Session proposals
Session proposal guidelines
Follow the guidelines outlined in the categories to the right. Your proposal will be reviewed by the Program Committee based on these standards.
Session title and description
Suggested scope of proposals
Session chairs
Topic areas and keywords
Session chairs should select descriptive keywords that best describe the session from a pre-defined list of index terms. These terms help authors search for relevant sessions during the abstract submission process. They are equally helpful to attendees when the online program is published.
Session formats
During the session proposal submission process, chairs should indicate their preference for poster, oral, panel, or the new eLightning hybrid session format.
We strongly encourage poster-only sessions proposals as much as possible, due to the large number of abstract submissions expected.
Restrictions
Review of existing session proposals
Session formats
We strongly encourage poster-only sessions proposals as much as possible, due to the large number of abstract submissions expected.
- Poster sessions will be scheduled for a two-hour time slot, but will be displayed for the duration of the meeting to maximize viewing opportunities. Poster presenters are also encouraged to submit an electronic version of their poster.
- Oral sessions receive two-hour time slots. Session chairs may select the length of time each presenter receives.
- Panel sessions receive two-hour time slots like traditional oral sessions but consist of up to eight individuals who respond to questions from a moderator and the audience. Panels can be scheduled to include a five-minute introductory talk from each panelist and/or allow for the opportunity for extended Q&A alongside attendees.
- eLightning sessions are lively three-minute oral presentations in the poster hall paired with digital, interactive poster presentations.
Introducing eLightning sessions
eLightning presentations create an engaging experience for both presenters and attendees as they offer both oral and interactive poster components. These sessions can include video and audio recordings and show complex data sets. Each presenter delivers a brief oral presentation followed by a poster presentation on a touchscreen. Session chairs will decide the length of the eLightning presentations based on the number of abstracts per session. While the sessions are scheduled for a two-hour time slot, the touchscreen poster presentations will be viewable for the duration of the meeting.
Selection process
The Program Committee will try to honor oral and poster requests while taking into account space and other requirements. The Committee has the final responsibility to allocate session types across the program.
Session chairs should not promise oral presentations to any potential authors. Once sessions are finalized by the Program Committee, chairs will assign poster and oral (if any) presentations.
Important dates
11 September 2019: Abstract submissions close. In late September through early October, we may need to get in touch with session chairs about scheduling. We ask that at least one session chair be available.
18 September 2019: Deadline to submit a town hall, workshop, committee meeting or social event, and the deadline to submit a travel grant application
Early November 2019: Abstract acceptance letters are sent and the final scientific program is available online.
8 January 2020: Early registration deadline.
24 January 2020: Housing deadline.
Session chair responsibilities
Session chairs must agree to be responsible for coordinating the evaluation of all student presentations (oral and poster) in their session. One session co-chair must be identified during the scheduling process to serve as the point of contact and must coordinate the evaluation process. Additional information will be distributed as the meeting approaches.
Chairs have access to the online invitation management system. After logging into the invitation management session, chairs can click on "My Account," then on the name of their session to access the Session Proposal Control Panel. Open the panel, conveners should click the Invited Author Management button to access the invitation tool. Conveners can enter the names of up to two individuals they wish to invite to submit an invited poster presentation to their session.
Post-submission process for session chairs
Submission Review Process
The Program Committee will review all session proposals during May and June 2019. The evaluation process will include decisions to merge proposals to avoid duplicate or similar subjects within or across topic areas. The Program Committee will notify session chairs when sessions need to be merged and/or descriptions revised. Session chairs will receive an email with the final status of their proposal in early July 2019.
Abstract Submissions
During the abstract submission period, 10 July – 11 September 2019, session chairs should promote their session to potential authors and use the online tool to monitor the abstracts submitted to their session. Session chairs should alert AGU staff if there are abstracts in a session that are not topically relevant. After the scheduling phase in early October, abstracts will no longer be available to view until the program is finalized by the Program Committee in early November.
Scheduling Abstracts
In late September, the Program Committee will inform session chairs of their session type. Session chairs will have approximately one week, 24 September 2019 to 2 October 2019, to review and schedule the abstracts within the sessions they have been allocated. Detailed instructions will be provided.
Tutorial Talk submissions now closed; Abstracts open
We are no longer inviting session or tutorial talk proposals for the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2020. Abstract submissions are now open.
About tutorial talks
A presenter of the tutorial talk must submit the proposal and may include one additional co-author when submitting a tutorial talk.
Title and description
Presentation format
Acceptance, and registration
Ocean Sciences Meeting Program Committee
AGU Co-Chair
Alessandra Conversi, Consiglio Nazionale delle Richerche
ASLO Co-Chair
Kristen Buck, University of South Florida
TOS Co-Chair
Allison Penko, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
AGU Vice Chair
Bob Chen, University of Massachusetts Boston
ASLO Vice Chair
Grace Chang, Integral Consulting, Inc.
TOS Vice Chair
Christopher Hayes, University of Southern Mississippi
AGU Early Career Rep
Nichole Price, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
ASLO Early Career Rep
Alice Marzocchi, National Oceanography Centre
TOS Early Career Rep
Hadley McIntosh, University of Maryland
AGU Student Rep
Ngozi Oguguah, Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research
ASLO Student Rep
Camille Pagniello, University of California, San Diego
TOS Student Rep
AI: Air-Sea Interactions
CT: Chemical Tracers, Organic Matter and Trace Elements
CP: Coastal and Estuarine Processes
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
Grace Chang
Integral Consulting
Nina Stark
Virginia Tech
Hadley McIntosh
University of Maryland
ED: Education, Outreach and Policy
University of Massachusetts
Ngozi Oguguah
Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research
HT: Higher Trophic Levels
University of California San Diego
Ngozi Oguguah
Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research
HE: High Latitude Environments
National Oceanography Centre
Hadley McIntosh
University of Maryland
Jim Edson
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
IS: Ocean Observatories, Instrumentation and Sensing Technologies
University of Massachusetts
Grace Chang
Integral Consulting
Camille Pagniello
University of California San Diego
ME: Marine Ecology and Biodiversity
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Camille Pagniello
University of California San Diego
Colleen Mouw
University of Rhode Island
MG: Marine Geology and Sedimentology
MM: Microbiology and Molecular Ecology
NC: Nutrient Cycling
OB: Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry
University of Rhode Island
Ann Bucklin
University of Connecticut
Kristen Buck
University of South Florida
Marjy Friedrichs
Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences
OC: Ocean Change: Acidification and Hypoxia
OD: Ocean Data Management
OM: Ocean Modeling
PC: Past, Present and Future Climate
University of Southern Mississippi
Alessandra Conversi
Consiglio Nazionale delle Richerche Istituto di Scienze Marine
Alice Marzocchi
National Oceanography Centre
PI: Physical-Biological Interactions
PL: Physical Oceanography: Mesoscale and Larger
PS: Physical Oceanography: Mesoscale and Smaller
SI: Social-Ocean Science Interactions and SDGs
Consiglio Nazionale delle Richerche Istituto di Scienze Marine
Ngozi Oguguah
Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research
Resources to promote your session
As a chair, please promote your session to your colleagues. We created some social graphics below for you to use to promote abstract submissions. Please use the title of your session in the body of your post with the hashtag #OSM20. To download the full-size version, click each graphic and then right click to save the image.
Twitter shareable:
Instagram shareable:
Session or tutorial talk proposals
Session Viewer
Proposals for 2020 sessions and tutorial talks are closed. Abstract submissions are now open.
See Submissions