Call for Session Proposals

Thank you for your interest in the GSA Connects 2023 meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The GSA annual meetings begin on a Sunday, and end the following Wednesday. The GSA annual meetings begin on a Sunday, and end the following Wednesday.

All technical sessions will be in-person for 2023. Hybrid opportunities will not be an option.

Proposers Please Note: Before you begin to fill out the forms, in addition to text for pasting into memo fields, please have all of the contact information available for ALL of your conveners or advocates (full first and last names, full address and zip, phone, fax, e-mail).

Topical Sessions are a combination of volunteered and up to two (2) invited papers submitted to a specific session. Invited speakers may present one additional oral paper or poster at the meeting. Session chairs cannot invite themselves to present.

Pardee Keynote Symposia are prestigious events that highlight important scientific topics and/or issues of relevance to the geoscience community. All presenters and/or panelists are invited by the conveners. Pardees should not be viewed as glorified topical sessions. They are expected to be sufficiently different so that they will attract a broad audience and generate excitement in the community. Please note that Pardee proposals submitted in honor of an individual will typically not be considered.
The selection process is competitive. Pardee proposals should be carefully prepared, with attention given to all aspects outlined here. In particular, the proposal must specify clearly why the proposed symposium merits Pardee status. Thus statement of significance, stating the way(s) in which the topic is timely, important, and relevant to the geoscience community, is a key requirement.

Organizers have creative license and flexibility in structuring Pardee sessions. For instance, talks can be longer than in standard sessions, and may vary in length; they can be coordinated with discussions; they may include panels or other non-standard formats, and seating arrangements can be modified. Pardees may stand alone as half-day sessions; they may also be integrated with field trips or short courses, or coordinated with Penrose conferences. Many presentation styles are possible, from traditional podium talks, to panels, to interactive exhibitions, or any other format conveners wish to suggest. The Annual Program Committee considers format when evaluating proposals, and may give added weight to those with more engaging, non-traditional symposium formats. Proposers should be aware that the aim is to attract and engage a large number of attendees.

We encourage Pardee proposers to contact potential participants ahead of time. It is not a requirement, but proposals are stronger when they include statements that specific individuals have committed to attend if the symposium is selected for the meeting. In addition proposers should be as clear and specific as possible about the intended format of the sympiosium, as this helps the Annual Program Committee envision the event.

Pardee proposals should include a budget, using the budget template provided on the proposal form. Funds are available to support some costs associated with Pardee Symposia, as long as they relate to educational advancement in the field of geology. Acceptable line items include, for example, additional equipment that might be needed for non-standard formats registration and/or travel expenses to attract a high-level speaker who would not otherwise attend the meeting. However, costs such as registration for conveners, or for speakers/panelists who are GSA members and meeting attendees, is generally not approved. The Annual Program Committee may allocate the available funds to support one or several Pardee Symposia, depending on proposal merits and anticipated costs of implementation.

Diversity: As you to prepare the proposal for a technical session, please think about including diversity in all ways-discipline, career progression, and individuals.

Endorsements: Your proposal will be strengthened by endorsement from GSA Divisions, Associated Societies, or allied organizations. Please be sure to contact each of your intended sponsors; for example, email the Division Chair to receive their commitment to endorse your session. Endorsers help to promote sessions through newsletters to their membership.
For more endorsement contact information, go to the JTPC Listings Divisions and Associated Societies page.

Proposal deadline: 11:59 PM (Pacific Time), Wednesday, 01 February 2023.
Select the link below to submit a proposal to the GSA Connects 2023 meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.