Announcing call for proposals for SCB North America Congress for Conservation Biology.
And meet our mascot Stony: An American Pika http://www.scbnacongress.org/home/theme-mascot-steering-committee.html#stony CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR SYMPOSIA, WORKSHOPS, DISCUSSION GROUPS AND SHORT COURSES The 2012 North American Congress for Conservation Biology: Bridging the Gap: Connecting people, nature, & climate will be held from 15-18 July in Oakland, California. Proposals for symposia, workshops, discussion groups and short courses must be submitted by 7 November 2011. Complete instructions for submitting proposals are available on the meeting Web site http://www.scbnacongress.org/registration-participation/call-for-proposals.h tml The time available for presentations at the meeting is limited so we may not be able to accommodate all symposium submissions. Trainings and short courses are encouraged and will be accommodated if possible. Please review the selection criteria and other information below carefully prior to making your submission. CRITERIA FOR SELECTION To increase the probability that a symposium proposal will be selected for presentation, please consider the following criteria carefully: --Scientific merit of the proposal: cutting-edge conservation science and quality of science. --Application to conservation. --Overall coherence of the session and logical linkage between the individual presentations. --Clear focus on either science, management, policy, or a coherent linkage between these three areas. --Relevance to the meeting theme ('Bridging the Gap: Connecting people, nature, & climate'). --Relevance to North American conservation issues --Novelty of the topic --Alignment with the goals of SCB, which are: Conservation Science: The scientific research and knowledge needed to understand and conserve biological diversity is identified, funded, completed, disseminated and applied to research, management and policy. Conservation Management: Conservation practitioners and managers are provided the scientific information and recommendations needed to conserve biological diversity at all scales. Policy: Policy decisions of major international conventions, governments, organizations and foundations are effectively informed and improved by the highest quality scientific counsel, analysis and recommendations so as to advance the conservation of biological diversity. Education: Education, training and capacity-building programs are identified, strengthened and developed to inform the public and education leaders, and support current and future generations of conservation scientists and practitioners. MEETING THEME Bridging the Gap: Connecting people, nature, & climate The greatest challenge to conservation science today is addressing gaps in information, understanding, and on-the-ground implementation. These gaps require bridging our efforts across multiple scales through inter-disciplinary study and effective practice. By sharing our conservation experience we can benefit from information about how effective our practices are, advance our understanding, and foster useful lines of inquiry. We are facing many environmental and social challenges that have common underpinnings and mutually desirable outcomes, justifying a clear need to integrate social, biological, and physical sciences into the environmental problem solving process. Change is coming that will affect our climate, population, and natural capital. Fostering a stronger connection between conservation science and practice that addresses people, nature, and climate will improve the utility of our science in addressing the forecasted changes. North America in particular will see changes that are likely to influence biodiversity at multiple scales from large migratory routes to extirpation of locally adapted species. Our fresh water supplies will be stretched to accommodate population growth, development, and may likely become seasonally less predictable. Changes such as these have implications for human communities, protected areas, and working landscapes. Developing conservation strategies to cope with our changing planet is arguably the greatest challenge facing the world and its biodiversity. Working to bridge the gaps we face in developing and implementing these strategies requires that all of us come together to benefit from our collective experience. Together we can build bridges connecting our collective disciplines across the continents and into the future. Limits on number of presentations per presenter: Individuals may not submit more than one proposal and, as a general rule, no individual may give more than one presentation in each of the following categories: symposium, contributed paper (regular or speed) or contributed poster. Financial support: It is the responsibility of organizers of symposia, workshops and discussion groups to obtain funding for their own expenses and those of their invited speakers or invited participants. CHOOSING THE CATEGORY OF YOUR PROPOSAL Please think carefully about the category that best meets your goals. Symposia consist of a series of formal presentations on a common theme, sometimes followed by a panel discussion. It is the responsibility of the symposium organizer to make sure that all speakers submit their abstract and register according to the author registration rule. Workshops, whether geared toward students or professionals, are more interactive than symposia and often have an educational component. To minimize conflict with symposia and contributed paper sessions, some workshops may need to be scheduled as pre-congress activities (longer than 1.5 hours) or during lunch or evening breaks. Discussion groups are participatory and may be relatively informal. To minimize conflict with symposia and contributed paper sessions, discussion groups will be scheduled as pre-congress activities (longer than 1.5 hours) or during lunch or evening breaks. Short courses and trainings are encouraged and will be expected to offer teachings on topics relevant to the practice of conservation for students and professionals. These will be scheduled as pre-congress activities (July 15, 2011). SYMPOSIUM PROPOSALS SCB will accept proposals for two-hour (up to eight presentations) or four-hour (up to 16 presentations) symposia. Presentation length must be in multiples of 15 minutes (e.g. 15 minutes or 30 minutes) so that the timing of symposium presentations can be coordinated with contributed paper sessions. The last 15 minutes of the symposium may be left open for discussion, thereby reducing the number of presentations by one. Proposals must contain the following information: 1. Symposium title 2. Length (two or four hours) 3. Proposed theme and justification (include why the topic is appropriate and significant for presentation at Conservation for a Changing Planet) (1,500 character limit) 4. Expected outcomes and, if appropriate, plans for communication of results (3,000 character limit) 5. Whether any necessary funding for organizer and speaker expenses has been secured (for example, are funds available for speaker travel?) 6. A tentative list of speakers, institution, presentation titles and whether each speaker has agreed to participate 7. Organizer(s) name, affiliation and complete contact information, including email address Author registration rule: If your proposal is accepted, all symposium speakers will be required to submit an abstract during the call for abstracts; please coordinate with your authors, according to the call for abstracts and early registration deadlines. WORKSHOPS AND DISCUSSION GROUPS Workshops and discussion groups will be scheduled as pre- congress activities (longer than 1.5 hours) or during lunch breaks. Proposals must contain the following information: 1. Workshop or discussion-group title (specify whether workshop or discussion group) 2. Maximum number of participants that can be accommodated 3. Length and preferred position in program (pre-meeting or lunch). Pre-meeting workshops and discussions may be proposed for a maximum of eight hours. Lunch sessions may be proposed for a maximum of 1.5 hours. 4. Format of workshop or discussion and any special logistic requirements (e.g. a room with internet access) 5. Proposed theme and justification (why the topic is appropriate and significant for Bridging the Gap: Connecting people, nature, & climate) (1,500 character limit) 6. Expected outcomes and, if appropriate, plans for communication of results (3,000 character limit) 7. Method of selecting participants (invited, open registration or a combination). If any participants will be invited, include a tentative list of individuals and indicate whether each has agreed to participate. 8. A tentative list of speakers, presentation titles and listing of whether each speaker has agreed to participate 9. Organizer(s) name, affiliation and complete contact information, including email address SHORT COURSES AND TRAININGS Short courses will be scheduled as pre-congress activities to minimize conflicts with symposia or contributed paper sessions (scheduling as per logistics and travel constraints, but dates finalized on course acceptance). Short courses should be aimed at development of professional skills in topics of key relevance to the practice of conservation. Proposals must contain the following information: 1. Short course title 2. Whether any special instructional or audio-visual equipment beyond that which the instructor(s) will provide is needed 3. Description of the course content and explanation of how it relates to the meeting theme and the goals of SCB (1,500 character limit) 4. Expected outcomes (3,000 character limit) 5. Itemized budget for the short course (in $US) and a description of any funds available to cover costs. The budget should include a and a description of any funds available to cover costs or fee you would like to collect for those interested in attending the training. 6. Length of the course: 2-8 hours 7. Minimum and maximum number of students that can be accommodated 8. Instructor(s) name, affiliation, and complete contact information, including email address HOW TO SUBMIT To submit a proposal according to the call instructions and requirements, please go to http://www.scbnacongress.org/registration-participation/call-for-proposals.h tml For further questions email i...@scbnacongress.org Please click here now to stay up to date with notices about NACCB 2012 http://www.scbnacongress.org/app/mailinglist.cfm
