PANEL DEADLINE JUNE 4TH

There is no fee associated with the panel submission.

All organizations and individuals are invited to submit proposals under any stream.

General points:

CSPC is a national forum, a mosaic which aims to have a balanced representation of regional, sectoral, and topical diversity; as well as to provide under-represented groups an opportunity to present their ideas. These criteria will also be factored in for the final selection of panels.

There are two streams for proposal submission this year. Please read the criteria for each stream carefully before finalizing your submission. Both streams are expected to adhere to the CSPC 2021 themes and topics to increase chances of acceptance. 

1. Panel proposals 

• 80 minute panels (50 minute presentation, 20-30 minutes of questions) where a diverse, multisectoral group discuss topics in science policy (see CSPC 2021 themes and topics)

Panel proposals can be submitted in any of the following formats:

All panel organizers are encouraged to use technology which facilitates meaningful engagement with the audience, such as Poll Everywhere and similar applications.

2. Short talk proposals.

• 10 minute presentations for those individuals who do not have the means to organize a panel, in particular student and early career professionals.

Panel Proposals 

1. Quality of the proposed session: proposal description and justification (30%)
2. Ability to incorporate (15%) a solution-oriented nature of discussions as opposed to a statement of the status quo of an issue
3. Choice of panel format and its interactivity (15%)
4. Quality of the speakers and moderator (10%)
5. Representation of a diverse range of panelists (20%)
6. Alignment with the conference objectives and conference themes and topics (10%)

Short Talk Proposals

1. Quality of the proposed talk: proposal description and justification (40%)
2. Importance of the topic (relevance to science policy and broader implications of the topic), and why it should be presented at CSPC 2021 (40%)
3. The novelty of the topic (including significance and impact of the proposed idea or discussion) (20%)
4. Note: proposals from members of Indigenous groups, visible minorities, and groups outside of Ontario will be given priority

1. Quality of the proposed session: proposal description and justification (30%)

The Quality of session is evaluated based on the description of the panel and the following criteria:

• Deep comprehension and excellent description of the subject, and its importance and impact.
• The significance of the topic and its novelty and importance for Canada and the world.
•  The ability of your panel to address any of the following questions:
  • How and what kind of scientific and/or traditional knowledge can help address the issue?
  • How and what kind of policy or policy modification can help address the challenge?
  • How do we strengthen the Canadian institutions and policies that support the production, integration, and use of knowledge in tackling this challenge?
  • How do we more effectively link the public, private, and academic sectors in tackling this challenge?
  • How could the public be engaged in addressing this challenge?
  • How could CSPC play a role in helping to find solutions to this priority challenge?

2. Solution oriented and futuristic panels (15%)

Based on survey feedback, CSPC participants overwhelmingly expressed a desire for panels  with a  focus on solutions and a futuristics analysis; rather than just a presentation of the status quo. Therefore for CSPC 2021, we will also evaluate submissions based on how they address these two aspects: solution orientedness and having a futuristic approach.

3. Choice of panel format and interactivity (15%)

Previous conference attendees have expressed a desire for a variety of formats, topics, voices, and ideas. Given that many delegates are first-time attendees, CSPC seeks to retain a variety of content that is more introductory, along with having sessions that allow for more advanced and in-depth discussions. To achieve this, CSPC aims to balance expert discussions and interactive sessions, and to provide a variety of panel formats at the conference. Proposals will be evaluated against others having the same format.

Panelists’ presentations cannot exceed 50 minutes and 20-30 minutes must be allocated to Q&A or activities involving the audience.

4. Quality of the speakers and moderator (10%)

• Panelists will be evaluated based on:
  Knowledge, experience, and relevance to the panel topic
• Ability to garner public attention
• Inclusion of the younger generation and those who are new speakers at the CSPC

The choice of moderator is also very important and the quality of the moderator will be evaluated based on their experience. We highly recommend that you indicate why this moderator has been chosen and especially indicate:

• Their ability to engage all panelists in an interactive discussion and include the audience in the panel discussion
• Their comprehension of and expertise in the topic
• Their familiarity with the panelists
• Their experience in panel moderation and ability to keep panelists on time and on point

Panel readiness is also a consideration. Confirmation of the panelists is regarded positively. We do request that all speakers be confirmed when you accept your panel invitation to the CSPC. The CSPC reserves the right to request a panel to modify their speaker line-up if it does not meet quality or diversity requirements.

5. Representation of a diverse range of panelists (20%)

The CSPC is a multi-sectoral, transdisciplinary forum on science, technology, and innovation policy issues. Therefore, panelist diversity is a crucial criterion for ranking panels. The empowerment of women in the science, technology, and innovation enterprise is a core value of CSPC. It is a source of pride for us that at CSPC 2020, the percentage of female speakers was 59%. We hope that panel organizers recognize the benefits of presenting a well-rounded and diverse range of perspectives on their topic, which will consequently appeal to a larger audience among the attendees at the CSPC.

Panelist diversity will be evaluated based on, but not limited to, gender, sector, discipline, geography, ethnicity, and age. Panels must be gender-diverse and include BIPOC and other marginalized communities. In addition, the CSPC highly recommends the inclusion of both experienced and younger generation perspectives in panels.

Panels must fulfill the following criteria:

• Panels must be gender-diverse and include speakers from one or more of the following groups: visible minorities, Indigenous groups, and other minority or marginalized groups.
• Panelists must represent at least two of the following sectors: Government, Academia, Private/ Business, Non-Profit, and the Media.
• Panelists must represent at least two different provinces; more diverse geographical representation, including international panelists, will result in higher ranking. We are committed to diverse regional representation and highly encourage recruitment of speakers from other provinces and territories outside of Ontario and Quebec.
• Panelists must have diversity of thought.
• Panels must NOT include more than 2 individuals (including both speakers and moderators) from the same organization.

*The CSPC is happy to recommend speakers with impressive track records to panels. We also recommend resources such as 500WomenScientists to aid in identifying the best speakers for your panels.

6. Alignment with the conference objectives and conference themes (10%) 

Sessions should fall under one of the themes of the conference. Sessions should include experts who can provide detailed examples under the CSPC 2021 themes to support their arguments and translate those details into actions and best practices.

The conference themes and topics can be found here.

The Short Talk series consists of a series of 10 minute presentations (8 minute presentation, 2 minutes of questions),  which are intended to provide a brief overview of a topic in science policy. This includes the following formats:

1. Scientific presentations
2. Policy memos
3. Case studies
4. Green papers
5. Program announcements
6. Other creative formats

As these presentations aim to provide a novel insight into a science policy area, or an overview and discussion of an existing area, presentations should include  many of the following discussions:

1. Topic overview
2. Scientific discussion
3. Evaluation of alternatives
4. Stakeholder evaluation
5. Policy recommendations

The short talk proposals will be ranked based on the following criteria:

1. Quality of the proposed talk session: proposal description and justification (40%)

• • Relevance to science policy
  • The ability to present a coherent argument
  • Consideration of the broader implications

2. Importance of the topic (relevance to science policy and broader implications of the topic), and why it should be presented at CSPC 2021  (40%)

3. The novelty of the topic (including significance and impact of the proposed idea or discussion) (20%)

PANEL DEADLINE MAY 21ST

There is no fee associated with the panel submission.

All organizations and individuals are invited to submit proposals under any stream.