HACKING THE BRAIN:

The Intersection of Art and Neuroscience

What art and science achieve together that neither could accomplish alone

November 5 – 8, 2020
A Virtual Event

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Submission Deadline

11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, July 31, 2020

Sigma Xi is pleased to invite abstract submissions for its virtual Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference, featuring the interdisciplinary theme Hacking the Brain: The Intersection of Art and Neuroscience.

This conference will showcase emerging trends and challenges across a broad spectrum of topics, including multidisciplinary science/art collaborations, behavioral sciences, creative arts therapies, neuroscience of aesthetic experience, data visualization, communicating science through arts, brain’s response to music, and innovative strategies for integrating arts in STEM education and research. The event brings together cross-disciplinary thought leaders, artists, communicators, and innovators working at the intersections of arts, sciences, medicine, technology, engineering, mathematics, and education to provide complementary perspectives on how the convergence of arts and sciences can advance scientific endeavors.

The Program Committee invites submissions for sessions and presentations including symposia, oral and/or poster research presentations, panel discussions, and workshops. Conference program submissions are open to all researchers, engineers, technologists, ethicists, artists, and communicators worldwide. Contributed sessions will be scheduled for November 6-7, 2020. Membership in Sigma Xi is not required for submissions.

Submit an Abstract

Conference Tracks

The Program Committee invites multi- and interdisciplinary abstracts for virtual symposia, workshops, panel discussions, and individual professional research presentations in the following conference tracks:

See

Sessions and presentations on neural and computational mechanisms of vision and their relation to visual arts, visual communication, data visualization, and vision algorithms and their relation to signal processing , computer-based vision, and robotic vision.

Hear

Sessions on computational and experimental methodologies that investigate brain’s response to performing, composing, or listening to music, and the use of sounds in art and communication

Move

Sessions that examine how neuroscience and cognitive science inform artificial intelligence & robotics design and the application of movements such as dance as a therapeutic tool for neurological disorders

Science Communication, Education, and Public Engagement

Sessions on communicating science through different forms of arts, successful examples of integrating arts and humanities in STEM education, evaluation strategies for such integrative approaches, and best practices for STEAM learning

Research Enterprise and Professional Development

Sessions that highlight integration of arts in basic and translational research, methodologies of translational research, cultivating effective interdisciplinary collaborations, leadership training, science policy, publishing, mentorship, and diversity.

Research Ethics

Sessions on ethical challenges facing the research community, ethics of artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, how neurotechnology may be used to affect human behavior, and the relationship between science and human rights.

Submission Types

1. Symposia

Symposia proposal are accepted in any of the tracks described above. Each symposium should consist of a series of research presentations focused on one of the conference topics, emphasizing relevant issues, and featuring speakers from multiple institutions. Symposia will be held concurrently; with each symposium featuring any combination of the following formats:

Formal 20-minute talks
Short 10-minute flash talks
TED-style talks
Interactive demos

Symposium Length: Symposia organizers will choose either 60- or 90-minutes time blocks based on their proposed content.

Symposium Chair: Abstract submitter will serve as the symposium chair, the main contact, and liaison between the program committee and symposium participants. The chair will collect abstracts for the symposium, introduce speakers, and facilitate discussions with the audience.

2. Workshops

Abstracts are accepted on any of the six tracks described above. Workshops should include interactive activities and opportunities to engage participants in an active learning environment. Workshops may be facilitated by one presenter or a team of presenters. Abstracts should include biographies of workshop presenter(s). Workshops may run for 60- or 90-minutes.

3. Panel Discussions

Abstracts for panel discussions are accepted on any of the six tracks described above. Each panel will be facilitated by a moderator and feature 3-4 panelists who will offer perspectives on the topic and address questions from the audience. The organizer may or may not serve as the panel moderator. Abstracts should include biographies of the moderator and proposed panelists.

4. Professional Research Presentations Abstracts

Abstracts for oral and poster presentations are accepted on any of the six tracks described above. Poster presentations in general research areas that reflect the multidisciplinary membership of Sigma Xi are also accepted. Oral presentations will run for 20 minutes, including Q&A, and will be integrated in one of the conference tracks based on the subject matter.

Review Criteria

All submissions will be peer reviewed by the Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference Program Committee. The committee reserves the right to accept, decline, or suggest edits on all submissions. Abstracts will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

Content

Relevance to the meeting theme and tracks
Contributions to advancement of knowledge in the field of interest
Application of innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to address research questions
Appeal to broader audiences

Structure and Organization

Variety and creativity of presentation formats
Opportunities to engage conference participants
Comprehensive coverage of the proposed topic
For symposia proposals, diversity of proposed speakers

Submission Guidelines

Accepted abstracts may be published on the virtual event platform, meeting's website, and in the meeting app. All submissions are accepted through the Call for Submissions form and should include the following information:

Name, institution, email, position, and mailing address of the organizer and co-organizer, if applicable
Biographies of organizers and co-organizers, if applicable

Additional Specific Guidelines

Symposia abstracts should include:

Symposium description: the description is limited to 500 words and should focus on the theme of the session and how it relates to the conference’s overarching theme and broad, multidisciplinary audience.
List of suggested speakers: name, institution, position, and email
Session format
Session length

Panel discussion abstracts should include:

Session abstract, limited to 250 words
Name, professional affiliation, and biography of the panel moderator. Panel organizer may serve as the moderator.
List of proposed panelists (name, institution, position, and email) and their biographies

Workshop abstracts should include:

Workshop description, limited to 250 words
Name, professional affiliation, and biography of facilitator(s)

Research presentations abstracts should include:

Presentation format: poster, oral, or both
Abstract, limited to 250 words
List of co-authors (name, institution, and email)

Important Dates

Friday, July 31, 2020: Deadline to submit abstracts. Decision notifications will be sent by August 31.

Call for Submissions