It’s that time of year and once again DesignCon has announced its call for abstracts (CFA). Deadline is June 20, 2024. This is a great opportunity for those considering submitting a paper and presenting at this prestigious event. Here are some reasons why you should consider it:

• Authorship can boost your career and position you as an industry influencer
• It provides an opportunity for in-depth learning about a subject matter, pushing you to research your work thoroughly to ensure accuracy
• It showcases your thought leadership within your workplace and the industry, establishing you as a subject matter expert
• It inspires your colleagues and peers to become subject matter experts in their own fields
• It helps build your personal brand and recognition in the industry
• It offers networking opportunities, allowing you to meet and collaborate with like-minded individuals globally
• It builds self-confidence, especially in public speaking
• It instills a sense of personal pride every time your work is published or presented
• It leaves a lasting legacy of your work, inspiring future generations.

As someone who has authored several award winning DesignCon papers and serves on the Technical Program Committee (TPC), I can say that committing to writing and presenting a paper involves a lot of work! Do not underestimate the effort required to produce a quality paper and presentation. The strongest advice I can offer before you decide to submit a paper is: 

• First, make sure you have a good part of your research done with data captured at least in draft form 
• Second, if you work for a large company, ensure you get prior approval for your paper before you decide to submit to a CFA.

Having most of your research done and captured will facilitate the CFA submission process. It will also disclose to your company’s approval team exactly what you plan to present to ensure there are no exposed intellectual property issues. There is nothing worse than having your abstract accepted then writing your paper and getting it rejected by your company late in the process. Additionally, do not leave your submission to the last minute; like postponing your high school essay to the last minute, any procrastination will be reflected in the the quality of your submission.

If you are new to authoring a technical paper, DesignCon’s mentorship program is ready to help you succeed. Some TPC members, including myself, provide mentoring for new and early-career lead authors. In addition, this year, DesignCon is delighted to announce those considering submitting a paper can also receive mentoring to assist you in submitting the best abstract possible. For more information on this, contact conference director Naomi Price.

Members of the TPC and staff rate CFA based on the following:

1. Quality: Ensure that all information is clearly articulated, well-structured, and understandable.
2. Relevance: The proposed session should align closely with the interests of the DesignCon audience and the specific track topic.
3. Impact: The content you propose should enhance the educational mission of DesignCon. Submissions that report on significant results, methodologies, or case studies of particular importance are encouraged. Contributions on related standards activities are also welcome.
4. Originality: Submissions for technical sessions should be original and not previously published, whether at DesignCon or somewhere else. Proposals that introduce new design methodologies, innovative design case studies, or other novel results are in line with DesignCon’s goal of providing a high-quality educational program. However, “classic” or “introductory” educational topics are also appreciated.
5. Lack of Commercial Content: DesignCon conference or theater sessions should not contain product promotion. Any evidence of product promotion in a proposal will result in rejection. However, it is acceptable to reference a product in a design case study or as a demonstration of a design methodology.

When you begin to go through the submission process, you will be required to provide the following information:

• Contact: Provide the main person to contact regarding this submission. Typically, this is the lead author. If it is your first DesignCon submission, make note of it here.
• Speakers, Authors, Moderators, Panelists: Include all people currently planning to contribute to this paper or session and their capacity.
• Title: Obviously, every paper needs a title. A good title is clear, concise, and accurately reflects the content of your paper. 
• Conference Track Preference: (Required) A secondary track preference is optional. You should choose a track that best describes the topic of your paper. There are 14 tracks to choose from. A description of tracks can be found here.
• Description: This is essentially the abstract of your paper that will be published and promoted on conference website and mobile app, if accepted. It should be limited to 200 words maximum. Like the title, a good abstract is clear, concise, and accurately reflects the content of your paper and will attract attention of readers to attend your presentation.
• Extended Description: This is used mainly by TPC reviewers to judge your proposal. It should be limited to 500 words maximum. Having a good part of your research done will help when crafting an extended description of what you will be presenting.
• Theme: Choose up to three topics that represent area of interest your session will cover. Examples of themes are Signal Integrity; Power Integrity; EMC/EMI; and PCB Design, to name a few. 
• Purpose Statements:  This is for technical paper submissions only. This is very important to assist the TPC reviewers in understanding the practical application of the information to be presented in your paper. You need to provide a problem statement, a "what’s new" statement, and a deliverables statement. These describe what the problem or purpose of your paper is; what is new about it; and what you will deliver. 
• Audience Level: Here you will choose all, introductory, or advanced level of expertise.
• Key Takeaways: This is used for use on conference website and mobile app, if accepted. It should be limited to 50 words maximum.
• Comments: (Optional) You may provide additional information not covered above for reviewers and staff in their consideration of your proposal.
• Any proposals that aim to market a specific person, company, or product will not be considered.

So there is no longer a reason to remain hesitant. Remember the famous quote from Wayne Gretzky: “You always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” So, take your shot at presenting at DesignCon!

To get started, with your submission, follow this link.

Best of luck with your submission!