Association for Biology Laboratory Education

ABLE Mini Workshops

Give a Mini Workshop session at our upcoming annual conference to share your successful labs with others, get ideas from participants, and add a publication to your CV. Details and the submission form will open in fall and be linked below:


Application Deadline: December 31

We invite participants to submit proposals to present mini workshops at the annual meeting of the Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE). Mini workshops are 45 or 90 minutes in length and some mini workshops may be presented twice. Preference is given to workshops that present novel curricular approaches to teaching in biology labs. Workshops are presented as hands-on wet-lab activities (preferred), demonstrations, computer laboratory sessions, or discussions. All mini workshop presentations are to include attendee participation and discussion. Please see the proposal submission guidelines.

For ABLE 2025, conference sponsors at the Demonstration level or higher are invited to submit a Mini Workshop proposal in place of a traditional sponsor demonstration. The workshop proposals will be evaluated on the same criteria as those submitted by academic participants and will need to conform to the same expectations. The lunch and happy hour sponsor demonstration times remain available for those sponsors whose products or services do not lend themself to Mini Workshop criteria or who prefer not to present during Mini Workshop times. Sponsored workshops are not eligible for publication or honoraria.

The mini workshop submission deadline is December 31 each year. Applicants will be notified approximately three weeks after the deadline as to whether the proposal has been accepted, rejected, or with a request for revision and resubmission. Once accepted, presenters must submit materials for the conference binder to the conference host. The conference program and registration form is announced each year on the conference website by March 1, which will include the accepted Mini Workshop summaries. Final acceptance is contingent on the primary presenter’s paid conference registration by May 1. The first author, or designated author, of each mini workshop presentation is given a $50 honorarium after completion of the workshop, and authors are encouraged to submit an extended abstract or short manuscript by August 15 for publication in our annual proceedings, Advances in Biology Laboratory Education (see previous articles).

Presenters supply much of their own materials, including handouts, and are responsible for conference and travel costs. Registration waivers and travel grants may be available. The host will provide general lab equipment, such as glassware, and some help with laboratory supplies. Requests for laboratory supplies provided by the host institution need to be clearly described in your application. Please contact the conference host if you have questions regarding equipment or supplies.


Please contact the Mini Workshop Committee members with questions.