The Call for Proposals for Symposia and Workshops for the 2026 Annual Meeting is Now Open!
The Mycological Society of America is now accepting proposals for symposia and workshops to be held at the annual meeting in Portland, Oregon July 12-15, 2026.
We invite symposia and workshops in all areas of mycology, and especially encourage topics addressing the meeting theme, “Bridging Mycology Across Communities and Disciplines“. The meeting theme encourages us to think about how we can connect with others in the mycological community, including amateur mycologists and community scientists, educators, indigenous or local knowledge holders, artists, etc., and create connections with those in other fields. We encourage thinking about making connections to address the latest and upcoming topics in mycological research, education, and outreach.
The deadline to submit your proposal is September 15, 2025. Please email your proposals to the Program Chair, Julia Kerrigan.
Symposia and workshop proposals should include the following information:
- Organizers. List the name(s), affiliation(s), and contact information of the symposium organizer(s) or workshop leader(s)
- Rationale. Indicate the importance of the topic at the MSA 2026 meeting
- Speakers. For each potential speaker, list the name, employment position, affiliation, and contact information, as well as (tentative) presentation title and a brief (2-3 sentences) description of the talk. It is assumed each speaker has agreed to speak and attend the annual meeting if the symposium or workshop is approved. For symposia, plan for 4-6 speakers (typically 20 minutes/speaker, subject to change), each speaker will submit an abstract when the abstract submission opens.
- Provide an estimated budget and potential sources of funding that you have or are willing to pursue. For workshops, provide an estimated cost and how this cost would be charged (e.g., a fee for attending).
Workshop proposals should also include:
- Date and time. Provide a requested time slot (e.g., length of time needed and preferred day)
- Special accommodation and/or equipment needed (e.g., microscopes, computers, type of room, transportation, etc.)
Evaluation of symposia and workshop proposals will include the following criteria:
- The proposal presents cutting-edge topics, approaches, or broadly synthetic ideas that highlight the study of fungi.
- The invited speakers represent investigators making significant contributions in the symposium topic area.
- Its relation to the theme of the meeting.
- Speaker lists that reflect gender balance, diverse backgrounds, and varied career stages. Priority will be given to speakers who have not had an opportunity to present at MSA symposia in the last two years.
- Estimated Budget – MSA is able to provide up to $5000 per symposium (up to three symposia) and $1500 per workshop (up to 3 workshops), but organizers should plan to pursue additional sources of funding as an offset.
Proposals for both symposia and workshops must be submitted to the Program Chair by September 15, 2025.
For questions related to preparing your proposal or for program questions, please email the 2026 Program Chair, Julia Kerrigan (jkerrig@clemson.edu).
