Frequently Asked Questions
Will the 2022 Annual Meeting be in person or virtual?
If public health conditions allow, the 2022 Annual Meeting will be an in-person meeting in Montréal with limited virtual content, with all speakers attending in person. If an in-person meeting is not possible, the meeting will be virtual, with all sessions held online.
Questions About Registration?
See our registration Frequently Asked Questions.
What is included in the limited virtual program?
There are video recordings of the plenary sessions, select workshops, short courses, and social events that have decided to be only virtual. These sessions will take place in Zoom. The asynchronous Q&A built into the platform will be available for attendees to ask questions and presenters to answer them. This will allow virtual attendees to ask questions and in person presenters to see them. Presenters who are giving talks will be highly encouraged to upload their slides and record audio (with closed captions) within the meeting platform. Poster presenters are highly encouraged to upload their poster within the meeting platform. The goal is to maximize access for virtual attendees to view on demand presentations. Presentations will be released after the presentation is given in person. Access to the virtual platform will be available until July 2023.
Will remote presentation be available this year?
Talks and posters will be presented in person. There will be no remote presentations.
When will meeting registration open?
We are planning to open registration on May 2.
Why are contributed abstracts peer reviewed and what is the process?
ESA adopted peer review of contributed abstracts 3 years ago to improve the quality of the presentations. Two years ago we increased the size of the Program Committee to help support this process. Contributed abstracts are blind reviewed by volunteer reviewers from the ESA sections and chapters. Each abstract is assigned to three reviewers. Once the peer review is complete, the Program Committee then has a secondary peer review for an abstract that was scored below 4. When aggregating peer reviews score, any abstract above 4 was automatically accepted. At the conclusion of this secondary review, a final decision is made about acceptance, rejection or if a revision should be offered
All abstracts need to meet the following criteria:
- The body of the abstract is up to 400 words, split between the two sections (up to 200 words each): Background/Question/Methods, in which the objective of the study is clearly identified and the methods are described; and Results/Conclusions, in which specific results of the study are explicitly reported and their implications for ecology are briefly discussed.
- The abstract must primarily report on new work within the field of ecology.
- Reviews of previous work are not permissible for contributed talks and posters.
- The abstract must report specific results. The results may be preliminary but they may not be vague. Abstracts without explicitly stated results will be rejected.
- It is understandable that abstracts describing non-traditional work may lack quantitative data; however, it is still expected that the abstract will address some question and have a “take-home message” describing specific findings.
- Abstracts must be clear. Poorly written abstracts will be rejected.
- Abstracts must be written in English or French (in honor of our joint meeting this year) and must follow standard grammar and punctuation rules.
What kind of financial support is available to support meeting registration and travel costs?
Registrants were able to apply for financial support from ESA through our Opportunity Fund and various awards that are administered by our sections and chapters. These opportunities are now exhausted.
Are there other types of funding available?
ESA is offering Dependent Care Grants this year. Please note that this application requires a separate form from the registration grant application and you must be a current ESA member.
Will there be an opportunity for students to volunteer at this year’s in person meeting?
Yes, interested students should first register for the meeting by the Early Bird deadline, then submit an application. The application form will open in early May. Student volunteers will be selected on a first come first served basis. After completing 10 hours of assignments, student volunteers will receive a refund for their registration fee.
Where is my notification email?
Do you have a submission that you have not received an acceptance notification for within the promised timeframe? First, check your junk mail folder. If you don’t see a notification in your junk mail, please contact meetings@esa.org with your abstract or proposal title and ID number for more information. We notify everyone of all decisions, including rejections, so please let us know if emails are not getting through to you.
How do I start a new submission? Do I need to log in? The website is different this year!
We have a new submission website this year, and the process is a little different than in previous years. You will need to sign in to start a new submission or return to complete a previously started one. You will be redirected to log in using an ESA membership account. You don’t need to be a current member to log in. If you have been an ESA member or registered for an ESA meeting in recent years, then you will have an account you can use to log in. If you don’t have an account, you can create one (without any membership transaction required). Once you are logged in, you will be able to begin your submission.
If you have trouble logging in, and you need any help such as your password reset, or your membership information looked up, please contact registrar@esa.org. Our submission deadlines are firm, so if you don’t have an ESA account or haven’t used yours recently, please check on this in advance. You can always return to start or complete a submission up through the deadline.
How do I cancel my presentation?
The deadline to cancel your presentation is May 5th. Please notify ESA Meetings as soon as possible if a presentation needs to be cancelled.
How do I request an invitation letter to the meeting?
If you are presenting a presentation at the meeting, you will be able to request a letter after acceptance notification are sent in April. If you aren’t presenting, you can request an invitation at registrar@esa.org but first must register for the conference. If you aren’t able to get the visa, your registration will be refunded.
Do I need a passport to attend this conference?
Yes, you will need a current passport if you are traveling from outside Canada. If your passport is due to expire within 6 months of this conference (February 2023), then you should plan to renew it in advance of the conference.
How do I request a wheelchair for use at the convention center?
The center has a limited number of standard size wheelchairs available for use in the convention center for free of charge. All request require advance reservations. A $25 deposit and photo ID will be required, both of which will be returned to you when the wheelchair is returned. If you are in need of a customized wheelchair or scooter for use outside of the convention, Maison André Viger has them for rent.
Which abstracts require a fee and how does that work?
Abstract submissions for talks have a $60 abstract fee. This applies to all talks – contributed, symposium, organized oral, Inspire. Every submitter has the option to opt out due to lack of funding at the time of submission. It’s easy to do on the form when you submit, no questions asked. This year the form uses a code which will be listed right there on the page for anyone who wants to use it. You just enter the code and click the button to bypass payment.
If you do pay the fee, we will refund it if you cancel your presentation by the deadline (May 2) or if the abstract is rejected.
Will on-site childcare be provide this year?
Due to COVID, on-site childcare will not be provide at the meeting this year. ESA is offering dependent care grants again this year. For more information about these grants, visit the funding page to learn how to apply. If you are coming with a dependent care provider (spouse/partner, family member, nanny, etc.), please contact the ESA REGISTRAR for assistance in securing a badge for this individual for free of charge.
Are masks required at the meeting?
One of the most significant ways we can keep each other safe is by wearing masks (we recommend N95, KN95 or KF94). To better protect everyone, masks will be required in the convention center by all participants, except for brief moments while eating or drinking or unless you’re a plenary speaker, this includes while you are presenting. Please be prepared by bringing your own mask and wear it throughout the conference. For more information about COVID precautions refer to the COVID Code of Conduct.