Call for Discussion Panel Proposals

Deadline: Sunday, June 20, 2021 11:59 p.m. PT

Proposals will not be accepted after the deadline

Empower With Evidence

2022 AAAS Annual Meeting
February 17-20, 2022
Philadelphia, PA and Online

Knowledge based on well-validated scientific discovery gives us the ability to transform our world. Over the last half-century, new discoveries from many different areas of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine have provided solutions to seemingly intractable problems. Research provides an unparalleled opportunity to explore and transform our world in all its complexity and mechanistic detail. It enables us to uncover fundamental aspects of how we relate to our world and to one another.

And yet, while the trajectory of the future will be defined by both the predictable and unexpected consequences of current scientific endeavors, the value of and trust in science have diminished. Science literacy, evidence-based decision making, science-based planning, and the use of validated knowledge to drive public policy are no longer universal societal aspirations. Engagement and communication must ensure that the value of science becomes accessible to all.

The 2022 AAAS Annual Meeting will feature groundbreaking trans- and multi-disciplinary research – not only to advance knowledge, but to understand and ultimately resolve many of the problems we face. The meeting will also highlight new initiatives in advocacy, education, and policy to address the challenges of rebuilding the public’s trust and appreciation of science.

General Information

The AAAS Annual Meeting Scientific Program Committee is particularly interested in proposals that connect to the theme. However, proposals not directly related to the theme will be considered if they involve ground-breaking areas of research, new and exciting developments or new angles for approaching a topic, or cross-cutting activities in support of science, technology, and education. See the Proposal Review Considerations section for the information provided to reviewers.

Successful proposals are characterized by:

• Newsworthy and timely topics with broad relevance for the interdisciplinary AAAS audience.
• Representation of the diversity of science and society (including disciplinary field, gender, ethnicity, geographic location, and institution).
• Demonstration of ground-breaking research results and evidence of conclusions, or interesting new angles for approaching a topic.
• Proposals that cover policy are expected to primarily focus on the cutting-edge aspects of the scientific research driving policy in that particular subject, rather than focusing wholly on the issues beyond the science.
• Proposals focused on promoting specific projects or programs are discouraged, unless they significantly emphasize broader applicability.

Audience:

Each year, we welcome an audience that is enthusiastic about advances in science and technology. Based on previous registration data, here is the overall profile for Annual Meeting attendees:

• Top work sectors: 60% from the academic sector, 11% Government, and 9% Research. AAAS is very interested in receiving proposals that draw from the industry sector and/or include industry panelists as well.
• 85% have advanced degrees, with 50% holding PhDs.
• 50% identified as male, 45% as female, and 5% non-binary/prefer not to answer
• The age groups are equally spread between the following groups: 25 to 34 years, 35 to 44 years, 45 to 54 years, 55 to 64 years, and 65 years or over.

Scientific Session Format Description

The 2022 Annual Meeting will be held in a hybrid format. All scientific sessions will be presented virtually.

As in 2021, each scientific session will be comprised of three (3) pre-recorded videos that will be released in advance of the live programming. The videos will highlight each speaker’s presentation and include individualized Q&As with the session moderator. All videos will be released in January.

In February, there will be a live 45-minute panel discussion with the speakers and moderators, during which speakers will ask each other questions about the topic based on their experience. Attendees will also have the opportunity to submit questions to be answered in real time.

Later in 2022, after the window to view the conference content has concluded, speakers will be able to request their videos for digital portfolios and personal use.

Once the session proposal is accepted, in order to participate in the meeting, all speakers will need to sign this waiver.

Successful proposals are characterized by:

• Newsworthy and timely topics with broad relevance for the interdisciplinary AAAS audience.
• Representation of the diversity of science and society (including disciplinary field, gender, ethnicity, geographic location, and institution).
• Demonstration of ground-breaking research results and evidence of conclusions, or interesting new angles for approaching a topic.
• Proposals that cover policy are expected to primarily focus on the cutting-edge aspects of the scientific research driving policy in that particular subject, rather than focusing wholly on the issues beyond the science.
• Proposals focused on promoting specific projects or programs are discouraged, unless they significantly emphasize broader applicability.

Note: After proposal selection, if your proposal is conditionally accepted to be included in the Annual Meeting program, the Program Committee will suggest revisions in the topic or panel. Making the recommended changes will be essential to overall approval of your session.

Communication

To receive notifications and updates, please ensure that the following email addresses will not be blocked: meetings@aaas.org; agreene@aaas.org; cjones@aaas.org; nmaylett@aaas.org, and aaas@confex.com.

FIVE STEPS TO FOLLOW TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL

Read these instructions carefully first, then click the “submit” button in the sidebar. Incomplete proposals will be eliminated from consideration.

NOTE ON LANGUAGE: The language of the meeting is American English, including spelling and translations. Spell out all abbreviations and acronyms.

Past Annual Meeting programs are archived at http://www.aaas.org/annual-meeting/archives and can be a useful source of information.

*AAAS reserves the right to edit all submissions for publication, as they will be published in the online meeting program, pocket guide, and app. Modifications are sometimes made to improve clarity and encourage attendance.

STEP ONE: Set Up Proposal

Proposed Title (Maximum of 80 characters with spaces)

• Avoid jargon; keep in mind that session attendees may be non-specialists.
• Ensure that a keyword for your presentation is used in the first three words in the title.

SUBMITTER EMAIL ADDRESS
Please enter a valid email address where messages can be received and accessed year-round. The submitter will immediately receive an email confirming the initiation of a session proposal and provided a link for returning to and editing your submission. Note that the session organizer will become the primary point of contact for the session rather than the submitter and will receive all notifications post-submission.

CATEGORIES AND KEYWORDS
Please select the Primary and Secondary Subject Categories as well as three to five keywords that best describe the overall nature of the proposal. This information is used to ensure that reviewers are assigned correctly and so that the Program Committee can generate broader scientific session tracks or sub-themes.

SYNOPSIS (Maximum of 1500 characters with spaces)

• Provide a clear, succinct synopsis of your proposed scientific session as it would appear in the meeting program.
• Emphasize what the audience should take away from the session.
• Do not name speakers or the titles of their presentations in the synopsis.
• Avoid the use of report or book references, abbreviations, or technical jargon.

NEWSWORTHINESS
Highlight how the material would be newsworthy. Is it relevant to current events? Is the discovery new or unexpected? How could it impact the public’s lives?

RELEVANCE TO THEME OR TO THE AUDIENCE
Describe how the proposed scientific session relates to the theme or to the AAAS Annual Meeting audience (up to 500 characters, including spaces). Please note, the Program Committee will consider proposals that are not directly related to the theme if they involve ground-breaking areas of research, new and exciting developments, or cross-cutting activities in support of science, technology, and education.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST
AAAS requires clear disclosures from all presenters at its Annual Meeting regarding any affiliations, funding sources, or financial holdings that might raise questions of bias or be perceived to have potentially influenced presentation content.

Organizers will be asked to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest for the panelists or list conflicts of interest. Speakers will also be asked to provide this information at a later date.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT
AAAS selection process leans towards proposals that bring together a variety of points of view on the material presented in the session. This includes scientific discipline, gender, race and ethnicity, institutions, and geographic locations.

Confirm that all of the following categories of diversity are represented by panelists in the proposed session:

• Scientific discipline
• Gender
• Race and ethnicity
• Institution
• Geographical area
• Career stage

STEP TWO: Add/Edit People

Scientific Sessions are required to have three (3) speakers, and each talk can only have one speaker. Speakers cannot all be from the same institution.

EXPLANATION OF ROLES

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION

You will be required to enter the following information for each individual:

- Name (confirm correct spelling)

- Email address (confirm address where messages can be received year-round)

- Identify whether individual is a member of AAAS

- Job Title

- Status (Confirmed or Invited)

- Affiliation (primary institution; confirm correct spelling)

- Complete mailing address

- Telephone number

AAAS needs this to:

- Confirm participation and registration for the meeting;

- Communicate with speakers who apply for travel assistance;

- Or send speakers information about AAAS Annual Meeting Newsroom requests.

In order to participate in the virtual sessions, all panelists will need to agree to this waiver.

Organizer
The organizer is the primary person responsible for shaping the topic, coordination, and recruitment of participants. The organizer serves as the primary contact for all communications with AAAS Meetings staff and must ensure that participants receive all information relevant to their inclusion in the proposal and in the meeting if the proposal is accepted. After proposal acceptance, the organizer is responsible for providing, in a timely manner, information regarding any changes in participants and reason for the change to AAAS for final approval. No changes will be made to the session unless communicated directly by the organizer.

Co-Organizer (optional)
Co-organizers may assist the organizer of a 45-minute session with lining up speakers and ensuring that deadlines are met by session participants. There is a maximum of one (1) co-organizer allowed in addition to the mandatory organizer.

Speakers (required)
Each panel will have three (3) speakers who share their unique research with attendees.

Moderator (required)
The moderator monitors the time, pace, and tone of the session and facilitates the Q&A part of the session.

Information an organizer will need to provide for a successful proposal:

Presentation Titles and Descriptions

For each speaker, include:

- a presentation title (up to 80 characters, including spaces)

- describe the proposed content or perspective of the presentation in a few sentences (up to 500 characters, including spaces). This is crucial to reviewers’ understanding of why you are proposing a particular speaker.

Please do not submit CVs, biographical information, or formal abstracts for the presenters (beyond the short presentation description). While recognizing that some changes will occur, the committee reserves the right to reconsider sessions if there are speaker substitutions after acceptance of the original proposal.

Status: Invited or Confirmed. “Invited” means that you have contacted the speaker, and your invitation is under consideration. “Confirmed” means the speaker has responded to your invitation and confirmed both that they are available during the dates of the meeting, and will participate if the proposal is accepted. After the program decisions are made, AAAS will send notifications to all speakers, whether invited or confirmed, to verify their status and request final confirmation. Note that sessions with confirmed speakers are viewed as stronger than those where speakers have only been invited.

SUPPORT NOTE:

Scientific session presenters and organizers attend the AAAS Annual Meeting at their own expense using their own equipment or use resources secured by the organizers. By submitting a workshop proposal, organizers and presenters agree to register and pay meeting registration fees if the proposal is accepted.

SCHEDULING NOTE:

When selecting your moderator and three (3) speakers, please ensure they are available to participate at any time between Thursday, February 17 through Sunday, February 20, 2022. Once the scientific session schedule is announced in the fall of 2021, it will be considered final.

STEP THREE: Keywords

To significantly assist in finding the appropriate peer reviewers for your proposal, please select between three (3) and five (5) keywords that best describe your proposal. To improve matching, there is now only one write-in option. The list of keywords can be found here.

STEP FOUR: AAAS Sections

Select up to three (3) AAAS Sections that are related to your proposal's disciplinary areas. After you have confirmed proposal submission, a link to your proposal will be sent to section officers for informational purposes.

ORGANIZER AFFILIATION

If applicable, indicate the primary AAAS Section affiliation of the session organizer.

DISCIPLINARY SECTIONS CONSULTED? (optional)
Indicate if your proposal has been discussed with an AAAS Section. Consultation does not imply support or endorsement of a proposal. A list of sections and contacts are available at www.aaas.org/sections.

Drop down list of section choices

- Organizer Affiliated with AAAS Section

- Discussed with AAAS Session

STEP FIVE: Confirmation

Once you have entered the required information for Steps 1-4, review all the information you have submitted. If you need to make corrections, click on the appropriate step link in the left frame. Otherwise, click the “Submit” button at the bottom of the page. To log out, simply close your browser window. If you run into any problems, please email your questions or comments using the hyperlink for Technical Support that appears in the Scientific Session Control Panel.

Additional Note: Once a proposal has been accepted into the program, any change to the session topic or participants must be approved by AAAS.

Proposal Reviewer Considerations

The following are considerations provided to reviewers. Organizers should carefully follow the instructions for submitting their proposals, which will be evaluated for completeness and clarity. Incomplete proposals (including missing descriptions for the presentations) will not be reviewed.

Evaluate the proposal in general:

• Is information adequate for evaluation?
• Does the proposal clearly describe the session?
• Is it well organized and coherent?

Evaluate the topic:

• Is the topic timely and newsworthy?
• Is the topic too narrow or technical for a multidisciplinary audience?

Evaluate the content:

• Does it offer a unique opportunity to AAAS attendees that would not be available in another venue?
• Will speakers present topics from which dynamic discussions can develop?
• Consider overall merit and the importance of including the proposed session in the program.

Speakers should refrain from simply “teaching” the audience basic science and proposals focused on promoting specific projects or programs are discouraged unless they significantly emphasize broader applicability. Strong proposals include a demonstration of research results and evidence of conclusions, rather than descriptions of projects or programs in earlier stages of development.

Evaluate the participants:

• Can they speak authoritatively on their topic?
• Is the panel composed of diverse organizations and institutions?
• Are the presentations integrated and coherent as a group?
• Does the panel present a balanced perspective?
• Are they all “invited” or “confirmed”?

Overall Judgement:

Finally, make an overall judgment about the relative merit of each proposal, expressed as a rank ordering of all the proposals you review, with 1 as the best, 2 the second best, and so on. This rank should be based on the previous four criteria, but it need not be from a mechanical arithmetic average of your communicated scores. Different criteria may figure more or less strongly in your judgment of each proposal, based on the particular nature of that proposal, and this can be reflected in your overall rankings.