Source: RISK newsletter,
Second Quarter 1996, published by the Society for Risk Analysis
(Editor’s Note: By request, RISK newsletter is reprinting the operational guidelines approved by the Conferences and Workshops Committee and the SRA Council for all conferences and workshops sponsored or co-sponsored by the Society.)
The Society for Risk Analysis has three classifications for conferences and workshops:
Class 1. SRA organizes and runs the event with complete technical, logistical, and financial responsibilities.
Class 2. SRA co-sponsors and co-organizes the event with other organizations and with financial responsibility.
Class 3. SRA co-sponsors the event without technical or financial responsibility.
Procedures for Requesting Sponsorship. A request for sponsorship of a Class 1 or 2 event should include the following: (1) title of activity and intended location, (2) names of organizers with complete address and telephone and fax numbers, (3) goals, objectives, and importance of the proposed activity, (4) intended audience, (5) outline and dates of the activity, (6) names of principal participants, and (7) a detailed budget. Item 7 must include the number of expected attendees, the fee to be charged, itemized costs for all projected expenditures (including any honoraria), and expected amount of subsidy or financial responsibility to be requested from SRA.
The request for sponsorship of a Class 3 event should include items (1) through (6) above plus the following: names of other sponsoring societies, if any, and a request for access to SRA’s mailing list. (SRA should be compensated for the costs associated with providing the mailing labels.)
The organizer of an approved Class 3 event should clearly acknowledge SRA for its sponsorship.
Committee Reviews. All requests for sponsorship should be sent to the SRA Secretariat, who will distribute them to the committee members. The members will have two weeks to communicate directly to the committee chair whether they approve, reject, request further clarification of, or suggest modifications to a request.
A committee member who votes to reject a request for sponsorship may specify whether he will accept the committee’s majority vote or believes that the reasons for rejection are strong enough to merit a discussion. If the chair cannot reach a consensus with the member, then the committee will decide on the request via a conference telephone call. Unless rejections with strong reasons exist, a majority vote will prevail.
If a request receives approval with a weak majority, the chair may delay or withhold the decision until more committee members are willing to approve it. The chair may also initiate a peer review of a request if the committee needs additional expertise.
SRA Conferences and Workshops Associated with Funded Projects. If an SRA project funded by an outside agency requires that a workshop or conference be conducted as part of the project, the workshop or conference will fall under Class 1.
Committee Members. Members of the Conferences and
Workshops Committee for 1996 are Elizabeth L. Anderson (chair) of
Sciences International Inc., Yacov Y. Haimes (past chair) of
University of Virginia, George Apostolakis of Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Alison C. Cullen of University of
Washington, Robert B. Cumming, consultant, Elaine M. Faustman of
University of Washington, Stanley Kaplan of PLG Inc., Mary B.
Paxton of American Petroleum Institute, Virginia H. Sublet of
University of Cincinnati, and Michael J. Sullivan of Rockwell
International Corporation.