CFP Frequently Asked Questions

Topics:
General Information
Presentation Formats: Virtual vs. In-Person
AAS Conference Terminology & Roles
Submission/Participation Questions
Electronic Proposal Application Questions
Individual Paper Proposals
Travel Funding
Deadlines
Proposal Decisions

General Information

What is the format of the 2024 AAS Annual Conference?

The AAS 2024 Annual Conference will take place in Seattle, March 14-17, and will consist only of in-person sessions.

We will accept a limited number of session proposals and individual papers for virtual presentation to take place separately on March 1, 2024.

If the AAS 2024 conference is unable to take place in Seattle next March due to another surge of COVID-19 cases, will the conference be canceled?

The AAS2024 conference will not be canceled. In the event we are unable to hold the conference in person in Seattle, we will transition the entire conference to a virtual/online conference using the technology we will already have in place. The AAS will regularly monitor the status of the pandemic and will keep members and attendees informed of any changes.

In what time zone will the virtual component take place?

All sessions and event will schedules in the Eastern Time Zone (EST). The virtual component will be managed by the AAS staff and our chosen platform provider; we are located in the Eastern Time Zone.

Do I need to be an AAS Member to submit a proposal to the Call for Proposals?

AAS Membership is not required to submit a proposal to the Call for Proposals nor is it required in order to present at the Annual Conference.  However, AAS members receive a significantly discounted conference registration rate and membership is encouraged.

Is there a specific theme or topics of interest for the AAS Annual Conference?

No. The AAS Annual Conferences do not have a theme nor do we directly request proposals focused on specific topics. We are open to reviewing all topics across all disciplines and areas (countries). Submitters are only required to indicate the area of study and a discipline on proposals submissions. All proposals are distributed to the program committee members based on the area of study (and the reviewers focus area).


Presentation Formats: Virtual vs. In-person

Can presenters on the same panel choose to present in different formats (either in-person or virtually)

No. All presenters on the same panel must agree to present within the same environment – either in-person or virtually. All in-person sessions must have in-person presenters and virtual sessions must have virtual presenters.

Session organizers and proposal submitters should indicate on the proposal application the preference for an in-person or virtual presentation.

Why is the AAS not allowing for hybrid sessions?

The technology expenses and logistics involved in providing sessions on-site that can accommodate both in-person and virtual presentations are cost-prohibitive for the AAS. After much consideration and budget review, while also considering the varying needs of each presenter, the technology required to ensure successful connection, and the decision was made to hold normal in-person sessions in Seattle. The cost to set up all meeting rooms with technology required for a successful hybrid session would cost the AAS at least $500,000. The registration rate for the Annual Conference cannot support these increased expenses. We are continuing to offer the option to present virtual via a 100% virtual session at the virtual component.

If I am presenting in a virtual session, can I attend the in-person meeting?

Yes, absolutely. If an individual has agreed to participate in a 100% virtual session taking place on March 1, that individual is still welcomed to attend the in-person meeting in Seattle. In-person conference registration includes access to the virtual component. In this case, you should register at the in-person rate in order to gain access in Seattle.

Can I participate in a session in both the virtual format and the in-person conference?

Yes. An individual may participate in both conference formats however the two-appearance rule applies across both environments. For example, an individual may serve as chair or discussant in the virtual component and present a paper in Seattle.

What happens if one person who agreed to present in person can no longer present in person? Can they present via Zoom?

No. Due to the complications of accommodating a variety of needs for each individual, the AAS cannot support partial in-person/virtual presentation sessions in Seattle. The individual may opt to pre-record their presentation for playback in Seattle or withdraw from the session. Organizers/Chairs of the sessions, must coordinate the recording and manage the playback of the recording in the meeting. If said individual would like to be listed in the program as a presenter, they must still register for the in-person conference.

I’ve already organized my session and half of the participants can attend in-person and half cannot, what should I do?

We would recommend selecting the virtual presentation option. This option could ensure your session may continue, and the individuals interested in attending in person may still do so. However, please be aware that registration rates are based on physical attendance in Seattle or virtual attendance online; not the presentation type. This means, if you select the virtual option, and a participant on the session is still planning to attend the conference in person in Seattle, that individual must register as an in-person attendee. The registration type is important because the virtual component registration type will not generate a badge for in-person attendance.

If our proposal is accepted in one format/environment, can we change it to the opposite format at a later date?

No. Due to the extraordinary number of changes experienced during the last hybrid conference and the effect the changes had on the overall program, we are not accepting changes in formats for the 2024 conference. Additionally, the 2024 virtual component will be a smaller programming schedule, and space is limited for this option. If a proposal is accepted as an in-person session and the speakers no longer can attend in person, the session will be canceled. Organizers may re-submit the proposal, without prejudice, for consideration to the 2025 call for proposals.

The same rule applies for sessions accepted to the virtual presentation format. We are unable to accommodate requests to shift a virtual session to the in-person program taking place in Seattle.


AAS Conference Terminology & Roles

What is an innovative session?

The program committee supports innovative panel sessions that encourage bold thinking, lively dialogue, and audience involvement.  For a list of possible formats, refer to the Call for Papers Innovative Panels Format full description.

What is the role of a Session Organizer?

The Organizer is the individual who has worked to organize the session by contacting colleagues and scholars regarding forming a proposal for submission.  Session organizers are responsible for compiling all of the required information (participant contact information, abstracts, etc.).  The organizer typically submits the electronic proposal application. If the proposal is accepted, official notices are sent to organizers and this person is responsible for notifying participants of important details regarding the session.  The AAS considers the organizer the official contact for the panel session.  Typically the organizer does not have a speaking role at the session unless that person is also serving in another role of Chair, Paper Presenter, or Discussant.

What are the responsibilities of a Session Chair?

The chair of the session is responsible for leading the session at the conference.  The chair will introduce participants; coordinate the pre-distribution of papers among participants or discussants.  Most importantly the chair of the session keeps time at the session to ensure speakers adhere to agreed-upon presentation times, ensuring that the session does not run over the 1-hour 30-minute time limit.  In most cases, the chair is also the organizer of the session.

What are the responsibilities of a Session Discussant?

The discussant usually serves in a moderator role.  As determined by the organizer of the session, the discussant will help facilitate discussion among presenters and those in attendance or discuss in detail the content of the paper presentations.

Who is considered an official session participant?

The AAS considers anyone serving in the role of Chair, Paper Presenter, or Discussant an official and active participant.  Organizers of sessions are not considered participants as they do not actively participate in the session.  The exception being if an organizer is also assigned one of three roles listed above.


Submission/Participation Questions

How many sessions can one person “Organize”?

An individual may organize an unlimited number of sessions.  The organizer role is not an active role in the session.

I am an organizer of a panel. May I present a paper on another panel?

Yes, Organizers are not considered active participants and therefore may participate in the role of chair, presenter, or discussant on a different session from the originally proposed session. The organizer may also chair, present a paper, or serve as discussant on the same session.

Can I participate in more than one session?

Yes. An individual may appear on up to two (2) different sessions. However, an individual may present only one paper. The multi-appearance options are as follows:
a. Present one paper and serve as a chair and/or discussant on another organized panel, roundtable or workshop.
b. Serve as chair on up to two (2) organized panels, roundtables or workshops.
c. Serve as discussant on up to two (2) organized panels, roundtables or workshops.
d. Serve as chair on one session and discussant on another session.

I am only serving as the Chair/Discussant on a panel; does this mean I can still present a paper on another panel?

Yes. See the response to the previous question.

I understand the AAS will allow multiple appearances on up to two (2) session, but can I have multiple roles on the same panel (i.e., serve as chair and present a paper on the same session)?

Yes.  You may serve in multiple roles within one (1) session.  For example, an individual may serve as chair and discussant, or chair and paper presenter on the SAME panel. Multiple roles within one session counts as participating in ONE session. If a person is chairing and presenting in one session, they may still participant in another role in another session. The Participation rule applies to the number of SESSIONS not roles.

We have submitted a two-part panel/back-to-back panel?  Do the rules for multiple appearance apply here considering this really is the same panel but scheduled in two parts?

The AAS considers two-part/back-to-back panels to be two separate panels.  The acceptance of both proposed panels essentially takes a slot from another panel that for example, may not have been accepted due to space constraints.  Therefore in the interest of fairness, participation on “two-part” or “back to back” panels will count towards the two session maximum for multiple appearances.

Are co-authors allowed on paper presentations?

Yes, you may add the name of a co-author on a paper within the application. Please follow the instructions noted in the PEOPLE tab section. You must indicate if the co-author will be presenting or if the name is added for credit purposes only.

If the co-author is also planning to present, click the Presenter box for the author; if the co-author is not presenting leave the box unchecked. If checked the Role will change from ‘Author’ to ‘Presenter’. See the sample image below.

What is the time length of all session types?

All sessions are 1 hour and 30 minutes in length.


Electronic Proposal Application

How do I access the Proposal Application system/Submit a proposal?

We are using the same application system used for the 2023 conference. If you submitted a proposal or participated in the 2023 conference, you may login to the system using the same CONFEX credentials.

However, if you are a new submitter, and did not participate in 2023, you must create a new account before beginning an application. The AAS membership database is not linked to the submission system.

Can I save an incomplete application? Can I edit my proposal after it has been submitted?

Yes.  The submission site allows submitters to save incomplete proposals. Once information is entered, the data is autosaved. You may also edit any information on the proposal before the submission deadline, including making changes completed proposals that were already submitted.   You may also completely withdraw an incomplete or submitted proposal before the deadline.

What information does the Organizer need to collect for the proposal submission?

Organizers will need to enter the following information for each participant:
1. Correctly spelled Name
2. Email addresses
3. Affiliation
4. Rank (student, professor, assistant professor, etc.)
5. Gender
6. Paper titles and abstracts (for organized sessions)

Do the organizers need to collect participants’ CV information?

No.   Organizers need only provide the information as listed above.

I am a participant on a panel; can I make updates to the submitted proposal?

No.  Only organizers have the access to make changes to proposal submissions. You must request login credentials from your organizer if you would like to make any edits to your information on the proposal.

I submitted a proposal and did not receive a confirmation.

The proposal submission system automatically generates a confirmation email for all proposals.  PLEASE NOTE:  The confirmation emails are sent from the CONFEX system not from the AAS webserver.  PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM. You may need to adjust your email filters to accept emails from asianstudies@confex.com.


Individual Paper Proposals

Does the AAS post a list of sessions for Individual paper presenters to join?

No. The AAS does not provide a list of session topics in advance. A person who is interested in submitting an individual paper may complete the Individual Paper abstract proposal application separately. The program committee will review and score the paper. High scoring papers will then be organized into sessions by the program committee. A member of the program committee will chair the session.

If my paper is accepted, can I choose the session I want to participate on?

No.  The process the AAS uses for accepting Individual Papers is as follows. Each Individual Paper proposal is scored by the program committee based on quality.  After all Individual Paper proposals have been scored, the proposals are then sorted from the highest to lowest score.  The second round of reviews is then completed to determine if there are enough highly scored papers in any topic area that can be grouped with other papers with similar topics that also received a high score.  When all papers have been grouped, these “papers” are then given a session title and the session is then chaired by a member of the program committee.  Those Individuals Papers are marked as accepted.

Why is the Individual Paper proposal acceptance rate so low?

The AAS considers the annual conference to be an organized panel conference.  Therefore we offer a very limited number of Individual Paper panel slots.  Typically, there are only 10-13 Individual Paper panels each year. This means, with approximately 4-6 papers allowed per session, we can only accept approximately 60-90 Individual Papers.  We generally receive over 500 Individual Paper proposals each year.

My paper was accepted for virtual presentation format. What should I expect?

Accepted individual paper proposals will be organized into a virtual session and a chair will be assigned. The virtual session will be scheduled the same as an organized paper session and will take place live on March 1, 2024.

I am submitting an Individual Paper Proposal; can I apply for travel funding?

The AAS International Exchange Travel grants are only available for individuals on organized panel sessions.  Individual Paper proposers are not eligible for this grant funding.  However, graduate students with an accepted individual paper proposals to the in-person Seattle conference are eligible to receive the Graduate Student travel stipend.

My individual paper proposal was accepted. Now what?

You will receive the name of your panel session and the name of your panel chair.  Your panel chair will contact you with the next steps.


Travel Funding

One of my participants is in need of Travel Funding. Does the AAS offer travel stipends and how do I apply?

See the Call for Proposal instructions for full information regarding travel grants.  You may request an AAS International Exchange Travel grant funding within the main Call for Proposals application. The travel funding request can only be submitted by the organizer or submitter of the proposal.

Is there travel funding available for students?

Yes. The AAS offers two options for funding for students. All students accepted to present in person on the AAS program will automatically receive a small travel stipend of at least $200. The final amount varies depending on the number of students on the program but the minimum amount is $200. Students must live more than 100 miles away from the conference venue and must be registered by the posted participant deadline. No application is required to receive the Graduate Student Travel Stipend. Students are also eligible to receive the AAS International Exchange Travel grant. However, students may not receive funding from both sources.

More than one of my panel participants is in need of travel funding?  Can I apply for more than one person?

We can only accept a request for one individual per session.  However, you may request to split the funding.  This means, you must officially submit one name for the grant but in your comments section can request to split the award between two individuals.  The $2000 award maximum amount still applies. The grants are awarded based on travel location and amounts will not be increased to accommodate two or more people splitting the award. 

What is the deadline for submitting an AAS International Exchange Travel Grant request?

All travel grant requests must be received by the August 3, 2023 deadline.  A grant request should be submitted within the main application.

I already submitted the proposal but I have just learned my participant would like to apply for an AAS International Exchange Travel Grant.  Can I update my proposal?

Yes, you may log in to the proposal application and edit your request.  We cannot accept requests after the panel proposal deadline.

I am submitting an Individual Paper Proposal; can I apply for travel funding?

No.  AAS International Exchange Travel Grants are available only to individuals participating in organized sessions (see Call for Papers for more details). However, students accepted to present an individual paper are eligible to receive the Graduate Student Travel Stipend.


Deadlines

When is the proposal submission deadline?

ALL proposals must be submitted no later than August 3, 2023, 5:00pm EST deadline. NO EXCEPTIONS or EXTENSIONS will be made. 

When is the registration deadline for panel participants?

All accepted participants must pre-register by the posted deadline (see Call for Proposals) and/or registration page. 

Why does the participant pre-registration deadline differ from the general conference registration deadline?

The AAS has strict guidelines regarding participants and registration.  All participants must pre-register by the posted deadline in order to have their name printed in the conference program.  The conference program goes into production in December in order to be formatted, printed and shipped in time for the annual conference in March. 


Proposal Decisions

What are the most important areas I should consider when organizing my session proposal?

Session organizers are advised to diversify their session proposal.  Multi-disciplinary and/or multi-institutional representation, as well as gender balance and a combination of junior and senior scholars, is strongly encouraged for all proposals.

Who makes the final decisions to accept proposals?

The Program Committee reviews all proposals and selects the sessions to be held at the upcoming annual meeting. The committee consists of 10 members appointed by each of the AAS Area Councils. These 10 members are divided into subcommittees for each area (China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, South Asia and Southeast Asia, and Inter-area/Border Crossing. These subcommittees will review all session and individual papers submitted within each area. There are 2-4 Individual Paper panels formed within each area of study and a member of the program committee will chair these sessions.

How/when will I be notified if my Paper/Panel Proposal has been accepted?

The Program Committee will meet virtually in September and session organizers and individual paper proposal submitters will be notified of final decisions after the meeting. Generally, all participants listed on accepted proposals are copied but session organizers have the final responsibility of notifying the members of the proposal panel of the Program Committee’s decision.  If you do not receive an official decision notification by September 30, 2023, it may be because you did not complete the submission process properly, your email address may be listed incorrectly, or your email may have blocked the automated message. Additionally, session organizer may log in to their submission application to check the status of the application.  The proposal decisions will be marked once the data has been updated.  Please email the conference manager at aasconference@asianstudies.org. 

My proposal/paper was accepted. Now what?

All individuals on accepted panel proposals or individual paper proposals are now considered participants.  All participants will receive an informational email regarding their participation and next steps, including registration information and full session information.

Do I need to submit my full paper?

The AAS does not require or accept full papers for the conference. We do not print or sell papers.  However, the abstracts from panel sessions at previous conferences are posted on our website. If your session format includes the pre-distribution of session papers; the AAS can upload the papers in advance to the Itinerary website.  Please contact the conference manager for more information.

May I make changes to my panel after my panel has been accepted?

The AAS will accept only the following changes to panels after acceptance: 1) Personal address and affiliation information; 2) Panel/Paper title and minor abstract edits and updates; 3) Replacement names for participants that have withdrawn from the panel.  We will not accept NEW and additional participants to accepted sessions. 

Don’t see your question here? Contact us at AASConference@asianstudies.org