Virtual conferences and PeerJ Awards — science goes on!

Rigorous science continues and we are pleased to continue recognizing it within the PeerJ Awards program.

We are cheering on all efforts by authors and researchers during these challenging times. Many conferences are of course postponed or waiting to see what the coming months bring.

However, virtual conferences are starting to happen here and there. We commend these efforts and look to these early digital events to see how virtual conferences can take shape, what they can offer their scientific communities, and how the experience of sharing science continues online.

First up, and in its second digital year, PeerJ is pleased to provide the Best Contribution Award by an early career researcher at the 2nd Virtual Palaeontological Congress May 1 – 15, 2020.

May 1 – 15
2nd Virtual Palaeontological Congress
ONLINE – Virtual Congress

This virtual congress combines the benefits of traditional meetings (i.e., providing a forum for discussion, including guest lectures or the production of an abstract book among other things) with the advantages of online platforms, which allow reaching a higher number of researchers around the world. Its inaugural meeting was held in 2018.

At this second meeting, authors will have two possibilities for presenting their works at the congress: slide presentations and video presentations. Slides and videos will be displayed directly on the website during the whole timespan of the congress (between May 1st and 15th). The platform will be accessible 24 hours a day during this time. Participants will be able to ask questions and make comments in different discussion chats. The platform used for presentation slides and videos will be Slideshare.

According to the congress site, its purpose is to spread worldwide the most recent scientific advances in Palaeontology in a fast, easy, and economical way. The online initiative aims to give international projection to the palaeontological research carried out by groups with limited economic resources and promote the participation of palaeontologists from developing countries.

The PeerJ Award includes a free publication (upon submission and acceptance) in one of our seven open access, peer-reviewed journals. The award winner will also be featured on our blog with an interview about their research.

Catch up on open access PeerJ – the Journal of Life and Environmental Sciences research in Palaeontology and Evolutionary Science or by subject area.

See interviews and the listing of 2019 PeerJ Award winners on the PeerJ blog here!

If you are organizing a conference or workshop (either physical or virtual!) and would like to offer a PeerJ Award at your event, do get in touch – info@peerj.com.