Frequently Asked Questions
Conference Logistics
When is the 2012 NSF CMMI Engineering Research and Innovation Conference?
The conference will take place July 9 – July 12, 2012. The conference will be held along with the George E. Brown Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Quake Summit 2012.
Are there hotel rooms available for conference attendees?
Rooms have been reserved at the Boston Marriott Copley Place, The Colonnade Hotel, and The Westin Copley Place Hotel for registrants attending the NSF CMMI 2012 Research and Innovation Conference. Please refer to the hotel information section of the CMMI Conference website for more information.
How can I receive updates about the conference?
You can request to receive email updates by submitting your information.
Conference Content
What is the schedule for the conference?
Please review the conference agenda for information on the schedule of activities.
Is it possible to view agendas from previous years?
Yes, please check out the conference archives to view past agendas.
Does the combination of the George E. Brown Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Quake Summit 2012 affect scheduling for the CMMI conference in any way?
The CMMI conference officially will begin at 12:00 pm on Monday, July 9th with an opening plenary session and will conclude at around 1:00 pm on Wednesday, July 11th with the closing plenary session. In addition, there are some pre/post-conference workshops, technical tours, program director office hours, and/or additional poster session presentation slots scheduled for Sunday, July 8th, the morning of Monday, July 9th, and the afternoon of Wednesday, July 11th. For more information on the CMMI Conference schedule, please review the conference agenda.
Quake Summit 2012, the George E. Brown Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation’s (NEES) annual meeting, officially will begin at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, July 11th with an opening plenary session and will conclude at 5:00 pm on Thursday, July 12th with the closing plenary session. In addition, there are several pre-activities scheduled for Sunday, July 8th through the morning of Wednesday, July 11th. For more information on the 2012 Quake Summit schedule, please review the program.
Attendance, Registration, and Fees
How do I know if I am expected to attend the CMMI Conference?
Each program director has determined which of the portfolio of active awards from his or her program(s) are required to attend the conference and present a poster of their CMMI-funded research. Grantees that are required to attend were notified by NSF in February.
Grantees not contacted by their program are not required to attend/present a poster of the NSF-funded research, but are welcome to do so. Researchers with active awards in more than one CMMI program must follow the instructions of each of their cognizant program directors.
Is there a registration fee for the conference?
Yes. The total cost to attend the conference is $325. This figure includes a conference registration fee of $250 and a social fee of $75.
Do I have to pay the social fee if I do not want to attend the social events?
Yes. Everyone is required to pay the social fee, as it is a part of the total fee to attend the conference. The fees are separated for accounting purposes.
My spouse and/or family will be in Boston during this conference. Can they attend any of the sessions, tours, and/or events?
Most events are for registered conference participants only. However, participants are welcome to purchase additional tickets for their guests to attend the networking reception at the Museum of Science on the evening of Tuesday, July 10th, as well as the Boston Harbor Cleanup—An Environmental Transformation Technical Tour on the evening of Sunday, July 8th.
Additional tickets for the networking reception at the Museum of Science will cost $75 for attendees 16 and over, $25 for children from 6 to 15 years old, and will be complimentary for children 5 and under. Additional tickets for the Boston Harbor Technical Tour will cost $25 each. Additional guest tickets for both events will be available for purchase during the online conference registration process.
Is there a registration deadline, or can I register the day of the event?
Online registration will be available through June 15, 2022. After the June 15th deadline, registration will only be available onsite at the conference beginning on Monday, July 9th. Anyone registering for the conference onsite will incur a late fee of $150, bringing the total cost for onsite registration to $475.
If I am already registered for the conference and would like to modify or cancel my registration, how can I do this?
Once you have registered for the conference, you may add additional technical tours, as well as additional guest tickets to the Museum of Science Networking Reception and the Boston Harbor Technical Tour, by following the instructions in your confirmation email.
If you need to cancel your overall registration, any technical tours, or any guest event tickets previously purchased, please contact ESI’s Meeting Coordinator, Michelle Rasper, at [email protected]. Please note that cancellations cannot be made online and must be processed directly through Michelle.
What is the refund policy for conference fees?
If you cancel your registration on or before June 15th, you will be refunded the total cost of your registration minus a $25 administrative fee. Any cancelled registrations after June 15th will not be refunded. If you need to cancel your any portion of your registration and/or request a refund, please contact ESI’s Meeting Coordinator, Michelle Rasper, at [email protected].
Technical Tours
What technical tours are being offered at this year’s conference?
Detailed information about all technical tours is provided on the technical tour page of the conference website.
Do I need to register in advance for the technical tours?
Yes. Technical tours can be reserved online during the registration process.
Are the technical tours open to spouses/family/guests?
Due to very limited capacities for the technical tours, most are only open to registered conference attendees. However, guests are welcome to attend the Boston Harbor Technical Tour on the evening of Sunday, July 8th. Additional tickets for the Boston Harbor Technical Tour will cost $25 each and are available for purchase during the online conference registration process.
Social Events
What social events are being offered during the CMMI Conference?
One networking reception will be hosted at Northeastern University on the evening of Monday, July 9th. An additional networking reception will be held on the evening of Tuesday, July 10th, at the Museum of Science. The 2012 CMMI Conference will not include a conference banquet.
Posters
Are all conference participants required to submit and present a poster?
CMMI Grantees that were notified by NSF in February that they are required to attend the conference are expected to present the planned/progress/results of their funded research during one specific poster session. During this time, grantees will have the opportunity to interact with their program director(s) and other grantees in their program, as well as other researchers from across CMMI. Although grantees are only required to attend to their posters during their assigned poster session time, all posters should be on display for the duration of the conference. In addition to presenting a paper poster during the conference, these grantees are also required to upload their posters into the online poster submission and viewing system prior to arriving onsite at the conference.
When will the poster session schedule be available?
CMMI grantees that are required to attend the conference will receive notification when the poster session schedule has been posted on the conference website. Please note that all poster presentation time assignments have been determined by NSF Program Directors and therefore cannot be adjusted.
How do I submit my virtual poster?
You will receive an email within 24 hours of completion of the online registration process with instructions on how to submit your virtual poster. Participants will not be able to access the virtual poster submission system until after the have successfully registered for the conference.
When will I be notified of my poster location?
CMMI grantees that are required to attend the conference will receive notification when the poster session floor plan and space assignments have been posted on the conference website.
