Charta of the Nanotube (NT) Conference Series

1. Purpose.

The purpose of the NT conference series is to promote scientific progress, to stimulate free exchange of ideas, and to publicize progress in nanotube sciences.

2. Target attendance.

2.1 NT conferences are open to all interested and active in nanotube research.

2.2 The number of attendees or presentations per attendee may be limited to maintain the informal spirit of communication. Young researchers are treated with higher priority.

3. Format.

3.1 The organizers will assist in maximizing opportunities for sharing knowledge in an informal atmosphere.

3.2 NT conferences are held in one single plenary session. Parallel sessions are to be avoided.

3.3 Presentations of problems and needs is encouraged as much as presentation of solutions.

3.4 Contributions play a key role at NT conferences. At least half the conference time shall be devoted to contributed presentations.

4. Contributed presentations.

4.1 To provide maximum exposure to contributed results, contributors are invited to summarize their findings in a Poster format. The main purpose of Poster presentations is to facilitate asynchronous scientific discussions related to each specific contribution. It is desirable to have all posters on display during the entire conference.

4.2 The organizers secure adequate time and space for poster sessions. Creative ways to enhance communications, including refreshments, are encouraged.

4.3 Poster+ sessions, consisting of brief 2 minute/2 viewgraph summaries of contributions, may precede Poster sessions, to enhance the exchange of information in a balanced manner. All contributors are encouraged to expose their findings to everyone in this way if Poster+ sessions are offered.

4.4 At large conferences, Poster+ presentations may be substituted by a brief overview of the topic of a focussed poster session, presented by an expert in the field at the beginning of the session. Referring to specific contributions in the session, the Poster Chair should summarize the major progress, the major obstacles, and desirable future directions in the field. Ideally, this should occur in a democratic manner, representing all/most contributions. All contributors are encouraged to communicate their findings to their assigned Poster Chair for presentation well ahead of the conference.

5. Invited presentations.

5.1 Invited presentations are selected in a democratic way by members of the advisory board. Presentation of invited talks is reserved for leading, active researchers, not their substitutes. The selection of topics and speakers should reflect the most significant progress and cover the entire active nanotube field. The advisors will resist pressure to select invited talks on other grounds than scientific merit.

5.2 NT conference organizers should generally avoid inviting the same presenter at two consecutive conferences. To avoid conflicts of interest, the organizers should generally avoid inviting contributions of organizers and advisory board members.

6. Venue.

6.1 To pay respect to the international character of nanotube research, two consecutive meetings should not be held on the same continent.

6.2 The conference should preferentially be held a location associated with or close to an institution active in nanotube research.

6.3 Convenience of the conference facilities is preferred to luxury. Modest conference accommodations are to be preferred to reduce the conference expenses of participants and to encourage attendance.

7. Financial matters.

7.1 NT conferences are organized in a non-profit way. The organizers undertake any reasonable efforts to secure external sponsorship covering local and travel expenses of invited speakers, support student attendance, and reduce the conference fee. Any excess revenue is passed on to organizers of the sequel conference.

8. Miscellaneous.

8.1 NT organizers promote the spirit of informal communication also by providing name badges to participants. Both first and family names should be spelled out and printed in an easily legible, large font. Academic titles should be avoided.

9. Regulation.

All issues related to the organization of Nanotube Conferences are regulated by the Steering Committee of Nanotube Conferences (SCNC).