Transitions in the age of biomedical AI
BIG DATA
small data
Your Data
FREIBURG | GERMANY
27.09. - 01.10.26
Guidelines for Presenters and Chairs
ISCB GMDS 2026 warmly welcomes all presenters and session chairs. Many thanks for contributing to the conference program. This guide summarizes answers to common questions and provides practical instructions for preparing presentations, managing sessions, and participating in the conference. Please read the guidance for your role carefully before the conference. Your preparation will help us make ISCB GMDS 2026 an engaging and successful scientific meeting.
Oral Presentations
You have been accepted to give an oral presentation at ISCB GMDS 2026 in Freiburg – congratulations! This section explains how to prepare, upload, and deliver your presentation. It also applies to other oral-presentation formats that refer presenters to the general oral-presenter guidance.
Presentation Requirements
- Language: Prepare and deliver your presentation in English, the official conference language.
- Slide format: Use a 16:9 aspect ratio.
- File type and size: We strongly recommend submitting a PDF file. PPTX files are also supported. Your file must not exceed 150 MB.
- PDF compatibility: Make sure that PDF files are compatible with Acrobat Reader 2026.
- PowerPoint compatibility: Make sure that PPTX files are compatible with Microsoft Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024 or newer.
- Fonts: Where possible, use system-independent fonts such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. If you use special fonts, embed them in the PPTX or PDF file.
- Recommended design: Use high-contrast colors and, where possible, a color-blind-friendly palette. External hyperlinks should be avoided because they cannot be supported during the presentation.
- Recommended accessibility reference: For further guidance on accessible visual design, see the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.
- Unsupported media: Embedded video and audio files are not supported.
Presentation Upload
- Deadline: Please upload your presentation by 20 September 2026 at 23:59 CEST.
- Upload system: Upload your presentation through the Conference Submission System: https://access.online-registry.net/iscbgmds2026/. Kindly refer to this tutorial on how to upload your presentation: Upload Tutorial
- Mandatory upload: You must upload your slides to the Conference Submission System to give your talk. We cannot accept submissions after the deadline.
- Updates: If you would like to update your presentation, you may replace the uploaded file until the deadline. Changes are not possible after the deadline.
- Offline access: If you would like attendees to view your presentation offline in the conference app, select the appropriate option under “Visibility” in the upload form.
- No other delivery methods: We cannot accept presentations sent by email, stored on web drives such as Nextcloud, provided through web links, or brought on personal laptops for standard presentations.
- No USB submissions: We cannot accept presentations submitted by USB at the venue.
Session Times
- Contributed oral presentations: A total of 15 minutes is allocated to each contributed oral presentation: 12 minutes for the talk and 3 minutes for questions and answers (Q&A). Keep to this strict limit. The session chair may stop the presentation when the 15-minute slot ends, even if the speaker has not finished.
- Invited oral presentations: A total of 30 minutes is allocated, including Q&A.
- Workshop oral presentations: Follow the times in your workshop schedule.
- Mini-symposium oral presentations (SmallData, STRATOS, and Early Career Researcher (ECR) Day): Follow the times in your symposium schedule.
At the Conference
- Arrival: Please arrive in the room at least 10 minutes before the session starts and introduce yourself to the session chair. Let the chair know that you are present and ready to give your talk.
- Presentation computer: Use the conference computer provided in the room. Presentations cannot be delivered from a personal laptop or another external source.
- Recording: Your presentation will not be recorded.
Poster Presentations
You have been accepted to present a contributed poster at ISCB GMDS 2026 in Freiburg – congratulations! This section explains how to prepare, optionally upload, display, and present your poster. SmallData poster presenters should also follow the tailored instructions under Mini-Symposia.
Presentation Requirements
- Physical poster: Bring a paper poster to display on the poster walls.
- Format: Your poster should be A0 size in portrait orientation.
- Printing: On-site printing is not available. You will need to bring your printed poster with you.
- Poster display ID: You will receive a display ID in the DAY-AREA-WALL format about four weeks before the conference. For example, 28-B-001 indicates a poster scheduled for 28 September in poster area B on wall 001. This display ID will differ from the numeric ID in your acceptance email or the submission system. Print the final display ID communicated by the conference team in the bottom-right corner of your poster.
Digital Poster Upload
- Optional upload: If you would like your poster to be available in the conference app for conferences attendees to access, you may upload a PDF copy through the Conference Submission System: https://access.online-registry.net/iscbgmds2026/.
- Deadline: Upload of your digital poster is possible until 20 September 2026 at 23:59 CEST.
- File size: Your file must not exceed 150 MB.
- File type: Although the submission system may list PPT, PPTX, PDF, and MP4 as accepted file types, upload your digital poster as a PDF to ensure that it is displayed as intended. Create the poster PDF as an A4 digital print to avoid scaling artifacts in the conference app.
- Offline access: If you would like attendees to view your poster offline in the conference app, select the second option under “Visibility” in the upload form.
Display Schedule
Each poster will be displayed for one day only. Follow the setup and removal times for your assigned day.
- Monday, 28 September: Set up your poster from 08:00 to 09:00 and remove it from 17:00 to 17:30 on the same day.
- Tuesday, 29 September: Set up your poster either on Monday, 28 September, from 18:00 to 18:30 or on Tuesday, 29 September, from 08:00 to 09:00. Remove it on Tuesday from 15:00 to 15:30.
- Wednesday, 30 September: Set up your poster from 08:00 to 09:00 and remove it from 17:30 to 18:00 on the same day.
At the Conference
- Installation: Materials for attaching posters to the walls will be available on site during the setup periods.
- Location: The poster exhibition areas are on the first and second floors of the conference venue.
- Engagement: We encourage you to stand by your poster during the coffee breaks and lunch on your assigned day to engage with attendees.
- Removal: Please remove your poster within the specified removal period. The conference team cannot store uncollected posters, and posters left behind will be discarded.
Pre-Conference Courses
Thank you for presenting a pre-conference course at ISCB GMDS 2026 in Freiburg. This section provides practical guidance to help you prepare for and deliver your course.
Before the Conference
- Course materials: You do not need to upload course materials in advance.
- Communication with participants: If you would like to share information with registered participants before the course, please contact the conference team at bemb.iscbgmds2026program@uniklinik-freiburg.de. The conference team will also provide the course host with a participant list so that you can contact participants directly if needed.
- Laptop requirements: Let the conference team know whether you would like to use a conference laptop or will bring your own device. Conference laptops include standard software such as Microsoft PowerPoint.
- Presentation upload: If you will use a conference laptop, upload your presentation through the Conference Submission System before the conference.
At the Conference
- Computer setup: Use the laptop arrangement agreed upon with the conference team: either your own laptop or a conference-provided laptop.
- Projector connection: Presentation systems will support a standard HDMI Type-A connection. Final details about the available connectors will be communicated before the conference.
- Adapters: If you are using your own laptop, bring any adapters or dongles required to connect it to a standard HDMI Type-A port.
Workshops
Thank you for organizing or presenting a workshop at ISCB GMDS 2026 in Freiburg. This section summarizes the key information for workshop organizers and presenters.
For Workshop Organizers
- Presenter guidance: Make sure that all workshop presenters follow the requirements for contributed oral presentations, including presentation upload and technical preparation.
- Presentation delivery: All workshop presentations and digital content will be delivered using the conference computers provided in the workshop rooms. Make sure that all presentation files and other required materials are uploaded in advance through the Conference Submission System. https://access.online-registry.net/iscbgmds2026/.
- Specialized software: If your workshop requires software that is not available on the conference computers, please contact the conference organizers well in advance to discuss possible solutions.
- Setup: Arrive 30 minutes before the workshop begins to allow time for room setup and technical checks.
For Workshop Presenters
- Presentation requirements: Follow the guidance for contributed oral presentations, including the presentation-preparation and technical requirements.
- Presentation upload: Please upload your presentation through the Conference Submission System: https://access.online-registry.net/iscbgmds2026/ by 20 September 2026 at 23:59 CEST. Your file must not exceed 150 MB.
- Presentation delivery: Use the conference computer provided in the workshop room.
- Specialized software: If your presentation requires software that might not be available on the conference computer, please inform the workshop organizer as early as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Workshop Schedule
- Follow the presentation times in the relevant workshop schedule. Workshop organizers are responsible for keeping the session on schedule.
At the Conference
- Organizers: Arrive 30 minutes before the workshop begins.
- Presenters: Arrive 10 minutes before the workshop begins.
- Presentation computer: Use the conference computer provided in the room.
Mini-Symposia
Thank you for contributing to a mini-symposium at ISCB GMDS 2026 in Freiburg! This section summarizes the tailored guidance for the SmallData Symposium, STRATOS Symposium, and ECR Day, including preparation, on-site arrangements, and timing.
Before the Conference
- SmallData invited speakers: Follow the general oral-presenter requirements for presentation preparation and upload.
- SmallData flash and poster presenters: Follow the tailored SmallData Discourse instructions and any linked general guidance.
- STRATOS invited speakers: Follow the general oral-presenter requirements for presentation preparation and upload.
- ECR Day presenters: Follow the general oral-presenter requirements for presentation preparation and upload.
- Session chairs: Follow the Session Chairs section and any symposium-specific instructions.
At the Conference
- SmallData presenters: Follow the tailored SmallData Discourse instructions for the on-site format.
- STRATOS speakers: Follow the general oral-presenter guidance.
- ECR Day presenters: Follow the general oral-presenter guidance.
Session Times
- SmallData invited speakers: Follow the SmallData Symposium schedule.
- SmallData flash and poster presenters: Follow the times in the tailored SmallData Discourse instructions.
- STRATOS invited speakers: Follow the STRATOS Symposium schedule.
- ECR Day presenters: Follow the Early Career Researcher Day schedule.
Session Chairs
Thank you for agreeing to chair a session at ISCB GMDS 2026 in Freiburg! The following guidance applies to chairs of contributed oral sessions, workshops, and mini-symposia and provides practical instructions for preparing for and leading your session.
Before the Conference
- Arrival: Please arrive in the room at least 10 minutes before the session starts. Workshop chairs should arrive 30 minutes before the workshop starts.
- Speaker attendance: Before the session, verify that all speakers are present. Speakers are instructed to contact the chair before the session.
- Session flow: Introduce yourself to the speakers and make sure that everyone understands the session structure and presentation order.
- Lectern: A lectern with a computer containing all uploaded presentations will be provided.
- Larger rooms: Microphones will be provided for the chair, speakers, and panelists. Microphone runners will assist with questions from the audience and panel.
- Technical support: IT support staff will be available to assist with technical issues.
- Chair seating: A seat for the chair will be reserved in the front row.
During the Session
- Introduction: Introduce yourself, each speaker by name and affiliation, and the session structure.
- Session format: Explain the session structure as needed, including whether each presentation is followed by Q&A, questions are held until the end, or a panel discussion is planned.
- Timing: Enforce the schedule strictly and fairly. A contributed talk has a 15-minute slot, comprising 12 minutes for the presentation and 3 minutes for Q&A and changeover. For workshops and mini-symposia, follow the times and formats in the relevant schedule or organizer instructions, including any time allocated to Q&A, panel discussions, and changeovers. Make sure that all speakers understand the timing before the session begins, and stop each presentation when its allocated slot ends, even if the speaker has not finished.
- Timing signals: Before the session, ask speakers how they would like to receive timing reminders. Sitting at the front and raising a hand is usually the simplest approach.
- Microphone use: In rooms equipped with microphones, make sure that speakers and audience members use them.
- Discussion: If there are no questions from the audience, ask one to start the discussion.
- Closing: At the end of the session, thank the speakers and audience.