Draft program available and other conference updates

1. Draft scientific program

The draft program for #CSRF2016 in Quebec City is available on our website at http://www.canadiansexresearchforum.com/2016/.  Please keep in mind that the program is a draft and is subject to change, although at this time I don't foresee any major changes. I'll let you know when the final program is available and that will be posted online as well.

The program lists the presenters of the papers as per your abstract submissions. If there is a change in presenter, please let me know by sending an email to jonathan.d.huber@gmail.com.

2. News section

We've added a news blog to our website, which can be found at http://www.canadiansexresearchforum.com/news/. Generally, this will be the same information as that sent out via the listserv, however it will be available to non-members or those not yet subscribed to the listserv. Information intended for members only will continue to go out via the listserv only, so please keep subscribing.

3. Registration

Early bird registration ends August 21, 2016, so register now. Spots are filling up fast, and we may reach our maximum room capacity this year! You can register at https://csrf.squarespace.com/registration

4. Poster information

We're in the midst of finalizing our poster session. Information regarding the formatting of your poster will be posted online shortly.

5. Presentation sharing

This year, conference presenters will be able to post and share their presentations online via the Open Science Framework. Our dedicated CSRF2016 page is at https://osf.io/view/CSRF2016/

Open Science Framework is a free poster and presentation sharing service for academic meetings. With it, you may choose to share your presentation along with supporting data and materials. You'll get a persistent link for the future, too. Using this service is not mandatory for presenters. 

As always, please follow us on Twitter, @_CSRF, for the latest breaking news. Be sure to check out the new "News" section, too!

CSRF 2016 Alternative Accommodations

Our partners at Quebec City Tourism have identified some additional suggestions for accommodations, especially for students. Others may find these accommodations suitable as well.

Two sites are suggested in particular:

1. Auberge international de Quebec. This is an HI hostel 10 minutes walk from the conference.

2. Monastere de Augustines. This is a 15 minute walk from the conference.

Other options may be found on the Quebec City Tourism website, at http://www.quebecregion.com/en/where-to-sleep-hotels/

IMPORTANT: If you already have a room reservation at Hotel Le Concorde and you choose to stay at one of the accommodations above, PLEASE DO NOT JUST CANCEL YOUR ROOM. Please try to offer it to someone who may be in need or a room and facilitate an exchange with them via the hotel, or attempt to make an exchange via the listserv. If you do cancel your room, please indicate to the hotel that you made a reservation using the CSRF room block and remind them that they should reassign this room to the block.

CSRF 2016 Conference Updates

We're 8 weeks away from #CSRF2016, time for another update!

1. Early bird registration

Interest in this year's CSRF has been overwhelming. Conference space is limited. Please register as soon as possible to ensure your spot. As an added bonus, save up to 10% on your registration fee if you register before August 22nd. See http://www.canadiansexresearchforum.com/registration/ for prices, details, and links for registration.

2. Student travel grant

We're very excited to announce our first ever student travel grants this year! CSRF is committed to fostering the next generation of sex researchers and clinicians, and part of the way we do this is to make our conference as affordable as possible for students.

This year, for the first time ever, CSRF is offering four travel grants valued at $250 each to students who are scheduled to present a poster, data blitz, or oral presentation at CSRF 2016.

To qualify, eligible students MUST BE REGISTERED BY THE EARLY BIRD DEADLINE, AUGUST 21, 2016. You don't need to do anything else to qualify other than being a presenter and registering by the early bird deadline. Students who register after the early bird deadline WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE for this grant, so register now!

Eligible, registered students, will automatically be placed into a random draw and 4 names will be selected. Winners will be contacted directly by email. The travel grant is not transferable to any other person and may only be used for CSRF 2016 in Quebec City. Good luck!

3. Limited hotel rooms

As I've said many times, the interest in CSRF 2016 has been overwhelming. At the time of this writing, our block of rooms at the conference hotel is SOLD OUT, as is the rest of the hotel.

I encourage you to secure your accommodations ASAP. The low Canadian dollar has resulted in increased interest in domestic travel and Quebec City is a popular destination. Please call the conference hotel directly, in case cancellations result in more rooms opening up. You can find the information about the conference hotel here: http://search.iqrez.com/reservations/HotelConcordeQuebec/search/21383?lang=en.

There are many options for various types of accommodations within a short walk or cab ride from the conference site, but rooms are going fast. We are working with our partners at Quebec City Tourism for more suggestions and I'll update you as soon as I have more information to share.

4. Acknowledgement of acceptance

Some of you have still not acknowledged acceptance of your presentation. You know who you are :) Please acknowledge the acceptance of your presentation directly with my by e-mail. The deadline for this is to be determined, but we'll be assembling our scientific program soon.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Please go to www.canadiansexresearchforum.com for details. For up-to-the-minute breaking information, follow us on Twitter, @_CSRF.

CSRF 2016 Speakers & Conference Details

Just a note to keep you updated about #CSRF2016.

ABSTRACT RESULTS

By now, all those who submitted an abstract for presentation should have been emailed the results of their submission. If you haven't acknowledged your result already, please do so as soon as you can so we can start putting together the draft schedule. Details are in your email. You can acknowledge your result by writing to me at jonathan.d.huber@gmail.com.

FEATURED SPEAKERS

CSRF is happy to officially announce our featured speakers for #CSRF2016!

Cynthia Graham, PhD, is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Sex Research and Professor in Sexual and Reproductive Health at University of Southamptom.

Fernand Labrie, MD, PhD, is President of Endoceutics and Professor Emeritus and Director, Research Centre in Oncology, Molecular Endocrinology and Human Genomics at Laval University.

REGISTRATION

Registration is scheduled to open in a few days, keep an eye on your inboxes, Twitter (@_CSRF) or visit www.canadiansexresearchforum.com.

TRAVEL

Discount codes for air and rail travel are posted on the website, check them out before booking your travel to Quebec City.

AFTER DARK AND SOCIAL EVENTS

After Dark is back again! This year we have a really exciting show planned, something we've been talking about doing for many years now. Turns out Quebec City is the perfect place for it! More details to come. As always, After Dark is free to attend for all registered participants of CSRF.

Right before After Dark we'll be hosting a networking event featuring cocktails, mocktails, and delicious appetizers! This is a great opportunity to catch up with your colleagues and meet new ones. We'll have lots of first-timers at this year's CSRF so I'd really love to see all our experienced members come out to this event. This is also a great chance for students to mingle with more established researchers and clinicians in a casual, fun atmosphere. We'll be providing an opportunity for our students to chat with some of our featured members. After filling up on a few apps, and maybe a glass of wine, you'll be ready to enjoy a great After Dark show!