Proposals for 2024 SfN-Sponsored Socials
Proposal submissions are now closed.
SfN-Sponsored Socials are designed by the Program Committee to provide an opportunity for all annual meeting attendees to meet informally with others who share common scientific interests; they should not be used to promote a particular group or association’s own agenda—this is an SfN event. SfN-Sponsored Socials are intended as social and networking occasions around neuroscience topics, not as extensions of the scientific program. The Program Committee urges Chairpersons not to plan simply another slide session. Socials featuring purely social formats, or informal debates allowing time for socializing, have proven very successful. They can be made more enjoyable if the Chairperson secures the presence of a number of luminaries and encourages them to mix with others, especially students.
The following guidelines have been established to clarify the procedures for SfN-Sponsored Socials proposals. Proposal submitters and chairs of SfN-Sponsored Socials must be active SfN members. SfN Council has directed the Program Committee to enforce these guidelines.
Areas addressed include:
- What to Expect
- Proposal Requirements
- Selection Process
- Accommodations and Set-Up
- Considerations for SfN-Sponsored Socials
- A Note about Satellite Events and Meet-Ups
What to Expect
- Socials will be held in the evenings after the scientific program has ended for the day on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of the annual meeting.
- SfN takes full logistical and financial responsibility for making standard arrangements at a predetermined venue, selecting beverage service (cash bar only) and paying the bill (organizers are NOT to make additional catering or equipment arrangements. Outside sponsorship in any form is strictly prohibited.)
- Responsibility for the program and special guests, if any, rests with the Chairperson. SfN reserves the right to copyedit social descriptions and ask the Chairperson to alter content where necessary.
- The Chairperson is encouraged to take the initiative in introducing people to one another and ensuring contact between younger and established scientists. This hosting role is critical to the success of the event.
Proposal Requirements
Your proposal should be firm before submitting, meaning that the agreement of the chair and co-chair has already been obtained. You are required to note the general theme classification into which the proposal fits best, as well as any potentially cross-cutting themes. The site will direct you to provide the following (all character limits include spaces):
- Contact information (institutions, emails, addresses) for the chair and co-chair
- Title of the social
- Type of social (social w/brief presentation or purely social)
- Expected attendance
- Preferred time slot
- Brief description of the social for use in the annual meeting Program and Neuroscience Meeting Planner (500 characters). View examples from Neuroscience 2023.
- Target audience
- How your social will impact or engage the neuroscience community (500 characters)
Selection Process
The final selection is made in March by the Program Committee, whose primary consideration is to determine what will best serve the interests of the Society for Neuroscience and the success of the annual meeting. The committee has the right to make title changes, or substitutions of chairs or co-chairs. The committee can also decide to combine two proposals into one and select which chairs should be retained in that event. Changes arising from discussions of the Program Committee are passed on directly to the proposed chair. Social proposal submitters will be notified in March whether their proposal was accepted by the committee.
Proposals that are not accommodated one year will not be held over for consideration the next. However, a proposal may be re-submitted the following year and will receive the same consideration as all other proposals.
For more information, contact SfN staff at (202) 962-4000 or email program@sfn.org.
Accommodations and Set-Up
If your social is accepted. The Chairperson will be contacted by SfN staff and asked to submit online the following information. Some information will be published in the annual meeting Program, Neuroscience Meeting Planner, and the Neuroscience 2024 website::
- Names of special guests (limit of 10 guests, must have consulted proposed guests as their name will appear in electronic planning resources for the annual meeting)
- Audio/visual requirements
Because socials are SfN-sponsored events, each is accommodated equally with access to standard arrangements. Non-standard or extraordinary requests for setup or equipment require approval of the Program Committee. The Program Committee reserves the right to decline requests that are out of the scope of an SfN-Sponsored Social. Events that may be disruptive to other socials due to excessive noise cannot be accommodated.
Considerations for SfN-Sponsored Socials
A successful social can include:
- Focus on networking
- Short slide or awards presented
- Thematically appropriate games or debates, especially ones that lead to discussions
- Background music provided by playlists created prior to the event (wifi will not be available)
- Presence of luminaries to draw attendees
Prohibited actions include:
- Demonstrations, displays, or distribution of commercial products or promotional literature
- On-site setup changes
- Commercial support of any kind whether monetary, gift, or service-related
- Valuable giveaways (e.g., money or electronics)
- Unauthorized amplified sound due to noise concerns for other simultaneous socials
- Promotion of another organization of group during the social
Special Requests: Program Committee
- Before any changes or special requests can be made, the Chairperson must receive approval from their Program Committee liaison.
- Program Committee liaisons may play an active role in inviting luminaries and shaping the tone of the event.
A Note about Satellite Events and Meet-Ups
In cases where the Program Committee considers the request out of the scope of an SfN-Sponsored Social, it will be recommended that the Chairperson arrange a satellite event or meet-up instead. If, for example, a social chair decides to accept outside sponsorship, a satellite conversion will be explored or the SfN social may be canceled. For satellites, the Chairperson is not subject to SfN Social restrictions and would have full liberty to make special arrangements for equipment, catering, AV, setup, etc. However, the Chairperson is financially responsible for all costs of a satellite event, or they may find an outside sponsor to co-organize the satellite event.
Neuroscience Meet-Ups are informal social events organized by SfN members, for other individuals that share a common interest, in a venue of their choosing. Meet-ups will not be organized, funded, or planned by SfN. Meet-ups will be strictly informal and will be open to all registered attendees for the annual meeting and must be scheduled outside of the annual meeting scientific programming hours of 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. SfN members will be able to submit their meet-up listing up to several weeks before the annual meeting and there is no fee required. SfN will advertise these events in the mobile app and NMP, and will list the date, time, location and contact information only. Event descriptions will not be included. All meet-ups will be listed together under a common heading. Exhibiting companies are not permitted to host meet-ups.
More information and guidelines on submitting a satellite event or meet-up will be available later.
