As the news about the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve and while some major events are being cancelled or postponed in Europe, we want to reassure you that preparations for the ICN in Portugal are still ongoing (www.neuroethology2020.com). However, if the current situation worsens, we may be forced to postpone the congress until the northern summer of 2021. To allow us time to monitor developments and to assess the potential need for postponement, we have extended the Early-Bird Registration and Abstract Submission deadlines to May 1, 2020. For those applying for Heiligenberg Student Travel Awards, the Capranica Neuroethology Prize, the Konishi Neuroethology Award, the Developing Neuroethology Awards, the Young Investigator Awards or who intend to nominate someone for Fellow of the International Society of Neuroethology, the submission deadlines for all these awards have also been extended to May 1, 2020.
Our main concern, as the organizers of this Congress, is the health and safety of all those attending, and we are monitoring the situation very closely. We are following the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and we are taking all security measures according to the WHO travel guidelines, which includes a sanitary plan for preventative care.
If we do, indeed, postpone the ICN until the following summer, registration fees will be returned to those who have already registered.
We will decide in mid-April whether we will postpone the ICN. At that time, we will notify all congress registrants, and all members of the International Society of Neuroethology, of our decision via email and social media. Our recommendation is to delay registering for the congress until this notification.
Eric Warrant,
President of the International Society of Neuroethology
On behalf of the ISN Executive Committee and the ICN 2020 Organising and Program Committees
