Meetings & Courses Program

Crossroads of Biology

MEETINGS POLICIES

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) invites participation in our meetings from all eligible applicants irrespective of gender, race/ethnicity, disability status, religion, or nationality. By registering for a CSHL meeting, all participants agree to abide by the policies described below as well as all applicable federal, state and local laws.


Data Privacy
Confidentiality & Reporting at CSHL Meetings
Conflict of Interest Disclosures
Diversity & Inclusion
Code of Conduct & Alcohol Use
CSHL Beach Use Policy
Photograph Release Waiver & Attribution Policy



DATA PRIVACY 

The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Meetings & Courses Program is committed to protecting all personal data submitted to us by meetings participants, in compliance with U.S. and international laws.

The types of personal information we collect depend on your intended activity at CSHL. At minimum, we collect your name, primary address, phone number, email address, and professional details such as career stage, laboratory head, etc. We also ask that you specify gender and any dietary requests on registration forms, as CSHL arranges housing and food accommodations for 90% of its meetings participants. For poster and oral presenters, we additionally request the submission of one-page abstracts used to develop the meeting programs. Abstract submission requires limited personal information for all abstract authors, not just the presenting author. For U.S. citizens and residents, we also request demographic information such as race and ethnicity on a voluntary basis, which is used for U.S. federal reporting purposes.

The CSHL Meetings & Courses Program is the sole repository of all information collected through our website. We do not sell, rent or share personal information with other organizations. Anonymized data aggregated from meeting registration and abstract submission forms are used in federal grant applications and grant reports. Payment information provided during registration is processed through standard encryption protocols by a third-party provider (Authorize.net) and is not stored at CSHL.

The Meetings & Courses Program utilizes personal information provided by you to organize and manage the CSHL event(s) you attend. Based on your participation history with CSHL, we will alert you to highly related activities and events offered by us in the future. Any such correspondence will include the option to permanently opt out of future announcements and notifications.

If you think we are not abiding by this Data Privacy policy, please contact us via email or postal mail at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Meetings & Courses Program, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor NY 11724.



CONFIDENTIALITY & REPORTING AT CSHL MEETINGS

All abstracts, oral presentations, and posters at CSHL meetings are the responsibility of the presenting author(s). Publication of an abstract, talk, or poster does not imply endorsement of the research by CSHL.

Confidentiality & Use of Information
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) meetings attract scientists for intensive discussions of the latest discoveries in a broad range of biological and biomedical research areas. CSHL encourages the presentation of unpublished data at all meetings. Therefore, material presented at CSHL meetings — including abstracts, oral presentations, and posters — must be treated as confidential personal communication and cited only with full consent of the presenting author(s). Photos and audio/video recordings of oral presentations or individual posters are strictly prohibited, except with advance permission of the presenter(s), organizers, and CSHL.

Reporting
Journalists, science writers, and scientific editors are encouraged to attend CSHL meetings because they provide unparalleled opportunities for reporting on and keeping current with a wide variety of topics. Anyone intending to report on research presented at a CSHL meeting must obtain permission from the presenting author(s) before communicating results or relevant discussion to news media platforms, third party groups, message boards, blogs, or other online resources.

Reporters should approach scientists out-of-session (e.g., during coffee breaks, poster sessions, or wine and cheese receptions) for informal discussions, formal interviews, and/or to obtain permission to report on their work. Please be sure to identify yourself as a member of the media and distinguish whether comments will be on- or off-record. Any quotes or citations must have the express consent of the scientist and/or principal investigator of the research project. CSHL reserves the right to take appropriate action in the event that this policy is abused.

CSHL will waive registration fees for scientific writers and journal editors who 1) plan to file meeting reports and/or 2) are researching background information for future books or articles. Editors who wish to attend a meeting for other purposes (e.g., to network with potential manuscript authors) will be responsible for regular academic registration fees. Journalists and reporters from other media outlets should contact the conference coordinator directly for registration rates.

Social Media
In the spirit of open scientific communication, CSHL supports the use of social media during meetings. However, we do so while simultaneously supporting an individual presenter’s preference to not allow his/her talk, poster, or unpublished results to be broadcast via social media. You must therefore obtain permission from an individual presenter before discussing his/her research via social media. (Note that some meetings have systems for obtaining permission en masse.) If you plan to use social media during a CSHL meeting, please use the designated hashtag and adhere to the official guidelines that are sent via email prior to the start of the meeting. If there is confusion about the role of social media at a meeting you attend, please ask the organizers, session chairs, or a Meetings & Courses staff member.

Advance Information
Full programs and abstracts are distributed electronically to registered participants approximately three business days prior to the start of a meeting, and printed copies are available upon arrival at CSHL. To encourage participants to stay at CSHL for the duration of a meeting and thus maximize scientific interactions, CSHL does not circulate program information far in advance. We ask that registered participants do not share the program or session schedules ahead of time on social media, as this encourages unregistered visitors at the meeting’s talks and sessions.

Attribution
The quality, timeliness, and impact of CSHL meetings result in part from a great deal of thought and effort that go into selecting discussion topics, organizers, and speakers for each meeting. As a means of recognizing this effort, we would be grateful if all reports explicitly mention Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory as well as the name of the meeting that is being reported.



CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURES

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) requires all presenters at our scientific meetings to clearly disclose any financial holdings, funding sources, or affiliations that may raise questions of bias or could be perceived to have potentially influenced presentation content. All presenters should make a good faith effort to identify and disclose any and all conflict of interest (COI) issues. Speakers should acknowledge any and all potential COIs on an introductory slide at the start of their talk. Poster presenters should clearly list any and all potential COIs on their poster(s).



DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s Meetings & Courses Program is strongly committed to diversity in the recruitment, selection, and invitation of participants for all our meetings and courses. Due consideration is given by all conference organizers and course faculty to the inclusion of qualified individuals from groups underrepresented in the sciences, including women, scientists from developing countries, and U.S. scientists from racial and ethnic populations underrepresented in the sciences (Black/African-American, Latino/Hispanic, Native American/American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander).

Women in Science
Numerous reports have shown that the representation of women in scientific disciplines decreases in advanced academic ranks, with the highest representation of women at the postdoctoral level and the lowest at the full-professor level (see, e.g., the 2006 National Academies report). Therefore, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's Meetings & Courses' Diversity Policy aims to increase the percentage of female scientists who play leadership roles as organizers, instructors, and invited speakers in all our conferences, courses, and workshops, irrespective of field. Wherever possible, organizers and instructors are encouraged to strive for parity in terms of invitations to session chairs, discussion leaders, and invited speakers.

Scientists from Developing Countries
The Laboratory's Meeting and Courses Program encourages attendance and active participation by scientists from the developing world. In recognition of the fact that the associated costs of attendance at our meetings and courses (i.e., travel, registration/tuition, housing, and food) are a challenge for scientists from developing countries, the Laboratory actively seeks partnerships with funding organizations. For example, the International Brain Research Organization through the auspices of the Society for Neuroscience provides full scholarships for a small number of selected students from the developing world to attend certain neuroscience courses at the Laboratory.

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents from Under-Represented Minority Groups
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory strongly believes that effective recruitment and retention of individuals from under-represented minority groups require a commitment to create an inclusive environment at all levels of its research and educational components. The Laboratory has thus adopted innovative ways of promoting minority representation in the biological sciences, including:

  1. K-12 educational programs offered by the Dolan DNA Learning Center

  2. The Partners for the Future program, which offers local high school students research opportunities at the Laboratory

  3. The summer Undergraduate Research Program

  4. CSHL School of Biological Sciences graduate program

  5. The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory/Stony Brook shared graduate program
We feel the efforts of the different programs help engender an atmosphere that is inclusive of diversity. In addition, they serve to provide diverse role models at every educational level, which are important influences in attracting young students to the sciences and in particular, to the Laboratory.

Individuals with Disabilities
Scientists with disabilities are welcome and encouraged to participate in Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory meetings and courses. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory strives to ensure that the campus and its facilities are meaningfully accessible to individuals with disabilities and aims to provide persons with disabilities equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from our educational programs.

Please contact the Meetings & Courses Program office by email at meetings@cshl.edu for accessibility information and additional information regarding special services. For example, we have preferred housing for persons with disabilities or limited mobility, complimentary registration for assistants or companions of limited-mobility participants, and specialized transportation services.

Next-Generation Scientists
Our Professor for a Day program aims to introduce gifted high school students to contemporary science in a real world setting. The students attend talks and a poster session for a day during one of the many scientific meetings hosted by the Laboratory. In doing so, they see what science involves outside laboratory experiments, in particular how scientists communicate their work and subject it to peer review. The students thus learn that working at the bench is only one aspect of being a good scientist, and that communication and discussion are also vital.

The Laboratory welcomes feedback and suggestions on how to further improve our efforts for effectively recruiting individuals from diverse populations and encouraging their participation in our educational programs. Please email any comments or suggestions to Dr. David J. Stewart, Executive Director, Meetings & Courses Program.



CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS IN CSHL MEETINGS

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is dedicated to pursuing its twin missions of research and education in the biological sciences. The Laboratory is committed to fostering a working environment that encourages and supports unfettered scientific inquiry and the free and open exchange of ideas that are the hallmarks of academic freedom. To this end, the Laboratory aims to maintain a safe and respectful environment that is free from harassment and discrimination for all attendees of our meetings and courses as well as associated support staff, in accordance with federal, state and local laws.

Consistent with the Laboratory's missions, commitments and policies, the purpose of this Code is to set forth expectations for the professional conduct of all individuals participating in the Laboratory's meetings program, both in person and virtually, including organizers, session chairs, invited speakers, presenters, attendees and sponsors. This Code is consistent with the Laboratory’s internal policies governing conduct by its own faculty, trainees, students and employees.

By registering for and attending a CSHL meeting, either in person or virtually, participants agree to:

  1. Treat fellow meeting participants and CSHL staff with respect, civility and fairness, without bias based on sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, color, religion, nationality or national origin, citizenship status, disability status, veteran status, marital or partnership status, age, genetic information, or any other criteria prohibited under applicable federal, state or local law.

  2. Use all CSHL facilities, equipment, computers, supplies and resources responsibly and appropriately if attending in person, as you would at your home institution.

  3. Abide by the CSHL Meeting Alcohol Policy if attending in person (see below).

Similarly, meeting participants agree to refrain from:

  1. Harassment and discrimination, either in person or online, in violation of Laboratory policy based on sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, color, religion, nationality or national origin, citizenship status, disability status, veteran status, marital or partnership status, age, genetic information, or any other criteria prohibited under applicable federal, state or local law.

  2. Sexual harassment or misconduct.

  3. Disrespectful, uncivil and/or unprofessional interpersonal behavior, either in person or online, that interferes with the working and learning environment.

  4. Misappropriation of Laboratory property or excessive personal use of resources, if attending in person.

Breaches or Violations of the Code of Conduct
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory aims to maintain in-person and virtual conference environments that accord with the principles and expectations outlined in this Code of Conduct. Meeting organizers are tasked with providing leadership during each meeting, and may be approached informally about any breach or violation. Breaches or violations should also be reported to program leadership in person or by email:

  • Dr. David Stewart, Grace Auditorium Room 204, 516-367-8801 or x8801 from a campus phone, stewart@cshl.edu
  • Dr. Charla Lambert, Hershey Laboratory Room 214, 516-367-5058 or x5058 from a campus phone, clambert@cshl.edu

Reports can be submitted by those who experience harassment or discrimination as well as by those who witness violations of the behavior laid out in this Code. Reports may also be submitted online via this form. The Laboratory will take action as needed to resolve the matter, up to and including immediate expulsion of the offending participant(s) from the meeting, dismissal from the Laboratory, and exclusion from future academic events offered by CSHL.

If you have questions or concerns, you can contact the meeting organizers, CSHL staff, and/or the Health & Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR), since many CSHL meetings and courses are funded by NIH grants. See this page for information on filing a civil rights complaint with the OCR; filing a complaint with CSHL is not required before filing a complaint with OCR, and seeking assistance from CSHL in no way prohibits filing complaints with OCR. You can also notify NIH directly about sexual harassment, discrimination, and other forms of inappropriate conduct at NIH-supported events via this page.

Definitions and Examples

Uncivil/disrespectful behavior is not limited to but may take the following forms: Shouting, personal attacks or insults, throwing objects, and sustained disruption of talks or other meeting-related events.

Harassment/discrimination is not limited to but may take the following forms:

  • Threatening, stalking, bullying, demeaning, coercive, or hostile acts that may have real or implied threats of physical, professional, or financial harm.
  • Signs, graphics, photographs, videos, gestures, jokes, pranks, epithets, slurs, or stereotypes that comment on a person’s sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, color, religion, nationality or national origin, citizenship status, disability status, veteran status, marital or partnership status, age, genetic information, or physical appearance.

Sexual misconduct is not limited to but may take the following forms:

  • Unwelcome and uninvited attention, physical contact, or inappropriate touching.
  • Groping or sexual assault.
  • Use of sexual imagery, objects, gestures, or jokes in public spaces or presentations.
  • Any other verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature when such conduct creates a hostile environment, prevents an individual from fulfilling their professional responsibilities at the meeting, or is made a condition of employment or compensation either implicitly or explicitly.

Meeting Alcohol Policy

  1. Consumption of alcoholic beverages is not permitted in CSHL's public areas other than at designated social events (wine and cheese reception, picnic, banquet, etc.), in the Blackford Bar, or under the supervision of a licensed CSHL bartender.

  2. No provision of alcohol by meeting sponsors is permitted unless arranged through CSHL.

  3. Meeting participants consuming alcohol are expected to drink only in moderation at all times during the meeting.

  4. Excessive promotion of a drinking culture at any meeting is not acceptable or tolerated by the Laboratory. No meeting participant should feel pressured or obliged to consume alcohol at any meeting-related event or activity.



CSHL BEACH USE POLICY

  1. Use of the beach is restricted to CSHL staff and guests. Groups of 10 or more must have approval from CSHL Security (x8870 from a campus phone).

  2. Beach and picnic area are closed from midnight to 6 a.m.

  3. Open fires are prohibited by New York State law.

  4. Contact CSHL Security for use of kayaks and sailboats (x8870 from a campus phone).

  5. Swim at your own risk.



PHOTOGRAPH RELEASE WAIVER & ATTRIBUTION POLICY

By participating in a Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory meeting, you grant CSHL and its photographer(s) the freedom to photograph you while on CSHL property during the meeting, and to use those photos in CSHL publications, websites, social media accounts, and/or other materials.

Personal use of CSHL photographs, obtained through official CSHL meeting galleries or social media accounts, is allowed with proper attribution. Commercial use or repurposing of CSHL photographs and media is not allowed without permission; inquire via email.