How to Propose and Plan a CCT Event

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Contemporary Concepts in Toxicology (CCT) events are intended to provide forums for dissemination and discussion of developments that are likely to have the greatest importance for advancing the science of toxicology.

CCT proposals may be submitted to SOT by Specialty Sections, Regional Chapters, individual members, or other not-for-profit organizations. The information required for and steps involved in proposing a CCT event apply to proposals for in-person meetings and webinars. Please note that effective June 2022, all CCT event proposals will be considered for webinars only (no face-to-face events) until further notice.

Ways to Approach the Generation of CCT Proposals

Whether you have an idea in mind or want to use brainstorming techniques to develop a CCT proposal idea, it’s helpful to consider these questions:

  • Is there a problem that needs to be resolved?
  • Is there a pressing issue that needs to be addressed from a different approach than has been done in the past?
  • Is there a training need or gap that exists?
  • Is there a new metrology that could be applied to toxicological studies that needs to be considered?
  • Is there the potential for harmonizing regulatory issues to help move implementation of sound science forward?

Once your theme is developed, consider these questions:

  • Do the presentations cover the scope of the event theme in ways that will attract a diverse and sizable audience from within and outside of the Society?
  • Will the speakers convey new information?
  • Do the speakers represent the diversity of the Society (e.g., employment types, genders)?
  • What are the expected outcomes of the event (e.g., development of a journal article, increased awareness of X, provide guidance for X, application of X, perspective for the use of X)?
  • Are there other organizations that may be interested in the event theme?

Resources and SOT Commitments

To assist CCT organizers in creating a successful event, SOT provides support in many ways, such as:

  • Facilitating all administrative responsibilities with meeting logistics.
  • Managing all the speaker correspondences.
  • Assuming potential liability for supplementing conference budgets.
  • Face-to-Face Events Only: Providing $25,000 in seed money to facilitate securing resources necessary for a successful conference. It is anticipated that this money will be repaid to the Society following the completion of the meeting. In planning the CCT meeting, the goal should be to develop a breakeven budget based on registration fees and/or additional funding from external sources. A 50/50 split of any meeting profits will occur between SOT and the conference organizers if an SOT Component Group is one of the organizers.
  • Webinars Only: Managing the webinar registration. Whether to charge a registration fee for webinar attendance is at the discretion of the event organizers. If a fee will be charged, be clear about this intent in the proposal since additional SOT resources will be needed if there is a fee to register.

Proposal Development and Submission Process

Submission of the CCT Pre-proposal—For Face-to-Face Events Only

Note that effective June 2022, proposals for face-to-face CCT events are not being considered until further notice. Proposals for CCT webinars can be submitted for consideration.

For face-to-face events, complete a pre-proposal application. The pre-proposal application can be completed within a few hours and is intended to provide potential conference organizers with feedback at an early stage, before formal budget commitments or other specific details are required. Completed pre-proposal applications can be submitted to the Collaborative Conferences Committee (CCC) at any time during the year for review and feedback. The CCC will review pre-proposal applications within 30 days of submission and provide feedback on whether the idea should move to the full proposal stage.

Submission of Final CCT Proposal—For All Event Types

Instructions for Face-to-Face Events

Organizers who have submitted a successful pre-proposal and received review comments from the CCC should submit a full CCT proposal. Full CCT proposals can be produced directly from the pre-proposal and with detailed information on the following items:

  1. Proposed title and focus of the meeting, as well as a brief description of the objectives.
  2. Statement of need for a CCT in particular field, justification of the importance to SOT members, evaluation of the timeliness of the topic, and whether a similar course has recently been held.
  3. Composition of the organizing committee of which the Chair and Co-Chair must be SOT Full members and must actively participate in the scientific development of the program. Upon a proposal receiving an endorsement and approval, SOT Council will appoint a Council and a staff liaison to the organizing committee for the purpose of assisting with reporting and coordinating program status, fiduciary arrangements, and logistics and operations.
  4. List of suggested topics and speakers with affiliations. It is important that the representation of all aspects of the topic are represented. The balancing of the program content should include a diversity of speakers reflective of the diversity of the Society.
  5. Proposed date and projected length of the meeting.
  6. Projected attendance and marketing. It is expected that the CCT meeting will attract at least 100 participants.
  7. Proposed venue or virtual plans. The final venue will be chosen by SOT based on several parameters, such as availability, accessibility, and costs.
  8. Proposed meeting sponsors, both corporate and related societies.

The CCC will work actively with the organizers to ensure that the prospective CCT meeting is as successful as possible for SOT members. In addition, SOT Headquarters will work with the organizer to prepare a budget and establish meeting pricing; CCT meetings are expected to be revenue neutral or generate a profit for the Society.

The CCC has provided a flow chart and a list of steps that outline the CCT meeting process. It should be noted that CCT meeting development varies based on the audience (academia, government, industry) and the location of the meeting (campus, convention center, or hotel).

Instructions for CCT Webinars

Organizers that want to plan a CCT webinar should complete the CCT webinar application. While completing the application, the organizers are welcome to contact the CCC for advice and feedback on their proposal before final submission.

Review Process

Applications for CCT events should be sent to David Rossé. The CCC strives to provide feedback on endorsement within two months from the date of submission.

Submitters of approved applications for face-to-face meetings should allow 12 to 18 months for evaluation, organization, and promotion of the meeting. Proposers of CCT webinars should allow at least six weeks for the organization and promotion of the meeting after its approval (up to six weeks also needed for approval).

Profit Sharing Policy

CCT proposals developed and submitted by SOT Component Groups (Regional Chapters, Special Interest Groups, and Specialty Sections) and approved by the CCC will share 50/50 the profits generated from the CCT event. The profit sharing will occur after the initial seed funds provided by the Society ($25,000) are repaid. The profits will be shared with the understanding that the funds will go to the respective Component Group and will flow into its general operating funds. If multiple SOT Component Groups are involved in the meeting coordination, they will divide the available funds evenly among each group. Any CCTs proposed by organizations not affiliated with an SOT Component Group will not share in any profits. The Society will continue to underwrite all the liabilities of the CCT event with the expectation that the event recoups its expenses. The goal of providing $25,000 seed funds and the profit sharing component is to stimulate the creation of CCT event proposals.

Publications Resulting from CCT Events

Toxicological Sciences, the official SOT journal, retains the first right of publication for all manuscripts produced from a CCT event. The CCT Organizing Chair should contact the Toxicological Sciences Editor to discuss publication requirements.