SETAC North America 46th Annual Meeting - Training Course Proposals

General Information

Help promote the advancement and education in the field of environmental science and propose a training course for the SETAC North America 46th Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon. 

Timeline of Course Development

• 4 June: Deadline to propose a training course.
• Early June: Education Committee reviews proposals and communicates with lead instructors to address any questions or possible modifications.
• Late June: Lead instructors are notified of selection, and accepted courses will be included in the preliminary meeting program and registration.
• 17 September: SETAC will finalize the list of courses to be offered based on whether the minimum registration requirements are met by this deadline.
• 16 November: Training courses take place at the annual meeting.

Requirements for Course Proposals

• Course title: Ensure the title of the proposed course is specific and accurately reflects its content, using 15 or fewer words.
• Description: Summarize the course purpose and topics in 200 words or less. If accepted, this description will be used to promote the course across multiple channels, including the website.
• Objectives: Briefly outline the goals of the course in a few sentences.
• Course level: State the level of experience or prerequisite knowledge the participants need to properly understand the course material.
• Course length: Define training courses length as either half-day (4-hour) or full-day (8-hour). For half-day courses, the proposal should indicate if morning or afternoon is preferred.
• Products and course materials: List the products and their formats that you intend to distribute for the course, including any software packages. We encourage quality, take-home resources that participants can reference in the future.
• Registration cap: Specify the minimum and maximum number of participants for your course. Course attendance will be capped at the maximum number, and the course may be cancelled (in consultation with SETAC and the lead instructor) if the minimum enrolment is not reached. SETAC recognizes that instructional approach or equipment needs may limit the number of people that can be taught effectively.
• Lead Instructor: Designate one person as the lead instructor. All future correspondence will be directed to the lead instructor, who will be responsible for communicating with the other instructors.
• Instructors: Include evidence of qualifications (e.g., short bio or resume) for each instructor with the proposal. Clearly outline the role of each instructor in the proposed course.
• Cost estimate: Provide accurate cost estimates and indicate any potential meeting registration waivers in the proposal. Please note that honoraria are not permitted and should not be included in the budget. Keep costs low to maximize the likelihood of course acceptance.
• Other needs: List any special room, space or other equipment requirements. Also list items that you expect participants to bring (e.g., laptop computers).

Costs and Reimbursement

SETAC deeply values and relies on the volunteerism that has been essential to the success of the training course program. We recognize that the preparation and delivery of these courses require significant time and effort from instructors, and we acknowledge that this program would not be possible without them. Instructors, who are otherwise unsupported by their institutions, may request meeting registration waivers when proposing a course. We typically offer waived registration for up to two instructors for a full-day course and one instructor for a half-day course. SETAC may also reimburse other expenses, upon request, on a case-by-case basis but does not provide honoraria.

The lead instructor is responsible for providing accurate cost estimates in the proposal and must receive approval from the SETAC North America Executive Director before any expense is incurred. Requests for reimbursement of expenses, including receipts or any other documentation, should be submitted within one month after the annual meeting to allow SETAC staff time to honor and process all requests in a timely manner.

Conflict of Interest

The subject matter of professional training courses should be based on applications and not on proprietary operations or technology, software, etc. If a specific instrument or technology is emphasized, all similar products must be mentioned. There may be no endorsement of specific techniques, instruments, software, etc. as part of the course material or in subsequent literature relating to the presentation of the course. A SETAC endorsement disclaimer will be included for all courses that make reference to specific instruments or technologies. SETAC appeals to the instructors’ good judgment in presenting balanced, unbiased information. The purpose of SETAC professional training courses is to educate and promote good science, not to sell products or services.