F.A.Q

What is the SciMED PhD Conference and where will it take place?

The PhD conference will take place on September 22nd, 23rd and 24th, 2021 in Champéry (Switzerland). The SciMed PhD Conference 2021 will be the second joint retreat between the Life Sciences PhD students of the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Medicine, where students will have the opportunity to present their work via talks, flash talks or posters and engage in discussions with the invited speakers. The conference brings together leading researchers, academics and scientists to provide an intellectual platform to exchange state-of-the-art knowledge and foster learning, inspiration and scientific discussions through lectures, forums and workshops. 

Do I have to cover any costs during the Conference?

The SciMed PhD conference is organized by and for PhD students. The Committee collects funding from sponsors and UNIGE to cover all costs of the students except the optional social activities and travel in a different schedule from the one proposed. 

How does the transport work between Geneva-Champéry and Champéry-Geneva?

We will leave Geneva at 7:00am by bus (details regarding the meeting point will be given prior to the conference). All the students should arrive 15 min before departure time. We have a tight schedule to follow and we would be grateful to have your collaboration.

Do I need a COVID certificate or test to enter in the event? 

The PhD retreat will follow the Protection plan of the hotel in Champéry according to the cantonal rules (Canton Valais).

As the students won’t be able to keep a social distance of 1.50m, masks must be worn all the time throughout the event. Exceptions include students presenting talks and flash talks and, of course, while eating in lunches, dinners, coffee breaks. 

All the students must have the proper certificate (passeport sanitaire), in case you are fully vaccinated by the time ; and if not, you will have to present a certificate of either a PCR test carried out within the last 72 hours or a rapid antigen test carried out within the last 24 hours. The canton of Geneva is covering the expenses for rapid antigen test, more info in https://www.ge.ch/en/covid-19-get-tested. 

How does check-in and registration at the hotel work?

Upon arrival at Palladium Hotel, the committee members will welcome you to perform your registration process (covid certificate/negative PCR test, presentations on USB key). You will be able to store your luggage in Hotel Palladium until check-in.

The check-in will be done during the lunch time of the 22nd (Wednesday). You will have 1h15 to have lunch and do the check-in in the hotel you were allocated (Palladium or Hotel Suisse). 

How are the meals organized?

Due to Covid-19 measures, sanitary rules have been taken to ensure all attendees’ safety: Breakfasts are included and served at the hotel you stay at. Lunches and dinners will be served in two different restaurants (Palladium restaurant and At’ home restaurant), both serving the same meals with respect to your diet wishes. Each attendee will be assigned to a restaurant randomly and will be given this information upon registration.

How will the parallel sessions work? 

Most of the conference sessions will take place in Hotel Palladium. However, the parallel sessions and workshops will take place in different rooms within Hotel Palladium or in the Centre Paroissial et Culturel, which is located 5 min walk from Hotel Palladium. Between the sessions there is a small break of 15 min allowing you to move. You will receive a map of the area soon.

Where can I find the program and schedule? 

You can find the final programme and schedule in our social media (Follow us on https://twitter.com/unigeSciMedPhD) and the website ( https://www.unige.ch/lifesciencesphd/retreat/2021/). 

How will the flash talks be organized? 

The flash talks order will be randomized. You will know in advance when you will be presenting. In this session all flash students should sit down at the front line in Multipurpose hall and will be called by the order given in the schedule. 

How will the poster sessions be organized? 

The attendees are invited to place their posters on the poster walls with the number attributed to each student during transition time (refer to schedule). Your peers and speakers will be listening to your poster presentation in a casual and chatty atmosphere. This is a great opportunity for discussion, idea-generation and networking!

Are there prizes for the presenters?

Sure! Awards will be granted to the best and second best talk, flash talk and poster. Winners for best talks, flash talks and posters are selected by a public vote of all attendees. 

What type of social activities are available?

SciMed 2021 organizing committee is happy to announce the COSTUME PARTY on 23rd (Thursday) evening. Costumes are mandatory! To make things more fun, you have to find a costume starting with either a “P” , “H” or “D”.

In Champéry there are plenty of options for outdoor as well as indoor activities. We are planning an easy-intermediate hike in the afternoon which will be for free. 

In addition, Champéry offers a wide variety of activities that you can do in a small or big group. Those ones will have to be at your charge. The activities are: 

1) Mountain Scooter: 60 CHF for 2 descents / person

2) E-bike with guide: 80 CHF / person

3) Treetop adventure: 31.5 CHF / person

On this website (https://www.organicadventurepark.ch/fr) you can find further information. 

Will I get a certificate of attendance?

All the students will get a certificate of attendance which accounts for a given number of ECTs (e.g. in the BIOMED programme it accounts for 0.5 ECTs per attendance). Please check your PhD programme accreditation system for further information. 

Am I eligible to obtain credits for continuous education for animal experimentation 3R?

Attendees giving a talk are eligible to obtain 3R credits. We are also trying to obtain credits for continuous education for animal experimentation. In order for this to happen we kindly ask all students presenting a talk to send us a short email explaining how their project is contributing to the 3R (Replace, Reduce, Refine) principle. Deadline: Friday 12th September. For more information visit: https://naturalsciences.ch/topics/animal_experimentation/introduction/3rs_principles 

How can I be part of the Organizing Committee of the next SciMed PhD Conference?

Although we will send an official email to ask for your interest in being part of the Committee, do not hesitate to approach the SciMed 2021 Committee to express your interests and ask any questions, we will be happy to hear and help you.

 

The SciMED PhD Committee 2021,
Audrey Noireterre, Elena Delfino, Felipe Espinoza, Ghazal Shammas, Inês Pinheiro, Jiabin Xu, Laura Iglesias Olle, Mireia Andreu Carbo.