ASPB meeting


Year Conference was held: 2020

Years the Conferences has been held: 100

Disciplines: Plant Biology

Gender Balance/Diversity Statement: None

Registration Cost (US dollars): $250-$985

Total Attendance Cost (US dollars): $2000-$4000

Travel Carbon Footprint (tons of CO2): 2600

Other Carbon Footprint (tons of CO2): 650

Associated Scientific Society/Organization: American Society of Plant Biology

Approx number of Society members (as of 2018): 1800

Approximate Number of Conference Attendees (Exhibitors included): 1300

Geographic Location(s): Washington DC, USA

Years held (Annual, Biannual, Triannual): Annual

Host, Funders and Sponsors: BioChambers, Convirons, CYVERSE, DOW AgroScience, Pioneer, DUPONT, Geneva Scientific, Hettich Lab Technology, KeyGene, LemnaTec, LI-COR, Phenospex, PP-Systems, Qubit Phenomics, The Climate Corporation

Digital or Virtual Options: None

Digital Archives (Recorded talks & slides): None

Electronic program dissemination:

On-site Maternity Facilities: None

On-site Childcare Facilities/Services: Yes (ASPB is proud to have offered childcare at its annual meeting for many years. Plant Biology 2020 is no exception, with available onsite childcare at rates (see details below) partially supported by a grant from the Romanoff Foundation. ASPB feels strongly that childcare at conferences promotes equity for all attendees and will have wide-reaching benefits in the community as a whole. Childcare at Plant Biology 2020 is available for $10/child/hour and will take place on site at the convention center, making it easy for parents to swing in between sessions or at lunch. All ages (up to 18 years) are accepted, but the most common ages fall in the 6 month–12 year range.)

Caregiver Grant: None

Career Development Events and Workshops: Yes (1. Plant Bioinformatics Resources This workshop is intended for researchers at all levels but especially those relatively new to Plant Biology who would like to learn more about the variety of tools and resources available on the web. There will be a combination of resource overview talks and application talks which illustrate the use of specific online resources with real world examples. 2. Undergraduate Networking Session This free networking opportunity gives undergraduates an opportunity to discuss their research, posters, and career goals with other attendees in an intimate setting. All attendees are encouraged to come to this event to welcome the undergraduate students, many of whom may be attending a large conference for the first time. Light refreshments will be provided. *No posters will be at this session. Undergraduates who submitted poster abstracts should put their posters in the main poster hall upon arriving at the conference. 3. PUI Faculty Development Workshop This workshop is for faculty currently working at primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) or early career scientists who would like to get a job at a PUI. PUIs are defined as institutions that offer few or no PhDs in the sciences. While teaching is a large part of being a PUI faculty member, maintaining a successful research program is also critical for career advancement and for providing undergraduates with high-caliber research experiences. Given the high demand on faculty time at PUIs, research collaborations are an integral part of maintaining a productive research program. This workshop will include presentations and discussions on different types of collaborative projects and tools PUI faculty can used to build successful collaborations. This will include presentations by a panel of faculty on different types of collaborative projects as well as opportunities for small-group tool building among participants. 4. Discovering the rules of life through computational plant biology – utilizing dynamical mathematical models at the molecular, organismal, and ecosystem levels At the workshop, participants will be put into groups and provided with ‘toy problems’ to solve. They will be tasked with reformulating of these problems to be more appropriate for discussion of mathematical frameworks, including differential equations, Markov Chains, and cellular automata. Participant groups will decide which of the presented methods would be best suited for their toy problems. The ‘solutions’ will be presented by our panel of experts, who will discuss their rationales with the participants. At the end of the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to receive real-time consultation on their computational questions. Participants can display an A4-sized poster with a diagram of their system with a brief paragraph giving background information and research questions. The panel of experts will then give comments where appropriate on suggested next steps. 5. Change the World with SciComm! Public policies can have far-reaching impacts on scientific research, and vice-versa. Policymakers, regulators, and the public need information about issues that relate to plant biology. Through invited speakers and hands-on activities, this workshop will help participants impact policy with the following strategies: 1. Communicate about science directly to lawmakers and other policymakers. 2. Contribute public comments on new or updated regulations that impact your research. 3. Communicate the impacts of science policies with the public through storytelling. Our goal is to inspire participants to reach out and change the world through science communication! 6. Perspectives in Science Leadership and Policy with Dr. Sharlene Weatherwax Are you a science leader? Should science policy matter to you? How can scientists at all levels of experience and interest in plant science contribute towards leadership and science policy? A successful and vibrant research enterprise depends on diversity, equity, inclusion, and perspectives from different contexts. Dr. Sharlene Weatherwax will present observations and lessons learned from a nonlinear path to a nontraditional career in science management and policy, highlighting some expected and unanticipated potholes and roadblocks. You will receive some practical tips to nurture and develop your inner leader, identify your policy interests and empower future actions. 7.Get Your Message Across: A Guide to Artwork and Illustrations for Better Impact and Clarity This workshop will cover the production of artwork and illustrations that effectively convey information and complex concepts. The workshop will consist of short presentations on principles of good design, using R/Python to generate complex data figures and software and other resources that can be used to produce effective figures. Pointers on fonts, colors, density of data, and design of graphs for publication will also be presented. The presentations will be followed by a question & answer period. 8.Plant Science Decadal Vision (2020-2030) Making the vision a reality Our planet and species are facing an interrelated set of profound challenges with limited time and diminishing opportunity to solve. To address these challenges, ASPB and the plant science community have come together to develop an innovative Plant Science Decadal Vision (DV). The goals of the Decadal Vision span People, Research, and Technology – but addressing these goals will require unprecedented collaborations within and outside the plant and microbial sciences, new technologies, new training paradigms, new work cultures, and the broadening of participation.Organized by the Plant Science Research Network (PSRN), this workshop will highlight opportunities to get involved in the effort to advance our community towards these ambitious and challenging goals. The organizers will provide an overview of the report and facilitate an interactive discussion on how ASPB members can work to promote the vision. Contact: Natalie 9.Allies 101: How to support and affirm the LGBTQ+ community in lab and the classroom LGBTQ+ students have reduced retention rates in STEM compared to their heterosexual peers. 30percent of STEM professionals are not ‘out’ to their colleagues. Welcoming workplaces increase the likely of professionals to be out to their collogues, while student LGBTQ+ supportive organizations decrease the odds of students encountering homophobic comments. In our workshop we will talk about ways to improve the lab and classroom environment for LGBTQ+ students and professionals for Allies. We will focus on easily changeable aspects of the classroom and lab culture to improve accessibility and support for LGBTQ+ folks. Other topics we will discuss include LGBTQ+ Vocabulary 101, how to find local LGBTQ+ resources and ways to bring them up for folks in need, and also discuss how to be a good ally for folks who are transitioning and coming out. This will be an interactive workshop, aimed to educated professionals and to also help them identify resources in their local communities. What are pronouns and how do you know when to use which ones? Someone just came out to me, what do I do? Does my school/company have resources for LGBTQ+ folks? Mental health resources for LGBT+ folks in my community? 10.How FDA can help you bring new plant varieties to market This session will explain how you can use FDA’s voluntary food safety consultation processes as part of new variety development. Discussion will include the types of data and information that are typically considered as part of a consultation. Emphasis will be placed on how these processes may be used by small and medium-sized entities (including universities). This session will also discuss FDA’s view of foods from genome edited plant varieties. 11.Implicit Bias & Conscious Inclusion Workshop (breakfast) organized by the Minority Affairs and the Women in Plant Biology Committees We are all guilty of being implicitly bias, and acknowledging this is not always easy, especially when we are not equipped to address this and do not always know what to do. Join us for an in-depth understanding of what unconscious bias is, how it effects our decisions and the harm that can result from it. In this interactive workshop, we will learn to identify the ways that bias shows up in our own lives, different strategies to limit its effects in our decision making, and finally how to be more conscious about inclusion. 12.Equity, Diversity, Inclusion: Effecting Institutional Change (Lunch with Guest Speaker) Organized by the Minority Affairs Committee – more details coming soon 13.Inclusive Pedagogy As educators, we want all of our students to feel valued and supported. This workshop features several speakers who will present their perspectives on intentionally inclusive pedagogy. From sample assignments to attitudes to course policies, participants will learn about the many ways that they can make their classrooms and curricula more inclusive. Workshop participants will then work in small groups with the speakers to brainstorm and develop their own sets of materials, tips, and tricks that can be brought back into the classroom. The workshop is open to current and future educators at all student levels. Communicating for Impact: Workshop on engaging meaningfully with your neighbors, your elected officials, funders and the broader public about plant science This workshop, led by James Carrington, President of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, provides guidance and real-world examples of how to meaningfully engage with the public—ranging from your local community to policy makers. Communicating the promise of plant science is the foundation from which public demand and funding (both government and philanthropic) for plant science will grow. Workshop participants will hear from experienced communicators about their successes and failures and how to: • Communicate with the Public with Purpose • Communicate with Elected Officials and Policy Makers • Communicate with Government Agencies and Philanthropies 14.Careers beyond academia: DC edition Graduate training of plant biologists occurs primarily in universities, and students have little exposure to plant biology careers apart from the academic path. This workshop will provide discussion of a diversity of career options available to those with graduate degrees in plant biology. Panelists will be selected to represent a variety of careers including in those in large and small private companies, government, etc. The workshop format will include introduction of career options by the panelists followed by small group discussions. 15.Bridging the gap between lab and field: designing and using fabricated ecosystems to explore plant-soil-microbial interactions. 16.Market driven innovation in plant science 17.USDA, DOE & NSF Grant Information Session)

ECR Promotion Events: Yes (1. Undergraduate Networking Session 2.Early Career Award: instituted originally by the Society in 2005 to recognize outstanding research by scientists at the beginnings of their careers. This award is a monetary award made annually for exceptionally creative, independent contributions by an individual, whether or not a member of the Society, who is generally not more than seven years post-Ph.D. on January 1st of the year of the presentation. Breaks in careers will be considered when addressing the time limit of this award.)

Travel Awards for ECRs: Yes (1. Travel Awards for Minorities Only a limited number of $575 travel grants (SPBs Minority Affairs Committee is offering a limited number of Recognition Travel Awards for students, postdocs, and faculty who are themselves members of groups underrepresented in the US scientific workforce and/or who are directly supporting the education and professional development of students in such groups. 2. Travel Awards for Plant Biology 2020 from the Primarily Undergraduate Institutions Section)

Code of Conduct: https://plantbiology.aspb.org/code-of-conduct/

Safety Instructions/Apps: None

Keynote Speaker Gender Balance: Not Applicable to this meeting.

Speaker Gender Balance: Not Applicable to this meeting.

Invited Speakers Gender Balance: Not Applicable to this meeting.

Session Chair Gender Balance: Organizers: 5 Men: 1 Woman

Conference Chair Gender Balance: 3 Women: 3 Men

Enviromental Sustainability efforts: None

Public Engagement Events Outreach: None

Sustainability Initiatives/Considerations/Green Strategies/Policies: None

Conference URL: https://plantbiology.aspb.org/

Other Details/Announcements or Publications:


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