Proposals for 2026 Dual Perspectives
The SfN Program Committee is seeking proposals from the membership for Dual Perspective sessions to take place at the Society’s annual meeting. Proposal submitters must be active SfN members. Submission opens Tuesday, December 9.
Visit Neuroscience 2025 and Neuroscience 2024 for past Dual Perspectives session examples.
- Dual Perspectives Content
- Topic Selection and Audience
- Participants
- Growth and Opportunities
- Funding
- Requirements for Proposals
- General
- Presenter Guidelines and Policies for SfN Events
- Contact Information
Dual Perspectives Content
Dual Perspectives participants will be made up of one moderator and two speakers. The Dual Perspectives session is planned to be 1.5 hours. The session will comprise the following:
- 5-minute introduction by the moderator, presenting a brief overview of the selected topic
- 10–15-minute presentations from presenters
- 30–45-minute moderated discussion between the two presenters, moderator, and audience (time for discussion will be adjusted according to the number of speakers)
- 5–10 minutes for closing remarks
The moderator of the session should have a knowledgeable view of the session’s topic, as well as expertise on how the field arrived at the current understanding of the presented topic.
The point of the Dual Perspectives session is not to incite dogmatic point-counterpoint arguments among participants. Rather, the goal is to present descriptions of the same process or phenomenon from different viewpoints such that promote constructive discussion.
Presentations should provide an opportunity to learn about the history, as well as the various arguments, research, and viewpoints, surrounding a particular topic. All speakers must agree to present in-person.
Topic Selection and Audience
Proposal topics should have an appeal that touches on a timely scientific topic. Viewpoints provided by presenters should have research-based differences that can be understood by a broad scientific audience. The session should be educational. This session is intended for neuroscientists at all stages of their career.
Submitters are required to note the general theme classification into which the proposal fits best, as well as any potentially cross-cutting themes.
Participants
The person submitting the proposal must be an active member of SfN. The proposer must be prepared to provide a conflict of interest (COI) disclosure for each speaker. A relevant COI is a financial relationship to a product or device from a commercial interest associated with the topic on which one is speaking. A commercial interest is defined as any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients. Relationships with governmental agencies (e.g., NIH), nonprofits or universities do not have to be disclosed. An example of the COI form that is required from each participant is available via PDF.
It is required that you name in your proposal a moderator (perhaps yourself) who has agreed to be responsible for the event and speakers. The person submitting the proposal must be a member of SfN. Speakers are encouraged to be SfN members but may be nonmembers. Speakers are required to have a free My SfN account. The moderator’s responsibilities include entering required submission information for the entire session; obtaining consent from all speakers about their in-person presentation requirement; ensuring all proposed speakers have updated their My SfN account with their name, email, institution, and address; and making sure that all speakers have returned necessary logistical and programming information (i.e., disclosure forms, audiovisual needs) to SfN.
During the submission and review process, the proposer (if different from the moderator) will be the primary contact. After acceptance into the annual meeting program, the moderator becomes the primary contact and, furthermore, is responsible for relaying any and all important information to and from the other speakers.
Each participant should be familiar with the overall objectives of the session and of the material likely to be covered by the other speakers.
Note that the Program Committee does not permit the inclusion of moderators or speakers who have participated in [mini]symposia, Basic-Translational-Clinical Roundtables, the Dual Perspectives Sessions, or Storytelling Sessions in the past two annual meetings (Neuroscience 2024 and 2025). The session should also include speakers from different institutions and regions. Organizers should ensure speakers understand that chairing or presenting in a 2026 symposium, minisymposium, or featured panel means they are ineligible to participate in another of those annual meeting sessions until Neuroscience 2029.
Speakers are permitted to be in only one lecture, symposium, minisymposium, or featured panel session. If a speaker is on multiple accepted proposals, they must be replaced on all but one. If a speaker is invited to and agrees to present a lecture, symposium, minisymposium, Basic-Translational-Clinical Roundtable, or Storytelling Session, they must be replaced in the Dual Perspectives panel.
Important: All proposed speakers must have agreed to speak at the Dual Perspectives and to present in person before the proposal form is submitted.
Growth and Opportunity
Growth and opportunity are organizational priorities of SfN and programming must ensure representation of all members. SfN encourages and promotes participation, accessibility, active representation and leadership from all populations. Recognizing that opportunity advances the field of neuroscience, SfN encourages membership and participation. The Society promotes an environment that is supportive of all individuals in the interest of advancing science.
The Program Committee is tasked with maintaining a balance of perspectives across all dimensions with regard to the Annual Meeting scientific program and key lecturer opportunities. The success of our field — and of the entire scientific community — requires perspectives and participation from all professional levels and experiences.
Funding
Dual Perspectives presenters will receive half-price annual meeting registration and the opportunity to reserve lodging before the hotel blocks open up to Neuroscience 2026 attendees.
Requirements for Proposals
Click the button at the top of the page to log into the 2026 site and submit your proposal. The proposal site will direct you to provide the following (all character limits include spaces):
- Contact information (institutions, emails, addresses) and COI disclosures for the moderator and speakers. Note: all proposed speakers are required to have a free My SfN account.
- Title of the overall session.
- Short description of the session for use in the annual meeting Program and Exhibit Guide and Neuroscience Meeting Planner (500 characters).
- Summary of each speaker’s viewpoint (500 characters).
- Indication of a theme to categorize the topic and a cross-cutting theme, if applicable.
- Why the topic is timely (500 characters).
- The extent to which it could have a broad appeal to the membership (500 characters).
- The clinical relevance, if any, of the topic (500 characters).
- Other considerations that make the proposal attractive.
Speakers in accepted proposals may be invited to contribute to the Dual Perspectives feature in the Journal of Neuroscience. If you do not wish for your proposal to be considered for this feature, please indicate this within your proposal submission.
General
Final selection is made 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. Note that proposals that fail to be accommodated one year will not be held over for consideration the next. However, a proposal can be re-submitted the following year and will receive the same consideration as any other submission.
The Program Committee reserves the right to alter or combine proposals in the best interest of the annual meeting program. This includes adding and removing presenters, suggesting different organizers, combining proposals, etc.
For more information, contact SfN staff at (202) 962-4000 or email program@sfn.org.
Presenter Guidelines and Policies for SfN Events
By accepting the invitation to participate in a Society for Neuroscience (SfN) digital or in-person event, you are agreeing to follow the SfN speaker guidelines and policies.
Contact Information
To make sure that you receive all SfN program-related correspondence, please add sconnor@sfn.org, program@sfn.org, and sfn@support.ctimeetingtech.com to your email “safe senders” list.
