Scientific Conference Planning Procedure
1. Parent Policy and Related Policies/Procedures
Fermilab Travel Policy
2. Purpose
The purpose of this procedure is to standardize the planning process for Fermilab participation in scientific conferences considering aspects such as travel, budget, promoting scientific collaboration and communication, laboratory reputation, fairness, and career-path development.
This procedure does not replace or supplant any of the existing Conference Travel policies or procedures. It simply describes how the laboratory consistently addresses levels of participation in conferences and how to deal with major conferences held locally.
3. Applicability
This procedure applies to Fermi Research Alliance, LLC (FRA) and all its employees and Fermilab users and affiliates using FRA or FRA contract funds to attend scientific conferences in person. This procedure applies only to conferences with anticipated broad lab-wide attendance due to subject matter (e.g., Snowmass) or a location near the laboratory (e.g., Chicago). This typically does not apply to conferences which would be attended by members of a single division/department.
4. Effective Date and Date Reviewed/Updated
This procedure went into effect on July 3, 2017, and its update was effective on August 1, 2022.
5. Procedure
a. Required Information
To apply this process, the following is needed:
- Conference information (location, timing, scope)
- If deemed necessary, a designated representative to serve as owner of participation in the conference with an understanding of purpose, prestige, and relevance of the conference to Fermilab programs
- Relevant budget information
- Understanding of how the subject conference fits in the context of other conference opportunities
b. Preview the Fiscal Year
At the beginning of the fiscal year, the Chief Research Officer (CRO) will engage senior leaders to identify the signature conferences for the coming year where Fermilab participation will be important (see Definitions below) and/or the attendees will come from multiple divisions/departments.
The CRO can choose to designate a representative as steward for a signature conference. The designated representative will talk gauge interest from colleagues to obtain a headcount estimate for conference attendance. In many cases, a discussion among senior leaders may be sufficient.
In general, participants giving oral presentations (either invited or contributed) will receive priority, followed by contributed posters and session conveners. Participation on the international organizing committee is not normally a compelling rationale on its own. Diversity and fairness in conference attendance, and the opportunities it presents in career development and professional networking, will be an important consideration in determining attendance.
c. Participating in Non-local Conferences
For non-local conferences, the CRO will work with the Travel Office and past records to develop a target headcount for each conference and communicate this back to the designated representative. The target headcount will be communicated to the Travel Office for use in the Conference Database.
- The purpose of travel must meet the lab’s mission essential criteria. At a minimum, the following questions should be considered before requesting and approving travel:
- Is the justification to attend compelling, clear, and affordable?
- Is this travel necessary to advance the mission of the lab? If so, how?
- Does the desired outcome require in-person attendance and therefore, cannot be accomplished via another safe and less expensive alternative such as videoconferencing?
- Does the justification of the desired outcome align with the mission of the lab and sufficiently support lab presence at the in-person event?
Potential participants in non-local conferences will be invited to submit their travel plans. The CRO and Travel Office will monitor the “fill up” of conferences over the $100,000 Department of Energy threshold, and then contact the CRO and designated representative (if assigned) when the Fermilab delegation is 80% full to ensure final disposition is fair and appropriate.
d. Participating in Local Conferences
When signature conferences are held in the Chicagoland area, it offers an opportunity for laboratory staff to participate and experience the networking, information exchange, and collaborative aspects of these conferences. Criteria for participation are generally relaxed and for some, this opportunity may be a very rare occasion to experience a signature conference.
Participation in local, signature conferences is encouraged by:
- Making the opportunity well known to relevant staff;
- Potentially organizing mass transit to and from the venue; and
- Collaboration between Divisions and the Directorate to cover registration fees, especially one-day registrations, for many staff members.
In exchange for this enterprise-level encouragement and to be responsible with taxpayer funds, FRA adopts the following guidelines for local conferences:
- No local lodging is allowable on contract funds.
- Meal and incidental per-diem expenses are not generally reimbursed by the lab;
- If the conference organizers arrange mass transit options, individual transportation expenses are not generally reimbursed; and
- Overnight lodging and expenses are not reimbursable except when approved by the CFO, such as for staff participating in conference execution and having long, back-to-back workdays where travel to/from the conference venue might pose a safety risk.
6. Definitions
Fermilab – the physical site and property that is the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.
Fermi Research Alliance, LLC – the operator and manager of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory under Department of Energy Prime Contract No. DE-AC02-07CH11359 and is the principal employer of personnel working at Fermilab.
Signature conference – a prestigious scientific conference in an area of Fermilab’s strategic focus that is organized by the global community with a competitive, peer-review process for selecting invited and contributed talks and/or posters. (The DOE consideration of $100,000 total cost is a separate issue. See Conference Travel site for further information.)
Non-local conference – a conference that takes place more than 50 miles from Fermilab.
Local conference – a conference that takes place within 50 miles of Fermilab.
7. Owner and Subject Matter Experts
The Chief Research Officer is the owner of this procedure and may delegate responsibility to another senior leader or member of the Office of the Chief Research Officer.
The designated representative is responsible for Fermilab participation in each major, scientific conference.
The Travel Office is responsible for the Conference Management Tool, travel planning and costing, and providing timely status reports to the relevant decision makers.
Travelers (conference participants) are responsible for timely registration, travel planning, and following all procedures and policies with integrity.
8. Review Cycle
This procedure shall be reviewed every five years.
9. Communication Plan
This procedure will be communicated by the Chief Research Officer to all Chiefs/Division Heads/Section Heads/Project Directors. This procedure shall be available in the Fermilab policy database.
10. References