SETAC 9th World Congress

The meeting is planned as an in-person meeting. Participants will be able to benefit from five days packed with scientific sessions, keynote presentations, panel discussions, interactive workshops, exhibits and networking events. 

There will be no live-streaming component offered.

Participants are required to adhere to SETAC Participant Policies.

Session Formats

During the call for sessions, the session chairs can select from different session formats. To foster global collaboration and driving substantial changes through sustainable research initiatives, the session formats should allow for more discussion times and moderated panel debates.

The program committee will do a first session review after the session submission deadline and select the sessions that will be available for the call for abstracts. After the call for abstracts is closed, a second review by the program committee will take place based on the number of submitted abstracts per session.

Platform Sessions 

Traditional Platform Session

Traditional platform sessions are made up of a series of presentations given with the aid of slides. Presentations are selected and organized by the session chairs in collaboration with the program committee from abstracts submitted during the call for presentations. Participants can engage in Q&A with the presenters. Some traditional platform sessions may reserve the last slot for a discussion or poster spotlight slot. In the poster spotlight slot, the chairs select three poster abstracts, and each presenter provides a brief 4-minute overview of their research, with more details available on the poster displayed in the poster session.  

Think Tank Session 

A new and dynamic session format included in the call for sessions, Think Tank Sessions are designed to address pressing international environmental challenges that demand specialized expertise and innovative solutions. These sessions bring together a diverse panel of experts from academia, government and business to foster collaboration and multidisciplinary problem-solving. The goal of Think Tank Sessions is to facilitate focused discussions and collect real-time data, insights and recommendations on critical issues. Participants will work together in an interactive and participatory setting to explore innovative strategies, share knowledge and generate actionable outcomes. These sessions aim to bridge gaps between science, policy and practice, encouraging tangible progress toward sustainable solutions for global environmental challenges. 

Network Session

The session organizers carefully select a keynote speaker to introduce the topic. After the keynote, a series of shorter presentations will highlight various aspects of the topic, with abstracts chosen to reflect diverse perspectives, like contributions from different geographic regions. 

This structure aims to promote a global understanding of the issue, encouraging dialogue and fostering future networking and collaboration among participants. By showcasing these varied viewpoints, the session aspires to inspire innovative solutions and partnerships in addressing pressing environmental challenges. 

Wave Session

Inspired by Pecha Kucha and Ignite, this is a rapid presentation style where speakers have a short amount of time to present a limited number of slides that have a minimum text font size or maximum number of words per slide. This presentations style allows speakers to give a big picture overview of a subject in a short amount of time, thus providing “a wave” of information that quickly washes over the audience. For example, this format could suggest presentations follow a 4-8-24 rule (4 slides, 8 minutes, 24 font/words per slide). Session organizers may want to work with presenters ahead of the meeting to insure they are interpreting requirements well and that the session will be a success. 

Poster Sessions 

Poster sessions are made up of a group of presentations given with the aid of scientific posters. 

Traditional Poster Sessions 

Poster presentations are selected and organized into sessions by the session chairs in collaboration with the program committee from abstracts submitted during the call for presentations. Posters should stand on their own, telling the research story without a verbal narrative. However, it is often helpful when presenters provide a short oral narrative of their work. Participants can engage in one-on-one Q&A with the presenters. 

Poster Corner Discussions

This is a discussion slot where a few posters (3–6) are grouped together and are discussed jointly. During the assigned poster corner discussion time, the session chair gives a short introduction (~3 minutes) to the shared topic of the posters, then each presenter briefly (~3–5 minutes) presents their poster. After all posters have been presented, the audience is given a chance for a Q&A.

Session Proposal Guidelines

To propose a session, follow these steps:

• Enlist the help of a co-chair but be aware that a maximum of four co-chairs is accepted.
• Prepare a short write up of the environmental issue that is the subject of the session and the type of presentations you hope to attract.
• Learn more about the meeting scope and tracks to identify the track that best fits your session.
• Review the various sessions formats to select the one that best suits your topic.

If your proposed session is included in the call for abstracts, you will be asked to review all abstracts that are submitted to your session. If your session is subsequently accepted for inclusion in the annual meeting program, you will be responsible for organizing the order of presentations. You are also expected to register and attend the meeting in order to chair the session. SETAC does not provide financial assistance for chairing a session.

Format

• Title: Please use title case, and spell out abbreviations and acronyms. There is a limit of 150 characters (including spaces) for the title of the session.
• Description: Do not exceed 2,500 characters (including spaces and references). Keep abbreviations and acronyms to a minimum and be clear and concise.
• Session chairs: Please list a minimum of two and a maximum of four session chairs. SETAC strongly encourages sector diversity and please consider including students and early career researchers as co-chairs. 
• If the proposal is submitted by a SETAC Interest Group, this should be indicated during submission

Sample Session Proposals

Please note underlined areas.

The Chemistry of Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) – Platform Session

PFAS are a universe of diverse substances, which contain carbon fluorine (C-F) bonds that are of emerging concern. PFAS have been used in a wide array of industrial and consumer products, such as fire-fighting foams, anti-stain products for carpet and upholstery, and nonstick cookware. Many PFAS substances can be persistent in the environment and are thus being found in biota and many compartments of the environment. Emerging concerns over exposure to and potential effects of PFAS as well as management of PFAS have been challenging the environmental and health professional communities. Experts in human health and ecological health have come together to advance this issue.

This platform session aims to present the latest science in environmental chemistry of PFAS. Presentations on sample collection and preparation procedures, tools, analysis methods, and identification approaches are highly relevant. Further, abstracts on work related to classification and characterization as well as fate and transport are welcome.

The Chemistry of Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) – Special Session

PFAS are a universe of diverse substances, which contain carbon fluorine (C-F) bonds that are of emerging concern. PFAS have been used in a wide array of industrial and consumer products, such as fire-fighting foams, anti-stain products for carpet and upholstery, and nonstick cookware. Many PFAS substances can be persistent in the environment and are thus being found in biota and many compartments of the environment. Emerging concerns over exposure to and potential effects of PFAS as well as management of PFAS have been challenging the environmental and health professional communities. Experts in human health and ecological health have come together to advance this issue.

This special session aims to present the latest science in environmental chemistry, ecotoxicity, and human health toxicity for PFAS. Invited experts will provide keynote presentations that will distill the work in that area and will identify future needs towards sustainable solutions based on current understanding.

Sessions are developed in collaboration between sessions chairs and the program committee, who are required to adhere to all SETAC policies, including the Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct as well as Participants Policy. This is inclusive of SETAC’s Open Science and Confidentiality Policy and, as such, unpublished material in a submitted abstract is confidential and shall not be used or otherwise disseminated until published, and then with appropriate attribution as well.

To learn more about the types of sessions supported at the SETAC World Congress, please review the session formats tab above.

Session Review

The program committee reviews session proposals and will notify session chairs in March 2025.

All tentatively accepted sessions are included in the call for abstracts; however, they are not guaranteed a session slot in the final program until they receive approval by the program committee at the end of the abstract submission period.

Session Planning

Once a session proposal is accepted, the session chairs are strongly encouraged to solicit abstracts within their network. It is very important to mention that the acceptance of a presentation is not guaranteed, and all submissions will be independently reviewed by the program committee to determine their suitability for inclusion in the session.

After the abstract submission deadline, the schedule is developed by the program committee. The responsibilities of the session chairs include the following:

• Review all submitted abstracts in the session and assign presentation types based on the assigned session format.
• Organization of the session in terms of flow of the presentations so they provide a well-rounded perspective on the topic.
• Create an outline of an engaging session, including discussion points for the live discussion.
• Interact with presenters and make them feel welcome.
• Chair the session on site and keep time.

Timeline

March-May

• Chairs recruit abstracts from potential contributors during the abstract submission period to ensure a well-rounded and engaging session.

June

• The program committee reviews the submitted abstracts, prepares the meeting program, and informs session chairs if their session made it to the final program.
• Session chairs review abstracts submitted to their session, assign presentation types, and organize the session based on the allocated session format and time block.

July

• SETAC posts the program online.
• SETAC informs the presenter about the abstract acceptance or rejection and the assigned presentation format.

August

• All session chairs and presenters must register by the early bird registration deadline.
• If time slots have opened up due to withdrawn presentations, the session chairs may fill that slot by asking a poster presenter to give an oral talk instead of a poster, planning a discussion session, or organizing a poster highlights session.
• SETAC sends upload links to presenters so they can upload their presentations for online viewing.

September

• Presenters prepare and submit presentations based on guidelines provided by SETAC.
• Session chairs monitor and carefully review abstracts for their sessions. If the session includes a discussion, the chairs need to prepared an outline for it. They can also ask one poster presenter to give a talk in addition to their poster. Note that, depending on timing, it might not be feasible to alter the program at this time.

During the Meeting

• Session chairs are expected to interact with presenters in all associated sessions and make them feel welcome and included.

Platform Session (Talks, Think Tanks or Wave Sessions)

• One chair should introduce the presenters, their talks and keep time.
• For discussion time slots, the chairs are encouraged to use discussion points to guide their conversation. They may display them on slides. 

Poster Session (Posters)

• Poster presenters will be asked to upload a pdf or e-version of their poster to the meeting platform, which will remain open for on-demand viewing for three months after the meeting.
• Presenters will also receive instructions before the meeting on when and where to set up their posters. Posters will be displayed all day in the exhibition area. Session chairs are not required to be present during the poster setup.
• Session chairs should visit the poster presenters during breaks and poster socials, acknowledging their contributions and initiating a discussion if feasible.

Chairs are expected to enforce the SETAC Code of Conduct during both the in-person and online meeting.