Following the previous meetings, ESJ74 will feature symposia (open sessions) that involve the addition of new presentation categories. We invite symposium conveners to propose “themes.” If selected, these themes will be used to organize symposia, and the proposed “themes” will be added as new categories for regular presentations.
Applicants for oral presentations, poster presentations, and workshops can select these new categories as their preferred presentation fields (excluding symposia). Presentations accepted in these categories will be scheduled consecutively with the open session or given priority for poster displays near the session venue.
This venue offers opportunities to interact with more speakers and audience members than regular symposia. Also, regular presenters can expect to engage in direct discussions and interactions with symposium organizers and speakers. We encourage those planning to propose symposia to review the following guidelines and consider applying for an open session.
Guidelines
Theme Proposal
Conveners are invited to propose a “theme.”
Symposium Planning After Selection
If selected, the conveners will organize a symposium based on the proposed theme. It is not necessary to decide on the speakers or details of the presentations at the time of the proposal application. Preparation, such as recruiting speakers, can proceed freely after selection. Non-members can also be included as speakers (see Note 1).
Review and Selection
The ESJ74 Planning Committee will review the proposed “themes,” and only 1-2 sessions total will be chosen based on the review results.
Review Criteria
The review will focus on the “appeal of the theme in ecology,” “expected impact at the conference,” and “clear differentiation from existing categories.” We encourage proposals that address recent trends or themes not covered at past conferences of the Ecological Society of Japan.
Coordination with Regular Presentations
Conveners of accepted themes will receive a list of oral presentations, poster presentations, and workshops submitted under the new category. Conveners may select presentations if necessary. Unselected presentations will be reallocated to secondary categories, but the right to present will not be revoked. Note that posters presented in the open session category will not be eligible for poster awards (see Note 2).
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 theme proposals is Friday 31st July, at 23:59 JST. Notification of acceptance or rejection is planned for August.
Application Procedure
Proposals can be co-authored, but only one person should be designated as the contact. Submit proposals via the Google Form application. 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:
- Name of the principal applicant, affiliation, and email address
- Proposed theme name (up to 30 characters in English, including spaces)
- Theme objectives (this description will be published on the conference website if the proposal is accepted)
- Rationale for proposing the theme (expected impact on the conference and the field by introducing the theme as a new category)
- Additional information related to the theme (e.g., relevant publications, international treaties)
Note: Item 2 will also be used as the name of a new category for the field of Regular Presentations. It is NOT the symposium title. Item 5 is just additional information related to Item 4. Journal impact factor in which relevant papers were published is not considered as a review criterion.
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: Symposium Invited Speaker Program
The ESJ74 Symposia include an “Symposium Invited Speaker Program.” This allows distinguished non-members (domestic or international) to give lectures without a conference participation fee. There is no limit on the number of invited speakers, but travel expenses will not be covered. Additionally, the same non-member cannot be invited to speak at two consecutive conferences.
Note 2: Posters presented in the open session category will not be eligible for poster awards
This is because securing judges for new themes is challenging. Therefore, poster presentations in open sessions are not eligible for poster awards.
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.
- Those proposing themes must also apply for presentations in the same way as regular presentations. The registration deadline is the same as for other regular presentations.
We look forward to receiving your proposals.
For inquiries or requests related to this matter, please use ESJ74’s Contact Form and specify that your inquiry is for the Symposium Committee.