Call for Proposals: Workshops, Symposia, Panel Discussions, Breakfast Roundtables, and Special Poster Sessions
Deadline: December 4, 2009[closed]
Proposals for workshops, symposia, panel discussions, breakfast roundtables, and special poster sessions are invited for the 17th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society.
Proposals should focus on topics of wildlife science, management, conservation, education, or policy within the broad theme of Excellence in Wildlife Stewardship through Science and Education.
E-mail Word (doc) or Adobe (pdf) file of the proposal to the Program Committee at
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.
Session Descriptions
Workshops provide training on a specific skill, technique, or process and may involve one or more instructors. Workshops are intended to emphasize learning through participation, discussion, and "hands-on" activities. For this reason, workshop organizers must specify an upper limit on attendance. A lower limit also is required reflecting the need to make the session worthwhile for the instructors. Attendance at workshops is by advance registration only. Workshops may be a half or full day in length, and are scheduled the day before the other sessions begin.
Workshops are not intended to promote a commercial product, product line, or company. That type of activity belongs in the trade show. If the nature of the workshop requires demonstration of specific products, it is preferred that the instructor be a practitioner rather than a company representative. Alternatively, company representatives may serve as instructors if at least two competing companies are invited to participate. These companies also would be expected to participate in the trade show at regular booth fees.
Workshops have a baseline registration fee of $25 ($10 for students) to cover basic setup and operational costs incurred by TWS. Workshop organizers may request that this baseline registration fee be increased to cover additional expenses that they will incur. Additional expenses may include workbooks, supplies, special audio/visual or computer equipment, and expenses of instructors from outside of the wildlife profession. Fees may not be increased to cover the expenses of instructors from within the wildlife profession. Workshops sponsored by TWS working groups may include as an additional expense an administrative fee to help support the working group. Workshop organizers who are requesting a registration fee ‘add-on’ must submit a budget with a detailed estimate of the additional expenses (on a per registrant basis). Final approval of the workshop is contingent upon approval of these proposed additional expenses by The Wildlife Society.
Symposia are comprised of a series of presentations that address aspects of a single topic. Symposia usually are a half day; however, requests for a full day may be considered depending upon available space. Speakers are scheduled for 20- or 40-minute time slots, and organizers may include only one 20-minute discussion period in the agenda. Symposia are scheduled to run concurrently with other conference sessions. Attendance is open to all conference registrants on a walk-in basis.
Panel Discussions are a forum for interactive discussion of a topic among a panel of experts and an interested audience. Typically, a panel of four to eight speakers makes introductory remarks. The audience is then invited to make comments and question the panel of speakers. Panel discussions are a quarter day in length (100 minutes) and are scheduled to run concurrently with other conference sessions. Attendance is open to all conference registrants on a walk-in basis.
Breakfast Roundtables are a forum for interactive discussion of a topic among a small group of 5-10 people including a moderator who generally is an expert on the topic. Attendance at roundtables is by advance registration only, and is limited to a maximum of 10 people including the moderator. If enough people are interested a second table may be added on the same topic. Roundtables are one hour in length, are scheduled at 7:00 a.m., and include breakfast (fee charged).
Special poster sessions are similar to symposia, but presentations are by poster rather than oral. Special poster sessions provide an opportunity for one-on-one dialogue between presenters and attendees. Space for special poster sessions is very limited. Special poster sessions are scheduled for a half or full day, depending upon available space, and run concurrently with other conference sessions. Organizers should plan on approximately 20 posters. Attendance is open to all conference registrants on a walk-in basis.
Responsibilities of Session Organizers
Organizers are responsible for coordinating with the Program Committee, planning their sessions, selecting instructors/presenters, moderating their sessions, and meeting all deadlines. A final session agenda and a complete presenter list will be due by April 2, 2010.
Presenters in symposia and special poster sessions must submit abstracts by June 9, 2010. Presenters in symposia must submit PowerPoint files by September 21, 2010. Please mark these dates on your calendar!
Please note that The Wildlife Society does not pay registration fees, travel expenses, or honoraria for workshop, symposium, panel discussion, breakfast roundtable or special poster session organizers or presenters. Organizers may seek outside sponsors for these expenses, if necessary.
Proposal Requirements
All proposals must include a cover page with the following information.
Session Type – workshop, symposium, panel discussion, breakfast roundtable or special poster session
Preferred Session Length – one hour (breakfast roundtables only), quarter day (panel discussions only), half day (workshops, or symposia only), full day (workshops or symposia only), or open (special poster sessions only – duration will be determined by Program Committee)
Session Title – nine words maximum (proposal titles exceeding 9 words will be returned to organizers for editing).
Organizer(s) – names and complete contact information.
Sponsor(s) – institution/group sponsoring the session, if appropriate; for example, a TWS working group
Contact – contact information for the person responsible for the session (name, address, telephone, fax, and e-mail)
The body of the proposal should begin on a new page, may not exceed four pages, and should include.
Statement of Purpose
A short description of the session (300 word limit). If accepted this will be used to describe the session.
Detailed Description of the Session including a list of proposed topics and speakers/presenters.
Workshop proposals must include the following additional information on the cover page.
Minimum Attendance
Maximum Attendance
Budget – Only needed for workshops that propose a registration fee ‘add-on’
Proposal Submission
Send a MS Word (doc) or Adobe (pdf) file of the proposal via e-mail to the Program Committee at
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by December 4, 2009. Proposals received after the deadline date will be considered only if space is available. A notice of receipt will be sent by e-mail. If you do not receive notification of receipt within 7 days or have any questions about proposal submission, please contact Consulting Program Assistant
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Proposal Evaluation and Notice of Decision
Proposals will be judged on timeliness of the subject, importance to the profession and/or contribution to science, and the overall quality of the written proposal. Submissions from TWS working groups are especially encouraged and receive an extra point in the ranking process.
Applicants will be notified whether their proposals have been accepted or not by January 22, 2010.
The Wildlife Society | 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 200 | Bethesda MD 20814-2144| Phone: (301) 897-9770 | Fax: (301) 530-2471
