Call for Symposia and Open Format Sessions
Join the Dialogue: Submit Your Symposium and Open Format Session Proposals
The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) invites you to contribute to our 61ˢᵗ Annual Meeting by submitting proposals for Symposia and Open Format Sessions. ATBC2025, under the theme "Tropical Biology and Conservation for a Sustainable World: Merging Diverse Approaches, Actors and Local Knowledge" seeks to highlight innovative research, foster from disciplinary to transdisciplinary collaborations, and address pressing challenges in tropical biology and conservation.
Deadline for Submissions (Extended): Dec 6ᵗʰ, 2024 Jan 5ᵗʰ, 2025
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Symposia are focused around themes critical to the conservation and understanding of tropical ecosystems. Each symposium comprises 6 or 12 speakers comprehensive talks delivered by experts from various fields, fostering a rich and diverse dialogue Sessions are typically 2 hours long.
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Open Format Sessions represent diverse and creative ways to engage with participants around a given topic. They encourage innovative and interactive formats like roundtables, panel discussions, debates, and other creative session structures. The duration for Open Format Sessions is typically 2 hours, unless a well-justified exception is granted, and depending on the program's availability.
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We welcome sessions on a range of topics that resonate with the conference’s theme "Tropical Biology and Conservation for a Sustainable World: Merging Diverse Approaches, Actors and Local Knowledge" including, but not limited, to biodiversity conservation, climate change impacts, community-based conservation strategies, sustainable development, ecological restoration, innovative methodologies in tropical biology research, policy and governance for conservation, and cultural dimensions of conservation.
We kindly request that all proposals for ATBC2025 be submitted exclusively through our designated online submission system. Proposals sent through any other channels or means will not be eligible for consideration.
Each session proposal should include:
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Title (max. 15 words)
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Description (300-400 words): This should clearly summarize the background, scope, goals, and objectives of the session, as well as its importance and potential interest to ATBC attendees. The description should avoid overly specialized language; anyone attending the meeting should be able to understand it.
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Justification (100-150 words): The justification should focus on how the review criteria outlined by the call for proposals are met. It should not simply repeat the description.
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One sentence summary (max 50 words): A short version of the symposium description that will appear in the final program.
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List of potential speakers/participants: Name, institutional affiliation, address, email, and tentative talk titles. For symposium sessions, a minimum of 5 speakers is required.
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Visual material: Provide, at least, one relevant photography, illustration, graph, or diagram that represents the theme of your session. This material could be used in promotional materials to visually communicate the essence of your session. Recommended dimensions: 1280 x 720 px.
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Additional Comments (optional): Please let us know if you have special requirements.
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Submission Deadline (Extended): Dec 6ᵗʰ, 2024 Jan 5ᵗʰ, 2025
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Notification of Acceptance: Jan 17ᵗʰ, 2025
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Abstract submission of individual presentations within symposia: From Jan 20ᵗʰ to Mar 21ˢᵗ, 2025
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Proposals will be assessed using the following criteria:
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Merit: Proposals should aim for significant advances in tropical biology and conservation, showcasing innovative, interdisciplinary approaches and potential for new conceptual insights.
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Broader Impacts: The session must link scientific research to conservation action, influencing policy, aiding practitioners, and contributing to ecological sustainability.
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Audience Appeal: Sessions should interest a wide range of ATBC2025 attendees, fostering interdisciplinary engagement.
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Structure and Organization: The sessions should provide a rich tapestry of insights and viewpoints. They are expected to foster deep, analytical syntheses and present a spectrum of perspectives.
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Relevance: The proposal must align with ATBC2025's theme and resonate with the attendees' academic interests.
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Speaker Lineup: A balanced and diverse group of speakers is critical. This should include a mix of established and emerging scientists, particularly those offering innovative perspectives. Proposals should prioritize speaker confirmation and gender balance.
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Communication of Acceptance and Requirements: Upon acceptance of a session, organizers must promptly communicate with their speakers/participants. This includes confirming their registration status, detailing abstract submission requirements (for symposia) and deadlines, providing information on session scheduling, and clarifying expectations for conference participation.
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Scheduling Information: Organizers should inform speakers that the session could be scheduled on any day of the meeting. This ensures speakers are prepared for any scheduling contingencies.
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Conference Registration Requirement: Organizers must communicate to all speakers/participants that they are required to register for the conference.
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Abstract Submission (only for symposia): It is the organizer's responsibility to ensure that speakers/participants submit their abstracts on time. Organizers should make it clear that failure to submit an abstract by the deadline will result in removal from the session.
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To ensure a diverse range of voices and ideas, ATBC enforces the 'one presentation' rule for all speakers. This rule stipulates that each presenter is limited to only one presentation during the conference. This rule limited to oral sessions, posters, and symposia. This policy is designed to maximize the variety of perspectives and topics covered, and to give a wider array of delegates the opportunity to showcase their work.
It is disruptive for the meeting program to have accepted sessions cancelled. Accordingly, please submit a session proposal only if you are certain to attend the meeting and are willing to fulfil your responsibility as a session organizer.
In cases of unavoidable circumstances, the principal session organizer may be replaced by one of the co-organizers. If a presentation must be cancelled, the speaker should immediately notify the session organizer, whose duty it is to identify a replacement. The replacement would ideally be someone who is already a co-author, but the symposium session organizer may identify another suitable person.
ATBC does not provide special financial assistance, stipends or free registration to individual speakers/participants of the conference. Session organizers should notify potential speakers/participants of this policy when they are invited to participate. If needed, individual symposium organizers are responsible for identifying funding sources for the speakers in their sessions.
For any questions related to this call, please write to us at atbc2025@tropicalbiology.org
