Will SICB 2022 take place in person?
Yes!  SICB 2022 will take place January 3-7 in Phoenix, AZ

Will it be possible to participate virtually in SICB 2022?
It will not be possible to participate virtually during the in-person meeting, but we are making SICB more accessible by rolling out a new virtual option known as SICB+

What is SICB+?
SICB+ is an opportunity to share your presentation virtually with other SICB attendees over a longer period after the in-person meeting has concluded (January 14-March 31, 2022).  SICB+ will be included for all in-person SICB attendees, and participation will be optional but strongly encouraged.  For those unable to attend SICB in person, it will be possible to submit your abstract to SICB+ only at a greatly reduced rate.  There will be no limits on the number of abstracts that can be submitted.  The goal of SICB+ is to use the most positive parts of our experience with the 2021 virtual annual meeting to broaden access to SICB.  SICB+ will be entirely asynchronous.

What COVID-related health and safety policies will be in place for SICB 2022?

SICB is closely following CDC guidelines for COVID safety at large meetings and will adhere to those guidelines or more conservative measures, given that conference attendees come from many home locations. Additional guidance or policies for Arizona and the conference center will also be followed.  The policies listed below may be revised to be more strict if that is necessary to follow CDC guidelines, but these decisions will NOT be reversed to be more lenient.  Some major bullet points are provided below, but please review our full COVID safety policies HERE for details.  SICB attendees are encouraged to share their thoughts on COVID safety with us HERE.

• Vaccine/Covid Test Registry: All attendees will be required to register their vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of the first day of the conference.  We are exploring also allowing documentation of past infection as evidence of immunity, but do not yet know if this will be an option.  The registry will be handled by a third-party company to protect individual privacy.
• Indoor masking will be required for all participants regardless of vaccination status under most circumstances.  Vaccinated attendees may remove masks while eating or drinking.  As allowable by CDC and other COVID safety guidance, policies on mask removal while presenting a talk with distancing from the audience are being considered.  This would accommodate attendees who are deaf or hard of hearing and depend on lip reading to understand speakers, and also those who may have difficulty catching their breath when lecturing with a mask.  No decisions have yet been made on this potential exception; share your input HERE.
• Poster sessions: There will be increased spacing between posters with wider rows and greater separation between adjacent posters. Additional COVID safety measures at poster sessions will be considered in relation to densities and distancing, staying attuned to CDC guidance
• Mangum award hotel rooms: Mangum awardee hotel room sharing had been changed, decreasing people per room to two per room (from four) without an increase in price to students. There is greater flexibility for Mangum-supported students to identify their own roommate (in or outside of the Mangum program). Find information about the Mangum program HERE.
• Childcare: We are working on childcare support options. We know that parents have different preferences for their children and, as yet, with no vaccines for kids under 12 this is of particularly critical concern. We’re also aware that some kids have already had COVID and therefore have some level of immunity. Our aim is to give parents more flexibility in how they are supported and control over care options. One idea, for example, is to help defray the cost of travel of a trusted caregiver for parents who don’t want to use a sitter service in Phoenix.

I submitted an abstract to attend in person, but I have COVID related concerns.  What is SICB’s cancellation policy?  Can I switch to SICB+?

Yes, it is possible to switch to SICB+ due to COVID-related concerns.  Travel planning this year is particularly challenging with unknowns due to COVID. Cancellations with refund of registration for covid-related circumstances are allowed without penalty. Cancellations must be in writing via fax, email or regular mail to the SICB Business Office. Please contact meetings@burkinc.com.

 

I submitted an abstract to attend SICB+, but would now like to attend in person instead.  Is it possible to switch?

It is not possible to switch your abstract from SICB+ to the in person meeting.  There are many logistical challenges involved in setting up the program for both meetings, and we unfortunately cannot accommodate last-minute additions.  However, you are welcome to register for and attend the in-person meeting!

 

Will SICB 2022 still happen in person, regardless of the COVID situation?

We recognize that anything can happen. At the moment, we still plan to meet in-person in Phoenix from January 3 to 7, 2022.

If we must switch to an all-virtual (online only) format, we will announce the change as early as possible but, at the latest, by December 1, 2021. The fully virtual conference would be very similar in format to the previous one (SICB 2021), with a deadline of December 28, 2021 for electronic presentation upload. Because costs are lower for a virtual-only conference, registrants would also receive a partial refund so that they are paying only for the virtual registration. This plan aims to give everyone enough time to recalibrate and for us to set up additional virtual meeting elements.