General Information
AETA and CETA/ACTE do not affiliate with anyone that conducts telephone or email solicitations for booking hotels and do not recommend that you make hotel reservations with any of those groups.
We’re excited to start looking ahead to the 2026 AETA & CETA/ACTE Joint Annual Convention! While details are still being finalized, we can promise another year of engaging sessions, industry insights, and opportunities to connect with leaders and peers across the field. Stay tuned for updates on speakers, topics, and the full program as they become available.
UPCOMING DEADLINES: (ALL ARE DUE AT 11:59 P.M. CT)
Why Attend #AETACETA2026?
“AETA does an excellent job with [its] continuing education (CE) offerings.”
“The opportunity to meet all of these important and legendary people was out of this world.”
“[I] met new people and interacted with people I often only see at AETA once a year.”
“The impact of neonatal heat stress on multiple generations, as well as the series about embryo labeling and ABC forms, was very helpful.”
“I appreciate the practical tips that practitioners share[d] on stage and in the hall conversations.”
“[I] have found all Joint [Annual] Conventions to be valuable.”
“My technician enjoyed the student/technician sessions.”
“[The poster sessions were] valuable and [had] applicable research.”
“[Each year has] good meetings with practical take-home information.”
“[I intend to] evaluate our practice as to whether it has a positive work environment, and examine ways to involve staff in more responsibilities associated with the ART services in our practice.”
“[There were] a lot of tips about the lab and field part of reproduction.”
“The IVF [Practitioner Forum Roundtable session] will likely create conversations for us as a company.”
“[I’m taking away] preconference seminar tips, purchases from vendors, and technological advancements.”
“In the ‘Tiny Travelers: Precision in Shipping and Selecting Bovine Oocytes and IVF Embryos’ session, we discussed applicable techniques to take home to improve our protocols and daily practices.”
“I found several [poster sessions] to be very informative.”
What to See and Do in Madison
Nestled between two sparkling lakes, Madison blends Midwestern charm with innovative culture and natural beauty. Discover Wisconsin’s vibrant capital, with its endless opportunities for exploration, during #AETACETA2026.
Cultural Attractions
Located in the heart of downtown Madison and home to #AETACETA2026, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center is where visionary design meets the picturesque lakefront in perfect harmony. You won’t want to miss the 68,000 square-foot Rooftop Garden, which offers a birds-eye view of Madison and Lake Monona.
A five-minute walk from the Monona Terrace is the stunning Wisconsin State Capitol, which is free to visit and offers tours daily at no cost. Or catch a musical, play, or symphony performance at the Overture Center for the Arts!
Outdoors and Recreation
With over 200 miles of scenic biking and hiking trails and more than 260 parks and beaches, there’s an abundance of things to do outdoors in Madison. Madison is also surrounded by five lakes, meaning the water activities are endless!
Food and Drink Experiences
Experience the legendary Dane County Farmers’ Market (the largest producer-only market in the nation), sample craft beers at one of Madison’s 20 breweries, and explore eclectic Williamson “Willy” Street eateries.
Shopping and Local Favorites
Browse independent shops along pedestrian State Street while shopping for Wisconsin-made goods and local cheese. More than 350 shops, galleries, boutiques, eateries, and more make downtown Madison a diverse shopping experience with something for everyone!
America’s Dairyland: Cheese, Curds, and More!
Wisconsin’s capital sits in the heart of America’s Dairyland, where award-winning cheese curds, artisan creameries, and farm-fresh dairy delights make Madison a must-visit destination for cheese lovers and foodies alike.
Celebrate Madison’s dairy heritage with award-winning ice cream from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Babcock Dairy Store, artisan cut-to-order cheeses at Fromagination, and fresh, squeaky cheese curds (try them beer-battered at Lone Girl Brewing!).
Apply for an #AETACETA2026 Scholarship: Your Front-Row Seat for the Future of Embryo Transfer
APPLICATION DEADLINE: AUGUST 3, 2026, AT 11:59 P.M. CT (save the date to your calendar)
NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE: AUGUST 17, 2026
Apply for the 2026 Student Scholarship now!
AETA is awarding up to 10 student scholarships—covering travel, hotel, registration, and more—for the 2026 AETA & CETA/ACTE Joint Annual Convention in Madison, Wisconsin!
SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS
- One complimentary meeting registration
- One complimentary registration to a preconference seminar of choice (pending availability)
- One banquet ticket
- One preconference social ticket
- Meals, including breakfasts, lunches, and breaks
- Reimbursement for hotel accommodations for a maximum of three nights at one of the official #AETACETA2026 discounted hotel blocks (reimbursement will be issued after the meeting and submission of the postconvention report)
- Reimbursement for round-trip airfare, or other more economical means of travel, for one after the meeting and submission of the postconvention report
WHO QUALIFIES?
This scholarship is designed for students pursuing a career in embryo transfer or those who are interested in learning more about the industry. If that’s you, don’t miss this opportunity to apply!
Applicants must
- Be current AETA student members at the time of application. Not a current member? AETA student membership is FREE—join or renew today!
- Be currently enrolled in an accredited university or program pursuing a DVM or PhD in reproductive physiology with the goal of pursuing a career in embryo transfer.
- Attend all scientific sessions (including a preconference seminar, the banquet, and the preconference social.
- Submit a postconvention report within 30 days after the meeting (required for travel and hotel reimbursement). This report will be published in the AETA newsletter, A Closer Look. The report must include
- recipients’ initial objectives for attending the meeting,
- how their objectives were met and what was gained from attending, and
- how the knowledge gained at the meeting can be used in their academic work and in the industry.
AETA student membership unlocks eligibility to the AETA Student Scholarship Program, deeply discounted #AETACETA2026 registration, member-exclusive benefits (including convention proceedings and recordings, job postings, and the triannual newsletter, A Closer Look), and more—for FREE!
Join or renew for 2026 today.
Join renew
Three Steps, One Big Opportunity
- Complete the scholarship application in full.
- Submit a 500-word written statement addressing why AETA should send you to the 2026 AETA & CETA/ACTE Joint Annual Convention (including anticipated benefits of meeting attendance).
- Submit two letters of recommendation from faculty or current AETA members.
Submit everything to aeta@assochq.org by August 3, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CT.
Apply for the 2026 Student Scholarship now!
Hotel Information
AETA and CETA/ACTE do not affiliate with anyone that conducts telephone or email solicitations for booking hotels and do not recommend that you make hotel reservations with any of those groups.
HOTEL RESERVATION DEADLINES
Madison will be busy with multiple events during #AETACETA2026, so don’t wait! Lock in your hotel room early to guarantee the best rates and locations.
Discounted reservations can be made with the following three hotels:
BEST WESTERN PREMIER PARK HOTEL
22 S. Carroll St.
Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Six-minute walk to the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center
Reserve your room
Room reservations can also be made by calling the hotel directly at 1+ (608) 285-8000 and referring to the “Joint AETA & CETA Annual Conference 2026” room block while booking.
HILTON MADISON MONONA TERRACE
9 E. Wilson St.
Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Two-minute walk to the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center
Reserve your room
Room reservations can also be made by calling the hotel directly at +1 (608) 255-5100 and referring to the “AETA26” group code while booking.
EMBASSY SUITES BY HILTON MADISON DOWNTOWN
231 S. Pinckney St.
Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Four-minute walk to the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center
Reserve your room
Room reservations can also be made by calling the hotel directly at +1 (608) 740-6870 and referring to the “Joint AETA & CETA Annual Conference 2026” group with the code “90S” while booking.
Abstract Submission
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JUNE 30, 2026, AT 11:59 P.M. CT (save the date to your calendar)
NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE: AUGUST 7, 2026
PRESENTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE: AUGUST 14, 2026, AT 11:59 P.M. CT
GENERAL INFORMATION
Are you an embryo transfer researcher, student, or industry professional? #AETACETA2026 abstract submissions help share your groundbreaking work with a global audience of embryo transfer experts at the AETA & CETA/ACTE Joint Annual Convention.
Submit an abstract
IMPORTANT LINKS
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
We welcome the submission of original research, teaching, and extension abstracts for poster presentations only. Posters should consist of original, completed work that has not been accepted for publication in a journal.
Authors should be aware of patent considerations before submitting abstracts for publication.
Submit an abstract
When you submit your abstract, you will be given a tracking number and password. Make a note of these; they will allow you to revise your submitted abstract at any time before the deadline.
NO-SHOW POLICY
If an abstract is accepted, the presenter must attend the convention.
If a presenter is not registered for the 2026 AETA & CETA/ACTE Joint Annual Convention by August 14, 2026, the abstract will not be published. It will be removed from the program and will no longer be available for presentation at the meeting.
Presenters who fail to attend and present their paper or poster may be ineligible to present at future AETA events.
ABSTRACT GUIDELINES
- Keystroke limit: 2,300 keystrokes
- What counts? Title, text, keywords, and tables
- What doesn’t count? Author names and affiliations
- Tables allowed: One per abstract (optional)
- Special characters, such as Greek letters and math symbols, are permitted
If your abstract includes a table, the electronic submission form allows the submission of one table per abstract (optional), and the content of the table will count toward the 2,300-keystroke limit. The printed abstract width allows for 70 keystrokes per line, including spaces. Tables should be a maximum of 10 columns and 15 rows; keep this in mind when you are formatting tables. Tables that are too wide cannot be formatted properly.
ABSTRACT REQUIREMENTS
The submitting author is responsible for the content and quality of the abstract. Abstracts are required for all posters to be considered for presentation at the 2026 AETA & CETA/ACTE Joint Annual Convention.
The AETA Research Committee is responsible for accepting or rejecting abstracts. Criteria include those outlined here and in the Quality Standards for Abstracts document, as well as originality, clarity, and merit. Consolidation of results into one combined abstract is urged whenever possible.
Request for Proposals
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JUNE 30, 2026, AT 11:59 P.M. CT (save the date to your calendar)
The Board of Directors of the American Embryo Transfer Association (AETA) is pleased to provide an opportunity to secure funding to support practitioner-initiated research projects that focus on advancing the knowledge and efficiency of applied assisted reproductive technologies in livestock species. The association’s goal is to provide some financial support and access to statisticians to help ensure that the data generated by AETA-funded projects is robust under critical evaluation and will be of benefit to the AETA membership at large.
Please disseminate this request for proposals to be considered for 2026 (project start dates between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026). The submission deadline is June 30, 2026 (save the date to your calendar).
ELIGIBILITY
- The project leader must be an AETA member in good standing
- The project must address a contemporary problem in the embryo transfer industry
- The experimental design must be sufficiently robust to withstand critical review
- Results must be reported to AETA in an acceptable format (poster presentation, newsletter, etc.)
- It is strongly encouraged that project leaders include AETA student members on the research team
PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
The text of the proposal should be single-spaced, in 11-point font, and no more than four pages in length. It should include the following information:
- Title of the proposal
- Names and addresses of the project leader and other key personnel
- Problem statement and impact on the embryo transfer industry
- Objectives
- Materials and methods (including locations of research)
- Conclusion and intended means of dissemination (e.g., publication, presentation)
A budget sheet should be included with the proposal (not included in the text). The AETA Board of Directors has approved a maximum of US$20,000 available for research funding for 2026.
Any individual research proposal may be funded up to a maximum of US$15,000.
Please consider the following:
- AETA does not pay for any indirect costs (indirect cost recovery, facility and administrative costs, etc.)
- Funds from AETA cannot be used to make capital purchases
- Funds from AETA cannot be used to fund internships or externships, and must only be used for hours spent on the proposed project
- For projects that require cooperation from external entities (e.g., livestock businesses or operations that own the animals on which the work will be conducted), letters of support from those entities should also be included in the proposal packet. These letters of support will not be included in the text of the proposal.
Proposals can be submitted to AETA by email at aeta@assochq.org or by mail to
American Embryo Transfer Association
1800 South Oak St., Ste. 100
Champaign, IL 61820-6974
Proposals received by AETA will be forwarded to the co-chairs of the Research Committee. The Research Committee will then evaluate the proposals and determine whether a project should be funded. Each proposal will be reviewed by at least three reviewers, and may involve reviewers external to AETA. The Research Committee will have 45 days from the submission deadline to conduct a review, and funding status will be announced at the Annual Conference.