SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES NOW AVAILABLE

Sponsorship package is available for preview here . Please contact the sponsorship committee here to sponsor the Conference or for more information.

CALL FOR PAPERS - Abstracts due June 30, 2019

The theme for the 2019 Alberta Society of Professional Biologists’ (ASPB) conference, “Connecting Biologists to their Resources” will explore a variety of resources accessible to biologists. The content of the conference will support the practicing professional through presentations and workshops focused on (but not limited to) the following areas:

• Technology, Tools, and Training: Advances or changes in the resources we use to conduct our work, including updated equipment (e.g., different acoustic recorders), updated models (e.g., comparison of available fatality estimators) and recommended training/courses biologists could acquire to obtain/maintain/improve Professional status.
• Our Indigenous Partners: Experiences working with Indigenous communities and incorporating traditional indigenous knowledge into Impact Assessments; Bills C-68 and C-69; determining what qualifies as proper consultation; review of issues that have been happening with pipeline projects (e.g.,TransMountain)  
• Adjusting to a Changing Climate: Situations that are changing the environment (e.g., forest fires, flood events) and impact our relationship with the environment, which have the potential to alter or have already altered how we do our work.  
• Government Update: Overview of the provincial One Stop System for Approvals and Code of Practice (COP) notifications; updates to the project submission process for renewable projects in Alberta; updated/amended federal Acts and their implications to current work processes (e.g., proposed amendments to the Fisheries Act, updated Fisheries and Oceans Canada guidance for Projects near water, Carbon Tax programs, changes to the Pan Canadian Framework; updates to the Master Schedule of Standards and Conditions for Crown land); decontamination protocols for whirling disease).  

The 2019 Conference Committee welcomes presentation abstract submissions from a diverse range of interested applicants. Target audiences include representatives from government, Indigenous communities, industry, consulting, environmental advocacy groups, and academia.

Authors and presenters may hail from a range of sectors and disciplines intersecting or supporting the practice of biology. The Committee will assess abstracts according to their relevance to the Conference theme. Acceptance will be based on the originality of the work, development of the conference topic, relevance to practice of biology, and overall submission quality. Based on submission of topics, a panel discussion may be a great forum to further explore complementary discussion topics.

An abstract must follow the format outlined below and be submitted electronically to info@aspb.ab.ca for review. Please reference ‘ASPB 2019 Conference Abstract Submission’ in the subject line. Within the abstract, please explain how the proposed presentation will complement the conference topic. If you do not receive email confirmation that your submission was received within 5 business days, please contact the ASPB directly at (403) 264-1273. Please note that the cost of preparing the proposal and attending the conference will be at the applicant’s expense (conference registration will be discounted).

Abstract Format: