For the first time, the UF Water Institute is issuing an open call to the water science, technology, education, policy, management and stakeholder community to assist with developing our symposium agenda! We invite you to propose a session related to your interests and expertise. Symposium topics of focus are suggested on the Overview Page, but sessions do not need to be limited to these areas. The symposium seeks to capture all emerging issues and new ideas.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

When developing your session theme and identifying colleagues to present about their work in your session, keep these factors in mind:

• Proposals will be evaluated for relevance to the goals of the Symposium
• Preference will be given to sessions that focus on emerging and urgent water issues, are integrative and interdisciplinary, and of interest to a broad audience.
• Additional criteria for evaluation include the potential for generating useful dialogue among attendees and the expected level of interest.

Session Format Options

All presentations will be live and in-person. This will not be a hybrid conference.

The 2024 UF Water Institute Symposium will feature two types of session formats, described below, to promote diverse presentation styles and to allow more attendees to present and share valuable insights, lessons learned and best practices. All sessions are 90-minutes long. Please indicate your format preference when uploading your proposal. If you would like to format your session differently, please describe your session format in your proposal.

Standard Format

The standard format consists of a five-minute session introduction and overview by the moderator, followed by five consecutive 15-minute talks around a cohesive theme (typically 12 minutes per talk plus three minutes Q&A.)

Panel Session

The panel session format provides for more interaction among panelists and with the audience.  The session begins with a brief introduction of the panel topic and the participants, followed by moderator facilitated questions, answers and discussion among the panelists and with the audience. Panels typically include no more than five participants, plus the moderator, to allow sufficient time for audience participation.

Steps to Develop a Session Proposal

1. Define the purpose, focus and overarching message of the proposed session.
2. Identify five speakers/panelists who commit to attend the symposium if the session is approved. Speakers/panelists should  represent a variety of affiliations, perspectives and expertise, as well as be demographically diverse.
3. Use the Session Proposal Template (.doc) to create a session proposal.
4. Submit your proposal online by Monday, July 10, 2023.

When Confirming Speakers/Panelists, Make Sure They:

• Plan to attend the conference in person on the dates of February 20-21, 2024.
• Understand they must submit an abstract by Friday, October 13, 2023, if they are participating in a standard session.
• Were not asked to speak in another prearranged session.
• Understand they are required to register and pay to attend the symposium by Wednesday, December 13, 2023.
  (The early registration fee will be $275.00 for conference attendees and $75 for student attendees).

Session Organizers Are Expected to:

1. Serve as the primary contact for the session. We will communicate with one official representative per session, the session organizer.
2. Adhere to all published deadlines and proactively remind their speakers/panelists of key dates. Please visit our Important Deadlines page for the full list of deadlines.
3. Moderate the session. The introduction period is not considered a formal talk, you do not have to submit an abstract for it.
4. For standard sessions, ensure speakers submit abstracts by Friday, October 13, 2023. After we verify all speakers have submitted abstracts, we will ask you to confirm the speaker order by Friday October 24, 2023.
5. Confirm all session speakers or panelists are registered for the conference by Wednesday, December 13, 2023.

Questions?

Contact Jessica Bailey by email at: j.bailey@ufl.edu