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2008 ANNUAL MEETING - 13-17 JULY, CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, USA - CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR SYMPOSIA, WORKSHOPS, DISCUSSION GROUPS, AND SHORT COURSES

• CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
• CHOOSING THE CATEGORY OF YOUR PROPOSAL
• MEETING THEME
• SYMPOSIUM PROPOSALS
• WORKSHOPS AND DISCUSSION GROUPS
• SHORT COURSES

The 22nd annual meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, From the Mountains to the Sea, will be held from 13-17 July 2008 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. Proposals for symposia, workshops, discussion groups, and short courses will be welcomed beginning 29 August 2007.

All proposals must be submitted by 24 October 2007. Decisions will be made by 21 November 2007. Please visit www.conbio.org/2008 for complete information and to submit your proposal. Selection is a highly competitive process because time available for presentations at the meeting is limited. Please read and follow this information carefully.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

SCB encourages proposals from individuals or groups involved in cutting edge conservation science or practice who can demonstrate an alignment with the goals of the SCB, which are

Conservation Science. The scientific research and knowledge needed to understand and conserve biological diversity is identified, funded, completed, disseminated and applied to research, management, and policy.

Conservation Management. Conservation practitioners and managers are provided the scientific information and recommendations needed to conserve biological diversity at all scales.

Policy. Policy decisions of major international conventions, governments, organizations, and foundations are effectively informed and improved by the highest quality scientific counsel, analysis, and recommendations so as to advance the conservation of biological diversity.

Education. Education, training, and capacity building programs are identified, strengthened, and developed to inform the public, education leaders, and support current and future generations of conservation scientists and practitioners.

Individuals may not submit more than one proposal, and, as a general rule, no individual may give more than one presentation (symposium, contributed paper, or poster).

Reviewers have access to all information contained in the proposal and proposals are reviewed by at least two individuals. To increase the probability that your proposal will be selected for presentation, please consider the following criteria carefully:

-- scientific merit of the proposal
-- application to conservation management
-- financial support (external support or self-funded participants)
-- relevance to the meeting theme
-- relevance to the host region
-- novelty of the topic (not covered in the past three meetings)

Author registration deadline. All organizers, symposium speakers, and invited participants must register by the early deadline of 19 March 2008.

Financial support. It is the responsibility of organizers of symposia, workshops, and discussion groups to obtain funding for their own expenses and those of their invited speakers or participants. SCB and the Local Organizing Committee are not responsible for obtaining funds to support speaker travel to the meeting and cannot guarantee that any support will be available. Preference may be given to proposals for which organizers can demonstrate that funds are likely to be available.

CHOOSING THE CATEGORY OF YOUR PROPOSAL

Please think carefully about the category that best meets your goals. Your proposal only will be considered for one category.

Symposia tend to present information to an audience, with limited opportunity for interaction. Symposia are generally included in the four primary days of the meeting (main scientific program) and are scheduled concurrent with contributed papers. In recent years, the rejection rate for symposium proposals has been approximately 80%.

Workshops, whether geared toward students or professionals, are more interactive than symposia and often have an educational component. Workshops will be scheduled to have minimal conflict with symposia and contributed paper sessions (usually the day immediately before the meeting or during lunch). In recent years, the rejection rate for workshop proposals has been approximately 30%.

Discussion groups are participatory and may be relatively informal. They will be scheduled to have minimal conflict with symposia and contributed paper sessions (usually the day immediately before the meeting or during lunch). In recent years, the rejection rate for proposals for discussion groups has been very low.

Short courses offer training in topics of key relevance to the practice of conservation for students or any other professionals. Preference will be given to proposals that address tools or concepts that course participants easily can share with others. Since the implementation of short courses in 2005, rejection rates for these proposals have increased to almost 70% in 2007.

MEETING THEME

In his book My First Summer in the Sierra, John Muir wrote, "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe." As evidenced by several previous meeting themes, there are connections among many aspects of the environment and its conservation, and recognizing those connections is critical for achieving the goals of conservation biology. To that end, the 2008 annual meeting will examine several major ecosystems, both as separate components and as a connected entity.

Land conservation and terrestrial diversity. Many terrestrial regions contain high levels of biodiversity, but also face increasing human population growth. Issues of land conservation have therefore become very important. Such issues include, but are not limited to, forest loss, mineral extraction, urban sprawl, and property rights. These issues not only affect terrestrial ecosystems per se, but also the freshwater and marine systems associated with them.

Freshwater ecosystems. Many parts of the world contain an abundance of freshwater ecosystems, many of which are highly imperiled. Invasive species, overharvesting, pollution, and water stress are all issues that must be resolved to ensure persistence of this link between the land and the sea.

Coastal and marine conservation. Like terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, coastal ecosystems, such as wetlands, cheniers, and seagrass beds, as well as the marine environment, are under considerable stress from human activities, pollution, and overharvesting, as well as natural phenomena, such as hurricanes. Understanding both natural and human-induced changes is vital to the conservation of these ecosystems.

SYMPOSIUM PROPOSALS

SCB will accept proposals for two-hour (up to eight presentations) or four-hour (up to 16 presentations) symposia. Presentation length must be in multiples of 15 minutes (e.g., 15 minutes or 30 minutes) so that the timing of symposium presentations can be coordinated with contributed paper sessions. The last 15 minutes of the symposium may be left open for discussion, thereby reducing the number of presentations by one. Proposals must not exceed 1200 words and must include the following information.
1. Symposium title
2. Organizer(s) name, affiliation, and complete contact information, including email address
3. Length (two or four hours)
4. Proposed theme and justification (why the topic is appropriate and significant for presentation at From the Mountains to the Sea)
5. Expected outcomes and, if appropriate, plans for communication of results
6. A tentative list of speakers, presentation titles, and whether each speaker has agreed to participate
7. Whether any necessary funding for organizer and speaker expenses has been secured (for example, are funds available for speaker travel?)

WORKSHOPS AND DISCUSSION GROUPS

Proposals must not exceed 1200 words and must include the following information.
1. Workshop or discussion title (specify whether workshop or discussion)
2. Organizer(s) name, affiliation, and complete contact information, including email address
3. Length and preferred location in program (pre-meeting or lunch). Pre-meeting workshops and discussions may be proposed for a maximum of eight hours. Lunch sessions may be a proposed for a maximum of 1.5 hours.
4. Proposed theme and justification (why the topic is appropriate and significant for this meeting)
5. Expected outcomes and, if appropriate, plans for communication of results
6. Format of workshop or discussion and any special logistic requirements (e.g., a room with internet access)
7. Maximum number of participants that can be accommodated
8. Method of selecting participants (invited, open registration, or a combination). If any participants will be invited, include a tentative list of individuals and indicate whether each has agreed to participate.

SHORT COURSES

One-day short courses will take place on 13 July, and longer courses from 9 to 13 July. Courses will be scheduled as per logistics and travel constraints, with dates finalized on course acceptance. Proposals must not exceed 1200 words and must include the following information.
1. Short course title
2. Instructor(s) name, affiliation, and complete contact information
3. Number of days of the course, with dates proposed.
4. Description of the course content and explanation of how it relates to one or more of the themes of the meeting and the goals of SCB
5. Minimum and maximum number of students that can be accommodated
6. Whether any special instructional or audiovisual equipment beyond that which the instructor(s) will provide is needed
7. Itemized budget for the course (in dollars) and a description of any funds available. Please describe space requirements and note that internet access may incur additional cost. SCB is unable to provide a stipend for the instructor(s). However, free meeting registration will be provided for a maximum of two instructors per course.

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