proposal submissions are open to all—MAPS membership or volunteer status is not required. We welcome innovative, relevant session ideas that address current and emerging topics in Medical Affairs.

Yes, MAPS requires everyone who submits a proposal to log in. This is linked to your MAPS membership account, if you are non-member you can create a free non-member account and then submit your proposal.

Each individual can submit one (1) proposal per meeting and each company may submit up to two (2) per company per meeting.

Please review all specific guidance and instructions below carefully. Proposals that are incomplete or do not meet the criteria provided will not be considered for review. All proposals must be submitted online through the MAPS platform. The deadline for submissions is Friday, August 14, 2026.

1. Proposals must include a designated submitter who will receive all notifications. The submitter can also serve as a faculty member.
2. All proposals must comply with the MAPS Non-Promotional Policy and the Conflict of Interest Policy.
3. Proposals must include a majority of faculty from pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, or other healthcare companies. We strongly encourage diverse perspectives and organizations within the sessions. MAPS will not accept proposals that do not have confirmed faculty.
4. Each faculty member is limited to speaking at one unique concurrent session in order to open opportunities to others and broaden the perspectives.
5. All faculty of accepted sessions will receive a significantly reduced registration price.

MAPS would like content to be aligned to Domain and subsequent competencies. The MAPS Professional Development Committee (PDC) has refreshed the Domain descriptions from the MAPS Competency Framework and Domain Definitions. Generally, we will accept four to six sessions per domain for the Americas meeting and two to four sessions per domain for the EMEA Annual Meeting.

1. The Strategy Domain focuses on the vision, value and impact of Medical Affairs. These competencies align the core capabilities of creating robust medical strategic and launch plans, identifying actionable insights and executing with operational excellence.
2. The Scientific and Technical Knowledge Domain describes technical and quality aspects of the drug development process, while detailing the application of various aspects of drug development within the practice of Medical Affairs.
3. The Business Knowledge Domain provides a solid grounding in business fundamentals to help Medical Affairs professionals vision the function within the wider context of the biopharmaceutical and MedTech industries, while powering the growth of cross-functional careers.
4. The Evidence Generation Domain describes the strategy and execution of activities meant to generate new knowledge about products and populations.
5. The Customer Engagement and Scientific Communication Domain enables Medical Affairs professionals to maximize communication and engagement with healthcare professionals, payors, and patients/careers as well as internal partners.
6. The Leadership & Management Domain guides the development of current and next-generation Medical Affairs leaders, detailing not only the skills required by individual leaders, but also the context of leadership within and beyond the Medical Affairs function.
7. The Medical Governance and Compliance Domain focuses on the interpretation and application of regulations and industry codes of practice, coupled with ethical and risk mitigation considerations and relevant control frameworks, enabling the pursuit of patient-centric business opportunities in a rapidly evolving external environment.

MAPS is accepting submissions across all Domains and Competencies. Each Domain has developed a list of priority topics and debates: Click Here

The audience for the MAPS Medical Affairs meetings generally consists of a diverse group of professionals within the field of Medical Affairs. This includes individuals in executive roles, those who are new to Medical Affairs, and those working in various sub-functions. These professionals come together to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and advance the field of Medical Affairs. In addition to Medical Affairs professionals, the Annual Meetings are also attended by solution providers, consultants, and advisors who seek to elevate the field. They provide industry professionals with cutting-edge innovations, expertise, and insights.

MAPS Americas and EMEA Annual Meetings accept proposals for three session types, workshops, debates and didactic sessions. All sessions must align with the MAPS Competency Framework and are expected to address topics relevant to Medical Affairs professionals. Debate submissions must address one of the topics developed by the MAPS Domains. Final debate topics will be available by June 26th.

The table below provides a quick reference - For more information on Session Types Details and Best Practices

 

Session Type	Purpose	Format	Faculty	Length
Workshop	Deep skill-building through practice and peer exchange	15 min didactic / 45 min interactive / 15 min wrap-up & Q&A	2–3 faculty; majority from industry	75 minutes
Debate	Challenge assumptions; explore unresolved issues from opposing perspectives	15 min didactic / 25 min structured debate / 10 min audience participation / 10 min closing, conclusions	3 required: 2 debaters + 1  moderator; majority from industry	60 minutes
Didactic	Expert-led knowledge transfer on a defined topic or best practice	45 min presentation / 15 min Q&A	2–3 faculty; majority from industry	60 minutes

 

Here is a curated list of invaluable resources endorsed by MAPS to effectively guide you in crafting a compelling proposal for our Annual Meetings. Leveraging these resources will enhance your chances of creating a standout submission that truly resonates.

• MAPS Competency Framework and Domain Definitions
• Knowles Adult Learning Theory
• Bloom’s Taxonomy
• MAPS Knowledge Center
• Proposal Submission Office Hours

MAPS staff will review the received proposals for completion and adherence to requirements. Subsequently, the Domain Leads will receive the proposals within their Domains to review for the quality of the proposal, alignment with MAPS needs or gaps, a well-developed concept or agenda, confirmation of experienced faculty (with a majority from the industry), and key learner outcomes. The Professional Development Committee will make the ultimate decision based on various criteria, including the fit and balance of coverage in the Competency Framework and venue logistics.

Yes, once proposals have been accepted, speakers are able to register for the full meeting at a significantly reduced registration cost. Speaker registration does not include access to the MasterClasses at Annual Meetings. No complimentary registrations will be offered for speakers or facilitators of concurrent sessions. MAPS does not allow any additional discount codes to be used on speaker registration.

Concurrent Sessions at Annual Meetings do not have budget available for travel, accommodations, honoraria, printing, or other support.

Proposals may be saved and edited at any time before the submission deadline. While certain required fields must be completed in order to save your proposal, placeholder information may be entered and updated later. To edit a saved proposal, log in to the Proposal Service Center and click the paper-and-pencil icon next to your proposal title.

Yes- if you decide not to move forward, you may withdraw your proposal at any time through August 14th via the Proposal Service Center.

Every Friday, when the Call for Proposals is open, MAPS will host a Teams Meeting Q&A from 8:00 to 8:30 AM ET. During this call, we will provide updates on the process and allow organizations to ask specific questions related to it.

For direct assistance, please email education@medicalaffairs.org. One of our event coordinators will respond within 24 hours during regular business hours.