31st Fungal Genetics Conference
31st Fungal Genetics Conference
Updated March 16, 2022.
GSA is committed to providing a safe environment for conference attendees, staff, exhibitors, vendors, and others on site at our meetings. On January 24, 2022, the GSA Executive Committee decided to move ahead with plans to hold #Fungal22 in-person and online. To help minimize risks and promote a safe environment at the in-person conference, some Health & Safety policies have been adapted or added to reflect current best practices. Please see below for full details on vaccination and testing requirements and other onsite protocols.
Vaccination requirement
All participants at the in-person 2022 conferences—presenters, attendees, exhibitors, staff members, guests, and vendors—will be required to be fully vaccinated, including a booster if eligible*, at least 14 days prior to the start of the meeting on March 15, 2022. If you are registered as an in-person attendee and have not yet received a booster, you must receive a booster no later than February 27, 2022. You will be asked for proof of vaccination. Proof of vaccination is your vaccination card (photo is acceptable) from the healthcare provider. Please review our COVID-19 FAQs for information on uploading your proof of vaccination (Note that you will need to upload your proof of vaccination and proof of a negative test at the same time).
GSA revised this vaccination mandate to include a booster after carefully considering recent data and the impact of the Omicron variant. This policy is meant to ensure that in-person attendees are as optimally protected against COVID-19 as possible, in accordance with current CDC guidance. Our top priority is to create the safest possible meeting environment.
*If you are not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine booster by February 27, 2022 because of limited access in your country of residence, time since your second vaccine dose, or a documented medical exemption, please contact mahoney@genetics-gsa.org with the subject line “#Fungal22 booster exception” to request an exception.
All CDC and WHO authorized vaccines are acceptable for meeting the vaccination requirement for the in-person conference. Approved vaccines include:
If you are unable to meet the vaccination requirement, we invite you to register for or change your registration type to virtual attendance and participate in the streaming, online, and on-demand programming. Please contact mahoney@genetics-gsa.org if you have any questions.
Testing requirement
In-person attendees must provide proof of a negative test or recovery from COVID-19. In addition to proof of vaccination, all in-person attendees must provide proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of the conference start date, March 15, 2022. We do not recommend but will accept a negative rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours. Rapid tests must be performed at a pharmacy, healthcare provider, or under telehealth supervision.
Attendees who have recently recovered from COVID-19 may instead provide proof of a positive COVID-19 viral test result taken no more than 90 days prior to the conference start date AND a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or public health official verifying that the attendee is cleared to travel.
In-person attendees will be required to upload their negative test results or proof of recovery documentation to 42Chat within 72 hours prior to your arrival at the conference. (Note that you will need to upload your proof of vaccination and proof of a negative test at the same time). Attendees will receive an email on March 11 with a QR code to upload their documentation. If a registrant is arriving early to attend a pre-meeting workshop, the negative test must be within 72 hours of the start of the workshop, not the Fungal Genetics Conference.
Onsite testing
Onsite PCR testing will be available for a fee and by appointment for in-person attendees who need or want to be tested for COVID-19 (e.g., to comply with international travel regulations). We encourage attendees to bring rapid antigen test kits for self-testing during the conference. GSA will supply complimentary rapid antigen tests to attendees who feel unwell or experience symptoms while onsite; rapid tests will be delivered to the attendee’s room on request to minimize contact. If you begin to feel unwell while on site, please stay in your room and contact Asilomar Guest Services at (831) 241-1158 and gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org to arrange for a rapid test to be delivered to your room.
A health care professional will be at Asilomar to administer antigen and PCR tests to those who have made an appointment.
Onsite Testing Hours (Marlin)
Thursday, March 17 – 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Friday, March 18 – 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 19 – 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Mask requirement
To promote a safe meeting environment, GSA will require all in-person meeting attendees to wear a mask while in the meeting space. Masks should fit snugly against the face and must completely cover the nose, mouth, and chin.
In accordance with CDC guidance, attendees should wear the most protective masks they can, ideally N95s or KN95s. Learn about the types of masks and their varying levels of protection on CDC’s website. GSA will have a limited supply of complimentary N95 and KN95 masks onsite in Surf and Sand for those who do not have access to high-quality masks.
Social distancing
GSA has implemented procedures to allow for greater social distancing at the in-person conference.
Dining
To reduce the number of people in the dining hall simultaneously, attendees will have the option to pick up boxed meals to dine in their rooms, outdoor spaces, or other areas of Asilomar. Weather permitting, picnic tables will be available to accommodate outdoor dining.
Conference check-in
To reduce long lines at registration, attendees will receive their meeting badges via email prior to the start of the conference to print at home. Only attendees who have uploaded their vaccination status and their COVID testing or recovery documentation will receive their badge covers and lanyards.
Additional safety information
GSA will meet or exceed all federal, state, and local government and venue requirements for masks, social distancing, and other measures.
Please do not travel to or attend the conference if you are sick, have been exposed to anyone with a documented or suspected case of COVID-19 within 10 days, or exhibit any symptoms of COVID-19. If you experience any symptoms before picking up your conference badge covers and lanyards or develop symptoms at any time while onsite, please notify Asilomar Guest Services at 831-241-1158 and gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org for further instructions, and do not enter the conference space.
If you registered to attend the meeting in person but you no longer feel comfortable or are unable to attend, you may change your registration to virtual attendance. There is no fee to change your registration from in-person to online attendance or vice versa. Because of financial obligations we have to the many suppliers who are involved in a meeting, we ask that you make the change to your participation type by January 5, 2022 so that we may plan accordingly. To make this change, please notify mahoney@genetics-gsa.org. You can request this change at any time. However, so that we may plan accordingly, we would appreciate changes to be requested no later than January 5, 2022. GSA will issue a refund for the price difference between in-person registration and virtual registration at the time of your change request. Alternatively, you may choose to donate your refund to help fund registration for participants from low- and middle-income countries. If you have been selected for an oral or poster presentation, please contact Anne Marie Mahoney (mahoney@genetics-gsa.org) to discuss virtual presentation options.
If you registered for virtual attendance but would like to attend the meeting in person, you may change your registration to in-person attendance. To make this change, please notify mahoney@genetics-gsa.org. You can request this change at any time. However, so that we may plan accordingly, we would appreciate changes to be requested no later than January 5, 2022. You will be charged the price difference between virtual registration and in-person registration at the time of your change request. If you have been selected for an oral or poster presentation, please contact Anne Marie Mahoney (mahoney@genetics-gsa.org) to discuss in-person presentation.
Conference Registration Cancellations
We understand that making plans during a pandemic is challenging. Conference registration cancellation requests received by January 5, 2022 are fully refundable and will not incur a cancellation fee. All conference registration cancellations received between January 6, 2022 and February 8, 2022 will incur a $50 cancellation fee. Registration cancellations received on February 9, 2022 or later will not be eligible for a refund.
(Canceling your meeting registration does not cancel your hotel or other travel plans. Please see below for additional information.)
Conference Registration Refunds
To receive a refund, please submit your cancellation request to mahoney@genetics-gsa.org with the word “Refund” in the subject line by February 8, 2022. If you cancel your registration after February 8, 2022, you will not be eligible to receive a refund. For questions, please contact mahoney@genetics-gsa.org.
Cancellation requests received:
There is no fee to change your registration from in-person to online attendance or vice versa. Please note that Anne Marie Mahoney must receive registration participation type change requests no later than January 5, 2022.
Hotel Cancellation
If you need to cancel your hotel reservation, you can do so directly with the hotel.
Airline and Train Cancellations
Many airlines and rail carriers have adjusted their cancellation policies. We highly encourage you to check directly with your carrier for additional information.
Presentation Cancellation
If you are scheduled to present in an oral or poster session, please contact Anne Marie Mahoney (mahoney@genetics-gsa.org) with the subject “Presenter Cancellation” in addition to sending in your cancellation notice.
In-Person Meeting Cancellation
GSA is continuing to monitor the outlook for in-person events and will share updates as they are available. In the unlikely event that GSA must cancel the in-person meeting, all in-person registrants will automatically be converted to virtual attendance. GSA is not liable for any costs incurred by participants due to the cancellation of an in-person event. Participants are strongly encouraged to purchase travel insurance.
This Code of Conduct covers in-person conferences, online conferences, and other online events hosted by GSA. GSA conferences include keynote presentations, concurrent sessions, live poster Q&A, workshops, conference-related Slack channels, and Q&A via Zoom chat.
The Genetics Society of America Conferences foster an international community of geneticists and provide an opportunity to discuss scientific advances and form new collaborations.
GSA values your attendance and wants to make your experience productive and inspiring by fostering an open exchange of ideas in a professional setting. Our Code of Conduct was established to communicate a transparent set of standards and guidelines for acceptable behavior at GSA Conferences and to provide a positive, safe, and welcoming environment for all attendees, vendors, volunteers, and staff.
All conference participants (regardless of their role) are expected to follow the Code of Conduct while attending any portion of the conference, including but not limited to keynote presentations, concurrent sessions, live poster Q&A sessions, workshops, and all conference Slack channels. Because there is also a virtual nature to the conference, our Code of Conduct extends to communications related to the meeting and its attendees, presenters, exhibitors, sponsors, staff, and vendors. These types of communications include Zoom chat, Zoom Q&A window, live poster Q&A, Slack, email, social media, and texts.
Unacceptable Behaviors
Unacceptable behaviors include, but are not limited to:
Taking action or making a report
Need to file a complaint? For instructions on how to confidentially report a Code of Conduct violation, please visit genetics-gsa.ethicspoint.com. In addition, GSA staff is available to assist participants in contacting our Ethics Committee to make a report. Please email Tracey DePellegrin, GSA Executive Director, at tracey.depellegrin@genetics-gsa.org.
Consequences of non-compliance
Anyone asked by GSA staff, Organizer, Session Chair, Workshop Leader, Moderator, Presenter, or Zoom representative to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately. Retaliation toward GSA or toward someone reporting an incident or after experiencing any of the following consequences will not be tolerated and may result in additional sanctions.
The consequences of non-compliance with GSA’s Code of Conduct may include:
Diversity and Inclusion
GSA is committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion to create greater opportunity for any individual to fulfill their scientific potential, irrespective of their background, gender, or circumstances. This diversity leads to innovation by attracting the widest possible talent to the community and fostering a greater diversity of ideas, approaches, and perspectives. The Organizing Committee aims to select speakers and session chairs that represent the breadth and diversity of the discipline and conference participants. GSA especially encourages the Committee to select excellent speakers from groups traditionally underrepresented in science.
Social Media/Photo/Video Policy
Attendees are permitted to live tweet during presentations, unless the speaker explicitly opts out by stating so at the start of their talk. Taking or sharing photos, videos, or reproductions of posters is not permitted unless you have the presenter’s consent. By attending a GSA conference, you grant GSA the right to use your name and likeness for use in GSA educational, news, or promotional materials. All keynote, award, plenary, and platform sessions will be recorded and available for on-demand viewing for a limited time to registered attendees.
Posters
When you view poster materials at the conference, whether in person or via the Conference App, remember that posters are typically works in progress. Please do not cite or reproduce any part of posters without the presenter’s permission.
