The RSE Conference is a community conference intended for networking and collaboration in the RSE community. We value the participation of each and every member of our community and want all attendees to have an enjoyable, welcoming, and fulfilling experience. Accordingly, all attendees are expected to show respect and courtesy to other attendees throughout the conference and at all conference events, whether officially sponsored by UK RSE or not.
To make clear what is expected, all delegates/attendees, speakers, exhibitors, organisers and volunteers at any RSE event are required to conform to the conference Code of Conduct. Organisers and volunteers will enforce this code throughout the event and we will publish detailed policies and procedures for the enforcement of the Code of conduct and reporting of misconduct closer to the event. We will also make a public (and anonymised) report of the number of incidents and outcomes present during the event (if any).
Underrepresented groups in the RSE community
It’s not simply iniquitous that the underrepresented groups of our community – for example, women, people of non-European descent, people with disabilities, people coming from certain research disciplines – find it harder to participate in the community and its events: their participation is vital to its health and needed now more than ever.
If you belong to one of these or any other under-represented groups in our community, we’re especially keen to have you at the RSE Conference. We want to help redress the imbalance, make a clear statement about your value to the community and affirm your position as a first-class citizen of it.
Mobility
RSE2019 will be held in two connected buildings, the Bramall Music Hall and the Aston Webb Great Hall and one building close by for workshops on the Thursday, Nuffield Building.
The Dome Lecture Theatre in the Aston Webb building does NOT have wheelchair access and is only accessible via two sets of stairs.
Otherwise, the venue has:
- Step-free access from the street and car-parks.
- Step-free access to halls and meeting rooms.
- Toilets suitable for wheelchair users
Please contact the diversity chair, Tania Allard [email protected], to discuss any particular accessibility needs or concerns you might have.
There is information about accessibility for the two connected buildings at DisabledGo:
Visual impairments
Preferred seating will be provided and reserved for the visually-impaired. Please contact us about any lighting requirements you may have, and we will do our best to meet them.
Similarly, if you would benefit from having a close-up display of presenters’ slides and screens, or from the provision of any assistive technology, just let us know.
Guide dogs are welcome at the conference and social events.
Hearing loops
All lecture theatres have hearing loops.
Conference diversity
We’re actively seeking to increase the diversity of our attendees, topics presented, speakers, and sponsors through our calls for proposals, other open submission processes, and through dialogue with the RSE community.
This is an ongoing process. We are talking to our program chairs, program committees, and various innovators, experts, and organizations about this goal and about ways they can help us achieve it.
We are providing clear submission guidelines and sample submissions to make the submission and selection process as transparent and friendly as possible. We are also providing mentorship to those requiring additional help or guidance.
Help Encourage Diversity
Here are some ways you can help us build a more diverse conference experience:
- Recommend appropriate speakers and/or program committee members to the conference chairs. Recommendations of speakers from commonly underrepresented voices in our community are particularly welcome. You may also send an email to the RSE conference committee.
- Forward our call for proposals to relevant affinity groups with the message that we are looking for a diverse speaker roster.
- Suggest to potential speakers that they submit a proposal during our Call for Proposals conference phase (see the speaker page for details).
- Suggest ways that the onsite conference experience can be more welcoming and supportive, free from intimidation and marginalization.
- Share your ideas and best practices for how we can realize our vision.
Is something missing?
Have we neglected something you need, or is there something not mentioned here that would make your attendance possible, or improve your experience of the event? Please let us know. We’ll do what can to provide it.