53rd Annual Meeting of the Animal Behavior Society
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI, JULY 30 – AUGUST 3, 2016
The 53rd Annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society will be held in Columbia, Missouri, July 30 – August 3, 2016; hosted by the University of Missouri and chaired by Johannes Schul and Zuleyma Tang-Martinez. Please check the ABS 2016 Conference website here for details about our 53rd annual meeting.
The slate for symposia is now complete for 2016 but there is still room for pre-conference and evening workshops. For more details please contact program officers Drs. Mark E. Hauber, Hunter College, E-mail: progofficer@animalbehaviorsociety.org and Jonathan Pruitt, University of California-Santa Barbara, E-mail: progofficerelect@animalbehaviorsociety.org.
CALL FOR PAPERS: Each ABS member may present or sponsor one contributed paper at an annual meeting. Any topic related to the field of Animal Behavior is welcome, including all aspects of the behavior of animals for field, laboratory, applied or theoretical studies. Abstracts submitted by non-members must be submitted through the account of a willing sponsor member. ABS members may also show one film, participate in invited paper sessions or present plenary lectures in addition to giving or sponsoring their single contributed paper. The research reported at an annual meeting must comply with the ABS guidelines and all applicable laws concerning animal care and welfare.
Registrants may submit abstracts for a talk or a poster. Talks will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, as per ABS policy. Registrants are encouraged to consider giving a poster presentation. Posters will remain up for the full meeting and will be presented in well-attended evening receptions and provide the opportunity for extensive interaction and discussion. More details on abstract submission guidelines can be found at this link: http://www.animalbehaviorsociety.org/2016/abstracts.php
ABS 2016 MEETING RELATED AWARDS
WARDER CLYDE ALLEE AWARD
The 2016 Warder Clyde Allee Session for Best Student Paper Competition will be held during the annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society scheduled July 30 through August 3, 2016 at the University of Missouri. All eligible students and recent graduates are encouraged to participate.
Eligibility requirements: Any independent graduate student research (including, but not limited to, the doctoral dissertation) is eligible. The work presented may be part of a larger collaborative effort, but the student must be first author and have principal responsibility for conceptualization and design of the research, collection and analysis of the data, and interpretation of the results. The entrant cannot have been awarded the Ph.D. degree before the start of the preceding ABS annual meeting (for the 2016 meeting, this date is June 10, 2015). An individual can enter the session only once per lifetime.
To enter: Interested candidates must 1) check the appropriate box in the online abstract submission system for the annual meeting; 2) submit a cover letter and an electronic version of their paper as specified below; 3) confirm that they meet all eligibility requirements; 4) present a spoken version during the 2016 Annual Meeting; and 5) attend both the Allee welcoming dinner and the awards ceremony during the Annual Meeting. Applications, including the written paper, will be due by the abstract submission date (March 31, 2016). Applicants will be asked to submit a cover letter with addresses and phone numbers, as well as a manuscript in PDF format (see below for details).
Manuscripts should consist of no more than seven double-spaced, line-numbered, text pages, plus no more than a total of four tables and/or figures. This limit does not include abstract, references, or acknowledgments. Papers MUST be formatted using the instruction for authors for a research paper in the journal Animal Behaviour to insure eligibility (author instructions: http://bit.ly/1tfykZF). The spoken presentation should focus on the material presented in the submitted paper, but may also include other original material as well as general introductory and concluding remarks. Questions should be addressed to ABS Second President-Elect, Jeff Podos (preselect2@animalbehaviorsociety.org).
Application materials should be submitted via the online abstract submission system through your ABS account.
GENESIS AWARD FOR OUSTANDING UNDERGRADUATE POSTER PRESENTATION
Undergraduates who submit posters for presentation at the annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society can indicate that they want to be considered in the Genesis Award poster competition when they submit their abstract. Judging criteria include significance of the research topic, research methods, research results, and presentation. Presentation encompasses the student's oral discussion with the judges and the poster itself, including clear statements of the questions and results, demonstration that there has been appropriate literature review, good organization and visual appeal. Students should be prepared to demonstrate a mastery of their subject material. Information about this award is available at: http://www.animalbehaviorsociety.org/web/awards-genesis.php. Further information, if needed, can be obtained from the chair of the Genesis Sub-committee, Sarah Humfeld (E-mail: humfelds@missouri.edu).
Application materials should be submitted via the online abstract submission system through your ABS account.
CHARLES H. TURNER AWARD
The Diversity Committee of the Animal Behavior Society is calling for nominations for the 2016 Charles H. Turner Award. This program, previously funded by an NSF grant but now supported entirely by the Animal Behavior Society, is a travel grant that supports the goals of increasing the diversity of our membership through support for undergraduate students to attend the annual meeting. Selected Turner Program Fellows will receive support to travel to the 53rd Annual Conference being held in Columbia, Missouri, and participate in a one-day workshop structured to integrate students into both the meeting experience and the broader community of the Animal Behavior Society.
The deadline for submitting online applications is February 29, 2016, including the receipt of all applicant materials and faculty letters of support. The Diversity Committee will review all complete applications and award decisions will be made by March 16, 2016. Interested undergraduate students should contact the Diversity Commitee Chair, Dr. Daniel R. Howard, diversity@animalbehaviorsociety.org, before the deadline with any questions on the application process, and we especially encourage those from traditionally under-represented groups to apply for this unique professional development opportunity.
FOUNDERS’ MEMORIAL POSTER PAPER AWARD
The Founders’ Memorial Poster Award competition will be held at the 2016 annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society at the University of Missouri. Any graduate student or postdoctoral member of the society in good standing is eligible to enter the competition. Applicants can indicate their intention to enter the competition by marking the appropriate box through the abstract submission system. All Founders' presenters will be expected to provide a single page preview of their poster for the judges and give a rapid fire 1 minute 2 slide poster preview presentation prior to their session. This preview will be your opportunity to increase general interest in your presented research.
Application materials should be submitted via the online abstract submission system through your ABS account.
DIVERSITY FUND STUDENT REGISTRATION FEE AWARD
The Diversity Fund Student Registration Fee Awards are intended to encourage participation and defray costs of attending the annual Animal Behavior Meetings by covering registration fees for graduate students and, in some cases (see below), established professionals, of under-represented minorities. Awards will be made by lottery of all valid applications received by the deadline: March 31, 2016. The application process is online, and preference is given to individuals presenting research. Questions on the award or application process should be emailed to the ABS Diversity Committee Chair, Dr. Daniel R. Howard, diversity@animalbehaviorsociety.org. Please include in the subject line "ABS Diversity Award" followed by your name.
Eligibility: Applicants from North America must be enrolled in a graduate program at the time of application and must be members of under-represented minorities in the STEM fields who are of African, Asian, Latin American, American Indian or Alaska Native descent. Citizens (graduate students or established professionals) of Latin American countries and non-white citizens of African countries are also encouraged to apply.
Application materials should be submitted via the online abstract submission system through your ABS account.