ESJ74 features a single “ER Symposium,” where an outstanding overseas researcher is invited to give a presentation and contribute to the journal Ecological Research (ER).
The symposium committee, responsible for the selection process, will select one overseas researcher to serve as the ER Invited Speaker, who will then speak at the ER Symposium. This esteemed role comes with a waived conference participation fee, travel expenses (subject to regulations; see Note 1), and the opportunity to submit a review or feature paper on the symposium content to Ecological Research after the conference. If the submitted paper is accepted, it will be published as open access at the society’s expense.
We encourage those considering inviting overseas researchers to the symposium to review the following guidelines and apply for an ER Symposium. We welcome proposals from diverse perspectives and encourage women and early-career researchers to consider applying.
Guidelines for Proposing an ER Symposium
Travel Expenses are Covered and Participation Fees are Waived
The ER Invited Speaker will receive the necessary travel expenses (subject to regulations, see Note 1) and have their conference participation fees waived.
Paper Contribution
The ER Invited Speaker is required to submit a review or feature paper related to the symposium content to ER. Accepted papers will be published as open access at the society’s expense.
Number of ER Invited Speakers
In principle, only one ER Invited Speaker is allowed.
Symposium Language
ER Symposia will be conducted primarily in English.
Nationality of ER Invited Speaker
There are no nationality restrictions for the ER Invited Speaker.
Review and Selection
Proposals will be reviewed by the ESJ74 Symposium Committee, and one speaker will be selected based on the review results.
Restrictions on Reinvitation to ER Symposium
Proposals to reinvite individuals who have previously served as ER Invited Speakers will be given lower priority. Additionally, if a previously invited speaker did not contribute to Ecological Research, proposals to reinvite them may be rejected. Ensure that all proposed speakers agree to these terms before submitting the proposal. Additional restrictions apply, as with other ESJ symposia. For details, please refer to the Common Guidelines for Regular Symposia below.
Restrictions on Multiple Presentations
For ESJ74, each presenter is restricted to one presentation with abstract registration, regardless of the presentation format. Please refer to Restrictions on Multiple Presentations for more information.
Proposal Deadline
The deadline for submitting ER Symposium proposals is Monday 31st August, at 23:59 JST. Notifications of acceptance or rejection are planned for September.
Application Procedure
Submit proposals via this Google Form. If you cannot access Google Forms and wish to apply, please contact the Symposium Committee using ESJ74’s Contact Form presented at the end of this page.
The proposal should include the following information:
- Principal Applicant Information
- Name, affiliation, email address
- ER Invited Speaker Information
- Name, affiliation
- Brief introduction of the ER Invited Speaker: about 100 words.
- Reasons for inviting the speaker (e.g., how the ER Invited Speaker will enhance the value of the symposium, benefits to society members from the invited lecture, and the contributed paper): about 200 words
- Representative papers for the ER Invited Speaker (up to five papers). (This will be utilized as a reference for the invited speaker of the ER symposium.)
- Symposium Details
- Symposium title (in English)
- Symposium summary: about 400 words
- List of symposium members
- Summary of the paper to be contributed to Ecological Research: about 200 words
Please note that if your proposal is accepted, the information provided in your application may be used on the official conference website to announce the selection results.
Note 1: Travel Expense Regulations
Travel expenses are covered within the society’s Travel Expense Regulations (Japanese verison only). While the regulations do not specify the class of airfare, economy class is generally assumed, unless otherwise specified. For further details, please refer to Travel Expenses for International Invitees.
Note 2: Symposium Invited Speaker Program
In addition to the “ER Invited Speaker” program, ESJ74 symposia also have a “Symposium Invited Speaker Program.” This allows distinguished non-members (domestic or international) to give lectures without a conference participation fee, with no limit on the number of guest speakers. However, there is no opportunity to contribute a review or feature paper to Ecological Research with open access at the society’s expense. Travel expenses for guest speakers are also not covered. If your proposal is not selected for an ER Symposium, please consider this program.
Reference: Common Guidelines for Regular Symposia
- Symposium organizers (including co-organizers) must be regular members of the Ecological Society of Japan.
- Symposia will be held for approximately three hours.
- To promote interdisciplinary exchange, non-members may be invited as guest speakers. The conference participation fee for guest speakers will be waived. However, the same non-member cannot be invited to speak at two consecutive conferences.
- When proposing a symposium on the same theme as a previous conference, ensure that it includes new insights and research progress. Proposals with the same title, topics, or abstract as previous symposia will not be accepted.
- The abstract submission deadline for presentations is the same as for regular oral and poster presentations.
For inquiries or requests related to this matter, please use ESJ74’s Contact Form and specify that your inquiry is for the Symposium Committee.