April 16, 2020

Dear participants,

You must be having a hard time due to the spread of COVID-19. First of all, we hope you all are safe and well.

Under the circumstances of the pandemic, we, the Secretariat of the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society, have been considering alternative ways to hold the meeting safely. As a result, we have decided to hold the event using video streaming by which video presentations will be distributed to the audience, rather than holding a conventional event in Kobe.

Both oral and poster presenters are requested to prepare a pre-recorded video presentation and submit them by June 30, 2020. The submitted videos will be distributed through a secure streaming website to which only participants of the meeting have access during the period of the event (July 29 – August 1).

Details on how to create and submit a video will be announced in late May.

Also, call for late breaking abstracts is open today. Your abstract submission would be highly welcomed.

All of us will continue to make preparations for the meeting to make it a worthwhile experience that will not be overshadowed by the novel coronavirus even though the format has been changed. It might cause inconvenience to those who were looking forward to gathering in Kobe, but we ask you for your understanding and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Shigeru Kitazawa, President
Makoto Sato, Executive Committee Chair
Yuji Ikegaya, Program Committee Chair


Q1: Will the presentations be distributed according to the scheduled time in the program?
No. The video presentations are recorded beforehand, so you can watch them whenever you wish during the period of the meeting. In a conventional meeting, you are not able to watch two presentations simultaneously that take place in the same time slot, but this format will make this possible.

Q2: Is video streaming secure? Will the confidentiality of research be protected?
A specialized company, which has a track record in streaming shareholders’ meetings and TV broadcasters’ contents, will handle the distribution of video contents. A secured environment that is only accessible to participants who have been given an ID and a password will be prepared. Files cannot be downloaded in this format.

Q3: I still feel anxious. I do not want to provide a video.
We respect your decision. In such a case, you will only be displaying your abstract at the meeting. However, to those who have registered as a speaker of a symposium or oral presentation, we would like to make a request to provide us with a video file in principle. Your cooperation is essential to the success of the event.

Q4: Why posters will be distributed by video stream as well?
Because we put a priority on security. You can use the pause function when you view a streaming content so you will be able to view the poster images in detail. But we will still consider an option to allow uploading a pdf file, if there are many requests from you.

Q5: Why is the deadline for video submission June 30, one month prior to the opening of the event?
To save the cost of preparation. The longer the preparation period, the lower the preparation cost for video streaming will be. Registration of a file or replacement of a registered file after this date will cost you JPY 5,500 (including tax) each time. We ask you for your understanding and cooperation.

Q6: Will the registration fee be kept by the organizer?
Yes. The full amount of paid registration fees will be applied to the development of the online event. Your understanding would be very much appreciated.
As call for late breaking abstracts and late registration are open, we ask for your cooperation in joining the event.

Q7: Will the reception fee be refunded?
Yes. You will receive a full refund for the reception fee paid. However, we have to ask to those who have been charged the total amount of registration and reception fees to first pay the total amount. Then, the reception fee will be refunded in full later. We apologize for causing you worry and trouble.