FAQ

Apply for the congress

• When can I submit my abstract?
  Registration for presenting participants: abstract submission will be able from the second half of December 2007 till February 15^st 2008. Click here to go to the registration form. If your abstract has been selected, you can present your research at our congress in a plenary, oral or poster session.

• When can I register as a non-presenting participant?
  Registration for non-presenting participants will be able from 15th of March 2008.

• How much is the registration fee?
  For presenting participants, there is a registration fee of € 15,- including the social programme which consists of two dinners and one small meal at the presenting-participants arrival day. Non-presenting participants pay a congress fee of € 10,- and an additional fee of € 7,50 for the social programme.

• Can several persons apply as author for one presentation?
  For each abstract, only one person is allowed to present the research. The other persons who are working on the same project can be mentioned as co-authors and can be registered as non-presenting participants, but are not allowed to present the same research. You can find guidelines for writing abstracts for ISCOMS here: Abstract Requirements.

Visa

• Do I need a visa to travel to The Netherlands?
  Visitors of some countries may have a visa requirement for travelling to the Netherlands. To find out whether you need a visa, please visit the website of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is very important that you start arranging your visa in time! The procedure takes at least two weeks, and it can be very difficult to arrange an appointment at the embassy. So please try to reach the embassy as soon as possible, and arrange an appointment at least a month before the congress! More information on visa can be found on the Visa-part of our website here.

• Can I get an invitation letter?
  We will provide presenting participants with an official invitation letter for the congress, which will make it easier for you to get a visa. We will send it to you by regular mail and by e-mail.

Travel grant

• Can I get an ISCOMS travel grant?
  Travel grants are available for a limited number of persons and can only be rewarded to presenting participants. Requests will be evaluated by our Travel Grant Committee. The number of grants that will be awarded and their respective amounts will be set based on the number of requests. Only applicants who can show at least 75% of their expenses covered will be eligible to receive a travel grant. Application for travel grants will be possible for presenting participants after the abstract reviewing has been completed. This will be announced on our website.

• Are there any other possibilities to obtain a travel grant?
  Their is a website which contains information on a range of Dutch scholarships for foreign students called Grantfinder. These scholarships can be found by selecting one of the categories on the website.

Programme

• What will be the programme of ISCOMS 2008?
  The preliminary programme of ISCOMS 2008 can be viewed here. Changes in this programme may occur.

• What will the social programme consist of?
  The ISCOMS offers an extensive social programme which consists of multiple events in the dynamic city Groningen. These events are spread over the congress days. The programme is extended with a post-congress tour, in which you can see a little more of The Netherlands, accompanied by the organisation of ISCOMS 2008. There will be plenty of opportunities to meet students from other countries!

• Is it possible to come to the Post-Congress Tour only, without participating in the congress?
  No, the post-congress tour is meant for presenting participants of our congress only.

Accomodation

• Can I choose where I would like to stay during the congress?
  Of course you can. There are three types of accommodation available (student accommodation, basic accommodation and self booking accommodation). For more information, please take a look at the accommodation page on our website.

• Do I have to arrange my accommodation by myself?
  The student and basic accommodation will be arranged by the ISCOMS organisation. If you would like to stay in a hotel or hostel in Groningen, you will have to arrange it for yourself.

Presentation

• What are the rules for presenting at the ISCOMS?
  Depending on whether you have a plenary, oral or poster presentation you will have a different amount of time to present.

Plenary presentation
You have 12 minutes to present your research if you are selected for a plenary presentation: 9 minutes for your presentation and 3 minutes for the following discussion.

Oral presentation
You have 11 minutes to present your research if you are selected for an oral presentation: 8 minutes for your presentation and 3 minutes for the following discussion.

Poster presentation
You have 10 minutes to present your research if you are selected for a poster presentation: 7 minutes for your presentation and 3 minutes for the following discussion.

• If I am selected to present a poster, how large should the poster be?
  Poster dimensions should not exceed 1.00m (3.28ft) wide and 1.20m (3.94ft) high.

• Is there more information about how to present my research?
  Yes, you can click here to go directly to the "How to present: Oral"-article for oral presentations and you can click here to go directly to the "How to present: Poster" for poster presentations.