ScienceWriters 2008

Oct. 24-28
Palo Alto, Calif.

Join us for the annual
NASW ScienceWriters meeting
 and
CASW's New Horizons in Science

PROPOSE A SESSION

All NASW members are invited and encouraged to submit one or more proposals to workshops@nasw.org for sessions to be held at the annual meeting. Proposals are due by Wed., March 5, 2008.

How the proposals work

Workshops are approximately 75 to 90 minutes long and focus on some aspect of professional development for science writers or issues in the field of science writing. Panel discussions and other formats are welcome. To explore the breadth of interpretation of these topics, consult past programs.

Proposals consist of a short, 250-word abstract. They should designate a session organizer (usually the proposer) who will be responsible for the implementing the workshop if it is selected. They should describe the intent and format of the session and suggest speakers. Proposals must also include:

• Name and affiliation
• Email
• Telephone number

Thinking outside the panel format is highly encouraged! Get interactive. Get creative.

The related duties of a session organizer include: inviting appropriate and engaging speakers, determining audiovisual needs, providing proper program listings, moderating the session or appointing a moderator, and working closely with the workshops coordinator to ensure a smooth and successful session.

Benefits of Volunteering

In return for their efforts to create a dynamic and satisfying annual meeting, session organizers receive free registration to the current year's annual meeting. Speakers also receive complimentary registration. Session organizers will be notified by the end of April of the status of their proposal.

PROPOSE A FIELD TRIP

NASW members, especially those who live in Northern California, are encouraged to organize and host field trips. Members from across the country would like you to show them some of the labs, research sites, and scientific curiosities unique to your area. Feel free to partner with another science writer, if you like. We encourage trips to important scientific sites, and we also encourage you to have fun. Get our boots dirty.

We expect to schedule three or four field trips, depending on member interest. The deadline for field trip ideas is the same as that for workshop proposals: March 5, 2008. Submit proposals to Paul Raeburn, at paulraeburn@nasw.org.

How the field trips work

Field trips will be held on Wednesday, October 29. You arrange the tour, find a scientist or two to accompany us, give us background material to duplicate, and lead a discussion on the bus on the way to wherever we are going.

We will arrange for the buses. Participants will be charged a fee to cover the costs of the buses and lunch, if it's provided. Last year, we had field trips to the Hanford nuclear site, the LIGO gravity experiment, and a unique grizzly bear research program.

Proposals should consist of a description of the trip, the reasons why it would be interesting to our members, and an approximate schedule. Plan to leave the hotel no earlier than about 8 a.m., and to return before dinner time, unless special circumstances dictate a longer trip. Proposals should include your name and affiliation, email, and telephone number.

Volunteer for the annual meeting committee

We seek NASW members who can volunteer their time to choose the slate of offerings from submitted proposals. Any member may volunteer by sending an email to workshops@nasw.org by February 15, 2008.

Typically, all volunteers are accepted. In the event of an overwhelming response, the chair shall decide the make-up with the goal of insuring that the committee represents all professional facets of NASW membership.

How the committee works

The annual meeting committee chair, who is the sitting NASW vice president, leads listserv discussions on the format and flow of the annual meeting. The chair determines how the committee will evaluate and share proposals and also decides how to address any conflict of interest if committee members have proposals in the queue.

Committee members serve for about one month, from mid-March to mid-April. They participate in discussions about the proposals, which take place entirely via email. Committee members are expected to thoughtful, vocal, and may occasionally be invited to help with crafting special sessions. The commitment only requires a couple of hours per week.

Benefits of volunteering

In addition to the satisfaction that comes from helping to shape the annual workshops, committee members may register for the current year's annual meeting at the student rate. It is hoped that committee members will attend the meeting, but it is not a requirement.

Contact information

Future annual meetings:

• Austin, Texas — October 16-20, 2009
• New Haven, Ct. — November 4-9, 2010

NASW Annual Meetings:
2007 | 2006 | Fall 2005 | Spring 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997
Next annual meeting | CASW New Horizons briefings