SOMA 2024

Brain and Spine Health: Dedicated to exploring cutting-edge research, innovative techniques, and best practices for maintaining and improving brain and spine health in high-stress operational environments. This track brings together leading experts, medical professionals, and researchers to share knowledge, insights, and advancements in the field.

Field to Table (from the Good Idea to the Kit): The track is designed to discuss the basics of establishing a corporation to support the development of an innovative medical product, establish an understanding of the value of an innovative idea/product in the commercial space, and develop a plan to establish funding, protect intellectual property, and contract engineering during the development of an innovative product. Every attempt will be made to devoid this track of commercial interests and all participants will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Operational Health Engagement (OHE): The OHE track will highlight programs that establish, reconstitute, maintain, and improve capabilities through interactions between US military medics and those of a Partner Nation, in coordination with other U.S. organizations; and will demonstrate how building trust and confidence, coordinating mutual actions, maintaining influence, and achieving interoperability with Partner Nations support U.S. military strategy.

Call for Research

The SOMA Research Committee is seeking high-quality research with a near-term impact on our ability to provide forward medical care in future operating environments for SOMA 2024. The call for podium presentations and posters is open from October 2, 2023 – December 15, 2023.

Research Guidelines:

Abstract submissions will be considered for the following types of sessions:

• • Oral podium presentation (15-20 minutes)

• • Poster Submission

The SOMSA Research Track’s goal is to disseminate emerging and ongoing research initiatives, in addition to enabling scholarly collaboration among colleagues and members of prehospital/operational medicine.  The research needs to address important medical challenges and issues, increase the knowledge and skills of SOF and civilian prehospital providers, and promote the development of new best practices and technologies.

Medics and forward providers are encouraged to co-author/co-present relevant submissions, and preference will be given to submissions with medic collaborators. Studies in progress are welcome to submit abstracts, provided at least pilot and/or preliminary analyses are complete by May 2023.

In particular, we seek and strongly encourage abstract submissions addressing:

1. 1. Research directly aimed at improvements in operational medicine procedures for special operations medic-operators or civilian first responders in austere, hostile, and/or contested environments.

1. 1. Practice advancement (in particular, prolonged casualty care advancements/technologies and virtual health/telemedicine)

1. 1. Research-driven training (in particular, using internet and social networking platforms, studies examining simulation vs live-tissue training, etc.)

1. 1. Biomedical/engineering breakthroughs (in particular, proof-of-concept and/or nascent devices, technologies, pharmacotherapies, blood products, etc.)

1. 1. Studies that advance our understanding and ability to build the resiliency of our tactical operators. 

Submission

There is no limit to the number of submissions per author. 

1. The abstract body may contain up to 2250 characters.  No figures, tables, images, or symbols may be used except <, >, = and the like.  The following components should be included:

• • Abstract Title

• • Introduction/Background

• • Methods

• • Results

• • Conclusion/Discussion

• • Track – Please select the track this research best aligns with:
    • MilSOF: The MilSOF Track is uniquely tailored to discussions and presentations of past, present, and possible future use of military special operations medic forces both within US military and international partners. Presenters and panel discussants encompass the full spectrum of active SOF medics to world renowned leaders in the field.
    • Human Performance: The Human Performance Track strives to bring together leaders from the fields of Strength and Conditioning, Sports Medicine, and Sports Nutrition in supporting the tactical athletes of special operations.  Learn how technology, data, and best practices are being used in the real world to optimize performance, reduce injuries, speed recovery times, and foster overall physical, mental, and emotional wellness.
    • TEMS: The Civilian Tactical EMS Track brings high yield information about emergency medical care within the civilian tactical environment. These presentations can include but are not limited to novel methods of TEMS delivery in the civilian world, after action reports related to high profile events, new projects or developments in civilian TEMS and most importantly meaningful conversations about the direction of this young and dynamically changing field. Previous submissions have included an in-depth look at national and international after-action reports such as the Tham Luang Cave rescue, the Tree of Life synagogue shooting, a look at the US Marshals SOG team, the 2020 police riots across the nation, a look into the United States Secret Service and much more.
    • ARSC: The Austere Resuscitative Surgical Care (ARSC) track represents those providing advanced emergency and surgical resuscitation outside of the normal surgical environment and with limited resources.  These presentations highlight the care, techniques and partnership between medics and physicians while in austere environments.  This capability has rapidly expanded over the past decade and now both military and civilian providers are supporting operations in remote areas outside of normal evacuation timelines. 
    • International: The International track provides a forum for presentations and discussion on topics relevant to the international SOF medical community. Presenters will include tactical medical personnel such as NATO SOCM’s and SOMT’s, physicians, and other experts in the field.

2. For all author(s) please provide rank, name, credentials, position, organization, city, state, country.

3. Please complete the disclosure and release tab and provide acknowledgements of funding, prior presentations, conflicts of interest, any scientific or ethical oversight and recording consent. 

4. Preference for oral presentation, poster presentation, or either. 

Poster presentations are less formal, but notless rigorous or substantive, than oral presentations.  Rather than delivering an address before an assembled audience, poster authors present their work interactively to small groups of interested people with the aid of a visual display that summarizes research findings or information presented.  Posters are displayed in a central location so that attendees can peruse the posters and converse with the authors.  Poster presenters will receive presentation guidelines to help best display their research.  

Submissions must adhere to the following guidelines:

• • “Expert panels” or consensus-based approaches to SOF medicine are ineligible for consideration as research.  

• • If the study device is not already on the market, the abstract must include a clear plan for FDA approval within the next 2 years and how the device will be affordable by the military. 

• • The abstract must clearly state how their study is applicable to the Role 1 phase of care. 

• • Animal studies may be selected for podium presentation on a select basis and limited to large animal models only.

Selection

The Research Committee will evaluate an abstract’s relevance and value to SOMA target audiences as well as the source, depth, and quality of the content represented using these criteria:

1.  RELEVANCE:  Contribution to Special Operations Medicine

2.  CLARITY:  Clarity of the study question/hypothesis/objective

3.  STRENGTH:  Strength of the study design

4.  DATA ANALYSIS:  Appropriateness of the data analysis

5.  RESULTS:  Explanation of results and analysis

6.  CONCLUSIONS:  Consistency of conclusions with the results

7.  QUALITY:  Literary quality

Final abstract selection for the 2023 program will be made by mid-January.  Authors will be notified about the status of their abstract(s) via email shortly thereafter. 

Awards

Awards will be presented during the assembly to both the best overall oral and poster presentations and to the best oral and poster presentations submitted/presented by a SOF operator as judged by a review committee onsite.

How do I submit my abstract?

If you are new to the SOMA submission site, Catalyst, you must create an account. If you submitted a proposal for SOMA 2023, please log in with your credentials.  

Questions? Please contact SOMA Staff at [email protected].