SER Processes How We Shape Programs, Leadership, and Opportunities
Symposium
Symposia Selection Process
- Call for Proposals: Sent mid-July; proposals due mid-September.
- Review & Ranking: SER Executive Board evaluates proposals based on topic significance, innovation, moderator expertise, speaker commitment, and membership history.
- Final Decision: Consensus reached at the Fall Board Meeting, ensuring balance of topics and institutional representation.
- Guidelines:
- Limit of two symposium presentations per member (since 2019) to broaden participation.
- Efforts to pair junior and senior epidemiologists as chairs.
Workshops
Workshop Selection Process
- Call for Proposals: Sent mid-July; proposals due mid-September.
- Review & Ranking: SER Executive Board evaluates proposals based on topic relevance, presenter experience, novelty, and instructional approach.
- Final Decision: Consensus reached at the Fall Board Meeting, ensuring balance of topics and overall interest.
- Formats: Workshops may be offered in person or virtually; instructors indicate preferred format during submission.
- Considerations:
- Priority for cutting-edge methods or problems.
- Material appropriate for session length.
- Creative engagement strategies (e.g., code, simulations, animations).
- Balance of topics and levels across selected workshops.
Oral Abstract and Posters
Oral Abstract & Poster Session Selection Process
- Call for Abstracts: Submission system opens in late Fall; deadline is mid-January.
- Reviewer Selection:
- Members can volunteer during annual registration or via a sign-up link on the website.
- Volunteers indicate areas of expertise for review.
- Peer Review: Abstracts are reviewed by volunteer SER members in late January.
- Selection Criteria:
- Abstracts scoring below a set threshold are reviewed by SER President for inclusion.
- Session Chairs are nominated by the SER Executive Board and finalized by the President and Executive Director based on expertise, prior service, career stage, and topic relevance.
- Session Chair Responsibilities:
- Choose abstracts based on reviewer scores.
- Include at least one student abstract per session.
- Presentation Limits:
- Maximum of two oral presentation per member as first author.
- Poster presentations generally unlimited, subject to venue space.
- When space is limited, additional accepted abstracts appear in the online program.
Leadership Nomination & Selection Process
Executive Committee, Committee Co-Chairs, and Committee Members
Executive Committee
- Call for Nominations: Sent to all members; self-nominations accepted.
- Sources: Recommendations gathered from general membership, Membership & Nominations Committee, and current Executive Committee.
- Review: At the September board meeting, the Executive Committee reviews nominations and prepares a slate based on prior SER engagement and diversity across expertise, experience, and demographics.
- Final Slate: Includes backup candidates to ensure availability and balance.
Committee Co-Chairs
- Selected by SER leadership in collaboration with current co-chairs.
- Considerations include committee involvement and diversity.
Committee Members
- Members indicate interest during annual Call for Involvement.
- In spring, Co-Chairs review committee needs and recommend new members.
- SER Executive Director verifies membership status and overlap before final approval.
- Diversity and balance across committees are key priorities.