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Last Call for Proposals to Organize ISCB-Asia 2013


Dear ISCB Members and Colleagues,

As a final reminder, ISCB is seeking proposals from individuals or groups interested in hosting the next open ISCB-Asia conference, slated for the third quarter of 2013, to co-organize this meeting with ISCB anywhere in the Asia region. Without exception the proposal deadline is the 1st of August, 2012. If you are not personally interested but know of someone else who could do an excellent job of organizing this event, please feel free to forward this mail. An overview of ISCB, its expansion into regionally-based international meetings, and the details of the proposal requirements are all specified below.

ISCB-Asia 2013 Meeting

The aim of the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) is to serve the worldwide computational biology community by addressing scientific policies, providing access to high quality publications, organising meetings, and serving as a portal to information about training, education, employment and news from related fields. ISCB currently has over 3000 members from more than 70 countries around the world. Among its many activities ISCB hosts annual meetings, including ISMB, the world's longest running and largest international bioinformatics conference (held jointly with ECCB every other year in Europe), as well as a series of smaller, newer meetings. ISCB also has affiliations in place with several other significant meetings in the field, such as PSB and RECOMB.

In an extension to its meeting activities, ISCB is participating in the organization of regional meetings in locations where ISMB has not been held. In 2009 and 2011 joint ISCB-Africa meetings were held in collaboration with the African Society for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (ASBCB), and the 2013 meeting is now being planned for Tunis, Tunisia; in 2010 and 2012 ISCB-Latin America was held in Uruguay and Chile, respectively; the first ISCB-Asia was held jointly with InCoB 2011 in Malaysia, and the 2012 meeting is now being planned for China (Shenzhen). With the aim of continuing these successful regional meetings, ISCB is now soliciting applications for the co-organization of our next meeting in Asia for 2013.

A requirement that ISCB-Asia become permanently affiliated to an existing meeting or society is not intended. Having co-organised the ISCB-Asia meeting with the Asia-Pacific Bioinformatics Network in 2011 and with BGI in 2012, ISCB now looks to continue expanding its network of affiliations by seeking proposals from other existing societies or conferences in the Asia region, or by working with a group that has a similar interest in organising a new bioinformatics community meeting in Asia.

Preliminary proposals should provide (all of this information is also available as a PDF download):

  • Names and short CVs of local organising committee members and their proposed roles
  • Evidence of previous experience in organising mid- to large-sized meetings
  • Planned meeting dates and location
  • Budget proposal including basic costs (venue rental, speaker travel, etc.) and preliminary commitments for financial support from sponsors.
  • Estimated meeting size
  • Focus of scientific program (required if a focus on a specialist research topic is planned)
  • Plans for publishing or online dissemination of the proceedings
  • Evidence of co-operation among multiple groups within the Asian region

ISCB will:

  • Participate through elected ISCB scientific representatives on the organising committee
  • Endorse and advertise the meeting through its extensive mailing lists
  • Suggest keynote speakers
  • Potentially provide funds to seed the meeting (funds repayable to ISCB from conference proceeds)
  • Provide budget guidance
  • Potentially provide travel funds to support student participation

Criteria for evaluation

  • Proposals that emphasize and encourage attendance from a diverse range of regional groups and attendees will have an advantage
  • The meeting should be in a place where there is expected to be a sizeable local community from which attendance can be expected, as well as reasonable international access to a nearby airport
  • Budget is within the range which can be covered by reasonably estimated registration fees alone, in the event that sponsor funding does not materialize
  • Preference will be given to organising committees with diverse representation
  • Proposers should have experience with organising meetings


Proposals should be submitted via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 1 August 2012.

Thank you,
Paul Horton, Chair, ISCB Conferences Committee
Janet Kelso, Co-Chair, ISCB Conferences Committee