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Call for Workshops Now Open!

Proposal Submission Deadline: May 31, 2025 (end of day, anywhere on earth)
Notification of acceptance: June 30, 2025
Workshop dates: Nov. 9-11, 2025
Location: Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina

Overview

We solicit proposals for workshops that will be held during the Society for Glycobiology Annual meeting in San Diego, CA.

We welcome proposals on emerging topics that are anticipated not to be fully explored in the main meeting. The purpose of workshops is to provide a comprehensive forum and encourage in-depth discussion of various technical, application, and community issues in our research field. Workshop registration and venue will be handled as part of the main meeting.

Since both space and time are limited, we expect the selection process to be competitive. The program committee (PC) will evaluate the submissions on the basis of several criteria, among which are the topic coverage and relevance, the proposers’ credentials, the organizing team and speakers, as well as the interested audience. Proposers may be asked to provide additional information, modify part of the proposals, reduce to a half session, or combine with another workshop.

Submission guidelines

Proposals should be in PDF format and limited to 5 pages (excluding references) using the attached template. Submit your proposal today »

Please include:
● Workshop title.
● Primary contact name and email.
● Relevant keywords summarizing workshop topic.
● Workshop duration (one or two hours)
● Anticipated audience size
● Any special space or equipment requests.

In the proposal, please elucidate:

● Topics that will be covered, audience, and relevance to the glycoscience community.
● All proposers’ names, titles, and affiliations.
● Experience that makes the proposers well suited for organizing the workshop.
● Names and bios of any tentative/confirmed invited speakers. Please list only speakers that have confirmed or tentatively confirmed their attendance, For each speaker, (a) please indicate if confirmation is tentative or final, (b) provide a link to their homepage, and (c) explain their
relevance to the workshop. We recommend finding invited speakers who will not give the same talk at multiple workshops; otherwise, the workshops may be asked to merge.
● Rough program schedule (e.g., # hours, estimated numbers of talks). Include details of any special logistics.

Advertisement, budget & registration

Workshop organizers are responsible for the scientific organization and advertising of the event and the definition of the workshop program. SFG will provide and pay for meeting rooms and A/V equipment. All other activities with budget implications are the responsibility of workshop organizers.

 

SFG Supports the Funding of Science

March 1, 2025

Executive orders, promulgated by the Trump administration during its first days and weeks in office, endanger the health, welfare, and general prospects for the pursuit of happiness of all the world’s people.  Several of these orders directly target the lifeblood of the basic science and biomedical research enterprise of the United States, which feeds world-wide collaborations that have placed humans on the moon, protected us from the worst plagues, lessened the mortality of cancers, brought us to the brink of tapping limitless energy sources, lifted the fog and pain of mental illnesses, revealed deep secrets of the cosmos, enhanced childhood survival, fed millions through agricultural advances, and achieved many other large and small victories that have undeniably improved life on earth. 

The scientific enterprises of the United States have grown over the last century into robust, self-correcting, and efficient engines of ingenuity and societal transformation.  A major tenet of these enterprises is a deep commitment to peer-review, the process by which scientists of many types bring their expertise and honest intentions to bear for the purpose of identifying the most promising and impactful science.  In turn, the scientific community has relied on generations of dedicated scientists and administrators working within government agencies to translate the wisdom of the peer review process into resources that foster the growth of productive and promising avenues of research.  

As funded projects have generated novel findings, new opportunities for commercialization in the technology, therapeutic, and other business sectors have emerged, yielding immense wealth and worldwide advances in health and well-being. For many patients with life-threatening diseases, participation in clinical trials, driven by new scientific discoveries, is not just an option but often a last hope for survival. The ongoing cessation of clinical trials has devastating consequences, cutting off access to potential life-saving treatments and halting critical research progress.

This contract between science and society has been arbitrarily and capriciously violated by the current administration.  The administration’s attempts to slow or block the release of approved funds, to decrease institutional support for essential infrastructure, and to interfere with peer review processes are unacceptable.  Like any high performing organizational structure that suffers disruption for chaotic reasons, the administration’s actions risk permanent damage to future generations of citizens and citizen scientists unless current executive orders are reversed. 

The Society for Glycobiology (SFG) fosters the growth and represents the interests of basic, biomedical, chemical, computational, and analytic scientists working to understand the function and structure of glycoconjugates, which influence almost all aspects of normal cell and tissue function in all organisms on earth and contribute to the pathophysiology of many chronic and acute human diseases.  Because glycoscience touches such a broad range of disciplines, glycobiologists that study these processes are especially appreciative of support from the NIH and NSF and wish to stand in solidarity with those who would protect these vital public agencies. 

The leadership of the SFG, representing our broad membership, are disheartened to witness the displacement of valuable science and support staff from our premier federal agencies, and we mourn the predictable impact that these moves will have on the future of our shared missions. We urge our members, as well as our colleagues in other domains of biological, biomedical, chemical, and related research endeavors to speak out by contacting their elected representatives, correcting misconceptions when opportunities arise, and respectfully engaging in discourse with anyone who will listen.  While it is true that we get the government we elect, we can also reasonably expect that elected officials will be open to learning of the historic successes of federally funded research in the United States and the impact that it has had on every corner of our society, independent of prevailing political persuasions. 

 

 

 

 

 

GlycoForum-Education, a new section in Glycobiology

 

Dear Glycobiologists and Friends,

I am excited to inform you about a recent addition to the Glycobiology journal-GlycoForum-Education.  This newly established section is designed to foster collaboration among glycobiologists and to encourage the sharing of innovative teaching approaches and materials.  The primary aim is to enhance the teaching of glycobiology by facilitating the exchange of expertise and resources, both within our field and beyond.

GlycoForum-Education Section: The GlycoForum-Education section of the journal serves as a dedicated platform for manuscripts that describe novel approaches or materials for teaching subjects related to glycobiology. The emphasis is on presenting these contributions in a concise format, with a maximum length of 4000 words. Authors are requested to adhere to the manuscript preparation guidelines outlined in the journal’s Instructions to Authors.

Supplementary Materials: In an effort to enrich the collaborative nature of this initiative, authors are encouraged to include 2-3 PowerPoint slides in the Supplementary Materials section of their manuscripts, when appropriate. These slides are intended for use by others in the teaching community.

Call for Contributions: The success of GlycoForum-Education depends on the active participation of our community members. Therefore, we extend an invitation to all glycobiologists to contribute to this section by sharing their unique teaching approaches, materials, or insights. Your contributions will undoubtedly contribute to the growth and development of glycobiology education.

We look forward to seeing this section thrive with you valuable contributions. Thank you for considering being a contributor to GlycoForum-Education and for your ongoing commitment to advancing glycobiology education.

Best regards, 

Karen Colley
Editor-in-Chief, Glycobiology