NZAG is:

• A multidisciplinary organisation committed to understanding ageing and promoting the interests of older people.
• An affiliated member of IAGG – the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics.

Our Aims:

• To promote study and quality research on ageing
• To encourage research informed age-related training and continuing education
• To stimulate impactful and informed debate and action on improving the wellbeing of older people
• To proactively contribute to public discussion and policy on ageing
• To provide a forum for networking and exchanging ideas

There will be several presentation types, including traditional Oral and Poster format at the New Zealand Association of Gerontology 2025 Conference. We will also accommodate other offerings including arts-based performance or exhibition. All are equally valued contributions. Different presentation formats may be best suited to different kinds of content. Authors should offer their proposal with as much information as possible so the committee can understand the requirements for time and space. However, the final presentation type will be determined by the New Zealand Association of Gerontology 2025 Conference Review and Programme Committee.

Symposia

Up to 90-minute time slots are available for each symposium, which is expected to include 3-5 presentations/performances and opportunities for audience participation. Please present an overview for the symposium, and details of each presenter, including the moderator or discussant, and the details of their presentations. Outline the timeline including audience participation or discussion.

Oral presentation

Typically, oral presentations will be complete stories or largely finished research projects, or creative works with clear outcomes and conclusions. These can also be a performance, exhibition or panel. They should be placed in a broad ecological context and therefore be of general interest beyond the immediate subject area. If applicable, authors should outline potential or existing collaboration(s) with industry, academia, creative industries, other research organisations in New Zealand or internationally, and also summarise the (potential) impact.

Presentations should aim to engage the audience, to create interest, seek feedback and encourage further enquiry. Presentations are approximately 10-12 minutes long, followed by 3-5 minutes for further discussion/question time, for a total of 15 minutes.

Posters (A0 portrait display)

Poster presentations are suited for work in progress and preliminary results and are also useful for reporting new methods and techniques that might be of relatively narrow interest to researchers or industry development persons in particular fields. Studies that seem ideal for Oral presentations can also be presented very effectively as Posters.

Posters encourage direct engagement between those with interesting work to share and a wide audience, in a personal setting. Posters will be displayed in the conference space available to attendees during breaks and there will be specific poster session opportunities. Poster session times will be announced in the conference program. Posters presenters must register for the conference.

Authors should bring their posters to the Conference ready for display.

The New Zealand Association of Gerontology 2025 Conference Programme Committee will attempt to accommodate the preferred presentation type for all authors. The number of oral presentations and symposia that can be accommodated in the programme is limited, hence the number of authors requesting oral presentations may exceed the places available. If the demand for oral presentations exceeds the available time slots, the New Zealand Association of Gerontology 2025 Conference Programme Committee will review all abstracts for 15-minute presentations offering some delegates, who request oral presentations, the option of presenting a poster. We can offer those symposium submitters who are unsuccessful to presentations as individual abstracts. All submissions will be reviewed by the New Zealand Association of Gerontology 2025 Conference panel committee members and academics.

All submissions will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

• Relevance to the conference;
• Relevance to the conference themes and objectives of NZAG;
• Presents key issues to a broader interest to the general aged care community;
• Quality & novelty of the abstract;
• Scientific merit, originality and interest;
• Compliance with the word count and format requirements for abstracts (as per templates).

All submitters will receive an email confirming the outcome of their abstracts. All these criteria are key considerations in the acceptance of all submissions. We reserve the right to discuss your submission with you as part of the process of assembling the programme.

When submitting an abstract, you will be required to provide the following information:

• Abstract title (should reflect the content of the presentation).
• 3-5 Keywords
• Name, affiliation and contact details of the corresponding (presenting) author and any co-author(s).
• A short bio (max 150 words) of the presenting author for the programme.
• Preferred presentation type (symposia, oral presentation or poster presentation).
• Permission to publish your abstract in the conference handbook which will be available online.
• Acknowledgement that the presenting author will register and attend the New Zealand Association of Gerontology 2025 Conference.
• Indication if presenting author wishes to be considered for the Māori or emerging researcher award.
• Abstract (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion for research abstracts or Background, Methods and Conclusion for practice/arts-based abstracts. Please note to submit an overarching abstract for a symposium and email the full symposium document to care@otago.ac.nz)
• Abstract max. length 1250 words for symposia, max. length 250 words for oral and poster, excluding title, authors and biography

Early submission of abstracts is recommended.

The closing date for submissions is 25 July 2025. Once your abstract has been accepted for a presentation at the New Zealand Association of Gerontology 2025 Conference, you are required to register and pay to attend before the end of September to avoid being removed from the programme.

Please note: Early Bird Registrations close on 5 September 2025.

Prizes will be awarded during the conference closing ceremony:

• Best poster presentations
• Best emerging researcher/clinician presentation (see definition)
• Best Māori research/researcher presentation

Please indicate if you wish to be considered for the Māori or emerging researcher award. The emerging researcher award is for oral presentation format only.

Definition of emerging researcher/clinician: Current higher degree student, or current faculty, and non‐academic NZAG members within 6 years from the award of a higher degree (e.g. PhD/Masters) or advanced postdocs, allied health professionals, and clinicians are also encouraged.’

At the review stage, the top-most ranked oral presentation abstracts from emerging researchers will be allocated for a bespoke emerging researcher session within the conference where presentations will be judged for this prize (i.e. on the candidates research design, execution, analysis and appraisal of their work; ability to communicate key concepts clearly to the NZAG audience; and competence in answering questions and discussing points raised by the judges and audience). Therefore, presentations within symposia or posters, will not be eligible for this award.

Māori research/researcher are self-identified.

Symposia presentations are not eligible for prizes.