Call for Workshop Proposals

96^th ESA Annual Meeting
Austin, Texas
August 7 - 12, 2011

Call Open: September 27 - December 2, 2010

We invite proposals for workshops for the 96th ESA Annual Meeting to be held August 7-12, 2011 in Austin, Texas at the Austin Convention Center.

Workshops are sessions intended to convey specific knowledge or skills; they are not intended for the presentation of research papers. Workshops are frequently more interactive and informal than sessions within the formal scientific program, and they often involve extended discussion. Workshops may involve one or several leaders/presenters and may include computer-based or other ‘hands-on’ training. Workshop proposals should make clear what skills, tools, or insights participants might expect to gain from the session.

Workshops are typically scheduled during the weekend or during lunchtime or evenings during the week to avoid conflicts with scientific sessions. They are not scheduled concurrently with symposia, organized oral, contributed oral, or poster sessions. They may be scheduled concurrently with field trips and special sessions. Weekend workshops are held for full or half days (Saturday and/or Sunday) prior to the beginning of the formal scientific program. Weekend workshops may be linked with a scientific field trip. Proposals for 1.75-hour lunch break workshops during the week and 2-hour evening sessions may also be submitted. Workshops will be offered both Saturday, August 6 and Sunday, August 7; during the lunch break (11:30 am-1:15 pm) Monday, August 8, Tuesday, August 9, and Thursday, August 11; and during the evenings (8-10 pm) Monday, August 8 through Wednesday, August 10.

Workshop structure is determined by the organizers. Sessions typically have maximum enrollments and may specify prerequisites for participation; however, they should be open to all meeting attendees, first-come first-serve, who meet these prerequisites. Workshops may have a registration fee to cover A/V or other equipment and preparation costs.

Note: ESA will not reimburse workshop organizers for any expenses. Costs may be covered by a group or organization underwriting the session. If so, this should be made clear in the proposal.

For examples of past workshops, please consult the program schedule from the ESA Pittsburgh meeting held in August 2010.
Applications must be received on or before December 2, 2010, and be submitted using the online submission site at http://eco.confex.com/eco/2011/cfp.cgi

1. Evaluation Process and Criteria
2. Submission Procedure
3. If Your Proposal is Accepted
4. One Presentation and Organizer Limit Rules
5. Session Fees, Equipment, and Registration Limits
6. Cancellation Policy
7. Application Format
8. Critical Dates

A. Evaluation Process and Criteria

Proposals for workshops are reviewed and selected by the Program Chair in consultation with peers he may invite to assess proposals. Proposals may be from any area of science related to ecology, but those that pertain to the overall theme, “Planetary stewardship:  Preserving and enhancing earth's life-support systems”, are especially encouraged. We also welcome proposals that explore connections with the social or natural sciences or that are directed to ecological education at any level. The primary criteria for acceptance include scientific merit, probable interest by meeting attendees, and a clearly written and compelling description and justification. Limits of space and time may make it impossible to accommodate all worthy submissions.
 
B. Submission Procedure

All proposals MUST follow the format of the online proposal submission form. Incomplete and inaccurate information provided on these forms may result in the proposal being rejected. Information requested includes: complete contact information for all co-organizers; a description of the workshop, explaining its purpose and general structure (250 word maximum); a summary sentence (<50 words); and a list of speakers/panelists, if appropriate.

All sessions must have a lead organizer who serves as the primary contact. The lead organizer should be readily available by email and phone in the months leading up to the meeting and is expected to be present at the meeting. A secondary contact is also required.
 
C. If Your Proposal is Accepted

All organizers will be notified of the acceptance of their proposal by January 13, 2011. If accepted, your workshop description will be posted on the Annual Meeting website and the title and summary sentence will appear in the printed program. The title, description, and summary sentence should be written with particular attention to attracting attendees and should be submitted in the correct format through the proposal submission form. Contributors and their topics can be mentioned in the description, but there is no space for a detailed agenda.

We encourage workshop organizers to provide additional appropriate information to registered participants prior to the meeting; however, it will be your responsibility to distribute it to them. To facilitate this distribution, ESA will provide you with a list of registrant email addresses approximately 2 to 3 weeks before the meeting.
 
D. One Presentation and Organizer Limit Rules

Note that the One Presentation Rule does not apply to workshops and special sessions. Organizers, leaders and participants in workshops and special sessions are not precluded from also being the presenting author or coauthor of a poster or contributed oral, organized oral, or symposium talk. They may also organize a special session or a second workshop. To promote diversity of sessions and topics, no person will be permitted to organize more than two workshops and/or special sessions at the 2011 Annual Meeting.
 
E. Session Fees, Equipment, and Registration

NEW AS OF 2010: All workshops held during a lunch or evening session Monday - Thursday will be free and open to all attendees if no food, refreshments, or special equipment, including internet access, were requested by the organizer. These requests must be noted at the time of proposal submission. Meeting attendees will not be required to include these workshops in their meeting registration, and organizers will not know in advance how many people plan to attend.
Registrants of workshops held on the Saturday or Sunday preceding the Conference will be assessed a fee to cover meeting space. This fee will be higher if the organizer requests food, refreshments, or special equipment, including internet access.

All workshop proposals must indicate minimum and maximum participation. Your specification of the minimum number of participants is important. ESA will cancel your workshop if the minimum is not met. We will make this decision in early July based on the registration in your workshop as of late June, 2011. All cancellation decisions will be made in consultation with the organizers, so it is critical that we have appropriate contact information for the organizers during late June/early July. If your workshop meets its minimum registration, you are expected to proceed with the workshop. In late July, organizers will receive a roster of registered attendees for any workshops requiring registration.

An important note regarding funds: Acceptance of your proposal does not obligate ESA beyond assuring you of a meeting space and inclusion in the meeting program. We stress especially that no ESA funds are available for honoraria, refreshments, special A/V needs, internet access, or travel expenses for workshop participants or organizers. Furthermore, meeting registration is not waived. ESA will not reimburse workshop organizers for expenses related to the workshop. Anyone participating in any capacity in a workshop must be registered for at least one day. Organizers are responsible for making these facts clear to persons they invite to participate.
 
F. Cancellation Policy

Once a workshop has been accepted and listed online, cancellation imposes a serious burden. Do not submit a proposal if you are uncertain that you will be able to fulfill your obligation to organize and conduct the workshop. Once a scheduled workshop reaches the minimum registration, cancellation by the workshop organizers will preclude the organizers from being allowed to submit any proposals for workshops for the 2012 ESA Annual Meeting.
 
G. Application Format

Please note that the information listed below must be entered on the website proposal submission form. It is provided here only to assist you in planning your submission. The website format may differ slightly from the format listed here. All information requested must be submitted.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION RECEIPT: DECEMBER 2, 2010

Components of a Workshop Proposal

• Title of the session
• Description of the session (250 words max.)
• Summary sentence (50 word max.)
• Names and contact information for the lead organizer, a secondary contact and any co-organizers
• Minimum and maximum number of participants
• Proposed starting and ending times:
• Full day: usually starts at 8 or 8:30 and ends at 4:30 or 5 (Saturday and Sunday only)
• Half day: usually 8 am - 12 pm or 12:30 - 4:30 pm (Saturday and Sunday only)
• Lunch break: 11:30 am - 1:15 pm (Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday)
• Evening: 8 - 10 pm (Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday)
• Preference of day for this session: Saturday, August 6 - Thursday, August 11
• Anticipated equipment needs: screen, LCD projector, dedicated laptop computer, slide projector, overhead projector, flip charts, VCR and monitor, Internet connection. NOTE: Provision of an internet connection cannot be guaranteed and incurs additional fees.
• Room set-up desired: theater, conference, hollow square, rounds, other
• Food and beverage requested for your workshop. NOTE: Charges to session attendees are increased if the organizers wish to serve food.
• If applicable, underwriting of workshop costs (food, materials, A/V, internet, registration, etc.) by a group or agency. Include name and amount to be contributed.
• Is the session intended to follow a symposium or organized oral session? If so, which one?
• Is the session linked to a business meeting or mixer of any ESA Section, Chapter, or other group? If so, which one?

You MUST submit your proposal using the website proposal submission form. You will be notified by email concerning receipt, review, and acceptance of your proposal, using the return e-mail address that you provide. The notice of receipt will include a reference number that you will need to retain. If the return email address is incorrect, you will not receive the notifications. If you do not hear from the Program Chair or the Program Coordinator regarding receipt of your proposal by December 8, 2010, please contact Jennifer Riem to confirm that your proposal was received. You may view your proposal by accessing the website and entering your proposal number. The website and proposal number will be provided to you when we acknowledge receipt of your proposal.
A list of accepted workshops will be available on the ESA website when registration opens in the spring (typically late April). The organizer should check for the exact time and location of her/his workshop. For workshops requiring registration, a list of names and emails of registrants will be provided to organizers by late July. As a courtesy to workshop participants, organizers should plan to notify all workshop leaders and participants of the date, time, and place of the workshop and any materials/activities they are expected to bring or prepare.

SUBMIT PROPOSAL HERE
 
H. Critical Dates

• December 2, 2010: Deadline to submit workshop proposals
• December 8, 2010: Contact Jennifer Riem if you have not received confirmation of your submission
• January 13, 2011: Notification of proposal acceptance sent to organizers
• February 18, 2011: Notification of date, time, and location of workshops sent to organizers
• Late April, 2011: List of workshops posted to ESA meeting site. Organizers should check time and location of their session and notify their scheduled participants.
• Mid July, 2011: Registrant lists emailed to lead organizer (if registration is required for your workshop).

For further information, consult the ESA web page (http://www.esa.org/austin/) or contact the Program Chair, Tom Jurik or the Program Coordinator, Jennifer Riem.