Annual Conference on Patient-Oriented Research Hosted by AbSPORU
2026 NorthWest SPOR Collaborative Forum
SAVE THE DATE: MAY 12-13, 2026
AbSPORU’s Northwest SPOR Collaborative Forum returns in 2026 from May 12 to May 13 at the Cheateau Lacombe hotel in Edmonton, Alberta. Join us as we explore this year’s theme — People and Partnerships: Powering the Future of Health Research.
Event Details:
- Dates: Tuesday, May 12 – Wednesday, May 13, 2026
- Location: Chateau Lacombe hotel | 10111 Bellamy Hill Rd NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 1N7
- Email cd.absporu@ucalgary.ca for exhibitor, partnerships and sponsor opportunities
Early bird tickets will go on sale in late March 2026:
- Professional $290
- Students $150
- Patients $150
- Professional $340
- Students $180
- Patients $ 180
Livestream: FREE
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DEADLINE EXTENDED! Call for Abstracts NOW OPEN
We welcome you to submit your research abstract for participation in the 2026 Northwest SPOR Collaborative Forum. We are accepting abstracts via the Whova platform until February 16, 2026 at 11:59pm MT.
You may submit in the following categories:
- Poster presentation
The poster session will be held from 3:20pm – 4:20pm on Tuesday, May 12; all poster presenters need to be available during this time to discuss their research with conference attendees - Workshops, panels, lightning talks
Speakers will provide a formal presentation, between 20-90 minutes, to a live audience
Note: you may submit more than one abstract, but one complete form submission is required for each abstract.
Submission Deadline: February 16, 2026 @ 11:59pm MT
Whether held in-person, virtually, or both, our annual conference provides inclusive capacity development opportunities in patient-oriented research (POR) towards the shared goals of increased access to high-quality health care and improved patient outcomes. This event is open to researchers, students, clinicians, patients and caregivers, health-system professionals, policymakers, and more.
The conference provides opportunities for:
- Attendees to engage with other members of the POR community, in order to facilitate training, growth, and support in the practice of POR;
- Recognizing, showcasing, and celebrating POR success, innovation, talent, and partnerships in Alberta and beyond; and
- Furthering AbSPORU’s mandate to support Alberta-based POR and its impacts for health system transformation and enhanced patient outcomes.
Content and Learning Objectives
Each year our conference integrates Alberta-focused content and activities alongside programming delivered collaboratively with our POR partners across Western Canada. Through this, we aim to engage audiences with diverse perspectives and experiences, to enhance the conference impact for everyone.
Through a combination of keynote speakers, expert panel discussions, interactive workshops, poster presentations, and networking opportunities, conference attendees will:
- Gain practical knowledge and skills for conducting POR;
- Develop evidence-informed practices in several key areas of POR, including patient engagement, knowledge translation and synthesis, research methods, accessing data and conducting pragmatic clinical trials;
- Learn about opportunities and services that AbSPORU provides to help achieve research goals;
- Explore the impact of POR and AbSPORU on the research landscape;
- Develop a broader understanding of how to engage underrepresented interested parties in health research; and
- Offer patient and community members opportunity to learn about and further develop health research skills and to network with POR researcher and patient research partner communities.
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CALGARY
University of Calgary Foothills Campus
3330 Hospital Dr NW
Calgary, AB T2N 4N1
EDMONTON
University of Alberta North Campus
Dianne and Irving Kipnes Health Research Institute
11405 87 Ave NW
Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9
Land Acknowledgment
The Alberta SPOR SUPPORT Unit operates on and acknowledges the lands that are the traditional and ancestral territory of many peoples, presently subject to Treaties 6, 7, and 8. Namely: the Blackfoot Confederacy – Kainai, Piikani, and Siksika – the Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, Stoney Nakoda, and the Tsuu T’ina Nation and the Métis People of Alberta. This includes the Métis Settlements and the Métis Nation of Alberta. We acknowledge the many First Nations, Métis and Inuit who have lived in and cared for these lands for generations. We make this acknowledgment as a reaffirmation of our shared commitment towards reconciliation, and as part of AbSPORU’s mandate towards fostering health system transformation.
© 2026 AbSPORU