Brainstorm symposium ideas with colleagues

Check your ideas for 

• timeliness: were similar SICB symposia and other relevant events held recently?

• scope: is the topic interesting to a wide range of SICB members and divisions?

• importance and innovation: is this a vibrant, forward-looking topic?

• integration: does the symposium bring people or ideas together in new ways?

Get SICB divisional buy-in

Reach out to the SICB program officer, SICB divisional program officers and division chairs to get feedback on topic and scope, input on possible speakers, and buy-in from possible divisional sponsors.

• The proposal asks you to identify (divisional) sponsors

• Recruiting divisions as sponsors increases your chances of obtaining divisional funds to support your symposium; symposia typically receive $1000 to $5000 in SICB divisional funds to support speakers and symposium-related activities, allocated by divisional representatives during the SICB Program Committee meeting in fall.

• Discuss with SICB program officer how your symposium can become a strong candidate for a ‘SICB-wide’ designation

Find co-sponsors

Reach out to other potential co-sponsors (such as The Crustacean Society, The American Microscopic Society)

Make a publication plan with ICB

Reach out to ICB to develop a publication plan if you anticipate inviting speakers who are unlikely to want to be lead authors of a journal publication, such as speakers from organizations that may have different publication requirements

Possible meeting agenda

• share tentative topics and potential speakers

• share motivation (see above: timeliness, scope, importance, integration)

• identify potential sponsors and co-sponsors

• discuss recruitment of speakers to ensure diversity and inclusion