Symposia Submission Criteria for Entomology 2026

Submissions should align with the meeting theme, Connect Your Science, Expand Your Net. The Program Committee especially encourages proposals that foster innovative dialogue, highlight pressing challenges to the future of entomology, and explore opportunities to address those challenges through new ideas, techniques, technologies, and collaborations—both within the entomology community and across other disciplines.

We are particularly interested in symposia that emphasize the cross-disciplinary and collaborative nature of modern insect science and that move beyond traditional formats. Organizers are encouraged to design sessions that extend engagement beyond the Annual Meeting itself. Possible avenues include co-authoring journal articles, developing future meetings or collaborations, preparing grant proposals, hosting webinars, or producing white papers.

We are also interested in symposia that aim to reinforce the need to have the strongest ESA community for the future such that our Society and insect science is strong for the future.  Symposia that aim to build understanding on how to give back to ESA are desired, highlighting how and the process to actively participate, recognizing that each one of us has something to give back, larger or small relative to time, energy and intellect.

Strong symposium proposals will also demonstrate inclusivity and diversity, including representation across entomological subfields, speaker geography, career paths (research, education, industry, extension, government, etc.), career stages (undergraduate, graduate, early-career, mid-career, established), and demographic backgrounds. 

Please note that the Program Symposium selection process is highly competitive, as the number of submissions exceeds available slots each year. Organizers are encouraged to be creative, collaborative, and forward-focused, and to provide a comprehensive proposal that clearly connects to the meeting theme. A well-considered speaker lineup—with as many confirmed speakers as possible—will further strengthen your proposal and increase the likelihood of its acceptance.

If you would like feedback on your idea prior to submission, please contact the Program Committee.

The Formal and Informal Teaching (FIT) Pilot Section seeks symposia submissions that showcase best practices in outreach and education, present research on these practices, and/or provide professional development and learning opportunities to students, early career professionals, and members exploring these fields. To prevent overlap of similarly themed symposia, we require that all potential symposium organizers contact Wyatt Hoback and Carly Tribull with a title and brief explanation (3-5 sentences) of their symposium idea by January 29, 2026.

This will give us ample opportunity to a) connect organizers who submit similar symposia and b) utilize our newsletter and social media to help symposia organizers find a diverse array of speakers and break the "inviting the same people over and over again" bubble. High-quality submissions not selected as Section Symposia may be recommended as Member Symposia.

The following are highly encouraged in submissions:

• Incorporating the 2026 ESA meeting’s theme, Connect Your Science, Expand Your Net. For FIT Section Symposia, symposia should seek to connect FIT-focused entomologists with a variety of stakeholders in a broader community - K-12 teachers, youth engagement groups, local politicians, professors and college student groups outside of entomology, conservation and biodiversity non-profits, etc. The theme has a focus on building connections outside of our bubble, and we believe FIT members are in a unique position to accomplish this task! 
• Symposia are solution-driven - they pose a question, like "How can we engage K-12 students in entomology through non-entomologist (ex: teacher) involvement?" OR "How can entomologists teaching undergraduates incorporate AI use in the classroom?" 
• Encourage audience participation through panels, breakout groups, associated poster sessions, and other creative mechanisms -  we are interested in seeing symposia that incorporate workshops and post-symposium products (proceedings, research studies, and networks/working groups).

To be selected as a MUVE Symposium, submission should:

• As much as possible, include objectives, purpose, and reflection of this year’s theme, Connect Your Science, Expand Your Net
• Relate broad aspects in medical, urban, and veterinary entomology, with particular emphasis on cross disciplinary and collaborative approaches.
• Focus on creative, and forward focused topics with an emphasis on expanding networks, community, and diversity.
• Include speakers from diverse backgrounds (e.g., under-represented populations, variety of stages in career, diverse taxa within MUVE umbrella, diversity of approaches).
• Reflect the general interest among MUVE members and include a combination of basic or applied research advances, policy, extension, or teaching topics.
• Have at least one organizer who is a member of the MUVE Section (note: any MUVE member can submit a symposium).
• Active discussion and tangible outputs (publications, posters, trade publications) are encouraged as part of the symposium.

Chances of acceptance increase with: 

• Confirmed speaker list with tentative titles. Keep in mind that all presenters are limited to one oral presentation and one poster display presentation. This includes contributed, student, and invited presentations part of symposia; no exceptions.
• Statement of diversity and inclusivity relating to the speakers/topics.
• Rationale/potential interest to broader MUVE audience.
• Statement of timeliness of topic and how the topic uses collaborative approaches.
• Uniqueness (lack of potential overlap with other symposia) – organizers are encouraged to seek out others thinking of proposing similar symposia and collaborate.

The PBT Governing Council will use the guidelines described below to rank symposia submissions. PBT Section symposia submissions should seek to maximize inclusion of the following criteria.

• Relationship to the annual meeting’s theme, Connect Your Science, Expand Your Net. Symposia focused on machine learning, artificial intelligence, and uses of ChatGPT (or similar user-friendly AI/large language model clients) for both advanced and routine research applications. To fit this year’s theme, symposia focused on fostering and developing collaboration for teaching and research are encouraged. 
• Translating research in order to effectively communicate PBT-focused science to the public (e.g., workshops, symposia, etc.).
• At least one organizer is a member of the PBT Section.
• Anticipated magnitude and breadth of impact. Symposia that are transdisciplinary (e.g., spanning collaborations across Sections) are particularly stressed, offer solutions to complex problems, and are strongly encouraged and will be prioritized. 
• The rationale, goal, and objective of the symposia should be clearly stated in the proposal.
• Relevance of scientific and technical content to PBT members and ESA members at large. 
• The proposal should also highlight and foster collaboration and diversity of speakers from diverse backgrounds and geographic regions (including gender, ethnicity, career stage, and organization/affiliation), reflecting the diversity of our members.
• Involvement of Early Career Professionals and students as organizers and/or presenters is encouraged to highlight the collaborative nature of modern insect science across generations.
• Timeliness of the topic relative to major research and societal trends.
• Confirmed list of speakers (not required for submission but will be weighted higher than concept-only submissions without any speaker confirmation).

The P-IE Governing Council will use the following guidelines to evaluate submissions for P-IE Section Symposia. High-ranking symposia not selected as Section Symposia may be recommended as Member Symposia.

• Relating symposia submissions to the meeting’s theme, Connect Your Science, Expand Your Net, is encouraged.
• We encourage organizers to be innovative, creative, and thoughtful in proposing sessions that are engaging and visionary. Proposals that cover a diversity of topics, such as concepts, disciplines, ecosystems, taxa and others are highly encouraged.
• In addition to research topics, we also encourage formal and informal education methods and related topics that contribute to the mission of P-IE and the theme of the annual meetings. Such symposia may be proposed jointly with the FIT Section. 
• Proposals should explain how the symposium meets the selection criteria of the P-IE Section. Submissions for joint symposia across multiple sections are welcome. 
• Proposals are strongly encouraged that include collaborations and feature speakers from a variety of backgrounds and geographic regions (including gender, ethnicity, career stage, and organization/affiliation), reflecting the diversity of our members. Submitters should indicate how they have made an effort to ensure their proposal is inclusive and representative of the diversity of scientists that work on plant-insect ecosystems.
• Proposals should clearly define symposia objective(s), statement of purpose, speakers, and presentation topics.
• Symposia proposals must provide an indication of speaker confirmation, and not just an ‘idea list.’ Priority will be given to proposals with a greater proportion of confirmed speakers. 
• At least one organizer must be a member of the P-IE Section at the time of submission.

The SysEB Governing Council will evaluate Section Symposia submissions based on the following guidelines. We encourage proposals that are innovative, engaging, and reflect the breadth and depth of research within systematics and evolutionary biology. High-quality symposia not selected as Section Symposia may be recommended as Member Symposia.

General Considerations:

• Broad Appeal: SysEB Section Symposia submissions should focus on broad topics and subjects that appeal to the diverse interests of the Section's membership. Submissions should include a detailed explanation of how the proposal connects with a wide range of expertise within systematics and evolutionary biology. Proposals focused on specific taxa may be more suitable as Member Symposia; however, if submitted as a Section Symposium, a strong justification must be provided explaining the broader significance and benefits to the entire SysEB Section.
• Meeting Theme Integration: Symposia that incorporate the meeting theme, Connect Your Science, Expand Your Net, are strongly encouraged. Proposals should emphasize cross-disciplinary approaches, collaborative research efforts, and connections to other fields of study within or even outside of entomology. Consider how the symposium will: 1) Foster collaborations between researchers with different expertise, 2) Integrate diverse data sources and analytical techniques, 3) Address complex questions that require a synthesis of knowledge, 4) expand participation from groups outside ESA and/or non-traditional attendees.
• Organizer Membership: At least one organizer must be a current member of the SysEB Section at the time of submission.
• Solution-Driven Approach: Proposals are encouraged to adopt a solution-driven approach. Titles can be framed as a question that the symposium aims to answer or as a way to move the science conversation forward.
• Speaker Confirmation: Proposals with a strong lineup of confirmed speakers are more competitive and should include tentative titles and speaker confirmation status (confirmed, invited, or proposed). 
• External Participation: Proposals are encouraged to include speakers from outside the ESA community, including individuals from other scientific disciplines, policy, education, and industry sectors who can broaden the symposium’s reach, relevance, and impact.
• Minimizing Redundancy: In line with the meeting's goal to minimize redundant symposia, organizers should ensure their proposal addresses a unique aspect of the topic or offers a novel synthesis of existing knowledge. Clearly articulate how the symposium differs from previous symposia on similar topics.
• Action-Oriented Outputs and Follow-Up: Proposals should include specific action items that will lead to tangible deliverables beyond the symposium. These may include publishing a peer-reviewed paper, organizing a follow-up webinar, producing a white paper or report, submitting a grant proposal, or continuing the work through a future meeting. Proposals that outline concrete, realistic next steps will be prioritized.
• Continue conversation in other forums (private meeting, post conference webinar, publication, etc.)

This program welcomes a wide range of topics and subject areas. Proposals may take a more focused approach than those in the categories above, as long as they are thoughtfully developed and reflect subjects of interest to the ESA community.

Strong symposium proposals will also demonstrate inclusivity and diversity, including representation across entomological subfields, speaker geography, career paths (research, education, industry, extension, government, etc.), career stages (undergraduate, graduate, early-career, mid-career, established), and demographic backgrounds. A well-considered speaker lineup—with as many confirmed speakers as possible—will further strengthen your proposal.

Workshops are designed as interactive educational sessions for attendees. While submissions on a wide range of topics are welcome, the Program Committee particularly encourages proposals on innovative technologies (e.g., machine learning, AI), grantsmanship, manuscript review, and strategies for writing peer-reviewed papers. All workshops should be structured to actively engage participants.

Please also consider the topic of building the strongest ESA community and an interactive workshop to help members learn about how to contribute to the Society, and discipline, in any way – small or large.

It is important to note that all accepted workshops are open to all attendees and cannot be offered as add-on registration options. Additionally, the Program Committee is unable to provide funding to cover associated costs, such as supplies, food, or other expenses.