Call for Proposals: Opening Soon

We’ll soon be inviting proposals across five session types: Symposia, Focus Groups, Workshops / Short Courses, Symposium + Focus Group (new to IMCC) and Panel Discussions (new to IMCC). The Call for Proposals will be open from February 6 - March 6, 2026. 

Symposia

Symposia are thematically focused sessions built around a shared conservation topic proposed by a facilitator (typically the individual(s) submitting the proposal). Each symposium is 90-minutes and features five speakers who present their insights, perspectives, and research through scientific talks, followed by audience interaction, and include a 15-minute discussion period.

Closed Symposia are fully curated by the organizer, who invites all five speakers, and only those invited may present in the session. Invited speakers who accept their invitation submit their abstracts and link them to the symposium during the IMCC general call for abstracts.

Open Symposia are partially curated by the organizer through invited talks, while additional presentation slots are open to any presenter. These open slots are filled through the IMCC general call for abstracts, where presenters with relevant work can indicate which open symposia best align with their topic.

Workshops, Focus Groups, Panel Discussions and Symposium + Focus Group Submissions

Workshops and Focus Groups range in length from 2-to-16 hours and will usually be scheduled for the days before the main scientific program (14 November), but there is some limited availability for the 2-hour sessions to be scheduled during lunch breaks of the main program days (15-17 November). 

  • Workshops are designed to teach participants a professional development skill.
  • Focus Groups are meant to gather a team of experts together for a focused discussion that can lead to a publication or report.
  • Symposium + Focus Group is intended for organizers who have already submitted a Symposium proposal and wish to propose a related Focus Group that is explicitly affiliated with that Symposium. They are 90-minutes and will be scheduled durning the main scientific program, at some point following the conclusion of the affiliated symposium.