A Special Thematic Session (STS) includes a set of individual contributions (minimum 4, maximum 8) focusing on a specific topic or centred around the work of a national or international project. STSs are aimed at providing highly relevant discussions on innovative or emerging topics in the AT field.

STSs are aimed at providing highly relevant discussions on innovative or emerging topics in the AT field.

STS Proposers are expected to invite colleagues from the field to submit contributions. These can even be identified in advance, but there is no need to be include in the proposal. Additionally, STS Proposers are encouraged to extend an open invitation after the STS approval and announcement. Also, anyone submitting a paper to the conference may choose one of the STS if they believe their work fits the topic.

STS proposals

Proposers of a STS should submit their proposal, us
ing the STS proposal template, to
conference@aaate.net by 31st of December 2026. This is a rolling process and STSs notification of acceptance and announcement on the conference website will be provided about 2 weeks after STS submission.

After the approval of the STS, each corresponding individual contribution will need to be submitted following the Research Strand submissions guidelines below. These will be blind-reviewed following the same review process as the individual scientific contributions that will be presented at the conference. During the submission process, it will be possible for authors to indicate the appropriate STS.

Please note that all submissions related to a STS will be assigned to the STS chair as meta-reviewer (the role of meta reviewers is to check the different reviews, ensure they have been provided by reviewers in time, and propose a decision to the Programme Committee.

In case the minimum number of individual contributions is not reached, the Programme Committee may either assign additional thematically relevant contributions to the session, or cancel it and distribute the submitted contributions to other sessions.

STS proposers will chair the Sessions. The Conference registration fee will not be waived for STS speakers or chairs.