The Program Committee invites proposals for the following types of sessions. Each session can be 1.5 or 3.0 hours. Please review the purpose and criteria for each session type. Note that all presenters must register for the meeting.

Symposia: Symposia sessions are intended to be formal presentations on the "state of the science" of a particular area. Each session will have three to six presenters, representing at least two different institutions. Each speaker is encouraged to limit their presentation to 20 minutes, to allow adequate time for questions. The individual proposing the session may be the moderator or a speaker and is responsible for selecting other speakers. (These proposals can be submitted by anyone. Acceptance of proposals will be considered based on a variety of criteria including merit and programmatic relevance).

Symposia are intended to be "state of the art",
showcasing the latest on a particular topic.

Featured Discussion Sessions: The discussion sessions are intended to provide diverse perspectives of research approaches, questions, methods and/or applications in CAM as well as opportunities for discussions of topics related to challenges or innovations in CAM research. This is also a good format to explore "contrasting views" in an area of research. Each session will have three to six presenters, representing at least two different institutions. Each speaker is encouraged to limit their presentation to 15 minutes to introduce their perspective, leaving the remainder of the time for a moderated discussion with the participants and presenters.

Featured discussions present different aspects of a particular topic. For example opposing opinions or debate.

Workshops: The format of these sessions is "hands-on," where participants will learn a new approach (e.g., in research design), method or skill. Each workshop will be led by one presenter/group of presenters who will provide minimal formal presentation and encourage mostly group involvement.

Selection Criteria

All proposals will first be reviewed by the Scientific Review Committee. Acceptance will be determined by the Program Committee on the basis of:

1. Scientific Quality

2. Appropriateness of the format

3. Relevance to Research in CAM and Integrative Medicine

4. Space availability

On May 17-19, 2001 Harvard Medical School and the University of California, San Francisco co-sponsored the first of two conferences entitled International Scientific Conference on Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medicine Research in San Francisco. 326 abstracts were reviewed; 23 were chosen for oral presentation and 200 were invited for poster presentation (68% of total). Four of the oral presenters were non-U.S.-based investigators. Over 425 investigators representing 17 different countries attended the event. The abstracts of the 23 oral presentations were published in Alternative Therapies 2001;7(3):102-112.

The second in the series of U.S.-based international scientific conferences co-directed by Dr. Eisenberg and Susan Folkman, PhD (UCSF) was held on April 12-14, 2002 at the Marriott Copley Place Hotel in Boston, MA. This was supported, in part, by an NCCAM R13 grant. A total of 318 people registered for the conference of which 48 (15%) registrants attended from countries other than the United States. Both the 2001 and 2002 conferences were supported by an educational grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation.

Five female and six male junior investigators (2 MD, 5 PhD, 3 ND and 1 PhD-LMT) were awarded scholarships of full tuition for the 2002 meeting courtesy of the R13 grant.

With significant NCCAM input, the Conference Directors were able to engage highly regarded scientists to serve as review committee chairs. These included Mark Blackman, MD (NIH), Julie Buring, ScD (HMS), Steve Cummings, MD (UCSF), Klaus Linde, MD (Munich), and Brian Strom, MD (UPenn). Keynote addresses were given on the topics of brain mapping by John Mazziotta, MD and prostate health by NIDDK Director, Allen M. Spiegel, MD.

264 abstracts were submitted in five categories: basic science, clinical science, health services research, methodology and other. After peer-review 179 (68%) were accepted of which 150 were selected for poster presentations and 29 for oral presentation. Over half of the abstracts reviewed represented therapies taken by mouth for disease directly under the purview of NIDDK. Thus they represented a substantial portion of the final presentations at the meeting. Nine (31%) of the oral presentations were the work of international investigators. As evidence of the breadth and depth of the abstracts accepted by the reviewers, a listing of the clinical research abstracts by specialty is provided below.

All 29 of the abstracts from the oral presentations were published by Elsevier, first electronically in the MDConsult and subsequently by Churchill Livingstone in Complementary Therapies in Medicine 2002;10(2). 68 of the poster abstracts were published in the Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy 2003;3(1).

Planning Your Trip

Plan your trip to Edmonton in such a way as to allow you to experience the fabulous Rocky Mountains either pre or post conference. Banff and Jasper are within easy driving distance from Edmonton or Calgary.

Climate

Edmonton has four distinct seasons. Snow cover characterizes winter from November through mid-March. Summers are generally dry and sunny. Spring and autumn are marked by pleasant daytime temperatures and cool or frosty evenings. Average temperatures range from 17 C in the summer months to -15 C in the winter months.

Currency

Use Canadian dollars while in Canada. Major international credit cards are widely accepted, as are traveler's cheques in Canadian dollars. Most Canadian bank machines (ATMs) accept cards issued by members of Interac, Cirrus and other major networks. Extra fees may apply, and you should check with your card issuer that the card is recognized by Canadian ATM networks. Currency may be exchanged at banks, trust companies, credit unions and currency exchanges.

Tipping

In restaurants and bars with table service, a tip of 15% is customary if service is cheerful and efficient. (To calculate tips, some people double the 7% GST and round up a bit.) If service is exceptional, a 20% tip shows strong appreciation. In coffee shops and other places with "Tips" jars at the cash register, tipping is not mandatory but a few coins will be appreciated if the service is good. At hotels, give bellhops $1 or $2 per bag and housekeepers $1 or $2 per night.

Language

English and French are Canada's two official languages. English is the predominant language in Alberta. At many hotels, attractions, airlines, banks and other service institutions some employees are multilingual.

Electricity

Canada uses the same electricity standard as the United States, 110 volts AC. Please consult owner's manual before plugging in any devices not purchased in North America.

Tax

Alberta has no provincial sales tax (PST). Alberta has a provincial room tax of five per cent. The federal GST (Goods & Services Tax) of seven per cent can be reclaimed on goods that international visitors take with them when they leave the country.

Border Crossing

Contact a Canadian embassy, high commission, or consulate for information about what documents you will need before coming to Canada.