What is Chapter/SIG World Conference Sponsorship?
The "sponsorship" means that the Chapter/SIG members or leadership have put their support behind a presentation, as a quality representation of work in their field of study (SIG) or geographic area (Chapter). It means that the Chapter/SIG has reviewed and approved (and in some cases "spurred" the creation of) the submission. These can be any type of oral submission (paper, panel, etc.) or poster.
The Program review committee takes this information and gives those submissions extra consideration, because a group (Chapter or SIG) has already reviewed/approved the submission. Sponsorship does not guarantee acceptance of any particular submission.
Sponsorship also allows the particular SIG or Chapter to direct its members to items of interest while at the World Conference, which is a service given the complexity of our programs.
Sponsored submissions accepted for presentation will include "Sponsored by xxx SIG/Chapter" in the conference program, app, and online.
What do I need to know if I am submitting a session that has been sponsored?
If you would like to reach out to a Chapter and/or SIG for sponsorship, you will find contact information for each Chapter here and each SIG here.
The person who submits that particular session to the conference would indicate the sponsorship at the time of submission.
SIG and Chapter sponsored submissions receive more consideration than other submissions to the conference (as they have had a review and approval), but they are not guaranteed acceptance.
Presentations may be "co-sponsored" by more than one SIG/Chapter (usually for a "cross-over" topic).
What do Chapters and SIGs need to know?
SIGs and Chapters can each sponsor up to 3 oral presentation submissions (submitters indicate sponsorship while submitting). The method of review of your sponsored submissions is up to the individual SIG or Chapter, but we encourage you to involve your community, have a review process, and select submissions that you would like to support due to their quality and relevance to the Chapter or SIG’s mission.
If ACBS receives more than 3 submissions indicating sponsorship from one SIG/Chapter, the SIG/Chapter will be informed of the titles so that they can confirm which were sponsored.
Please use your sponsorship wisely to help the Program Committee and draw their attention to quality submissions in your area/topic. Again, this does not guarantee acceptance, but does lend the submission to extra consideration.
There is no further commitment by the Chapter or SIG beyond their initial review and agreement to "sponsor".
Need ideas for how to review sessions?
Use your SIG/Chapter listserv to recruit reviewers. Create a google form (or other submission method) to collect titles, author names, and draft abstracts, by 20 January (or 1 Feb., whatever timeline you can support), then review and notify submitters by 7 Feb. so that they have plenty of time to submit their session, with sponsorship, on the ACBS website.
Another idea is to craft a panel using your listserv. Email the listserv asking for cutting-edge ideas (relevant to your SIG) that would make for a good panel discussion at the conference and assign someone to chair it and recruit appropriate panelists.