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    Please note that the latest information about the ESJ69 meeting will be published in HTML format. The PDF version of the Meeting Information will not be updated.

    Updates

    • 19 February 2022 | ESJ69 will be held online. The information about the on-site format have been deleted.
    • 29 September 2021 | Publish the meeting information (PDF and HTML version)

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    Registration website

    In the 69th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of Japan (ESJ69), we decided to cancel all the on-site events at the Fukuoka International Congress Center and to move to a full online system, because we realized that it is very difficult to predict even the very near future of the COVID-19 pandemic and also that it is practically impossible to establish a flexible system to carry out the on-site events in response to all the possible situations which could happen within a month to go. Therefore, all events will be held in an online format. The first half of the meeting will be dedicated to oral/poster presentations, forums, and award lectures. There will be a one-day break, followed by the second half of the meeting, in which we plan to hold symposia and workshops. Participants will also be able to join the symposia and workshops online (real-time). All sessions will be accessible as on-demand streaming; thus, participants will be able to watch lectures at any time. In addition, we will try to make ESJ69 accessible to everyone by adopting various innovations, including virtual social gathering and a banquet. We look forward to welcoming you and to receiving proposals for symposia and workshops.

    OVERVIEW

    Dates:　March 14 2022, to March 19 2022.
    Venues:　Online
    Official website:　/

    Instructions on how to access the registration system and the platform of ESJ69 will be announced on the official website. Please send your comments or inquiries about ESJ69 via the inquiry form on the ESJ69 official website.

    SCHEDULE

    *1　Posters will also be available for viewing and discussion (using the text chat function) after the 16th March 2022. Posters will be available for viewing for about one week after the ESJ69 meeting.
    *2　On-demand streaming will also be available. Participants will be able to watch the video of the presentation until about one week after the ESJ69 meeting.
    *3　All symposia and workshops will be accessible online.
    NOTE: All committees are expected to hold their meetings via Zoom before the start of the ESJ69 meeting.

    IMPORTANT DATES

    Registration

    ※Available until 21st February 2022

    Application for presentations

      Deadline
    Oral/poster presentations
    Poster presentations by high school students    		 Monday
    1st Nov. 2021, 23:59 (JST)
    Proposals for symposia, workshops, and forums Monday
    1st Nov. 2021, 23:59 (JST)
    Membership registration for organizers and speakers
    (for those who are not members of ESJ)    		 Monday
    1st Nov. 2021, 23:59 (JST)
    Payment of the annual membership fee by organizers and speakers
    Monday    		 Monday
    21st Feb. 2022, 23:59 (JST)
    Abstract registration
    (for presentations in symposia, workshops, and forums, oral presentations, poster presentations, and poster presentations by high school students)    		 Monday
    21st Feb. 2022, 23:59 (JST)

    * Organizers of symposia and workshops, speakers in sessions (except the guest speaker), and speakers of general presentations are first required to join our society (ESJ) before submitting a session proposal or applying for a presentation.
    * Please note that we will not respond to any inquiries between 5:00 p.m. (JST) of each due date and 10:00 a.m. (JST) of the next day. Your early confirmation of the registration procedure would be appreciated.

    OVERVIEW OF THE ONLINE FORMAT

    • We will use ONLINE CONF (https://agri-smile.com/service/online-conf/) as the online platform for ESJ69.
    • Participants will be able to view the schedule and the abstracts for each session on the platform. It will also be possible to access the sessions, oral presentations, and poster presentations.
    • During the core time of the poster presentations, participants will be able to discuss the presentation using the video call function available on the platform (ONLINE CONF) (discussion using the chat function is also possible).
    • Oral presentations will be held using Zoom Meetings (https://zoom.us/en/meetings.html) in real-time.
    • Symposia and workshops will be held online using Zoom Meetings.
    • Oral presentations and presentations given in each session will be recorded and made accessible to participants on the platform until about one week after the ESJ69 meeting (on-demand streaming). The availability of the recordings will be confirmed at registration.

    FACILITATING INTERACTION AMONG PARTICIPANTS

    Online exchange meeting

    For two years in a row, our annual meeting has not been able to be held on-site (face-to-face), ESJ67 was canceled and ESJ68 was held fully online. For ESJ69, we also decided to cancel all the on-site events. Despite this, we will be organizing online exchange meetings using SpatialChat, and other means, to ensure that there are ample opportunities for interaction among participants.

    After each session of oral presentations (symposia and workshops), we will set a 30-minute social time. The participants will be welcomed to join the social spaces of the sessions they have attended. Please enjoy the opportunity to meet other participants in your field. Of course, you may also be able to make other social interactions outside the sessions you have attended. To make ESJ69 a productive meeting, we welcome your active participation.

    Online banquet

    The banquet of ESJ69 will be held in an online format using SpatialChat. It will be open to all ESJ69 participants (except high school students and the audience members using a workshop ticket). The banquet will be free of charge. No registration is required. Details will be announced on the official website and the platform of ESJ69.

    DEADLINES

    Deadlines for new (and renewed) membership registration, and payment of meeting registration fee

    Application for membership by a non-member Monday, 1st Nov. 2021, 23:59 (JST)
    Payment of membership registration fee by a non-member Monday, 21st Feb. 2022, 23:59 (JST)
    Payment of membership registration fee by ESJ members Monday, 21st Feb. 2022, 23:59 (JST)

    * After applying for your membership via the website, the ESJ Member Service Desk will notify you of a temporary member number. Please use this number for the submission of session proposals or presentations as described below.
    * Membership registrations are accepted at any time for participants who are not giving presentations. However, participants who wish to submit proposals and apply for presentations are required to get their temporary membership number and to complete registration by the 1st Nov. 2021 (submission of proposals and presentations will not be accepted later than 23:59). Please note that it may take some time between the membership registration and the issue of your temporary membership number. Your early registration would be appreciated. For details about membership, please refer to the “How to join ESJ” website (https://esj.ne.jp/esj/English/join.html).

    * The schedule may be subject to change, so please check the latest information on the ESJ69 official website.
    * Please note that we will not respond to any inquiries between 5:00 p.m. (JST) of each due date and 10:00 a.m. (JST) of the next day. Your early confirmation of the registration procedure would be appreciated.
    * No additions or corrections will be accepted after the due dates (we will not make corrections using errata).


    * Audience members of workshops/ecology courses for high school students only will not be able to enter the ONLINE CONF platform of ESJ69. We will notify the URLs of audible sessions by e-mail up until the day of the meeting.

    EXPENSES AND PAYMENT

    Membership fees (annual fee)

    All applicants who wish to give a presentation or organize a symposium/workshop are required to join ESJ for 2022, before the deadline (1st November 2021). After applying for membership, please pay the membership fee by 21st February 2022 (this includes re-admission for those whose membership was suspended due to non-payment). If you are currently a member and plan to give a presentation or are organizing a workshop/symposium, you will also need to pay the 2022 membership fee by 21st February 2022.

    To apply for an ESJ membership, please see: “How to join ESJ” https://esj.ne.jp/esj/English/join.html

    ESJ Member Service Desk:

    358-5, Academy Center, Yamabuki-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0801, Japan
    Email: esj-post@bunken.co.jp
    Tel.: +81-3-6824-9381; Fax: +81-3-5227-8631
    Hours of Operation: 9 AM–12 PM, 1–5 PM. JST (closed on weekends and public holidays in Japan)

    Registration and banquet fees

    • The registration fee is the same for members and non-members.
    • The registration fee amount will be applied when the payment procedure is completed by the due date.
    • The registration fee for “young members without fixed income” is equal to that of “Students”. If you have applied in advance to be considered a “young member without fixed income (2021)”, and your application was approved by the ESJ Member Services Office, please indicate this in your registration for the meeting. (See: “Rules of Admission and membership fee of the Ecological Society of Japan” https://esj.ne.jp/esj/English/Rules/Ad_Fee.html).
    • There are no fees for the Ecology lecture for junior and high school students. If you wish to attend this lecture only, without participating in the other events of the meeting, please apply for your participation by 21st February 2022.
    • The full amount of the registration fee can be refunded until the cancellation due date, on Monday, 21st February 2022. No refunds will be made after this date. Bank transfer fees and other expenses cannot be refunded.
    • Due to a migration of the registration system, we will stop registrations between the 22nd and 28th February 2022.

    Types of membership Early bird discount
    Until Feb. 21 2022    		 Normal price
    After Mar. 1 2022    		 Banquet Fee
    Regular 13,000 JPY 15,000 JPY Free
    Student 5,000 JPY 6,000 JPY Free
    Audience member of workshops only
    (Workshop tickets)    		 1,000 JPY Not Available Unable to participate
    Undergraduate students without presentations Not Available Free Unable to participate

     

    Supplement: Setting the registration fee

    To prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, ESJ69 will be held online. Although the cost of renting the meeting site, the registration fee (not including the banquet fee) is still equal to or higher than that of previous on-site meetings. This is due to the costs associated with arranging the oral and poster presentations online. Specifically, this includes the costs of using an online meeting platform, setting up an online meeting site, live streaming, and providing on-demand support. The purpose of ESJ69 is to create a new style of scientific meeting that considers diversity. We sincerely hope that all participants understand this.

    How to resigter

    For general participants (including graduate and undergraduate students with presentations)

    • The system that will be used for the meeting registration and payment procedures will differ depending on the date. Please use the ESJ69 registration site until 21st February 2022; after 1st March 2022, please use the meeting platform (ONLINE CONF). The URL of each site will be provided on the ESJ69 official webpage.
    • There is no problem if the registration and payment are made at different times and through different systems.
    • By paying the ESJ69 registration fee, you will be able to use all the functions of the meeting platform. Please make sure to complete the registration and payment procedures before the day of the meeting (Please note that only some functions of the meeting platform, including the payment of the registration fee, will be available when the registration process is completed).
    • If you cannot log into the meeting platform, you will not be able to upload your poster or check the Zoom URL of each presentation. To reduce problems with your presentation and viewing, we strongly recommend you pay the registration fee and try to log into the meeting platform before the meeting dates.
    • Registrations during the ESJ69 meeting (14th to 19th March) will be accepted.
    • When you submit your abstract, you will be asked to select about five keywords of interest.

    Participating in the ESJ69 official events as an audience member

    • Non-ESJ members are welcome to attend as an audience member by paying the meeting registration fee.
    • Both ESJ members and non-members are required to apply for their participation in ESJ69 and pay the registration fee on the ESJ69 registration site or the meeting platform. (Please note that the system used for payment will change depending on the date; but it is okay to use different systems for registration and payment.)
    • For the workshops, if you will participate as an audience member only, you can use a Workshop ticket (1,000 yen). Please apply from the ESJ69 registration site and purchase a Workshop ticket by 21st February 2022. Workshop tickets can be used for multiple days during the meeting.
    • There is no registration fee for undergraduate students (as well as junior and senior high school students) who will not give a presentation. Please apply for ESJ69 from the meeting platform on or after 1st March 2022 (a copy of your student ID will be requested at registration).

    PROPOSAL FOR SESSIONS AND REGISTRATION FOR PRESENTATIONS

    • Registration for presentations and session proposals can be made through the ESJ69 registration site, which will be available around the end of September. Please check the ESJ69 official website for the latest information.
    • For details about how to apply for presentations and session proposals, please refer to the following sections in “Session proposal guidelines” or “Application for oral and poster presentations”.
    • No submissions will be accepted after the deadline. We cannot correct typos or garbled characters. There will not be corrections as errata for this meeting. Please be careful before you submit your application.

    Eligibility for registration

    The eligibility for ESJ members and non-members to participate in ESJ69 are as follows. Regarding limits on presentation number, please read “Session proposal guidelines” and “Application for oral and poster presentations” for details.

    　 Session type ESJ member*1 Non-member
    Participating as an audience member ✓ ✓
    General sessions (Oral and poster presentations) *2 ✓  
    Organizer of a symposium or a workshop*3 ✓  
    Speaker in a symposium*2 ✓ ✓*5
    Speaker in a workshop*2 ✓  
    Commentator in a symposium or workshop※4 ✓ ✓

    *1 Regular (general and student) and honorary ESJ members. Supporting members are not included.
    *2 Main speakers of the presentations. Co-authors don’t need to be ESJ members.
    *3 Co-organizers must also be ESJ members.
    *4 Commentator without abstract submission. It is defined as a “presentation” if the participant has registered an abstract.
    *5 Non-member speakers are limited to those participants invited by the organizer of the symposium. Please see the sections below about the criteria for symposium proposals.

    Session proposal guidelines

    1. Sessions will be held completely online.
    2. All presentations will be available online for all ESJ69 participants.
    3. All sessions will be recorded and subject to on-demand streaming (until approximately one week after the meeting).
    4. We will confirm your request for the type of session format and whether it can be held on-demand when you apply.
    • There are three types of sessions: Symposium, Workshop, and Forum.
    • Co-organizers and speakers are required to register on the ESJ69 registration site. If you are a co-organizer or a speaker, please log into the ESJ69 registration site using your membership number (or use your login ID if you are a non-member speaker), and register your information (i.e., e-mail address, affiliation, etc.) as soon as possible.
    • Organizers must apply for a session proposal using the member number registered on the ESJ69 registration site. The member number can also be found by using the member search function on My Page.
    • The information entered at the time of your proposal will be posted directly on the meeting platform. Please note that we will not change any of the information in the session proposal.
    • To deliver the meeting online, a professional company will provide same-day support for operating Zoom.
    • We will have an opportunity to rehearse holding a session via Zoom before the meeting period.
    Symposium Workshop
    　 Concept 　 Main meetings 　　 Free discussion about various topics
    Time 3 hours 1.5 hours
    Priority 　　 Top priority Lottery if too many applicants
    Scheduling Time at which audiences easily gather Held mainly in the evening
    Presentations by non-ESJ members Encouraged
    Invited speakers are exempt from the registration fee    		 Not allowed
    Comments and opinions with no abstract registration are allowed
    Presentations of oral or poster sessions by organizers and speakers Not allowed Allowed
    Organization or presentation in other sessions by organizers and speakers Not allowed Not allowed
    Session format Online Online

    CALL FOR SYMPOSIA

    We invite ESJ members to propose symposia for ESJ69. The symposia are the central sessions of the meeting. Please understand the concept of the symposia (described below) and submit your proposal. Each symposium will be held for three hours. We decided to hold the symposia completely online. We look forward to receiving enthusiastic proposals from researchers from various positions, genders, and nationalities. Please note that the presentations will be recorded and distributed on-demand during ESJ69 and for about a week afterward. The recording permissions will be confirmed when the proposal is submitted.

    About proposals

    The participants of the meetings usually prefer to join symposia on various subjects. Thus, they expect new topics not yet covered in recent ESJ symposia. The Annual Meeting Planning Committee encourages members who have no or little experience as symposium organizers to submit their proposals.

    To promote interdisciplinary exchange, it is possible to invite non-ESJ members to be symposium speakers (they will not have to pay the registration fee). Please note that the same non-ESJ member cannot be an invited speaker for two years in a row.

    Due to the unpredictable situation of the new coronavirus, unlike previous meetings, for ESJ69 we will not call for guest speakers sponsored by the journal Ecological Research (ER Invited Speakers). However, to promote international information dissemination and discussion at the symposia, we welcome the online participation of overseas researchers and the active participation of non-ESJ members via the invited speaker system.

    Procedures for symposia organizers

    • The deadline for the submission of symposia proposals is 23:59 (JST), Monday, 1st November 2021.
    • From the viewpoint of respecting diversity, organizers should consider the balance of speaker’s positions, gender, etc. when composing the group of speakers.
    • The Annual Meeting Planning Committee will not be involved in the content of the symposia. However, symposium proposals that are judged to contain contents that slander or libel any individual or organization will be declined.
    • When submitting the proposal, organizers are requested to answer whether the entire meeting (including an explanation of the purpose and comments by the commentator) can be distributed on-demand and whether each presentation can be distributed on-demand.
    • Organizers will register all the presentations at once. Before submitting the proposal, organizers should collect information on each presentation (title, names, and affiliations of speakers and co-presenters) in both Japanese and English, as well as the membership numbers of organizers, co-organizers, and speakers (login IDs for invited speakers).
    • Please access the registration site and enter the symposium title, abstract (maximum 800 characters in Japanese, 200 words in English), and information for each presentation. Please note that the information of co-presenters will also be confirmed by this entry and cannot be changed at the time of the abstract submission.

    Procedures for symposia speakers

    • Except for non-ESJ member invited speakers, only members who have applied for membership in ESJ by Monday, 1st November 2021 and have paid the annual membership fee by 21st February 2022 (regular and honorary members, hereinafter the same) are eligible to speak at the symposium.
    • All speakers (except invited speakers) are required to pay the meeting registration fee by the day of the meeting. We recommend that you pay the fee as early as possible to log in to the meeting platform smoothly. Please note that the meeting registration fee is eligible for an early bird discount until 21st February 2022.
    • Each speaker is requested to provide the following information to the symposium organizer by the symposium proposal deadline (1st November 2021): title (maximum 40 characters in Japanese and 150 characters in English), name and affiliation of the speaker and co-presenters, and the speaker’s membership number (login ID for invited speakers). Please also let the organizer know whether you would like your presentation to be distributed on-demand.
    • Each speaker is required to register an abstract (maximum 800 words in Japanese, 200 words in English) on the meeting registration site by Monday, 21st February 2022.

    Limitations on submitting proposals

    • Organizers (including co-organizers, hereinafter the same) must be ESJ members (regular and honorary members, hereafter the same). Non-ESJ members are not eligible to be organizers.
    • It is not permitted to be an organizer or a speaker (main explainer of the talk, hereafter the same) of more than one symposium.
    • Symposia organizers/speakers cannot be organizers/speakers of workshops or presenters of general sessions (both oral and poster presentations).
    • Explanation of the purpose, comments, and expressions of opinions without abstract registration are not counted as presentations in the symposia. Therefore, these are not subject to the limitation of overlapping presentations mentioned above.
    • At least two speakers are required to apply for the organization of a symposium. If you have only one speaker, please apply for the organization of a workshop.

    Use of English is encouraged

    • ESJ has seen an increase in the number of international students and participants from overseas attending its meetings. To further promote research exchange among participants, we encourage the use of English (including in combination with Japanese) in symposia.
    • For symposia held in Japanese, please try to include English on the slides and prepare a simple English handout, if possible (handouts and bilingual slides are also effective in encouraging non-English speakers to participate in English-language symposia).

    CALL FOR WORKSHOPS

    ESJ69 is calling for workshops. The ESJ has traditionally considered workshops as important opportunities to discuss unconventional topics and launch new fields in Ecology. Please feel free to apply for the organization of workshops, referring to the following information. The workshops are planned to be around 90 minutes long. The workshops will be hold completely online. We look forward to receiving enthusiastic proposals from researchers of diverse positions, genders, and nationalities. The presentations will be recorded and distributed on-demand during the meeting and about one week after the meeting. We will confirm the recording permissions when the proposal is submitted.

    Procedures for organizers of workshops

    • The deadline for applications for workshops is 23:59 (JST), Monday, 1st November 2021.
    • In terms of respecting diversity, organizers are requested to consider the speakers’ positions, gender, etc. when choosing the speakers that will participate in a workshop.
    • The Annual Meeting Planning Committee will not be involved in the contents of the workshop, but workshops that are judged to include content that defames specific persons or organizations will not be accepted.
    • When submitting the proposal, organizers are requested to answer whether the entire workshop (including an explanation of the purpose and comments by the commentator) can be distributed on-demand and whether each presentation can be distributed on-demand.
    • Organizers will register all the presentations at once. Before submitting the proposal, organizers should collect information on each presentation (title, names and affiliations of speakers and co-presenters) as well as the membership numbers of organizers, co-organizers, and speakers (no need to enter the membership numbers for those who make comments and/or express opinions without abstract registration).
    • Please access the registration site and enter the workshop title, abstract (maximum 800 characters in Japanese, 200 words in English), and information for each presentation. Please note that the information of co-presenters will also be confirmed by this entry and cannot be changed at the time of abstract submission.

    Acceptance or rejection of a workshop

    We are planning to secure enough venues and Zoom accounts. However, if the number of proposals exceeds the capacity of the venue, we will hold a lottery to decide whether to accept or reject the proposed workshop.

    You will be notified by e-mail about three weeks after the deadline.

    Notes
    1. It is also possible to hold a workshop without abstract registration, such as an opinion session or lightning talk. In this case, you do not need to register for your presentation.
    2. Explanation of the purpose of the workshop, comments, and expressions of opinions without abstract registration are not counted as presentations. Therefore, the information of the person who makes comments and opinions without abstract registration should not be registered as a speaker but should be included in the meeting abstract.
    3. Those who will make comments and/or express opinions without registering for abstracts must also register for the meeting or purchase a ticket for workshops. Please remind the organizers.

    Procedures for workshop speakers

    • Only members who have applied for membership in ESJ by Monday, 1st November 2021 and have paid the annual membership fee by 21st February 2022 are eligible to speak at the workshop. However, non-ESJ members can make comments and/or express opinions without registering an abstract.
    • All speakers are required to pay the meeting registration fee by the day of the meeting. We recommend that you pay the fee as early as possible to log in to the meeting platform smoothly. Please note that the meeting registration fee is eligible for an early bird discount until 21st February 2022.
    • Each speaker is requested to provide the following information to the workshop organizer by the workshop proposal deadline (1st November 2021): title (maximum 40 characters in Japanese and 150 characters in English), name and affiliation of the speaker and co-presenters, and the speaker’s membership number (login ID for invited speakers). Please also let the organizer know whether you would like your presentation to be distributed on-demand.
    • Each speaker is required to register an abstract (maximum 800 characters in Japanese, 200 words in English) on the meeting registration site by Monday, 21st February 2022.
    • When registering your abstract, you will be asked to select about 5 keywords related to your presentation.

    Notes

    • Those who will make comments and/or express opinions without registering for abstracts must also register for the meeting or purchase a Workshop ticket. Please make sure to register and pay the meeting registration fee or the ticket fee.
    • Explanation of the purpose, comments, and expressions of opinions without abstract registration are not counted as presentations. Therefore, these are not subject to the limitation of overlapping presentations.
    • Please note that we cannot accept requests to re-arrange the schedule of workshops and symposia to avoid the overlapping schedule of commentators.

    Concept and application limits for workshops

    • The ESJ has traditionally considered workshops as important opportunities to discuss unconventional topics and launch new fields in Ecology.
    • For the workshop, the explanation of the purpose, registered overview, and the abstracts of individual presentations will be posted on the meeting webpage and meeting platform.
    • Organizers (including co-organizers, hereafter the same) need to be ESJ members (regular and honorary members, hereafter the same). Non-ESJ members cannot become organizers.
    • Speakers (main explainer of the talk, hereafter the same) need to be ESJ members. Non-ESJ members cannot become invited speakers. However, non-ESJ members can make comments and/or express opinions without registering an abstract.
    • Workshop speakers and organizers can be speakers at either oral or poster sessions.
    • Workshop speakers and organizers cannot be organizers or speakers of symposia and/or other workshops.

    APPLICATION FOR FORUMS

    Forums are organized by the committees of ESJ and are aimed at inviting broad opinions of ESJ members on ecology-related issues in which ESJ is engaged. The ESJ addresses, promotes, and shares information among ESJ members and develops agreement within ESJ via widespread discussion. Ecological Society of Japan members (regular and honorary members, hereafter the same) can attend forums for free regardless of registration for attendance. Organizing and providing topics for forums are exempted from the “one presentation rule.” Representatives of each committee can register for forums. Submission of proposals for forums has already closed (deadline of 15th September 2021). The proposals will be considered by the Board of Directors and the final decision will be made for each proposal after an adjustment between the Annual Meeting Planning Committee and the Organizing Committee of ESJ69. Organizers may be asked to revise the proposal or style of the forums. For forums that have been accepted, organizers will be invited to apply for a full proposal via the online registration system. Each forum will be held for 90 minutes.

    Notes

    1. ESJ members will receive an email prior to ESJ69 with the Zoom URL for attending the forums.
    2. Non-member meeting participants (those who pay the registration fee) can attend the forums.
    3. Non-members who have workshop tickets cannot attend the forums.
    4. Non-member speakers invited to the forums can attend forums for free. To attend other sessions (e.g., symposia, oral, and poster sessions), they are required to pay the registration fee.

    APPLICATION FOR ORAL AND POSTER SESSIONS

    • ESJ members are invited to give a presentation during either oral or poster sessions. Please see the description below for details of each presentation type. Applicants can choose the preferred presentation type (oral or poster) at the time of application; however, due to limitations in the number of system accounts and time, we might ask you to change your presentation type.
    • For ESJ69, we decided to limit the number of applications for the Poster Presentation Award to 500 to ensure enough judges. The number of general poster presentations is not limited.
    • Oral presentations consist of sessions in both Japanese and English. The sessions in English include presentations entered for the English Presentation Award. Oral presentations can be given in English during Japanese oral sessions.
    • We also encourage speakers in Japanese to include English along with Japanese, even if only in some parts of their presentation files, to improve scientific communication with participants who are less proficient in Japanese.
    • Applicants will be asked to select preferred sections for their presentation at the time of registration. A list of available sections (see below) will be shown on the application form. Please select up to three. Please note that depending on the number of the applications, some sections may be combined or eliminated.
    Plant communities Plant populations Plant reproduction Plant ecophysiology Life history of plants Microbial ecology
    Landscape ecology Succession and regeneration Animal-plant interactions Evolution Biodiversity Mathematical ecology
    Animal communities Animal reproduction Animal populations Life history of animals Behavior Conservation
    Ecosystem management Invasive species Material cycling Education and popularization of ecology    

    Notes

    1. Speakers (i.e., the main presenter at oral or poster presentations) must be ESJ members (co-authors do not need to be ESJ members).
    2. Speakers should register their presentations by 1st November 2021, and complete payment via the online registration system.
    3. Speakers should provide the presentation title (within 40 characters in Japanese, within 150 characters in English) and author names when applying for a presentation.
    4. Speakers should submit an abstract (within 800 characters in Japanese, within 200 words in English) via the online registration system by 21st February 2022.
    5. Each ESJ member is allowed to serve as the speaker for only one oral or poster presentation (but can co-present more than one).
    6. Organizers and speakers of symposia cannot give oral and poster presentations.

    PREPARING ORAL PRESENTATIONS

    Oral presentations will be held in real-time using Zoom Meetings with a session of questions and answers.

    • Speakers are required to show their presentation slides from their computers. Therefore, there are no restrictions regarding the type of operative system, file format, or presentation file size.
    • The sessions of questions and answers will be conducted verbally via Zoom. In addition, speakers and audience members can use the comment function on each presentation page of the meeting portal site to share questions and answers in text form. Please use this opportunity on the meeting portal site appropriately if audience members are unable to ask a question during the presentation.
    • ESJ69 will be held online, thus, before the first meeting day, please do a thorough test on how to use Zoom, and test the stability of the internet connection you will use. For the optimal operation of oral presentations, we plan to set up rehearsal opportunities with professional support staff before ESJ69 begins. Detailed information will be announced on the official meeting website.
    • If you are worried about any aspect of your real-time presentation on the appointed day, such as your internet connection or the operation method, please consider choosing a poster presentation instead. Please note that we will not be able to provide refunds, even if there is a problem with your presentation due to your environment and preparation status.
    • The oral presentations, questions, and answers will be recorded and available on-demand for about a week after ESJ69. Applicants will be able to choose whether to allow their presentation to be distributed on-demand at the time of application.

    English Presentation Award (EPA)

    For ESJ68, the 8th English Presentation Award (EPA) was canceled due to the difficulty of judges scoring presentations, as done in previous meetings. During ESJ68, the selection of awarded presentations was done through votes from the audience (English Presentation Audience Award; EPAA). However, for ESJ69, judging can be implemented using the ONLINE CONF system of the meeting platform. So, we have decided to hold the EPA as usual. We look forward to your applications. We also welcome oral presentations in English by “non-young researchers” who are not eligible for the award.

    Purpose of the Award

    The English Presentation Award (EPA) aims to promote English presentations at the ESJ annual meetings and to offer all participants more opportunities to interact with international students and visiting researchers in Japan. The EPA sessions are also meant for students and early career researchers to improve their scientific communication skills, which are particularly useful in international meetings. The EPA in ESJ69 takes over these missions and intentions. The EPA is not a competition for language skills such as English fluency. Rather, the applicants are meant to compete in the research contents and the skills and attitudes about presenting their work. The winners are selected by the EPA working group in each section.

    Eligibility criteria

    The previous EPA eligibility will also be followed in ESJ69. Namely, eligibility is limited to ESJ members who are undergraduate or graduate students or early-career researchers who have received a Ph.D. degree within 5 years, as of March 2022. Time taken off work for parental leave or family leave is not included in this 5-year limitation. Past EPA and EPAA winners are also eligible to apply. Please note that the eligibility criteria may be revised for ESJ70.

    Judging criteria

    In each category, the winners are selected based on scoring by the judges. Details will be announced on the official ESJ69 website. Participants will be able to apply for the EPA through our online registration system. The system is expected to open around the end of September. Please visit our official ESJ69 website for the latest information. The EPA team group is looking forward to receiving your application.

    PREPARING POSTER PRESENTATIONS

    Abstract

    Poster presentations will be conducted using poster files uploaded to the platform (ONLINE CONF), which participants will be free to browse during ESJ69. The platform provides video conferencing (during core hours only) and a text chat function. During core time, presenters can use video conferencing to explain their poster and answer questions to the audience. The text chat function includes notifications when audience members comment on posters. If the presenter and audience members would like to have further discussion outside of core hours, they need to arrange their video meeting using external tools such as Zoom. However, they can also use the text chat function to announce the URL of such external meetings.

    File format, size, and paper size

    Poster files must be prepared in PDF format (without embedded audio and video); PDF files of up to 20MB can be uploaded, but larger files will take longer to display on the platform. It is therefore recommended that the size of the PDF file is no larger than 5MB. There are no restrictions on paper size, aspect ratio, or number of pages. However, to ensure visibility and readability on the platform, we recommend two formats: “A0-size, one sheet, vertically (A0 version)” or “A4-size, approximately four sheets, vertically (A4 version)”. On the platform, the A0 version will be displayed in its entirety, and the A4 version will displayed the first sheet. Readers can switch to full screen, zoom in and out, and change the sheet in case of a multi-sheet poster. The following notes are expected for each version. The text on the A0 version may be too small and may need to be enlarged to read depending on the font size. One sheet of the A4 version is like a traditional A0 poster divided into four sheets (in fact, not the same area), and accordingly requires page feeds. The A4 version with normal font size (e.g., 12 point) will provide good visibility and readability on the platform without enlargement, so we recommend that presenters use a familiar A4 version. Whichever version presenters choose, please ensure that the research can be understood without the need for an oral explanation.

    Japanese and English text is recommended

    The Ecological Society of Japan is committed to international exchange. For this reason, we welcome any accommodations for audiences who do not understand Japanese. For example, the presenter can write the main points of the poster in both Japanese and English or prepare an English poster separately. If the presenter provides a separate poster in English, we recommend that the presenter prepares two versions of the same poster (e.g., two sets of one sheet for the A0 version; two sets of four sheets for the A4 version).

    Use of supplementary material (e.g., videos)

    The presenter may choose to display supplementary material (e.g., additional figures, data, and/or documents) to complement the content of the main poster and help the audience to understand it better. These materials must be contained in the pages following the main sheet(s) of the poster and uploaded as a single PDF file to the system. Please note that the maximum file size is 20MB, even with the English poster and these additional materials. In addition to the poster file (PDF), the presenter may also upload a video explaining the content of the poster or supplementing the content of the poster (only one file, MP4 format only, no more than 500 MB, no more than 5 minutes). This video will be displayed separately from the poster on the platform. The audience will be able to watch the video while viewing the poster or listen only to the audio contained in the video file while viewing the poster. We hope that the presenter will find this a useful way to enhance their poster presentation and try out the “new poster presentation” online.

    Poster upload

    From 1st March 2022, you will be able to upload poster files and video files. The upload will be done by the applicants themselves. Applicants of presentations applying for the Poster Award should upload the poster files by 23:59 on 13th March 2022 (because, due to time constraints, judging will start from the morning of the day of the core poster presentation session). If possible, please upload the files for presentations that have not applied for the Poster Award by the day before as well. If you do not upload the files by the core time, they may be treated as unpublished, so please prepare early.

    Others

    Uploaded posters are set so that they cannot be downloaded or copied. The posters will continue to be available on the platform for about a week after the meeting, during which you can continue to have discussions using text chat. Please use it as a place for interactions even after the meeting.

    Poster Award

    ESJ69 will give awards to outstanding poster presentations to encourage the research activities of young researchers. Details about poster presentations will be posted on the ESJ69 official website too, so please refer to it when preparing posters. From the perspective of securing reviewers, ESJ69 set a limit of 500 applications for the Poster Award. Applications will be made on a “first-come, first-served” basis, and if the limit is reached, we will ask applicants to have presentations in general sessions (both oral and poster presentations) instead. There is no limit to the number of applications for the poster presentation session.

    Poster Award eligibility criteria

    1. Student ESJ members who have not obtained a Ph.D. as of the registration deadline for general sessions (1st November 2021).
    2. Those who have won the poster “Best Award” or “Excellence Award” in poster sessions of past ESJ meetings cannot apply even if they meet the above condition. Past ESJ meetings include ones held jointly with EAFES.

    Key points of Poster Award evaluation

    Poster Award applicants are requested to consider these two points when preparing posters.

    (A) Transmission ability of poster information

    In poster presentations, it is important that the research content is displayed in an easy-to-understand manner. For example, it is necessary to provide the following: (1) a good title, (2) an easy-to-understand abstract, (3) ingenuities to attract lines of sight, and (4) ingenuities to convey rough contents in a short time. For that purpose, it is important that the characters and figures/tables are easy to read, that there is not too much information, and that the main points can be understood without explanations. For the sake of fairness, please refrain from changing the title after registration.

    (B) Quality of research

    Judges will consider the following points: (1) novelty and originality, (2) quality and quantity of data, (3) validity of analyses and methods, and (4) validity of discussion and conclusion.

    Supplementary information about the Poster Award

    • For these online poster presentations, it is possible to upload the poster itself plus supplementary materials (PDF and/or video). However, only the poster itself will be judged. In addition, it is recommended to create the poster body in one of the formats described above (A0 portrait × 1 or A4 portrait × 4).
    • The presentation technique (e.g., the skills shown by the presenter when explaining their poster) was subject to evaluation in the past, but it will not be considered at this meeting. This is because a good poster is thought to be understood just by reading it. Another reason is that the workload for the reviewers is significantly decreased by this. However, for posters that are difficult to evaluate just by looking at the poster, the reviewers may ask questions using the text chat or video-conferencing function during core time, and evaluate the poster based on the presenters’ responses.
    • Consideration of researchers who do not fluently understand Japanese is also taken into account. During evaluation, only the contents of the poster will be evaluated regardless of the language used, but for posters that receive the same score following evaluation, the one that can be understood in English will be ranked higher. A poster that can be understood in English is one in which the title, introduction, and conclusion are written in English in addition to Japanese, so that the outline of the research can be understood just by reading the English parts. Alternatively, presenters may choose to provide a poster translated into English (English version poster) on a separate page.
    • If you select “English” or “Bilingual” as the language used, please include explanations in English on the poster, or prepare a poster which is translated into English (English version poster).

    ECOCUP 2022: PHOTO CONTEST

    In view of the current situation, the friendly Futsal Tournament named ECOCUP (which is held every year as a satellite event of ESJ) will not be held. However, like last year, we have decided to hold a satellite event on the web: “ECOCUP 2022 Photo Contest”. Details about the ECOCUP 2022 website and the ECOCUP 2022 official Twitter account will be updated on the ESJ official website. Although the style is different from other years, based on the founding philosophy of the ECOCUP, we are going to plan a meeting that allows participants of all affiliations or ages, to promote interaction among participants. Please pay attention to future notices.

    OTHER INFORMATION

    Programs and abstract books

    ESJ69 will not create conventional meeting programs (PDF version and booklet) or abstract books. From around the end of December 2021, information such as meeting schedules and presentation information for each session (information previously published in the meeting programs) will be released on the ESJ69 official website, so please keep checking it. The abstracts of the presentations will be available on the official website (https://esj.ne.jp/meeting/abst/) from the end of February 2022. They will also be available on the meeting platform (ONLINE CONF) from around 1st March 2022.

    Receipts

    Receipts can be issued online from the ESJ69 official website. Please note that there is no conventional delivery.

    Using the meeting platform

    ESJ69 will use ONLINE CONF as the meeting platform. Please check https://agri-smile.com/service/online-conf/ for details.

    To log in to the platform, each participant will need an ID and password. When you apply for participation and payment of the registration fee is completed, you will be notified of your login ID and password by email.

    The platform will be fully functional around 1st March 2022. Please log in and check the operation methods.

    Abolition of errata

    ESJ69 will not accept corrections with errata after the submission of presentations or proposals for symposia/workshops. When applying or submitting the abstract of presentations, please make sure that the contents are correct. Especially for students who have little experience in attending academic meetings, please consult with your supervisors regarding titles and presenter information before applying.

    Cancellation policy

    Registration fee

    See General Instructions and Notices.

    Handling of research achievements when presentations cannot be given at ESJ69

    For applicants who have registered abstracts of presentations and paid the registration fee by the deadline, ESJ will approve the presentation information and abstracts as achievements, even if presentations cannot be given due to the following reasons:

    1. Cancellation of the meeting due to fires, earthquakes, weather disasters, man-made disasters, infectious diseases, etc.
    2. Failures of the meeting platform or large networks.

    If an applicant does not pay the registration fee by the deadline, their presentation information and abstract will be deleted from the ESJ69 abstract webpage and the presentation will not be approved as an academic achievement.

    Display of Career Explorer images

    If a student/postdoc speaker wishes, they can display a Career Explorer (CE) image indicating that they are looking for a job at the time of the oral or poster presentations. Please download the image from The Japan Society of Applied Physics website (https://www.jsap.or.jp/jsap-meeting/career-explorer) and display it near the title page of the oral presentations or the title of the posters. Permission to use CE images has been obtained.

    Consideration for color vision variation and comfortable online materials

    About 5% of Japanese men and 0.2% of Japanese women have a visual characteristic in which it is difficult to distinguish the difference between some colors, such as red and green (color-impaired people). At the last meeting, which was completely online, we heard many comments that the presentations could not be understood due to color-use issues. Given this situation, it is necessary to give more consideration to the use of color in online presentations. To put it simply, it is important to use orange and blue instead of red and green and to have layouts that do not rely too much on color.

    Keeping eyes on a screen for a long time puts a heavy burden on the audience. To reduce eye strain, it is recommended to reduce the contrast between the background and the text color. If the background is white, it is effective to use slightly lighter black (gray) characters. You can also reduce eye strain by using a light color for the background to reduce the contrast with black characters. Reducing the contrast between the text and the background also makes it easier for people with visual hypersensitivity.

    Consideration for people with disabilities

    Based on the “Act for Eliminating Discrimination Against People with Disabilities”, consideration will be given to participants requiring assistance. Please contact us from the inquiry page on the ESJ69 official website. If you would like to give a presentation, please contact us by 1st November 2021, or as soon as possible.

    OPINION

    The Annual Meeting Planning Committee is always accepting opinions on the meeting management. Please use the inquiry page on the ESJ official website.

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