I vividly remember attending my first scientific conference as a graduate student. A $150 travel award enabled me to book a discounted flight and hotel room, and a generous senior colleague gave me a ticket to the opening night gala! Gaining access to the field’s leaders, hearing cutting-edge talks, and connecting with fellow graduate students during poster sessions energized my commitment to research.

Scientific conferences are a vital aspect of our work as scientists, providing key opportunities for training, research dissemination, and networking. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a swift shift to virtual and hybrid approaches to conferences and meetings. This transition exposed challenges like reduced interpersonal connections but also highlighted benefits such as improved accessibility.

We are at a pivotal moment in which the growing body of research on scientific conferences can offer a unique opportunity to reevaluate and reshape how these events are organized and conducted.

Workshop Overview and Highlights

In June 2024, OBSSR hosted a virtual workshop titled The Future of Scientific Conferencing. This event brought together multi-disciplinary thought leaders to discuss the future of scientific conferences and meetings, with a focus on diversity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, and technology-driven innovation. The workshop aimed to facilitate interdisciplinary communication and networking, identify crosscutting scientific gaps, and inform practical strategies for designing effective, engaging, and sustainable scientific conferences and meetings.

The workshop featured over 30 speakers and panelists from academia, industry, and the federal government with diverse viewpoints on these key pillars of scientific conferencing. Held on a virtual conferencing platform, the workshop included dedicated engagement activities, from a virtual poster hall to small group discussions, to showcase the potential of such platforms for learning, networking, and engagement. A carbon calculator provided estimates of relative savings in carbon emissions from attending the workshop virtually versus in-person on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus.

The NIH Planning Committee included representatives from 8 Institutes, Centers, and Offices, in addition to OBSSR. The workshop proceedings were developed with additional support from Dr. Marie Bernard, Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity.

Key Considerations for Conference Design

Workshop speakers emphasized how planning and hosting scientific convenings requires navigating a broad range of options and decisions. Key considerations for designing equitable and effective scientific conferences and meetings include: 

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility: When considering the intended audience and anticipated speakers for an event, include representation from a broad range of geographical regions, identities, abilities, and career stages. Aim to create an accessible experience for all attendees, regardless of age, ability, or background.
• Conference Formats and Design: When using technology, anticipate barriers and design thoughtfully to enhance participant experience. 
• Conference Objectives: Align conference formats with goals and needs (e.g., connection, collaboration, idea generation or diffusion, routine information exchange). Prioritize key goals when objectives conflict. 
• Environmental Sustainability: Recognize the environmental impact of academic travel, and when possible, aim to reduce long-distance flights while enhancing opportunities for virtual gatherings.
• Technological Innovations: Leverage emerging technologies (e.g., virtual reality, artificial intelligence, spatial apps) when appropriate to enhance the conference experience and bridge physical and virtual participation. 

To determine the most appropriate format and design, event planners should consider the intended audience, meeting objectives, technology capabilities, and desired outcomes. OBSSR is committed to leading the way forward by implementing these considerations into our scientific conferences and meeting efforts.

Resources

To access Future of Scientific Conferencing workshop proceedings, recordings, and other resources, visit the OBSSR website.