Session Convener Guidelines
The abstract submission deadline has passed. Session conveners may view submitted sessions and abstracts here. Abstract notifications will be sent and the scientific program will be released in early October.
Please review all of the convener guidelines to help with convening a successful session at the Fall Meeting including upcoming deadlines and scheduling tasks.
#AGU21 is optimizing both in-person and worldwide online participation so that attendees will have numerous opportunities for interactions that person-to-person meetings allow. #AGU21 will also offer various session formats to foster and encourage discussion across the meeting and sessions will have a mix of both in-person and online presentations.
As a reminder, conveners who serve as session chairs must pay the online or in-person meeting registration fee to attend. Conveners who are not attending the meeting do not need to pay the meeting registration fee. Conveners who submit abstracts must pay all fees associated with attending the meeting, including membership fees, abstract submission fees and online or in-person meeting registration (if serving as the presenting author).
Reference Session Proposal guidelines here.
Questions? Please contact the AGU Fall Meeting Program Committee or the Scientific Program Team.
Download Session Convener Guidelines
Review our PDF of the instructions, including tips & tricks, so you are a successful session convener for #AGU21.
DownloadInvited Authors Guidelines and Policies
Now that sessions have been approved and abstract submissions are open, conveners of non-Union and non-panel sessions can invite up to two authors to submit abstracts to their session. Sessions can have a mix of both in-person and online presentations.
AGU’s main strategies for allowing invited authors are:
- Raising the profile of the session.
- Enticing authors who would not otherwise submit an abstract to a session in an effort to, for example, enhance diversity of perspectives, disciplines, career stages, geography, institutions and experiences. To find and invite speakers with varied knowledges and experiences, we recommend utilizing your community networks and the resources below. These lists are merely starting points since they are not comprehensive resources and only include scientists who agree to have their names included.
Updates to first author policy
AGU has revised its first author policy for #AGU21. A first author can now submit two contributed abstracts (i.e., non-invited abstracts) as long as the second abstract is in a different section from the first abstract. Invited authors can submit up to two invited abstracts to any section plus one contributed abstract to a different section.
There are no exceptions to the first author policy regardless of the number of invitations an author receives.
Reminder: Invited authors are not guaranteed an oral presentation and may be assigned a poster presentation. All invited authors are subject to being scheduled either in an oral, eLightning or a poster discussion session at the discretion of the Fall Meeting Program Committee. If a session is allocated an oral discussion session in August, which is also not guaranteed, the convener decides the authors who will be in in that session and the length of presentations during the scheduling process.
The final decisions about presentation type and session format are made by the Fall Meeting Program Committee.
Revised First Author Policy for #AGU21
There are no exceptions to the first author policy regardless of the number of invitations an author receives.
ReadHow to Invite Authors
The invited author tool is now available. Conveners who are AGU members can now access the abstract management platform by logging into the User Portal. Once logged in, click on "My Account.” Select the name of the session to access the Session Proposal Control Panel. Within the Session Proposal Control Panel, click the “Invited Author Management” button to access the invitation tool. Conveners can enter the names of up to two individuals they wish to invite to submit an abstract to their session.
Session conveners may not be the first author or presenting author on an invited abstract in the session they are convening. Conveners can be invited authors in other sessions, but not in their own sessions. Conveners may submit a contributed abstract to a session they are convening; however, they must be scheduled as an eLightning or poster presentation. Student and early career conveners are exempt from this rule and may be scheduled for an oral presentation in their own session.
The recommended deadline for conveners to invite authors is 21 July 2021 so that authors have enough time to accept the invitation, prepare and submit the abstract. Conveners will have access to the invitation tool until the abstract submission deadline (4 August), but we strongly encourage them to issue invitations as soon as possible. There will be no exceptions to the abstract submission deadline.
Invited authors must submit their abstracts via the link included in the invitation from the abstract management platform by 4 August 2021. If the abstract is not submitted through the formal invitation, the abstract will not have an invited status listing.
Invited authors must pay all fees associated with attending the meeting, including membership fees, abstract submission fees and online or in-person meeting registration. Invited authors who are members of a cooperating society or who are a non-geoscientist may request a membership waiver by 21 July 2021. Additional details for invited authors are available here.
Approved Union and panel sessions conveners will receive specific instructions if they are approved for a Union or panel sessions. There is a recommended limit of six to eight invited authors for approved Union or panel sessions.
Monitoring Abstracts
If your session was accepted as a part of the #AGU21 scientific program, your session will be available to receive abstract submissions.
How to View Abstracts
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Visit the abstract submission site to view abstract titles and author names. Abstract text is not viewable to the public during this period. -
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To view full abstract details, please log into the abstract management platform’s User Portal. -
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Once logged into the User Portal, click on your session name. -
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Visit the “View Submission” page for abstract details, which are shown above the list of conveners.
What to Monitor
We recommend monitoring the abstract management platform regularly for:
- Abstracts that are not topically relevant to your session or if you think an abstract was submitted to your session by mistake. This may happen due to author oversight or a misunderstanding of the session’s intent.
- Email the Fall Meeting Program Committee or the AGU’s Scientific Program Team by 6 August so we can move the abstract to a more appropriate session.
- Note: An abstract cannot be transferred after the program is finalized. Each author is counting on the conveners to ensure that all abstracts submitted and accepted to your session are topically appropriate.
- Invited authors who have not accepted the invitation to submit or have not submitted their abstract.
- Please follow up to ensure invited authors have received the invitation and intend to submit an abstract.
- If the author has declined the invitation, you can invite another author in their place. You can do this up until 4 August (abstract submission deadline).
- Late abstract submissions will not be accepted.
- Other sessions with which your session can be merged based on abstract submissions.
- Please notify your Fall Meeting Program Committee representatives if you have any suggestions on potential merges. if you have any suggestions on potential merges.
Remember to promote your session to your network using our free customizable social media digital cards. However, you may not request that an author move their abstract from another session to your session. To view full abstract details please log into the abstract management platform’s User Portal.
Tips & tricks to convene a successful session
During Abstract Submission Process
For conveners:
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Session conveners may not be the first author or presenting author on an invited abstract in the session they are convening. Conveners can be invited authors in other session, but not their own sessions. Student and early career conveners are exempt from this rule and may be schedule for an oral presentation in their own session. -
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Conveners may submit a contributed abstract to a session they are convening; however, they must be scheduled as an eLightning or poster presentation. If a session receives multiple oral or poster session allocations in August, session conveners can retroactively mark up to two abstracts as "Highlighted" per each additional session during the scheduling period if needed. -
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The recommended deadline for conveners to invite authors is 21 July 2021 so that authors have enough time to accept the invitation, prepare and submit the abstract. Conveners will have access to the invitation tool until the abstract submission deadline (4 August), but we strongly encourage them to issue invitations as soon as possible. -
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Due to the size of the program, if you are chairing multiple sessions and have also submitted abstracts to the scientific program, the Fall Meeting Program Committee CANNOT guarantee that you will be free of scheduling conflicts at the meeting. Ensure your co-conveners are available to step in to chair a session if needed.
For conveners who are inviting authors:
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Invited authors must be AGU members and up to date with 2021 membership dues; however, special exemptions may be requested for a member of current affiliated society/organization or invited authors who are non-geoscientists. Invited authors with an exception should contact the AGU Scientific Program Team for further assistance. -
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Do not make any promises to your invited authors that they are guaranteed an oral presentation. Oral presentations are at the discretion of the Fall Meeting Program Committee. If a session is allocated an oral discussion session in August, which is also not guaranteed, the convener decides the authors who will be in that session and the length of presentations during the scheduling process. The final decisions about presentation type and session format are made by the Fall Meeting Program Committee. -
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An individual may not accept invitations to submit an abstract to more than two sessions. -
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Invited authors do not receive waived or discounted membership, abstract submission fees or registration fees; no travel reimbursements are provided to invited authors. The abstract fee is a processing fee and all abstract submission fees are nonrefundable. Refunds will not be issued if policies are violated or if an abstract is rejected.
After Submitting an Abstract
Dates and Deadlines
At least one of the conveners (the primary liaison) must be available in mid-to-late August to respond to any program committee requests and to schedule the session. Following the 4 August abstract deadline, the Fall Meeting Program Committee may decline an abstract for inclusion in the program. The Fall Meeting Program Committee may also merge similar sessions and may transfer any misplaced abstracts into a different, more appropriate session than the one to which they were submitted. The final decisions about the placement of individual abstracts within sessions are made by the Fall Meeting Program Committee. Detailed information on session scheduling will be available in August.
- Abstract submissions are accepted until 4 August 2021. Late abstract submissions will not be accepted.
- Abstract notifications and notifications of your session’s official scheduled date and time will be sent on 5 October 2021.
- After notifications are distributed, authors are required to accept or decline their presentation. Please monitor your session to note withdrawals.
- If the author declines, their abstract will be withdrawn from your session.
- If an author needs to change from in-person to online attendance, they will be able to make this change at this time.
- The scientific program will be made public on 5 October 2021.
- Due to the size of the program, if you are chairing multiple sessions and have also submitted abstracts to the scientific program, the program committee CANNOT guarantee that you will be free of scheduling conflicts at the meeting.
- Ensure your co-conveners are available to step in to chair a session if needed.
Please contact the AGU’s Scientific Program Team or your Fall Meeting Program Committee representatives if you have any concerns while monitoring your session during the abstract submission period.
Additional dates and deadlines for #AGU21 are listed on our webpage.
Session Scheduling and Allocation
In mid-to-late August, the designated section Fall Meeting Program Committee representatives will determine the session type (i.e., poster, eLightning or oral discussion session OR a combination of any of those) and number of allocations granted to each submitted session.
Conveners must fully review and rate their abstracts as accepted or rejected based on their scientific results and/or their applications using the emailed PDF tutorial. You may reject an abstract with another focus. Conveners may recommend an abstract for rejection or report any concerns regarding a submitted abstract to the Fall Meeting Program Committee.
During the session scheduling process, abstract submitters must select their presentation format preference as either a poster only (must be honored) OR to be designated by the program committee and session conveners (poster, eLightning and/or oral discussion session).
Conveners must be an AGU member to log into the abstract management platform. During the scheduling period in mid-to-late August, conveners:
- Must designate a minimum of two session chairs (who do not have to be existing conveners). The maximum number of chairs allowed per session is four.
- Must identify one Outstanding Student Presentation Award (OSPA) liaison for each allocated session.
- Can update session descriptions as needed.
Once the Fall Meeting Program Committee scheduling meeting begins in September, conveners will no longer have access to their sessions online. During the scheduling meeting, the Fall Meeting Program Committee will schedule any sessions not already scheduled by the conveners as they see fit. The committee will assign dates and times for each approved session.
If you have any questions regarding your allocated sessions, please contact the designated section Fall Meeting Program Committee representative.
Replacing an oral presentation
After October 2021: If an author withdraws from an oral session, the session convener can request that a presentation from the accompanying eLightning or poster discussion session, if applicable, be moved to replace the withdrawn oral presentation. This can be done only with accompanying sessions and with the eLightning or poster presenter’s explicit consent. To replace a withdrawn oral presentation, email AGU’s Scientific Program Team with the details of the withdrawn abstract, details of the abstract proposed to replace that oral presentation and a message in which the author consents to being moved.
Note: New abstracts CANNOT be added to fill empty slots in any session.
Promote Your Session
While shouting from the rooftops will let some people know about your session, it’s not as effective as sharing with your network. If you have a social media account on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Douyin/TikTok or Wechat, we’ve created free customizable templates via Canva so you can promote your session.
Don’t forget to use #AGU21!
Share Your Session on Social Media
Here are free customizable Canva templates for you to use on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Douyin/TikTok, or Wechat! Add #AGU21 when you post!
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