Conference Organisation Guidelines

GUIDELINES FOR REGIONAL SFRR SOCIETY HOSTING SFRR-INTERNATIONAL BIENNIAL MEETING

Aim

The aim of SFRR-International (SFRR-I) Biennial meetings is to promote scientific exchange among all SFRR Regional Societies and to provide a platform for disseminating up-to-date knowledge and to highlight current hot topics to the international scientific community in fields related to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, redox signaling and cellular and exogenous antioxidants. The official congress language is always English.

Rotational host SFRR Society and organization procedures for SFRR-I Biennial Meeting

SFRR-I Biennial meetings are currently hosted on a rotational basis by SFRR Asia, SFRR Europe and SfRBM. Further information on the hosts of past SFRR-I Meeting can be found at: http://www.sfrr.org/past-conferences. Other SFRR Regional Societies may host the SFRR-I Biennial meeting on a competitive basis.
The SFRR-I Executive in agreement with a host SFRR Regional Society Executive will ask the host appointed Chair/Organizer of the Biennial meeting to place a “Call for Symposia Proposals” and a “Call for Honorary Lectures”, which will be advertised on the SFRR-I website and on the websites of all SFRR Regional Societies.
An ‘International Scientific Committee’, including the SRRRI Executive, Meeting Chair and representatives from all SFRR Regional Societies affiliated with SFRR-I, will evaluate and rank submitted Symposium Proposals and nominations for SFRR-I Honorary Award Lectures. This International Scientific Committee should be balanced in terms of gender, scientific expertise and geography. The SFRR-I Secretary General will provide a template for scoring nominations for the SFRR-I Honorary Award Lectures and confidentially evaluate scores and inform the President of SFRR-I.

Format of Biennial Meeting

The format, scientific programme and financing of the Biennial meeting should be discussed and agreed by the SFRR-I Executive and host SFRR Regional Society Executive. Approval and subsequent close collaboration between the Chair/Organizing Committee of the Biennial meeting and both Executive Committees is critical, especially concerning discussion and agreement of the budget for the meeting at least 15 months in advance, with regular updates at monthly intervals from 12 months in advance.

The SRRR-I scientific programme will include four SFRR-I Honorary Award Lectures: Trevor Slater Award, Lester Packer Award, Alberto Boveris Award and Kelvin & Joanna Davies Rising Star Award. These four award lectures should be scheduled prominently in the scientific programme (normally 30-min) and can be complemented by award lectures from the host regional SFRR Society.
The joint scientific programme should include between 12-15 Symposia. It is proposed that each symposium will last 90 min with 3 speakers: 2 senior (30 min each) and 1 junior (30 min).
The scientific programme should also include Young Investigator/Early Career sessions, Oral and Poster sessions and a Women in Science session.
Satellite meetings enrich the conference experience and offer further opportunities for in-depth scientific discussions. They should be organized with in liaison with the conference organizers to avoid possibilities of overlap with selected symposia.

Recommended steps for organization of SFRR-I biennial meeting

30-36 months in advance - Formal proposal received by SFRR-I Executive from a SFRR Regional Society, including appointed local Chair/Organizer, venue, estimated budget. A ‘Conference Company’ may be appointed to implement strategy and decisions taken by the host Chair/Local Organizers in planning and coordinating the SFRR-I biennial meeting. The responsibilities and expenditure for a ‘Conference Company’ should be clarified and indicated in the preliminary budget.
24 months in advance - Chair/Local Organizers create a website for the SFRR-I Biennial meeting, including initial information on venue, travel, registration, accommodation and abstract submission deadline. SFRR-I biennial Meeting should appear as a key logo.
15 months in advance - Review of Budget, including progress with external sponsorship, with the host Chair/SFRR Regional Society Executive and SFRR-I Executive.
12 months in advance - Open “Call for Symposia Proposals” – and ‘Call for Honorary Lectures”. Finalize membership of Local and International Scientific Committees to be involved in the evaluation of submitted symposium proposals and abstracts for oral/poster presentation.
12 months run-up to meeting - Regular monthly meetings between host Chair/Local Oganizers and host SFRR Regional Society Executive and SFRR-I Executive. An appointed ‘Conference Company’ should update host SFRR Regional Executive and SFRR-I Executive with organizational and financial details provided by the host Chair/Local Organizers.

Support from SFRR Regional Societies and SFRR-I for the host SFRR Society

SFRR-Asia, SFRR-Europe, and SfRBM each to provide $12,000
SFRR-Australasia to provide $3,000
SFRR-I to provide $12,000
SFRR-I will cover the registration and accommodation for the four SFRR-I Honorary Award recipients and if possible contribute to their travel costs. Support for each Honorary Awardee is limited to a maximum of $2,500.
The host SFRR Regional Society will aim to support competitively selected research symposia (speakers and co-chairs), using the income ($51,000) received from SFRR-Asia, SFRR-Europe, SfRBM, SFRR-Australasia and additional funding raised from exhibitors and sponsors. The host SFRR Regional Society would aim to waive registration and contribute to accommodation expenses for all symposium speakers.
Each symposium would be supported up to a maximum of $3,500.
Each SFRR Regional Society is encouraged to provide further partial support for travel of junior symposium speakers affiliated to their regional society. Notification of such travel awards should be provided well in advance of the meeting, so that young researchers can make appropriate decisions and plans. This is strongly encouraged to help researchers from less financially supported laboratories and countries to attend the meeting.