Submit an Abstract
Submit your abstract using the Meeting Abstracts Programming System (MAPS), the online meeting programming system of ACS.
How to Submit an Abstract
International Presenters
Find information on obtaining a U.S. visa and the visa waiver program for travelers from select countries.

More About Abstracts (Abstract FAQs)
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I'm trying to submit an abstract, but I can't find the website.
Authors can submit their abstract by logging into MAPS with their ACS ID and password.
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Where can I find abstract submission deadlines?
Abstract submission deadlines are posted on ACS, regional, and specialty meetings’ Call for Papers.
To access the Call for Papers:
- Go to maps.acs.org
- Click on the specific meeting in which you want to submit an abstract.
- Click the Submit an Abstract button.
- Go to maps.acs.org
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How many words can the abstract contain?
- The word limit for ACS meetings is 300 words (2500 characters).
- Both tables and images subtract from the abstract word count.
- Each row in a table counts for a total of 7 words (56 characters).
- An image counts for a total of 70 words (560 characters).
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How do I make a change (add an author, change the title, etc.) to the abstract I submitted?
- Navigate to your Submission Center within MAPS.
- Scroll down to your Submissions and use the Action drop-down list of the abstract you wish to edit and select Edit.
- Click Yes, Move to Draft.
- Under Drafts, scroll to the abstract you wish to edit.
- Use the Action drop-down list to select Edit Draft.
- Make any necessary edits, navigate to the Review and Submit page and click Submit.
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I submitted an abstract, but cannot remember my ACS ID or password to view the abstract.
To retrieve your ACS ID and password,
- Go to MAPS and click Forgot User Name or Password?
- You will be prompted to enter the email address associated with your ACS ID.
- An email will be sent to you with your user name and a reset password.
For further assistance, please email maps@acs.org or call 1-800-333-9511 (US only) or 614-447-3776 (outside the US).
MAPS Support is available Monday through Friday (except holidays) from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. - Go to MAPS and click Forgot User Name or Password?
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I've missed the deadline for submission. Now what do I do?
If you have missed the submission deadline, please contact the symposium organizer or program chair. Contact information for program chairs and symposium organizers is listed in the Call for Papers.
To access the Call for Papers:
- Go to maps.acs.org
- Click on the specific meeting in which you want to submit an abstract.
- Click the Submit an Abstract button.
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I submitted an abstract to MAPS. Can you tell me when my paper is scheduled?
Once program chairs have finalized the programs, ACS staff will email official acceptance and scheduling notices. Presenters can expect to receive their acceptance notices approximately 3 months before the meeting. Scheduling notices are sent periodically starting approximately 2 months before the meeting.
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How do I get a letter stating I am presenting at the meeting so that I can apply for a Visa?
Once your abstract has been accepted, you can download and/or print a visa letter through the Message Center in MAPS. Click Messages and then Visa Letters. A visa letter will be available for each accepted abstract. For ACS meetings, please also visit the International Travel page for relevant resources.
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I am presenting a poster at the meeting. Can you give me information about the setup? Do I need to bring a poster board?
ACS provides each poster participant with a 4-foot-high by 8-foot-wide display board in the convention center, and a four-foot-high by six-foot-wide display board in hotels. These display boards resemble a freestanding black board with pushpins. You can set up your poster at least 30 minutes before the start of your poster session.
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How do I withdraw an abstract?
- Navigate to your Submission Center within MAPS.
- Scroll down to your Submissions and use the Action drop-down list of the abstract you wish to withdraw and select Withdraw Abstract.
- Provide a reason for withdrawing the abstract and click Yes to confirm withdrawal.
- On the submission page, the abstract now has a status of Author Withdrawn.
If the withdrawal option is not avaialble through the MAPS Submission Center, please send your withdrawal including the abstract control ID to maps@acs.org.
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I am presenting my abstract at an upcoming ACS meeting. Is it possible to record my presentation?
The use of any device to capture images (e.g., cameras and camera phones) or sound (e.g., tape and digital recorders) or stream, upload or rebroadcast speakers or presentations is strictly prohibited at all official ACS meetings and events without the express written consent from the ACS.
Did we miss your question? Please email maps@acs.org or call 1-800-333-9511 (US only) or 614-447-3776 (outside the US).
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What licensing agreement is required for accepted abstracts?
In consideration of the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) acceptance of your abstract, you hereby grant the ACS a nonexclusive, perpetual, worldwide publishing and distribution rights license. This license includes the right for ACS to distribute and make available your abstract, create derivative works or use new distribution technologies, enforce such rights as against third parties, publish the abstract in ACS’s publication of meeting abstracts and/or other compilations or collective works to be assembled and owned by ACS (together, “Collective Works”) in any form or medium now existing or hereafter created throughout the world, and the right to grant or sublicense other entities for some or all of these rights.
You understand and agree that ACS shall own all rights, including copyright, in and to the Collective Works including the rights to: Distribute, reproduce, license, display, perform, lend, lease, or transfer rights to the Collective Works to third parties, prepare derivative works of the Collective Works and to register the Collective Works in ACS’s own name with the U.S. Copyright Office.
You and ACS agree that you and/or third parties with copyrights shall retain copyright in and to the abstract. By submitting the abstract, you affirm that you are the author and owner of the abstract and hold all copyrights in and to the abstract, or have secured any third party permissions necessary to grant the ACS the above rights.
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