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ABIC Annual Community Meeting 2024
ABIC is proud to announce the 3rd Annual ABIC Community Meeting taking place in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire on 2 - 3 December 2024.
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The ABIC Community Meeting is aimed at gathering Africa’s microscopists, biologists, data scientists, and science community developers for a 2-day event focused on empowering fundamental biology research in Africa. This annual meeting provides a platform for the community to share not only their work and research, but also their experiences, challenges, and visions. Through discussion and brainstorming sessions, the meeting aims to strengthen community ties, identify new avenues of action and advocacy, and facilitate dialogue with funders, policymakers, and commercial partners. ​
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Who can attend?
Any member of the bioimaging and microscopy community in Africa is eligible to attend the event in-person. However, there is a maximum venue capacity of 40 people and registration will be based on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Additionally, a number of sessions will be streamed online for participation by those who are unable to attend in-person.
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The meeting is open to all members of the bioimaging and microscopy community in Africa - imaging scientists, analysts, core facility staff, post-graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, PIs, facility directors, staff scientists, as well as funders and policy makers.
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Am I a member of the bioimaging community in Africa?
We consider any scientist in Africa who answers yes to any of the following questions a member of our community:
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Are you passionate about empowering African researchers?
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Do you want to find sustainable approaches to making microscopy more impactful in African life science research?
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Do you believe microscopy and imaging can play a larger role in African research?
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Are you excited by opportunities to use microscopy in your research?
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What will the meeting be about?
The meeting provides a platform for researchers from diverse academic landscapes to:
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share their research, challenges, and visions
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work together in developing goals and strategies that can benefit the community as a whole.
The Community Meeting will focus on pinpointing areas of the research environment in Africa that can benefit from collaborative effort and developing feasible approaches to achieve that.
Registration is free for all attendees, and a limited number of travel fellowships are available that will cover the full cost of air travel and accommodation during the meeting for attendees from anywhere in Africa, on a competitive application basis. Travel sponsorships will be prioritised for individuals who actively contribute to ABIC and the greater research community in Africa. Key sessions of the community meeting will be made available online in a hybrid meeting format, for those who cannot attend in person.
Travel Fellowship application deadline: 13 September 2024
Registration deadline for applicants requiring a VISA letter: 23 October 2024
Registration deadline for in-person attendance: 4 November 2024
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If you would like to attend the event virtually, please also submit a registration application. There is no limit to the number of virtual attendees. Registration deadline for online attendance: 25 November 2024​​
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A meeting program will be provided closer to the time. ​​​​
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There will be a limited number of travel fellowships available that will cover the full cost of air travel and accommodation during the meeting for attendees from anywhere in Africa, on a competitive application basis. Travel sponsorships will be prioritised for individuals who actively contribute to ABIC and the greater research community in Africa. Key sessions of the community meeting will be made available online in a hybrid meeting format, for those who cannot attend in person. ​ Due to ABIC's aim to ensure sustainability of these meetings, the 2025 will have a small registration fee for all in-person participants coming from outside of Egypt. The registration fee covers the cost of participating in the community meeting and includes tea breaks and lunch on each day of the meeting, as well as the celebration dinner. The registration fee does not cover transport and accommodation to attend the meeting. The aim of charging a registration fee is to ensure that we are able to continue hosting these important annual meetings even in the face of the changing funding landscape. We do not want the registration fee to be a barrier for attendance so we have priced it as low as possible while still ensuring hosting costs are covered. The registration fee is as follows: Delegates from Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs): $25 Delegates from high-income countries: $50 Once your registration has been received, we will revert to you with the payment details for the registration fee for in-person attendance. In-person registration is only confirmed once proof of payment of the registration fee is received. There is limited seating for local and international in-person attendance. If you are keen to attend in-person, please register as soon as possible.Â