FAQ on COVID-19 Contingency Plans for GS21

The SIAM Conference on Mathematical and Computational Issues in the Geosciences (GS21) is scheduled for June 21-24, 2021 at the Politecnico di Milano, Italy. We know the immediate future of in-person conferences is currently not clear. Please read the FAQ below for information on how you can plan accordingly for GS21. Learn more about the conference, including deadlines, here. 

1. It is still unclear that conference travel will be back to normal by June 2021.  Should I submit to GS21 or wait for more news?

Presenters unwilling/unable to travel will be allowed to present remotely. We are monitoring the situation and full details will be given by January 2021. You should submit your work under the expectation of having a mode of presentation that is as close as we can provide to the experience of an in-person SIAM conference. 

2. If I attend virtually, will there be a registration fee?

Yes, there will be a fee for participating remotely. Registration fees will be set at the beginning of 2021 

3. It’s likely we’ll still have to consider social distancing.  What will be done in each session to ensure that this is observed?  Some of the rooms can be pretty small and get pretty full.

Politecnico di Milano is committed to implementing all measures to minimize the probability of viral transmission and will follow all necessary rules concerning sanitation of rooms, conference spaces and conference material. Room capacity will be adequate and will account for social distancing if still required. Individual protection material (masks and liquid hand sanitizer) will be provided to participants if required. SIAM will work with Politecnico di Milano and the conference co-chairs to ensure that any adjustments made necessary by these measures do not negatively affect attendees.

4. When will SIAM communicate decisions regarding on-site vs. hybrid format for the meeting?

We expect to be able to give this information by January 2021. We will in any case allow remote presentation if the presenter is unwilling/unable to travel because of the persisting pandemic crisis or its consequences. 

5. Will SIAM post a recommended/required contact tracing application?

At this point, neither SIAM nor Politecnico di Milano is advocating for or against the use of a contact tracing application. There does not currently exist a worldwide common protocol for contact tracing apps. Italy and several EU countries implement the technology of the Immuni app (https://www.immuni.italia.it/) which can be downloaded and activated in most IOS and Android mobile phones.