The Catskill Environmental Research & Monitoring (CERM) committee invites researchers to submit abstracts for presentation at the 2021 CERM Conference in Big Indian, NY. This meeting is the sixth in a biennial series of CERM conferences, and will feature a wide range of talks, posters, field trips and networking opportunities with researchers and natural resource managers working in the Catskills and similar landscapes.

The theme this year is ‘What could the Catskills look like in 50 years?’ While we encourage presentations on this theme, we welcome abstracts on any aspect of environmental research and monitoring in the Catskill region, or research from other areas that is relevant to the Catskills.  We encourage presentations that review the state of knowledge in a particular area of specialization, identify areas where research or monitoring is lacking, or discuss new research methods that could be applied to the Catskills.

Abstracts will be peer reviewed. Acceptance is based on content, available space, and overall program balance. Oral and poster presentations take place in Fall 2021 (exact dates to be determined).

Deadlines

The submission deadline is September 10, 2021. Submit abstracts via email to vianm@dep.nyc.gov, with the subject line “CERM Abstract”. The abstract should be included as a Word or pdf attachment to the email and should include the information listed below.  Authors will receive an email confirming the receipt of their submission. Notification of acceptance will be emailed to authors by September 22.

Early decision.  For agency staff or others that require early notification to obtain travel authorization, we will provide an early decision on abstract acceptance.  Authors who submit abstracts by May 15, 2021 will be notified by June 1 whether the abstract is accepted for presentation at the Conference.

Guidelines

When submitting abstracts, include the following:

• Abstract title
• Authors and institution affiliations
• Principal contact address, phone number and email
• Abstract (Enter the full text of your abstract. Abstracts are limited to a maximum of 500 words, excluding citations.)
• Indicate poster or oral presentation preference
• For students, indicate if financial assistance is needed to attend the conference. A limited number of scholarships are available.

Presentations                                                                                                   

Oral Presentation

Authors will be selected to give a 15-20 minute oral presentation about their research.

Poster Presentation

Authors of accepted abstracts are expected to present a poster (if not giving an oral presentation). Poster presentations will be on display on Day One and if possible Day Two. At least one author is expected to attend a poster session and mixer at 5:00 p.m. on Day One. When preparing your poster, please keep the dimensions to approximately 36 inches by 48 inches and size the text so it can be read from several yards away (approximately 24-36 point font for the body text). Use images, charts, figures and bulleted lists when possible. 

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