CALL FOR SESSION PROPOSALS <http://www.iufro-ao2016.org/en/news.asp?id=23.html> http://www.iufro-ao2016.org/en/news.asp?id=23.html Deadline for Submissions: 31 January 2016 The Congress Scientific Committee invites submission of session proposals for the IUFRO Regional Congress for Asia and Oceania 2016. In keeping with the spirit of the Congress title – Forests for Sustainable Development: The Role of Research, the Congress Scientific Committee is developing a program that will highlight the role of forest science in informing forest-related policies and management in Asia and Oceania to cope with the significant environmental, social and economic changes in the region and address the consequent challenges. The Congress program will reflect the forest science community’s diverse contributions, inside and outside the region, across the full range of natural and social science disciplines at various levels, from the gene to the globe, with special emphasis on key issues and research areas identified in IUFRO’s 2015-2019 Strategy. Session proposals will be accepted that address one or more of the following Congress themes: 1. Sustainable forest management for enhanced provision of ecosystem services; 2. Forest and landscape rehabilitation and restoration; 3. Combating desertification, disaster and risk management, and climate change mitigation and adaptation; 4. Planted forests for fostering a greener economy; 5. Innovative technologies for bio-energy, bio-materials and other products; 6. Urban forestry for human health and community well-being; 7. Social and cultural aspects of forests, including traditional knowledge, human health, community participation and gender roles; 8. Forest and agro-forest management for food security, enhanced livelihoods and non-timber forest products. Who may submit a session proposal? All who share an interest in the future of forests and forest science session are invited to submit session proposals. We encourage proposals that involve collaboration between two or more IUFRO Divisions or Task Forces and/or with organizations not formally associated with IUFRO, and from university students at all levels. We strongly recommend IUFRO officeholders and others actively involved in IUFRO Research Groups, Working Parties, and Task Forces communicate with their respective Division representatives on the CSC (or Task Force coordinators, please see the list of CSC Members) before submitting proposals – this will greatly facilitate broader involvement of IUFRO divisional units and Task Forces in the scientific program and avoid overlaps among sessions. Session proposals from non‐IUFRO member organizations are encouraged although preference will be given to those that are prepared jointly with IUFRO Divisional units and Task Forces–if assistance is needed to identify appropriate partners within IUFRO, please contact the CSC Chair or other members of the CSC. Preparing and submitting a session proposal Proposals should be submitted between now and January 31, 2016 (please see Important Dates) by submitting online ( <http://www.iufro-ao2016.org/> http://www.iufro-ao2016.org/) and then sending email to iufro_ao2016(a)163.com attached with the completely and appropriately filled Session Proposal. Proposals will not be accepted after January 31, 2016. Session proposals should include basic information on session organizer(s), session title, alignment with Congress themes, and a short abstract of the session proposal, that describes the session objectives, content and proposed session format (i.e., presentation of individual papers and/or posters, moderated panel discussion, or other forms of presentation) and lists proposed speakers (if known), their organizational affiliations and tentative titles of their presentations. Proposed sessions should be organized to be 2 hours in length. For sessions involving oral presentations, were recommended that each speaker be given 15-20 minutes for his/her presentation. Please note that the abstract submission process will be open to all, so session organizers may need to include oral presentations and/or posters that were not originally proposed for their sessions. Please be aware of this possibility and the need for flexibility in designing your session. In the event that the number of accepted abstracts for a particular session exceeds the number that can be accommodated in a single session, organizers may be given an additional session slot in the Congress program. Criteria for selection Session proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by members of the Congress Scientific Committee with primary consideration given to their scientific quality and relevance to the Congress themes. Other factors that will be considered are: the involvement of two or more IUFRO units (Divisions, Task Forces, Research Groups and Working Parties) and/or non‐IUFRO organizations; geographic and gender diversity of proposed session speakers or presenters; and the involvement of students and young scientists. Proposals will be evaluated as they are received, so we strongly encourage submissions well in advance of the January 31 deadline. Acceptance decisions will be made no later than March 15, 2016. An open Call for Abstracts will be issued on April 1 with online abstract submission until May 15 and acceptance decisions by July 15, 2016. Responsibilities of session organizers Session organizers of accepted proposals are expected to communicate with prospective presenters regarding submission of abstracts (online, from April 1 through May 15, 2016), and will be asked to review abstracts submitted for their sessions during the abstract review period (i.e., May 15 to July 15, 2016). Session organizers may be asked to assist the CSC in the editing of accepted abstracts. They will also be responsible for moderating sessions (or assigning session moderation responsibilities) and are encouraged to pursue publication options for papers presented in their sessions. Abstracts of papers and posters presented during the Congress will be printed and included in a Congress abstracts volume. As formal Congress proceedings with full papers will not be published, session organizers should explore alternative publication options (books, special issues of journals, etc.) for their sessions. We look forward to hearing from you and for your active participation in the design of an excellent scientific program for the IUFRO Regional Congress for Asia and Oceania 2016 in Beijing. The Congress Scientific Committee IUFRO Regional Congress for Asia and Oceania 2016 Beijing, China; 24-27 October 2016 <http://www.iufro-ao2016.org> http://www.iufro-ao2016.org - iufro_ao2016(a)163.com