Dear X,

We are writing with an update regarding the symposium proposal [insert symposium title] for the [insert date] annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) in [insert location] from [insert conference dates]. We are delighted to inform you that our proposal was accepted! Our symposium is tentatively scheduled for [insert date]. This email is meant to provide additional details and next steps to our speakers.

We have an exciting group of speakers who are doing innovative work in the field of [topic of your symposium]. We hope that you are still able to join us! Please confirm that you are still interested in participating by replying to this email by [insert deadline, typically within 2 weeks of this notification].

As a reminder, speakers are expected to give a 30-minute presentation during the symposium and submit a related manuscript to Integrative and Comparative Biology by January 31, [insert year of symposium] (can be original research or review). SICB will cover the publication fees for up to 12 pages and one free color figure. If the manuscript is not submitted on time, authors are responsible for all publication fees. Please let us know what type of manuscript you are considering to submit (research article, review, perspective, methods, or another format). If you have questions about acceptable formats or content, please contact us or the ICB editor.

All speakers must submit an abstract (deadline typically in the late summer) and register for the annual meeting (deadline typically in late fall). We will inform you about upcoming deadlines in time. SICB covers the registration cost for symposium speakers who submit a manuscript to ICB. There are two options, having the registration fee waived or getting reimbursed.

Option 1: to have the registration fee waived, speakers must submit a draft of their manuscript before they register for the meeting and ICB will notify SICB to waive the registration fee. ICB allows authors to submit a final version of the manuscript by the same deadlines as option 2 and will inform authors about upcoming deadlines.

Option 2: to get reimbursed, speakers may submit their manuscript after the meeting. The submission deadline is typically at the end of February. ICB will inform authors about upcoming deadlines.

The symposium organizers are actively seeking external funding to support travel costs up to $1,000 [modify amount to align with your budget plan] per speaker. We will update you if and when additional funding becomes available. We also welcome any of your additional suggestions on sources of funding that could support this type of work.

Sincerely,

[Your name], on behalf of the Symposium Organizers

[insert organizer names here]