NCFMR and NCSM Resolutions

Each year, the National Congress of Family Medicine Residents (NCFMR) and the National Congress of Student Members (NCSM) convene during the National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students to discuss issues of vital interest to residents and medical students. This discussion generates resolutions, which often influence American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) policy, programming, and activities. The following information will help you be a part of this process.

Get Started

What Information Do I Need to Write a Resolution?

Resolutions Author Requirements

  • All authors of NCFMR Resolutions must be residents. No student authors should be listed on a NCFMR Resolution.
  • All authors of NCSM Resolutions must be students. No resident authors should be listed on a NCSM Resolution.
  • All authors must be members of the AAFP and include their correct member ID number on the Resolution.
  • The primary author must be in attendance at National Conference and the reference committee where their resolution is assigned. (This information will be posted online and in the NC mobile app the morning of August 1.)
  • A resident may serve as a primary or secondary author on a maximum of 3 NCFMR resolutions.
  • A student may serve as primary or secondary author on a maximum of 3 NCSM resolutions.
  • The author's resolution may not be forwarded to a reference committee if these requirements are not met.

Resolution Assessment

To assess the merits of a proposed resolution, authors are asked to consider, acknowledge, and explain the following questions as part of the online resolution form (so please have information prepared and readily available):

Resolution Submission Cap

  • A total of no more than 35 resolutions may be submitted to the 2020 NCFMR or NCSM.
    • Up to 15 resolutions will be accepted via the online portal as early submissions
    • If 15 early resolution submissions are received, up to 20 more resolutions will be accepted onsite at National Conference via the online portal
      • If less than 15 early resolutions are received, the remaining balance to reach 35 total submissions will be allowed (i.e. if 5 early submissions are received, a total of up to 30 resolutions will be accepted onsite)

Resolution Submissions

  • Only in the event of a technical malfunction, as determined by AAFP staff, will resolutions be accepted in an alternate format.  
  • A total of no more than 35 resolutions per Congress will be accepted in one of two ways:

1. Up to 15 resolutions will be accepted via the online portal as early submissions

  • Open date: July 1 at 8:00 a.m. CDT
  • Close date: July 30 at 12:00 p.m. CDT or when 15 complete resolutions have been submitted, whichever is first
    • If the cap has been met, the online portal will close and authors will need to wait and submit their resolution onsite.

2. The balance needed to total no more than 35 resolutions will be accepted via the online portal onsite at National Conference.

  • Open date: July 30 at 2:00 p.m. CDT
  • Close date: July 30 at 5:00 p.m. CDT (Only 35 complete resolution submissions will be forwarded to a reference committee; all others may be evaluated by AAFP staff for feedback only.)
    • Resolutions may be submitted through the author's personal computer or a computer in the Congress Business Office.

Once a resolution has been submitted, no edits may be made (before or onsite at National Conference).

If new information or collaborators are identified and authors would like to amend its submission, a new resolution must be written and submitted online before the deadline and/or cap has been met.

  • Submission would also count towards the submission cap.
  • The primary author of the original resolution can request that their resolution be withdrawn.  See the "Withdrawing a Submission" section below.

Late Submissions

  • After the submission cap and/or submission time deadline has been met, any proposed resolution would be considered late and must follow the protocol outlined in Section II.J.3 of the NCFMR Rules of Order(19 page PDF) or NCSM Rules of Order(19 page PDF):
    • Late Resolutions.  Any resolution proposed from the floor to the final Business Session, having not first been discussed in a reference committee, or any resolution submitted to the Chair after the published deadline, will be deemed late.
      • In order to be introduced to the Congress, a late resolution must:
        • Be submitted in (typed) writing to the Chair in duplicate.
        • Have obtained a two-thirds vote for discussion by the Congress in order to be brought to the floor.
      • Late resolutions shall be considered in the order received, except that the Chair reserves the right to determine the order of business based on the importance of the issues and the amount of time available for discussion.

Withdrawing a Submission

At any time prior to the submission deadline, a resolution primary author may request via email to akennedy@aafp.org or in person to AAFP staff in the Congress Business Office that his/her resolution be withdrawn from consideration. At the discretion of the AAFP staff, this may or may not result in the allowance of a different (not necessarily by the same author) resolution to be submitted in its place under the cap.