1 - How can I submit my session proposal?
An online platform for submitting your proposal will open shortly. You will be invited to register your session by indicating:
- The title of the session
- A brief summary and full abstract
- The names of the co-conveners
- The names of the key-note speakers that you plan to invite
- The number of speakers to be selected from offered communications
You will also have the possibility to organize a panel discussion during your session and to indicate the inclusion of poster presentations for your session. Please note that all speakers (including invited speakers) need to submit an abstract via the Call for Contributions (deadline 2 March 2015).
Please consider that the total time available for your session is 1h30 (for additional timeslots, see Question 4). It is recommended that a large part of this time (around half of the total session time) is devoted to offered communications selected from abstracts. In case you would like to invite more than 3 keynote speakers, please consider organizing a panel discussion.
The lead conveners of the session will organize the selection of oral communications as well as poster presentations from the abstracts submitted for their session via the Call for Contributions, which is open until 2 March 2015 on the conference website.
The deadline for registering your session on the online platform and selecting abstracts is 30 March 2015. It is asked that you submit a first draft (without specifying the names of offered communications) by 2 March 2015 for informational purposes for the Conference Secretariat.
2 - How can I merge session proposals?
When a single Parallel Session needs to be developed from two or more session proposals, you will need to contact co-conveners to agree on the title, the list of speakers and the format of the session in order to register your session in the online platform. We also ask that you designate a maximum of two lead co-conveners for your session, one of which will be the session focal point with the Secretariat.
After consulting with all conveners of your session, the lead convener(s) will finalize the session proposal on the online platform, invite the speakers, and organize the selection of oral communications with co-conveners from the abstracts received (see Question 1). Please note that all speakers (including invited speakers) need to submit an abstract via the Call for Contributions (deadline 2 March 2015).
3 - Why is the Call for Contributions referring to themes for Parallel Sessions? How are these themes related to my Parallel Session?
The Call for Sessions was a huge success, and resulted in a lengthy review and merging process. Since the final titles of the sessions were not yet available, broad, overarching themes were developed for each Parallel Session based on the proposals received. In total, there are 130 themes corresponding to one Parallel Session each.
These themes have been used to guide the Call for Contributions. When submitting an abstract for a poster or oral communication, each proponent must select a single theme and, hence, will apply to a single Parallel Session. Following the close of the Call for Contributions, the exact session names will be published on the Conference website. Therefore, the session themes are only being used to facilitate the submission of abstracts.
4 - Can I get an additional time slot for my session?
The capacity of the Conference is limited to holding 25 parallel sessions per time slot. This places strong limits on the total number of Parallel Sessions. Therefore, in the vast majority of cases, session conveners have been offered a single time slot. A request for an additional time slot needs to be justified by exceptional circumstances, such as a large number (above 120) of international participants planning to attend the session. The organizing committee will answer such requests on a case by case basis.
5 - Is there funding available for the keynote speakers invited to my Parallel Session?
No. Unfortunately, the Conference does not have funding available to support the participation of keynote speakers of the Parallel Sessions organized through the Call for Sessions. Some funding is available however for developing country participants selected to present an oral or poster contribution; those proponents may request financial support directly when completing their registration to the Conference.