We are pleased to announce a call for symposium proposals from our members. In conjunction with the symposia planned by the Societies and the Program Committee, we anticipate hosting approximately 50 symposia. We encourage submissions of timely and innovative proposals and those with interdisciplinary approaches. We look forward to receiving your enthusiastic applications.

Submission Period: August 1 – October 6 17:00 Japan Time, 2025

Index

1. Important Considerations for Symposium Selection
2. Guidelines
3. Grant for Junior / Female Researchers’ Symposia
4. Grant for Joint International Symposia
5. Corporate Sponsorship
6. Symposia Co-Organized with Research Programs and Institutions
7. How to Submit Your Proposal

1． Important Considerations for Symposium Selection

Proposals for Innovative and Cross-Disciplinary Themes

In addition to scientific universality and novelty, we welcome proposals on cross-disciplinary themes spanning multiple specialized fields, as well as those addressing emerging areas of controversy. To encourage the selection of the most innovative topics from a wide range of fields, Proposals that are deemed highly similar to those presented at conferences within the past two years will be given lower priority.

Proposals Emphasizing Diversity and Interdisciplinarity

Preference will be given to symposium proposals that involve speakers and co-organizers diverse in age, gender, and affiliation. Special attention to diversity in age, gender, nationality, and region is strongly encouraged. Proposals judged not to demonstrate a symposiast composition emphasizing diversity and inclusion will have lower priority in the selection process. From the perspective of fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, we welcome symposium proposals that include speakers or co-organizers who are not members of JNS, JSN, or JNNS, but are affiliated with other relevant academic or clinical societies. Junior researchers who have obtained their doctoral degree within the last 10 years are eligible to apply for the Junior Researchers’ Symposia Grant as organizers of a symposium, which is described in section 3 below.

Proposals Promoting International Cooperation

To promote the internationalization of the meeting, symposium proposals that involve overseas-based researchers (regardless of nationality) as speakers will be preferred. Symposia co-organized with overseas-based researchers are eligible to apply for the Joint International Symposium Grant, as described below.

2． Guidelines

1. Meeting Format
   This meeting will be held in person. We invite chairs and speakers from overseas who can attend onsite.
2. Time Slot and Basic Structure
   The duration of the symposium should be 120 minutes (tentative) with 4 to 6 speakers. In principle, both presentations and the ensuing discussions are to be conducted in English.
3. Eligibility for Main Organizer
   The main organizer must be a regular or junior member of JNS, JSN, or JNNS. A co-organizer may be added to co-chair the session; however, the main organizer will be responsible for planning, scheduling, and moderating the session.
4. Before Contacting Symposium Speakers
   Organizers should personally obtain consent from all the speakers of their symposia before they submit their proposals. Please be sure to inform the potential speakers that the holding of the symposium is not fixed until the proposal is accepted.
5. Registration Fees and Travel Expenses for Speakers
   Registration fees for the annual meeting will be waived for symposium speakers who are not members of JNS, JSN, or JNNS.
6. Financial Support for Inviting Overseas Speakers
   Organizers who wish to receive financial support in inviting overseas-based speakers should enter their requests, including a justification, in the “Special Notes” section of the application form. If you would like to request financial support to invite speakers based outside Japan, please clearly state your request and the reason in the “Special Notes” section of the proposal form. The Program Committee will review the request and decide if funding becomes available. Please note that the general budget outline is expected to become clearer around April of next year. To ensure the feasibility of your proposed symposium, even if substantial support from the meeting is limited, we kindly request that organizers make efforts to secure their own sources of funding.
7. Possible Adjustments to Proposal Content
   The Program Committee may ask the organizers to combine their symposium with a similar proposal, rearrange speakers, change the titles, or incorporate an oral presentation into their symposia.
8. Presentation Restriction
   Individuals can submit one abstract to present as a first author. Speakers of a symposium cannot present at other symposia or oral/poster sessions. Organizers should convey this policy to the speakers when they ask for their consent to speak in their symposia. If the organizer does not give a presentation in their own symposium, they may present in another session.
9. Notification of Acceptance and Next Steps
   Acceptance/non-acceptance of the proposals (including combined proposals) will be announced in early November 2025 (tentative) after the Program Committee’s review. The main organizers of the accepted symposia should then responsibly request all speakers to submit their abstracts during the period of the call for papers.

3． Grant for Junior / Female Researchers’ Symposia

Symposia organized by junior researchers who have obtained their doctoral degree no more than ten years before October 6, 2025, the deadline for the submission of symposium proposals, or by female researchers may be financially supported as Junior / Female Researchers’ Symposia. At least one overseas-based researcher must be included as a speaker in the symposium if you are to apply for this grant. We will provide grants ranging from JPY50,000 to JPY400,000 per symposium for this purpose. We look for ground-breaking and enthusiastic proposals.

＜How to apply＞
Please select “Apply” under the “Grant for Junior / Female Researchers’ Symposium” on the application page and upload a CV of the main organizer.

4． Grant for Joint International Symposia

Symposia that invite overseas-based researchers as co-organizers and are expected to promote international collaboration will be actively supported. When financial resources are secured, grants of JPY50,000 - JPY400,000 per symposium for travel expenses of invited co-organizers will be considered.

＜How to apply＞
Please select “Apply” under “Grant for Joint International Symposium” on the application page and upload a CV of the co-organizer.

5． Corporate Sponsorship

In some cases, companies may sponsor symposia, providing financial support for the symposia. Please be aware that if we receive sponsorship proposals from companies after the acceptance decisions have been finalized, we will consult with the organizers.

＜Sponsored Symposia＞

1. Partial support for symposium hosting expenses (e.g., travel expenses for invited symposiasts from overseas) will be provided.
2. Some companies may ask to publish their company names following the title of the symposium, such as “Sponsored by XXXX”, on the website of the annual meeting or in the meeting program.
   They may ask to place a link to their website on the texts of their company names on the website of the meeting as well.
3. Materials related to the sponsor companies to be distributed onsite of the symposium are limited to those that are permitted by the meeting and symposium organizers.
4. We may consult with you separately if we secure sponsorship distinct from sponsored symposia.

＜If Organizers Secure Corporate Sponsorship＞

If you, as an organizer, secure corporate sponsorship independently, please notify the meeting secretariat. We will then provide you with separate guidelines regarding the terms of the sponsorship fees.
Even if your proposal is submitted with the expectation of corporate sponsorship, please do not guarantee the symposium's execution to any company until the acceptance decision has been finalized.

6． Symposia Co-Organized with Research Programs and Institutions

If you wish to co-organize your symposium with research programs (e.g., Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas or Brain/MINDS 2.0) or research institutions, please enter the name of the program or institution on the application page. Joint sponsorship fees for the meeting are not necessary. Using rooms or equipment lent by the meeting is free; however, putting up signage or using other equipment will be charged.

7． How to Submit Your Proposal

Go to the application page from the link below, fill in the form with the following information, and submit your proposal. The person in charge of the proposal, i.e., the main organizer, should responsibly apply.
The organizer (and co-organizer, if applicable) should assume the role of chair(s) of the symposium in principle.

1. Symposium Category (choose from the drop-down category list)
2. Symposium Title
3. Information about a main organizer (a regular or junior member of JNS, JSN, or JSBP only): name, affiliation, and contact information (email address, phone number, and website URL)
4. Information about a co-organizer (if applicable): name, affiliation, and contact information (email address, phone number, and website URL)
5. Aim and synopsis (approximately 600 characters)
6. Information about each speaker: name, affiliation, email address, phone number, and website URL
7. Abstract title of each speaker (tentative titles may do)
8. Key publications of each speaker (1 to 2 papers per speaker)
9. Keywords for the entire symposium (5 keywords)
10. Request regarding co-hosting with Research Programs and Institutions
11. Financial resources secured for travel expenses of overseas speakers
    e.g., Grants-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas
12. Consideration of diversity： age, gender, internationality, and others（Approximately 600 characters）. You can convey your consideration of diversity clearly by including a breakdown like the examples below:
    e.g.: # in their 30s, # females / # males, # from USA / # from Europe（There is no need to extract speakers’ personal information）
13. Special Notes (Approximately 600 characters)
    Please describe your intended contribution to this meeting.

Contact: NEURO2026 Secretariat

6th floor, Shin-Osaka Grand Bldg., 2-14-14, Miyahara, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka,
532-0003, JAPAN (c/o A & E Planning, Co., Ltd)
TEL: +81-6-6350-7163
E-mail: neuro2026@aeplan.co.jp