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Men and women sitting around tables at the Brisbane ECR evening event participating in the pub quiz.
>Events Calendar > Options XIII Conference for the Control of Influenza > ECR Events

ECR Events

ECR Social Event

Early-Career Researchers (ECRs) are invited to unwind, connect, and have some fun at our exclusive social evening on Sunday 30 August 2026.

Hosted in the private Beer Lab at the Marriott Marquis hotel, Washington DC (not open to the public), this free event includes a pre-loaded drinks card, pizza, and a lively pub quiz – perfect for meeting fellow ECRs also attending the Options XIII meeting.

Spaces are limited, so be sure to register your interest early (and by July 31st) — places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

ECR Evening Event Interest Form
Men and women sitting at tables participating in the ECR evening pub quiz in Brisbane, 2024.

ECR Lunchtime Workshop

This interactive workshop is designed to demystify the academic publishing process for students and Early Career Researchers (ECRs) and will run as an interactive format. Through a panel discussion with experts in publishing, participants will gain practical, experience-based insights into how manuscripts are prepared, reviewed, the role of the editor, and ultimately accepted or rejected.

This session will be a 1-hour slot on Wednesday lunchtime (2nd September) and is designed to be informal with some introductory remarks from a panel of speakers. The panel is designed in a way that it covers all aspects of publishing, with representation across gender and inclusion of participants from diverse backgrounds and will consist of:

  1. An experienced mid-career scientist – to discuss how/when they decide a study is ready for publication and how they prepare a manuscript (Dr Seema Lakdawala)
  2. A publisher – to explain what desk rejections are and how they can be avoided while preparing the manuscript (Amanda Williams, CEO ISRV and former member of the Nature Publishing group)
  3. A peer reviewer – to share how manuscripts are evaluated during peer-review and what they think make it a strong or weak manuscript (Professor Ben Cowling)
  4. A journal editor (from society journal) – to explain the editor’s role, the decision-making process, and how to navigate positive and negative reviews, while also raising awareness of the society journal (Ian Barr, IORV Editor in Chief)
  5. Chair – Dr Carolien van der Sandt

Learning goals

By the end of this workshop participants will understand the full process of getting a manuscript published including:

  • How to prepare a manuscript for publication
  • Understand common reasons for desk rejections and how to avoid them
  • Understand the role of peer reviewers and what they are looking for in a strong manuscript
  • Understand the role of the journal publisher and editor in the publication process
  • How to handle negative reviews (or rejections) and if it is possible to turn them around
  • How to write a strong cover letter
  • The benefits or disadvantages of recommending reviewers

Timing and access of the workshop

The session will be run during the lunch break of the conference on the 2nd September, so students and ECRs do not miss out on any of the main conference sessions. The session will only be open for students and ECRs.

Register your interest early (and by July 31st) — places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Register your interest to attend the ECR workshop at Options XIII

ECRs are defined as individuals who have a maximum of 8 years (whole-time equivalent) of professional experience following the completion of their highest academic degree (e.g., PhD, MD, Master of Public Health) or equivalent.

If you have any questions about the ECR events at Options XIII, please contact us at schools@isrv.global.