AMS/SMT Virtual 2020
7–8 and 14–15 November
Call for Seminar Topic Proposals
Deadline 1 October 2019

The AMS Program Committee invites proposals for seminar topics for its Virtual Annual Meeting, 7–8 and 14–15 November 2020. Seminar sessions are devoted principally to a moderated discussion of a set of papers circulated in advance of the meeting. Seminar topics may address any theme of wide relevance to the Society, e.g., current issues in the field, interdisciplinary topics, music in public life, or new fields of research. Up to three seminar sessions will be included at the 2020 Annual Meeting. Each seminar will meet once for ninety minutes and will be scheduled as a regular daytime session. In addition to the selected active participants, seminars are open to auditors, as space allows.

Seminars are developed in two stages: (1) selection of the topics (and their conveners) and (2) selection of the actual papers related to those topics. The present call is for stage one. The program committee will select topics and announce them on the AMS website and at the Annual Meeting in Boston on 2 November 2019.

After the seminar topics are chosen, the call for proposals for the seminar papers themselves will be published (deadline 15 February 2020). Individual paper proposals are reviewed anonymously. The Program Committee, in consultation with the conveners, chooses three to six abstracts for each seminar topic. If there are not enough abstracts of sufficient quality to fill a seminar, the seminar will not be offered.

Submission instructions

Seminar Topic proposals should consist of:

• an abstract of no more than 350 words (on one page) describing the topic and indicating why it would be particularly appropriate for a seminar
• a concise bibliography of pertinent scholarship (no more than fifteen items; one page; not included in the 350-word count)
• a one-page CV from the conveners or co-conveners listing recent publications and indicating their expertise in the proposed topic. [one page per person]

Seminar Topic proposals are not reviewed anonymously. (Please note that conveners should not suggest possible participants.) Submission is made through the form at the bottom of this page.

Submission restrictions

The Program Committee wishes to give opportunities to participate for as many different people as possible and has therefore set a limit on any one person’s programmatic activity. Only one proposal per author may be submitted. No one may appear on the Virtual 2020 program more than twice.* An individual may deliver a paper or convene/participate in a Seminar Session and appear one other time on the program, whether participating in Roundtable or Workshop session, functioning as a chair of an organized session, or serving as a respondent, but may not deliver a lecture-recital or concert.

*Participation in offerings such as Study Group meetings or committee presentations (e.g., the Committee on Career-Related Issues) does not count as an appearance for this purpose.

The “alternate years” rule

Those who presented papers or organized Joint Sessions, Formal Sessions, Seminars, Alternative Format sessions, or lecture-recitals at the 2019 AMS Annual Meeting may not submit proposals for the 2020 meeting. Participants in 2019 Evening Panels and Alternative Format sessions may submit proposals for 2020. This rule will also apply in future: those whose work is accepted for 2020 presentation will be restricted similarly in 2021.

Further questions? See the Seminars FAQ

Application Submission

Application submission is now closed.