UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE
College of Life Sciences
From: Mike Fergusson and Vicky Cowling Date: January 2014
To: CLS Personnel
Subject: College of Life Sciences Research Symposium
Friday 21 March - Sunday 23 March
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The annual College Research Symposium will be held at the Crieff Hydro Hotel from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd March 2014.
The Crieff Symposium provides an opportunity for researchers to get an overview of the research taking place across the college. The symposium promotes academic and social interactions between different groups and can frequently lead to fruitful scientific collaborations. It is important that participants attend every lecture.
Attendance Fee
Although considerable fundraising is undertaken to raise money for this symposium it is still necessary for us to have an attendance fee to cover all costs. There will be a highly subsidised charge of £200 for all postdocs, research assistants and 3rd and 4th year postgraduate students (assuming double occupancy, or £175 if you are happy to share a triple room) which group leaders would hopefully be able to pay from their own resources. The registration fee for 1st and 2nd year PhD students will be covered by funds from the College of Life Sciences.
Registration for all group leader/academic staff members, including all speakers, will be £330 if you wish a single room or £275 if you are happy to share a room (whether with another group leader or your spouse/partner). This covers overnight accommodation on March 21st and 22nd as well as all meals, transportation, and use of the hotel’s sports and leisure facilities.
We would like to encourage staff to bring their spouse/partner and children for the weekend. A charge will be made of £275 for adults and £50 for children aged 8 years and over for the weekend. Children under 8 years go free.
Registration
Everyone wishing to attend, including all speakers, first and second year PhD students, and accompanying family members, will need to register. Early registration is essential to avoid disappointment. There are over 650 potential delegates and only slightly more than 200 can be accommodated in the hotel lecture hall.
Symposium Venue
Registration will take place in the Ballroom and the talks will be held in the Drawing Room, which is just off the Reception. Tea and coffee will be served in the Ballroom. On Saturday, lunch and the poster session will be held in the Ferntower Suite from 1pm.
Crèche/Children’s Club
Children (aged between 2 and 12) staying in the hotel are invited to join the hotel’s ‘Big Country’ Children’s Club, which offers a wide range of activities for children to participate in. During the symposium weekend delegates may take advantage of one free 3-hour session on the day of arrival (Friday), one on the day of departure (Sunday) and 2 free sessions on the Saturday. Please note any childcare costs over and above these 4 sessions are not included in the registration fee and should be paid directly to the hotel. There is also a crèche available for children under the age of 2 years, at a cost of £15 per 90-minute session. If you are interested, contact the Children’s Club team directly to book space for your children.
Please remember to indicate the number and age of children attending the weekend on the Registration Form.
Poster Session and Short Talks
PhD students, postdocs and all CLS technology providers are invited to present posters. This event offers a good opportunity to participate in the meeting and to discuss research with other members of staff in the College.
Posters will be displayed on Saturday morning in the Ferntower Suite, to allow all delegates an opportunity to view them during lunch. For this year’s symposium posters will not be judged, however each person submitting a poster will have the opportunity to speak during one of the main sessions, with three 15-minute slots set aside for this purpose (12 min talk + 3min Q&A).
To register a poster please contact Alison Hart () with the title and author(s) of the poster, and if you wish to be considered for one of the speaking slots please also submit an abstract.
Please note that posters should be A0 in size and portrait orientation.
Dining and Entertainment
The Meikle Restaurant is a formal dining venue and for dinner everyone is required to ‘dress for dinner’, e.g. no denim or trainers allowed. Note that drinks with your meal must be paid for in cash in the restaurant. Dinner on Friday evening will be followed by the Benachally Ceilidh Band playing in the Ballroom. Saturday morning is free, at which time you can make full use of the hotel’s sports and leisure facilities.
Transport
Buses will leave the WTB at 7.45am on Friday 21st March and return to Dundee at the close of the meeting on the Sunday 23rd March.
For the Friday night Support Staff revellers, a bus will leave the WTB at 5pm on Friday 21st March and return to Dundee early Saturday morning after the Ceilidh.