Be a Star
ANPD's annual Star Search competition encourages aspiring speakers to compete for an opportunity to present a concurrent session at the next annual Aspire convention. Star Search is a fun opportunity for novice speakers to develop their presentation skills!
Apply by November 22
How it works
- Four submitted abstracts from the call for Star Search participants will be selected by ANPD’s Convention Content Planning Committee (CPC) to participate in Star Search during the 2027 Aspire Convention.
- Each participant has 15 minutes total to give a brief presentation that is judged by members of the CPC and the audience.
- The CPC score constitutes 75% of the total score, and the audience score constitutes 25% of the total.
- The participant who receives the highest score is invited to present a concurrent session at the 2028 Aspire Convention and receives one complimentary convention registration.
How to apply
To submit your Star Search abstract, please log in to your ANPD account. If you’re not currently an ANPD member, you can create a guest account to proceed with your submission. Please note that submissions are limited to one presenter per abstract. The deadline to apply is Sunday, November 22, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CT.
View eligibility criteria
- Not previously presented at an ANPD (formerly NNSDO) annual convention.
- Not previously presented at another national conference.
- Only individual submissions are allowed; group presentations are not permitted.
- If selected, presenters must register for the full 2027 convention at their own expense.
View abstract criteria
Candidates must submit an abstract that includes:
- Include a minimum of three literary references supporting the abstract's content; references must be within the last 5 years or be seminal works.
- Provide a brief topic description (50 words max).
- Submit an abstract (250 words max).
- Ensure the submission excludes presenter names, organizations, or identifiers, unless specifically requested.
- Avoid commercial content, including brand names of commercial products.
View criteria for selection
- Address relevance to current challenges, trends, or issues in nursing professional development (NPD) practice.
- Identify a professional practice gap relevant to NPD practitioners.
- Define the gap as the difference between the current and desired state.
- Example: Currently, professional development team members lack self-awareness and knowledge to address issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in practice which are needed to promote better health outcomes and reduce health disparities caused by inequities
- State a measurable session outcome for your educational session that is tied to the identified practice gap. The outcome reflects what the presenter expects the learner (the Aspire audience) should be able to do after attending the session in a way that can be quantified.
- Example: Upon completion of this session, 80% of participants will indicate that this session increases their knowledge of strategies to implement to support the diversity, equity, and inclusion in NPD practice.
- Ensure abstract content aligns with the measurable outcome.
- Use clear, concise content based on current best evidence.
- Make the abstract content applicable to a variety NPD practice settings.
- Provide a specific, clear, and engaging session description.
- Specify learner engagement methods that align with the measurable outcome.
- Eliminate typographical and grammatical errors.
View presentation criteria
Presentations are judged on the criteria listed above as well as:
- Organize content effectively.
- Adhere to the 15-minute timeframe.
- Showcase strong presentation skills.
- Engage and inspire learners.
Download submission instructions
Apply Now
2026 Winner
Congratulations to the 2026 ANPD Star Search Winner, Kelsey Hunt, MSN, RNC-OB, RNC-MNN, CBC, who will present her session, "Time Management Taqueria, A Gamified Approach for New Graduate Nurses" at the 2027 ANPD Aspire Convention!