comment Changing scientifc meetings for the better Conferences are a pivotal part of the scientifc enterprise, but large in-person meetings have several disadvantages. As the pandemic experience has shown, online meetings are a viable alternative. Accelerating eforts to improve conferences in virtual formats can lead to a more equitable and sustainable conference culture. Sarvenaz Sarabipour, Aziz Khan, Yu Fen Samantha Seah, Aneth D. Mwakilili, Fiona N. Mumoki, Pablo J. Sáez, Benjamin Schwessinger, Humberto J. Debat and Tomislav Mestrovic

cientific conferences are important of over 20% since 2007. With the current affect the lives and careers of avenues for researchers to share and career norms, researchers are expected to working in developing countries, but also Sdiscuss findings, to exchange fly nationally and internationally, often citizens of countries with visa restrictions ideas and insights, and to network for several times a year, for scientific meetings. who live and perform research in global collaboration and career development. Conference attendance accounts for 35% of scientific research centres and wish to attend Organizing inclusive and useful scientific a researcher’s footprint2. In hosting hundreds conferences elsewhere meetings is a significant responsibility to thousands of researchers, conferences shared by researchers, scientific societies, produce substantial air-travel-related Inequity in access and means. The and other organizations worldwide. Prior CO2 emissions, comparable to the global organization of many conferences leads to to 2020, most conferences were held annual per capita CO2 emissions in many practices that exclude researchers on a wide in-person and provided limited attendance countries, as well as large amounts of other range of factors including, but not limited opportunities for many researchers from waste in the form of promotional items. The to, gender, ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, overwhelming majority of conferences are not health, and geographical backgrounds, as particularly early career researchers (ECRs), environmentally sustainable and lack clear well as career stages. For instance, women researchers from low- and middle-income green strategies or climate policies. Clearly, and other under-represented researchers are countries, and junior principal investigators the that is supposed the least likely to be offered opportunities (PIs)1. Some conferences in select disciplines to understand the problem better should to speak at or chair meetings in their have implemented valuable changes for the contribute to reducing their travel-related discipline5,6. The current lack of diversity 3,4 community, becoming more receptive to CO2 emissions . hinders advancement in scholarship, and it is attendees with families. Due to the COVID-19 especially discouraging to junior researchers. pandemic, a major shift has occurred towards Attendance fees. The costs associated with There has also been inertia in setting up and virtual conferencing formats, triggering attending conferences include meeting implementing more family-friendly policies discussions in the scientific community registration fees, airfares, accommodations, at scientific meetings7. A small fraction of on the current and future formats and ground transportation, food, and event conferences includes some form of career organization of conferences. Here we provide tickets. The registration fees alone often development workshop and/or promotion recommendations for improving scientific range from a few hundred to over a events such as special symposiums, podium meetings towards more efficient, sustainable, thousand US dollars. The total cost of talks, and poster or oral presentation awards and equitable gatherings. attending large national and international for ECRs. scientific meetings is in the thousands of The many disadvantages of in-person dollars, equivalent to one or more months How to improve academic conferences conferences of graduate and postdoctoral researcher net Organize national and international We examined 270 national and international salary worldwide. As a result, a principal meetings in fully or mostly virtual academic conferences held in person investigator may attend multiple conferences formats. Researchers, scientific societies, during 2018–2019 in various disciplines a year, but will have to budget thousands and funders should work together to for their features, costs, and impact on the of dollars to send multiple trainees to one improve the format and organization community. We found that many meetings conference per year. of conferences (Fig. 2 and Table 1). could be improved significantly in terms Conferences in remote vacation destinations of diversity, inclusivity, ECR promotion, Visa requirements. Obtaining short-term are difficult to justify, as these accumulate networking and career development, venue visas to travel to scientific meetings is a large carbon footprint, often without accessibility, and, importantly, reducing a major hurdle for many researchers, clear scientific objectives and little to no the meetings’ carbon footprint (Fig. 1 and particularly those from developing nations1. benefit to the local scientific community. Supplementary Information). A number of countries have explicitly stated On the other hand, most ground-based

that certain nationalities are not welcome or transportation modes produce lower CO2 Carbon dioxide emissions. The increasing will have to endure lengthy, uncertain, and emissions. Regional society meetings number and size of scientific conferences held costly procedures to obtain a visa. Ongoing provide many benefits, such as low hosting in-person contribute to rising atmospheric or long-term conflicts as well as recent costs, and they can be livestreamed, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and thus to changes in the political climate at conference recorded, and made available online for climate change. There are over 8.4 million destinations (often major scientific hubs), the benefit of other researchers globally. full-time and full-time-equivalent researchers such as travel bans, have added to these Regional conferences held in more globally as of 2015, representing a growth challenges. These obstacles not only deeply economic and public venues, such as

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Academic conferences

Over 180 years

$1–4k Meeting frequency attendance Neuroscience Ecology costs 74% annual Physics Industry Engineering 20% biennial worth Evolution Up to $2k Chemistry tens of Genetics registration Plant biology costs 1% triennial Each up to billions Cell biology (US $) Cancer research 30,000+ Paleontology 4% quadrennial 6% with attendees worldwide green strategies 1% other

Multiple millions of tonnes make up 35% of of CO2 researchers’ carbon footprint

Total 850,000+ attendees

38% promote ECRs 20% offer networking 92% no gender 4% livestream 1% live eposters or with research awards events equity statement sessions twitter posters

12% offer 19% offer 15% offer 6% offer public 11% offer eposters 91% offer e-program caregiver grants childcare services nursing rooms outreach activities or video, audio digital book or app yet print libraries of recorded talks on paper

Promoting diversity Conference chairs 46% Grant writing Session chairs 36% Data management Implicit bias Keynote speakers 40% Peer-review training Ethics Work–life balance Reproducibility Plenary speakers 38% Effective teaching Mentoring Featured speakers 19% communication Public policy Early-career faculty training Organizing committee 37% Navigating job market Writing 78% no diversity only 35% offer a Scientific committee 27% statement career development Succeeding in collaborations workshop

$ Publishing industries Code of ethics 22% Scientific societies Meeting sponsors Funding agencies and organizers Code of conduct 41% Corporations Universities

Fig. 1 | In-person academic conferences are costly and exclusive. Summary analysis of features of 270 conferences held in-person by over 150 scientific societies and organizations during 2018–2019 in various scientific disciplines (Supplementary Information). Aggregate analysis is presented from a database of in-person conferences (https://elifeambassadors.github.io/improving-conferences/). Overall, the majority of meetings were held frequently (annually), and their formats and organization lacked environmental sustainability, inclusive practices, and promotion and training opportunities for early-career researchers.

schools or university campuses, may also Virtual global conferences and local hubs. audience with limited geographic impact, offer attendees the opportunity to visit local Face-to-face interactions at conferences often restricted to wealthy economies. laboratories, tour facilities, and interact that are important in generating new ideas, Switching to fully virtual conference modes with the local scientists, potentially bringing networks, and collaborations can also be will increase reach and access to knowledge benefit to the local community. These facilitated via digital conferencing. Reducing worldwide. Multi-location in-person meetings enable interactions and discussions academic air travel does not impact conferences, where participants only travel of science in ways that provide ECRs with professional success8. Speakers spend time to a nearby location to interact with other ample opportunities to exchange ideas and and resources preparing talks for in-person ‘local’ scientists, are also viable9,10. Each meet established researchers. conferences that end up reaching a limited hub may hold in-person keynote and panel

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Key considerations for every academic conference Electronic (online) poster sessions can provide each presenter with the opportunity to tag their poster with a 3–5-min talk summarising their work. Attendees watching $ video presentations of talks and posters can direct-message the presenting authors for Visa-free Attendance Frequency Size inquiries via email or the online meeting attendance cost platform. Digital discussion forums can serve to assist communication between early-career and senior researchers, as writing a comment or question in a forum can feel less intimidating than approaching an established scholar in person. With Gender balance Free and on-site Nursing rooms ECR promotion more time to think the presentations childcare events through, attendees can put their best foot forward during interactions and networking with speakers.

Incentives and mandates to support and promote low-carbon research careers. Electronic posters Electronic-only Carbon neutrality via All talks livestreamed Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, program books virtual conferencing and recorded business-related air travel by academics at universities continued to grow, reaching tens of millions of miles flown in one year. Institutional practices should shift to mandate severe reductions in academic air travel, as these changes will significantly reduce the academic carbon footprint. Diversity and ECR networking ECR training Code of ethics Purchasing carbon offsets does not reverse inclusion statement events events the damaging impact of researchers flying on climate and living ecosystems, and the scale of the efforts and cost to actually offset emissions may be prohibitively high. Institutions and funders can implement a carbon tax on air travel emissions caused Plant-based Food waste Reduce energy Code of by academic flying and mandate traveling sustainable catering management and resource use conduct by train for short travel time. Funds from a carbon tax can be used to fund research that Fig. 2 | Key considerations for attendees and organizers of academic conferences. A checklist of could fight against the climate crisis. recommended key considerations for improving conferences in hybrid or fully virtual formats for the As researchers re-evaluate their practices, benefit of all researchers worldwide. it is also essential that academic institutions, scientific societies, and funding agencies coordinate and mandate sustainability codes of conduct and funding to only organize sessions, but the hubs can also be connected for facilitating digital connections. academic conferences in fully virtual and for virtual panel sessions and discussions Fully streaming conferences (beyond multihub, hybrid in-person/virtual formats, (broadcast digitally across continents); such video-conferencing select talks) and simultaneously increasing accessibility for an arrangement enables speakers to present scientific electronic panels can be all9,10. At many institutions and disciplines, talks and posters remotely. Livestreaming made feasible without many significant scholars are granted tenure and promotions allows chat amongst other online attendees additional resources, accompanied by based in part on the number of their in real time, access to sessions that fit online discussions and Twitter (poster) research presentations at professional attendee schedules, and the ability to stream conferences. Participants can also record conferences. Furthermore, as postdoctoral sessions from any devices, while creating and upload videos of their presentations and tenure-track jobs are scarce in many more space for researchers to interact and that are posted to the meeting website. academic disciplines, ECRs face mounting connect. The number of conferences that During several weeks when the conference pressure to attend conferences to network are livestreamed or held in a virtual reality is ‘open’, attendees can watch the videos, ask with potential colleagues. Changes can also setting has increased over the past few years, questions, and interact with the speakers be expected in funding and promotion particularly in 2020 due to the COVID-19 on online forums; educational and hiring requirements so that academics on outbreak, showing great success11. opportunities can be offered and applied tenure-track do not have to choose between for. Slack groups have taken the initiative delivering an international talk and receiving Foster digital networking by investing to connect researchers within and across a grant or tenure promotion. The proposed in relevant, immersive, and interactive disciplines globally, via group-based and changes below will in turn encourage a experiences. Organizers of virtual one-on-one online discussions and keep culture of academic research that is more conferences must develop strategies them virtually connected afterwards. equitable and less reliant on traveling.

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Funders and meeting organizers need Table 1 | Actions to improve small and large, hybrid and fully virtual conferences to also pledge and enforce gender and Open-access dissemination of Require open-access deposition of conference submissions and career-stage diversity and equity policies conference materials materials on public repositories to improve utility, transparency, as well as public inclusion declarations and accreditation, and citation. guidelines, and they should publish the names of speakers and session chairs in Increasing accessibility for Provide closed captions and offer transcripts15, as well as researchers with disabilities text-reader-friendly documents and audio-described versions of advance of the conference program. Gender presentations. and career-stage disparities also exist in participation during discussions, as these Assisting attendees with Provide internet hotspots to enable virtual participation for attendees most often are led by professors. Since the internet connectivity or in remote geographic locations, and help participants experiencing number of ECRs has increased globally, financial challenges financial difficulties with sourcing local sponsors for support. a number of talks can be allocated to Eliminating merchandise Source compostable conference name badges, lanyards, and gifts early- and mid-career researchers. Senior or exclude these altogether and repurpose the souvenir costs to faculty can nominate an ECR trainee or promote ECRs. recommend an ECR colleague in their place Encourage attendees to bring their own reusable materials and to to attend the conference. take notes electronically on their portable devices. If the current widespread digitization Reducing plastic usage Retire disposable cups and cutlery during refreshment breaks and use of conferences continues beyond the compostable or reusable dishware when serving food. pandemic, global access to knowledge Including green events Arrange for environmental improvement events such as forest or will increase substantially during and after beach clean-up walks, helping attendees to socialize and discuss meetings, enabling greater democratisation science while helping the planet. of science, and equalising differences Organizing public outreach Arrange for interested conference attendees to offer public lectures between researchers of diverse means activities for attendees at local schools and libraries with a layperson version of their and backgrounds. Concerted efforts in presentation. organization are needed alongside Improving attendee physical Organize safe transportation modes and accommodation, implement new conferencing formats to ensure scientific meetings improve for safety anti-harassment policies, a clear system for reporting and handling ❐ such issues, and mandatory safety apps or a buddy system for researchers worldwide. attendees to accompany or warn each other and report safety 1 ✉ 2,3 concerns. Sarvenaz Sarabipour , Aziz Khan , Yu Fen Samantha Seah 4, Organize training workshops and implement special ECR symposia, Improving trainee & ECR Aneth D. Mwakilili 5,6, Fiona N. Mumoki 7, faculty career development poster sessions, and awards to highlight women and other Pablo J. Sáez 8,9, under-represented groups and to advocate for up-and-coming ECRs 10 entering the job market. Benjamin Schwessinger , Humberto J. Debat 11 and Improving equity in chairs and Organize every session with at least one ECR chairing and organizing Tomislav Mestrovic 12,13 speaker selection criteria the Q&A discussions; specifically invite trainees to ask questions or 1Institute for Computational Medicine & Department take the first questions from ECRs. of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Organizing useful networking Organize networking events and random groupings at breakout Baltimore, MD, USA. 2Centre for Molecular Medicine activities rooms to connect researchers across career stages and disciplines Norway (NCMM), Nordic EMBL Partnership, and encourage discussions and planning for collaborations or seeking University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. 3Stanford Cancer mentorship. Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Creating databases for Report conference attendee and speaker gender, geographic, and Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. 4European scientific conferences career-stage statistics online; create a central database of key Molecular Biology Laboratory, Genome Biology sustainability and equity considerations of conferences, enabling Unit, Heidelberg, Germany. 5Swedish University of researchers to identify the most beneficial gatherings. Agricultural , Plant Protection Department, Alnarp, Sweden. 6University of Dar es Salaam, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Incentives and mandates to improve inclusion of 50% or higher female speakers. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 7Department of Zoology intersectionality and career-stage equity The process by which speakers are selected and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, at conferences. Equity in planning scientific from submissions can be improved South Africa. 8Institut Curie, Paris Sciences & meetings creates fair opportunities for all, and by removing intended and unintended biases. Lettres Research University, CNRS, UMR 144, inclusivity creates a welcoming environment There has been an increase in the number Paris, France. 9Department of Biochemistry and for all participants. Conference organizers of minority researchers in many scientific Molecular Cell Biology, University Medical Center must make conscious efforts to maintain fair disciplines across graduate, postdoctoral, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. 10Research representation of all researchers. and faculty career stages, yet this is often not School Biology, Te Australian National University, Maintaining gender balance impacts reflected in the composition of conference Acton, Australian Capitol Territory, Australia. both speakers and ECRs, who need to see programmes12. Blinding the selection 11Center of Agronomic Research, National Institute representation and role models of their own of talks, removing conflicts of interest, of Agricultural Technology (IPAVE-CIAP-INTA), gender in their field. Without clear guidelines using open databases listing ECRs from Córdoba, Argentina. 12Clinical Microbiology and and targets, unreasonable excuses are made under-represented groups, and planning fewer Parasitology Unit, Dr Zora Profozic Polyclinic, for lack of diversity. Organizers should long talks in favour of more short talks may all Zagreb, Croatia. 13University Centre Varazdin, publish a statement of equity, diversity, help ensure that minority groups of scientists University North, Varazdin, Croatia. and inclusion and should actually achieve are welcomed and equally represented13,14. ✉e-mail: [email protected]

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