FAQ

ICCB Frequently asked questions

The official language of the congress is English (abstract submission and presentation). The Steering Committee is reviewing options to make the congress more accessible for speakers of other regional languages, (particularly Spanish) but we cannot guarantee anything at this time. Some key information however will be made available in Spanish on the ICCB website and during the congress, and volunteers and part of the congress staff will be fluent in both languages.

Please note that if you decide to submit an abstract for the congress, you will be asked if English is your second language. This is to allow the reviewer provide you with some language guidance if necessary if your abstract is accepted.

Can I submit multiple abstracts?

To avoid scheduling conflicts, ICCB follows a “one poster, one talk” policy. This means that each attendee may present one poster and one talk at ICCB. Under no circumstances can attendees present more than one talk.

Can I present multiple abstracts at ICCB 2017?

You may only submit one abstract for Symposia, Workshops and Short Courses. This policy is strictly enforced. Do NOT submit an abstract for an oral, speed presentation or Knowledge Café unless your abstract for a Symposium, Workshop or Short Course abstracts is rejected by the Scientific Committee (decision to be made by 9 January 2017). All rejected Symposium, Workshop or Short Course abstracts may be resubmitted as a contributed talk, poster presentation or Knowledge Café.
Symposium and workshop organizers are free to present in their own sessions or may decide to limit their role to that of organizer only. In case of the latter option, a symposium organizer may present a talk in a workshop and a workshop organizer may present a talk in a symposium. This works because symposium and workshop sessions do not present scheduling conflicts within the scientific program.
You may only submit one abstract for Contributed Talks (oral and speed presentations) and Knowledge Cafés (new this year!), and one abstract for a poster presentation. Poster sessions are standalone sessions which do not conflict with other scheduled sessions.
You cannot submit more than one abstract per form, however, there is no limit to the number of proposals other presenters submit in which you can named as a co-author.
Anyone who submitted an abstract for a Symposium, Short Course or Workshop must wait for the Scientific Committee's decision before considering resubmitting (if rejected) the abstract for a Contributed Talk, Poster, or Knowledge Café so as not to violate the submission policy as described above.

May I present a talk if I’m leading a Workshop, Short Course or Knowledge Café?

Short Courses leaders may present an abstract during the congress as those sessions are scheduled prior to the beginning of the main program. Workshops, Symposia and Knowledge Cafés organizers cannot present another talk (unless their original abstract was rejected). They can however present one poster abstract as those are standalone sessions which do not conflict with other scheduled sessions.

When do I need to register if I want to submit an abstract?

As presenter of ICCB 2017, in the event that your abstract is accepted, you must register by the Early Bird registration deadline to guarantee your presentation will be scheduled. Registration is set to open sometimes in February 2017. If you might miss the deadline due to pending decision on funding, please email us as soon as possible to discuss an alternative.

What should I do if I am unable to attend the conference to present my accepted abstract?

You may identify a co-author or colleague who will be attending the conference and present in your name as long as he/she is not a presenter for ICCB 2017. This is to avoid scheduling conflicts. We hope however that you will be able to present at ICCB 2017 if your abstract is accepted, otherwise, please contact the Scientific Committee at iccbprogram@conbio.org as soon as possible.

Planning your trip

Where can I find more information about the registration fee?

The Conference Steering Committee is currently working on designing the registration fee structure for ICCB 2017. More information should be available soon and registration is set to open sometimes in February 2017.

If you require an estimated fee for a grant proposal, please email us at iccbinfo@conbio.org.

If you are not a member of the Society, we would encourage you to become a member prior to registering for the conference to access discounted member registration fees. SCB membership provides with various member's benefits beyond discounted registration including eligibility to congress travel grants, access to SCB journals (Conservation Biology, and Conservation Letters), and discounted submission fee at Conservation Letters.

Will SCB offer travel grants for participants to come to Cartagena?

SCB strives to provide a number of travel grants to its members at every international congress. More information about ICCB Travel Awards submission and selection can be found here (deadline for submission 24 February 2017). The number of grants distributed and level of support will vary pending on funding available. We would encourage you to also look for external support to increase your chance of receiving sufficient funding to attend the congress.

Will there be discounted accommodation available for booking through ICCB website?

SCB is not able to secure a block of discounted rooms in Cartagena, Colombia. However, the city has many hotel options for every budget (including bed & breakfast and backpacker hostels) as well as many Airbnb options. Please note that Cartagena is an attractive tourist destination which tends to get busy around July and August. We would encourage you to book your accommodation as early as possible to maximize your chance of securing a room at the best price. Sharing accommodation with other participants can also help reduce the cost of an accommodation. More information regarding accommodation and hotel booking will be available on the website closer to the conference.

Will there be a childcare service available?

SCB Executive Office is looking into providing a childcare service onsite, at the congress. Similarly, we are negotiating with the venue to have a quiet room dedicated to participants who require to breastfeed and/or pump. More information will be available on the website closer to the conference.

Will there be volunteer opportunities at the conference?

You will have the opportunity to express your interest in volunteering onsite during the registration process (to open in February 2017). At every ICCB, the Society selects a number of participants (students and developing country) to help us onsite. If you are selected and give us 8 hours of your time (1 to 2 hours at a time over the duration of the congress), the Society will refund 50% of your registration fee.

Health and Safety

Is Colombia safe to travel?

The U.S. State Department issued a travel warning in June 2015 including the following statement: “Security in Colombia has improved significantly in recent years, including in tourist and business travel destinations such as Bogotá, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Medellin, and Cali.

Cartagena is no more unsafe than any other last U.S. or Europe cities and this is particularly true within the walls and the area of Bocagrande. Travelling by taxi is generally considered safe. Do know your exchange rate and ask for price and what is included for tours and other services to avoid any misunderstanding. Of course, we would encourage you to use common sense when wandering the lovely streets of the Walled City (e.g. do not wear your badge outside of the congress, be careful with your cameras and keep your belongings with you at all time).

Is the tap water drinkable in Cartagena?

Tap water in the major Colombian cities (i.e. Cartagena, Bogota, Medellin and Cali) is safe to drink although it's heavily chlorinated in the cities.

Is Zika an issue in Cartagena and Colombia?

According to the CDC, public health officials have reported that mosquitoes in Colombia are infected with Zika virus. As the virus is primarily spread by mosquitoes, the CDC recommends travelers to protect themselves from mosquito bites. Only one in four people infected will actually experience flu-like symptoms ranging from headache, skin rash and joint pain to mild fever and conjunctivitis. Most people do not realize they have been infected and will not get sick.

The real risk seems to be for pregnant women or couples trying to get pregnant in months following a possible infection. Our policy (aligned with the CDC) is to advise pregnant women (see also) to refrain from traveling to Cartagena. Similarly, we advise couples trying to become pregnant to talk to their doctor because Zika can also be sexually transmitted. The CDC also confirms that: "Zika virus infection in a woman who is not pregnant would not pose a risk for birth defects in future pregnancies after the virus has cleared from her blood. From what we know, once a person has been infected with Zika virus, he or she is likely to be protected from a future Zika infection."

See the CDC fact sheets below for more information:

Zika: The Basics of The Virus and How to Protect Against It / Zika: Información Básica Sobre el Virus y Cómo Protegerse

Pregnant? Read this before you travel / ¿Está Embarazada? Lea Esto Antes de Viajar

Thinking About Having a Baby? Warning / ¿Está Pensando en Tener un Bebé? Advertencia

How to Protect Yourself from Getting Zika from Sex / Cómo Protegerse de Contraer el Zika por Vía Sexual

LGBT Community: How to Protect Yourselves from Zika / Comunidad LGBT: Cómo Protegerse del Zika

When to Test for Zika Virus / Cuándo Hacer las Pruebas del Virus del Zika

Is there any other Health Information for Travelers to Colombia I should know about?

We advise our participants to check the CDC list of necessary and suggested vaccines and medicines and visit your doctor before your trip (ideally, 4-6 weeks) to get the vaccines or medicines you may need.

All travelers should be up to date on their routine vaccinations before traveling to any destinations. Most travelers should get travel vaccines for Hepatitis A and Typhoid before traveling to Colombia. Some travelers may ask to their doctors about Hepatitis B, Malaria, rabies and yellow fever (recommendations per region of Colombia). Please note that according to the CDC, Malaria is absent of Cartagena and yellow fever is generally not recommended for travelers to the cities of Cartagena. Please consult your doctor if you are planning to travel to other region during your visit to Colombia.

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ICCB Frequently asked questions

Program

Planning your trip

Health and Safety

Program

Planning your trip

Health and Safety