Call for Proposals
Proposals for Symposia, Interactive Sessions, Short Courses, and Workshops will be invited starting December 4, 2017 for the Latin America and Caribbean Congress for Conservation Biology meeting, the theme of which is, Rainforest to Reef: Strengthening Connections between the Caribbean and the Americas. The conference will be held on the St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies in Trinidad July 25-27, 2018, with associated short courses, workshops, and events occurring on July 24, 25 and 28. You will be updated on the status of your proposal by late February 2018. The Call for Proposals will close at February 20, 2018.
Choosing a Category for your Proposal
Please think carefully about the category that best meets your goals. Your proposal will only be considered for the category you choose. When you have chosen a category, click on the corresponding linked description below to learn more about the submission process.
Oral presentations from are limited to 15 minutes: 12 minutes for presentation and 3 minutes for questions. Contributed oral presentations will be grouped by topic (with the help of topic areas that authors choose when submitting their abstracts). Organizers may request shorter presentations according to the structure of their proposal. SCB has a long-standing policy of limiting individuals to presenting only one symposium, oral, speed, or poster presentation during a given meeting (they may be a non-presenting coauthor on an unlimited number of presentations).
Categories
SYMPOSIA
Symposia consist of a series of formal presentations on a common theme, often followed by a panel discussion. They enable in-depth exploration of a key question or problem in conservation biology research, management, or policy. Symposia are included in the three primary days of the meeting (main scientific program, July 25-27, 2018) and are scheduled concurrent with contributed papers.
Organizers propose a specific topic, select and invite speakers, and moderate their sessions. Although they may include a forum for discussion, symposia are generally less interactive than workshops and discussion sessions
INTERACTIVE SESSIONS
Interactive Sessions do not conform to any single structure, and may for example include a series of brief presentations, break-out groups, film, open-ended or facilitated discussion, or any combination of these. Interactive Sessions are intended to give organizers flexibility to design a unique session that will provide meaningful results, and carry forward work beyond the conference. They emphasize shared learning among facilitators, speakers, and attendees, and take place during the main scientific program, July 25-27, 2018.
WORKSHOPS
Whether geared toward students or professionals, workshops are more interactive than symposia and often have an educational component. Workshops can be scheduled during the main scientific program, July 25-27, 2018. To minimize conflict with symposia and contributed paper sessions, workshops can also be scheduled the days before or after the main scientific program, July 24, 25 and 28, 2018
SHORT COURSES
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 can easily share with others. In addition to the main scientific program, July 25-27, 2018, Short Courses can be scheduled for the days before or after the main scientific program, July 24, 25 and 28, 2018
Criteria for Selection
We encourage proposals that prioritize diversity and collaboration among invited speakers and organizers, from individuals or groups involved in innovative conservation science or practice. Highest priority will be given to proposals that support the theme of “Strengthening Conservation Connections Between the Caribbean and The Americas” Proposals should demonstrate concordance with the goals of the Society for Conservation Biology, 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 international conventions, governments, organizations, and foundations, are effectively informed and improved by the highest quality scientific counsel, analysis, and recommendations to advance the conservation of biological diversity.
Education – Education, training, and capacity-building programs, including but not restricted to content focused on communications & behavior change are identified, strengthened, and developed to inform the public, education leaders, and support current and future generations of conservation scientists and practitioners.
To increase the probability that your proposal will be selected, please consider the following criteria carefully:
- Scientific merit of the proposal: Timeliness and quality of science
- Application to conservation
- Overall coherence of the session and logical linkage between the individual presentations
- Clear focus on any of the following; science, management, policy, education, or a coherent linkage among these 4 areas
- Relevance to the meeting theme, “Strengthening Conservation Connections Between the Caribbean and the Americas”
- Relevance to Caribbean and Latin American conservation issues
- Novelty of the topic
- Diversity among invited speakers and organizers
Proposal submission forms are sectioned. Before you begin entering your submission, we recommend previewing the entire content and required fields using the workshop submission worksheet and/or symposium submission worksheet.
Carefully read the Call for Proposals and the Participation Policies page prior to submitting.
Important Dates
March 26, 2018: Call for Proposals closes
April 1, 2018: Call for Abstracts closes