GUIDELINES FOR CONGRESS ORGANIZERS
BIDS TO HOST IUMS CONGRESSES:
Prospective organisers are advised that the organization of an
IUMS Divisional International Congress is a complex and demanding
task which must be undertaken only with the backing and full involvement
of an IUMS member national society or committee.
Societies/committees wishing to make a bid to host future congresses
should be aware that two time frames can be considered:
1) The International Congresses of Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology
(BAM) and Mycology and the International Congress of Virology
can be held back to back over a two week period, usually in the
month of August (as done in Sydney, August, 1999).
2) All three Congresses are held during a single week (as was
the case in Paris in July 2002, and will be in San Francisco in
2005)
Bids for Congresses six years hence should be made in writing to
the IUMS Executive Board, at least three months prior to the impending
IUMS International Congresses. The Executive Board will consider
all bids at its meeting during the congresses and announce its decision
shortly thereafter.
Bids should include the following information:
1 Description of Congress Facilities needed for each of the BAM
/Mycology and Virology Congresses.
If both Congresses are held simultaneously, the Congress Center
must have twice this number of halls
Minimum requirement:
* One hall for 3000 participants
* 10 halls for simultaneous scientific sessions:
2 halls for 1000 participants
3 halls for 500 participants
3 halls for 250 participants
2 halls for 150 participants
* 10 Committee rooms for simultaneous meetings for COMCOFs (IUMS
Committees, Commissions and Federations) (between 30-100 people)
and IUMS Executive Board (up to 30 people).
(all of the above with appropriate equipment and facilities for
scientific presentations)
* Adequate space for 2000 posters, commercial exhibits and registration
* Adequate catering facilities
All these facilities should be within easy walking distance of
each other.
* During the weekend separating the three Congresses, if they
are held over two weeks, or during the Congress week if they are
held during the same week the IUMS General Assembly meeting will
be held (100 - 200 participants) and a hall for this meetings
must be made available.
2 Nature of National Organizing Committees
The Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology Division, the Mycology
Division and the Virology Division will each require a separate
National Organising Committee (NOC) to be established by the National
Committee or Host Society. The International Scientific Programme
Committee (ISPC) of each congress is a divisional responsibility
and it will be chaired by vice-chair of that Division. The chair
of each NOC will serve as vice-chair of that ISPC.
Information should be provided on the proposed make up of the NOCs
including the identity of the proposed chair(s) and name of the
professional congress organising company (if any) that will be employed
by the Host Society.
3 Nature of accommodation available
A price range for different types of accommodation should be provided
with the approximate number of rooms available for different categories
including student accommodation.
4 Finances
The financial arrangements for the Congresses shall be the sole
responsibility of the National Committee (or National Member Society
if there is only one society) of the country hosting the Congresses.
When bids are submitted, evidence of adequate financial backing,
including written guarantees must be provided. Any contract with
a professional congress organising committee is the responsibility
of the National Committee (or National Member Society if there is
only one society) of the member country, but it will be expected
that the treasurer of the congress(es) will be appointed by, and
be a member of, the host National Committee or Society.
When producing an outline budget please note that IUMS requires
that the following are included:
* US$ 50 for each registered participant (whether full, student,
or subsidised registrant) at the Congress will be paid to IUMS.
Out of this account, US$20 will be retained by IUMS and US$10
will go to one of the three Divisions, depending on the particular
Congress. If students or young scientists are sponsored, this
sponsorship has to include the payment of Congress registration
as well as the IUMS levy. It is therefore essential that delegates
register for a specific congress.
* In the event that a granting agency makes a travel grant conditional
on the waiving of the registration fee, such a waiving of fees
does not release the organizers from payment of the IUMS levy.
* All expenses, including travel, secretarial and administrative
costs for the activities of the Divisional Chairs and Vice-Chairs
in relation to planning, organizing and attending the Congress,
shall be borne by the National Organizing Committee.
* Provision be made to waive the Congress registration fees
of the other members of the IUMS Executive Board (8 members) and
the Division Secretaries (3 members) who have to attend the official
meetings during the Congresses.
* Facilities for publicity purposes (ie. space and furniture)
should be provided to the organisers of the next Congress and
to IUMS Executive Board, free of charge.
* The organizers will accept a commitment to help young scientists
to attend the Congresses by providing fellowships or other financial
help. Such funds may be raised from sources other than the registration
fees, eg. from corporate sponsorship.
The cost of all the above together with the hire cost of the facilities
should be included in an outline budget and presented, along with
the proposed registration fees, as part of the bid documentation.
5 Any additional information:
Any additional information that may be required and that should
be brought to the attention of the Executive Board (eg. restrictions
on currency exchange/transfer etc) must be clearly identified.
6 Free Circulation of Scientists:
In terms of a directive of the International Council of Science
(ICSU) on the Free Circulation of Scientists, a country which offers
to host an IUMS Congress must abide by the ruling of free circulation
of scientists and can have no visa restrictions for scientists wishing
to attend the Congress. Should there be any such restrictions at
the time of the bid being made, these should be clearly stated in
the bid documentation.
7 Protocol
Committees should note that IUMS requires that the following protocols
be adhered to as part of the conference organisation.
The Chair of each IUMS Division, who will be the chair of the corresponding
Congress, shall be involved in the planning of the Congress and
will be responsible for ensuring that the Congress effectively promotes
the Division's discipline and that it presents all of the diverse
scientific interests thereof. They are also responsible for promoting
the interests of those members in countries where the divisional
discipline is not well represented.
The Vice-Chair of each Division will be the Chair of the International
Scientific Programme Committee (ISPC) and responsible for formulating
the scientific programme. He/she is required to liaise with the
Advisory Council of the Division in constituting the ISPC and to
canvass the views of the Advisory Council on the format and content
of the Congress. In framing the scientific programme of the Congress,
the Chair of the ISPC will work with the Divisional Chair and Chair
of the NOC. The Chair of the ISPC will normally be a person from
a country other than the one hosting the Congress.
The host National Committee or Society, following acceptance of
their bid by the Executive Board of IUMS, must give an undertaking
in writing, that they will guarantee to:
(a) ensure that they provide a Treasurer to oversee the congress
accounts and expenditure ;
(b) ensure that the sum of US$30 will be paid for each registrant
irrespective of whether they are free or student registrants;
(c) ensure that any student fellowships agreed to in the bid documentation
are adhered to;
(d) provide a detailed progress report of the NOC, including budget,
local organisation activities, and other relevant information
to each meeting of the IUMS Executive Board;
(e) produce a report of the Congress as soon as possible after
the event, together with audited accounts of the Congress finances.
This report should be submitted to the IUMS Executive Board and
to the organisers of the following International Congresses. Following
this, the Treasurer together with the Secretary/Treasurer of each
Division, in consultation with the NOC Chair, should publish a
report on the Congresses, including full, audited accounts of
the Congresses.
The ISPC will also provide a report to the IUMS Executive Board
through the Chair of the Committee, who is also a member of the
Executive Board by virtue of his position as Divisional Vice-Chair.
A data base of all the delegates should be made available to the
organisers of the next Congress. This database should not be used
for purposes other than publicising the next Congress without permission
of the Chair of the NOC which compiled the data base.
8. Signed agreement.
All bids must include a letter from the responsible officer in the
National Committee or Host Society giving an undertaking that they
will adhere to all the IUMS Congress Guidelines. This letter must
be included in the copy of the bid
documentation sent to the Secretary-General of IUMS.
NO BID WILL BE CONSIDERED WITHOUT
THIS SIGNED UNDERTAKING.
|
| Members |
Divisions |
ComCoFs |
Congresses |
Awards |