Organize a Symposia

PMSE Sponsored Symposium

Technical programs are truly the heart of the Division’s activities. Anyone can organize a PMSE symposium at a national ACS meeting. While PMSE focuses on polymeric materials, engineering, and science, broader material chemistry and science are commonly co-sponsored with other divisions. To propose a topic, please use the one-page Proposal Form below as a guide. The Technical Programming Committee is always happy to assist prospective symposium organizers prior to completion of this form to ensure that the symposium aligns within PMSE’s core audience.

Organization and Funding

If your symposium has been approved, the PMSE Technical Programming Committee can provide a packet of information covering funding, deadlines, and checklists on the various steps necessary.  There are also additional resources at ACS.org.  Details for PMSE funding are detailed below.

Propose a Symposium

Thank you for your interest in organizing a symposium for the PMSE Division of the ACS.  The following information is required for symposium proposal:

• Organizers’ Names and Contact Information (address, phone, email)
• Symposium Title
• Brief Description of Topics to be Covered
• Proposed date/venue
• Potential invited speakers
• Anticipated number of 4-hour session desired
• Potential Cosponsors, if any (in and out of ACS)

Please send this information in an email to the PMSE Technical Programming Committee Members (email)

Financial Sponsorship for PMSE Organizers

PMSE FUNDING

PMSE funding is limited and early requests will get preference.  The deadline for requesting funds is 30 days before the ACS meeting.  PMSE funds are provided to defray registration costs and travel costs for invited speakers.  These funds may not be used for speaker dinners, organizer travel expenses, and other miscellaneous items.  PMSE may provide $500.00 per session up to $2,000.00 in total.  These amounts may be reduced if there are a large number of requests. For PMSE awards that include travel support, PMSE will not provide amounts of over $1500 to awardees.

For any amount  $600 or more provided, a W9 form must be supplied to Eileen Ernst prior to the receipt of the PMSE funds.  PMSE is required to provide the I.R.S. with a 1099 for these funds.

PROCEDURE FOR REQUESTING PMSE FUNDS

A request for PMSE funds must be made via email to Jay Dias (Email) with a copy to Dominik Konkolewicz [konkold@miamioh.edu] and Eileen Ernst, PMSE Administrative Assistant [eernst61@gmail.com].  These funds are not guaranteed and no promises should be made to speakers unless funds have been approved by Jay Dias in writing.

OUTSIDE FUNDING

Organizers are encouraged to defray costs for speaker dinners, registration fees, organizer travel expenses, and other costs by obtaining funding from outside sources.  We find that companies and publishers that do business in the area of your symposium topic are often willing to provide funds in return for the recognition.  We strongly encourage you to contact them directly.  Also consider the traditional NSF, NIH, DOE, and DOD sources.  They often contribute.  These sponsorships will be acknowledged in the on-line and on-site programs.  Sponsors of symposia will also be included on the pmsedivision.org webpage.  The procedure for dealing with these funds is as follows:

• Provide Eileen with the proper name of your financial sponsor, the amount they will be providing, your contact’s name and the address (or email) of your contact.  Eileen will provide an invoice to your sponsor along with a copy for you.  Clear instructions of where to mail the check or wire the funds will be included in the invoice.
• Prior to the meeting, provide the PMSE Treasurer with the names of anyone who is to receive a check at the meeting and the amount of the check.  The Treasurer will bring these checks to the meeting.  If you have expenses that you will not know until after the meeting (i.e. cost of a dinner), the check will be mailed to you by the Treasurer after the meeting.
• Financial sponsors are acknowledged in the final on-site program PDF that is posted on the ACS website.  Please understand that if we receive the information too late, it may not be possible to acknowledge them in this way.

pmsedivision.org Promotion

To promote symposium on the website, please send a 200 word description of the symposium.  Any additional files, such as a PDF promotion, will be added at the end of any description.  Details on sponsors, featured presentation, or general details are most effective at communicating the scope of the symposium.  This can be done at any time prior to the abstract submission window.

The description will be included on the conference page.  During the abstract submission time period, all symposium descriptions will be promoted on the home page in rotation until the PMSE submission deadline.