Call for Special Sessions Proposals - ISMB/ECCB 2013

Special Session Chair: Michal Linial, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

** Special Sessions Submissions - Closes October 26, 2012


ISMB/ECCB 2013
 will feature a Special Sessions track that will run throughout the conference in parallel to other tracks (except the keynote presentations). In its structure, each Special Session provide for a more in-depth look at the subject matter presented. Proposals for special sessions should be submitted via the online submission system at here prior to October 26, 2012. 

Special Sessions
have the purpose of introducing the ISMB/ECCB community to relevant 'hot' topics that were not covered in previous meetings. A wide range of topics are possible, as long as they importantly influence computational biology and bioinformatics.

Topics that are of special interest (but not limited to) include the accumulating challenges for: Single Cell; Robust Systems; Bioinformatics based Medicine; Computational Neuroscience; Metagenomics; Dynamic Proteomics; Compuational Chemistryp; non-coding RNA; and more!

The topics might cover emerging themes that ISMB and ECCB are not currently approaching with the desired proficiency. We encourage you to submit a proposal on an area that in your eyes is important to the computational biology community and may impact the future of the field.

This call is an invitation for scientists and professionals to submit proposals for special sessions for ISMB/ECCB 2013, to take place in Berlin, Germany, between the dates of July 21 - 23.

Organizer benefits:

 

 

1) Special Session organizers will receive two (2) complimentary one-year ISCB memberships to be used for themselves or to award to speakers/participants as determined by them for memberships with a start date no later than the end of 2013 calendar year..

2) Special Session organizers are entitled to discounted registration for two (2) speakers' participation on the day of the session at 50% off the published member early-registration rate. (Organizers must identify the Special Session speakers designated to receive the discounted one-day registrations by May 17,  2013 by contacting  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in order to receive special registration instructions). All other participants of the Special Session, including organizers and other invited or accepted speakers, are responsible for their own registration costs at the full registration fees. If needed, organizers are encouraged to seek sponsorships and/or use grant funds available to them to cover their own and their speakers' travel and registration costs. 

 

 

 

Deadlines
August 27, 2012 Call for Special Sessions Opens
 
October 26, 2012
Special Session Proposal Submission Deadline
 
November 16, 2012  Special Session Acceptance Notification
 
January 25, 2013 Special Session Program Program Deadline
 
February 1, 2013 Final Acceptance of Proposals
 
May 17, 2013 Final program on conference website
 
May 24, 2013 Special Session Complete Program on conference website
 

 

Technical instructions:
Special sessions run the same schedule as all other parallel tracks. They MUST be designed as half-day sessions (2 hours) and synchronized with other tracks. The regular presentation unit is 30 minutes consisting of  20 minute talks + 5 minute discussion + 5 minutes for movement between parallel tracks. Sessions may include any form of presentation such as talks or panel discussions.

Preference will be given to emerging fields and to related fields in which the ISMB/ECCB community needs to acquire higher proficiency. Special sessions are expected to provide a broad perspective on an emerging research field. Sessions will be selected from the submissions to this open call. Potential fields of interest include metabolomics, epigenetics and imaging. Additional topics of particular interest to the ISMB/ECCB community are welcome.

Proposals for special sessions should be submitted via the online submission system here prior to October 26, 2012.

How to submit: Submissions must include a one-page description of the field, its relevance to the ISMB community, and the reasons for planning a session on this topic at ISMB/ECCB 2013. Submitters may want to briefly describe their qualification to organize the Special Session. These explanations could be followed by a list of topics for possible presentations with one-paragraph descriptions. Finally, a draft of the time schedule for the session should be presented. A finalized list of speaker names is not necessary but may add weight to the proposal. If you list invited speakers as "accepted", please make sure that they agree to speak given to the financial constraints describe below.

Financial constraints: Special Sessions are an integral part of the ISMB meeting. Special Sessions chairs and speakers MUST pay their expenses including registration to the meeting. Therefore, the organizers highly encourage session organizers to seek independent funding, and to include any commitment that they may have secured in the proposal. ISMB/ECCB will help in the administrative aspects of assigning the rooms, announcements and adding the detailed schedule to the conference program. Note that the ISMB/ECCB cannot financially support the speakers or the Special Session organizers.

Submission evaluation: All submissions will be evaluated by a committee, which will consider the following criteria:

  • Relevance, interest, and value of the topic to conference attendees.
  • Complementarity to the ISMB/ECCB program provided by the other tracks.
  • Completeness, clarity, and quality of the session proposal.
  • Qualification of the submitter(s) to organize the workshop.
  • Likely success of the proposed session.
  • Overlap with other proposal or pre-selected activity.

Submitters of successful session proposals will be notified of their provisional acceptance by November 16, 2012.

A maximum of six sessions will be presented at ISMB/ECCB 2013. Titles of presentation and speakers in each Special Session will be printed in the Conference program. Organizers of special sessions are required to prepare abstracts or additional written material for each presentation for promotion of the Special Session online.

A complete version of the session schedule, including, names and affiliations of speakers, presentation titles and short abstract must be received by January 25, 2013, and the final acceptance decisions will be made by February 1, 2013.

A final program with all times and speakers must be sent to the organizers for publication on the web and in the conference program booklet by May 24, 2013.

For more information please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.