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Call for Educational Programs

National Sleep Foundation
Call for Educational Programs
Deadline: May 31, 2011

Overview
The National Sleep Foundation is issuing a call for educational programs to occur between June 2012 and September 2012 and invites interested educational program Chair candidates to submit proposals by May 31, 2011.  The National Sleep Foundation Conferences (“NSF Conferences”) provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of the science of sleep in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences, and their related technologies. 

Educational Program Conference Proposal
1. The proposal must be emailed to NSFConferences@sleepfoundation.org with email subject line of “NSF Conference Proposal”
2. The conference proposal must include:

a. Conference Title: title of the conference should clearly define the topic

b. Conference Description and Purpose: state a brief description of the conference and its purpose

c. Conference Date(s) and Location: list proposed date(s), location and explanation of why they were selected

d. Conference Format: describe the conference format (e.g., live, lecture, webinar, roundtable, etc.)

e. Proposed Chair’s Biographical Sketch: provide name, affiliation, title, address, email, telephone, and one-page biographical sketch

f. Proposed Faculty: list proposed faculty, faculty’s affiliation, and their talk topics

g. Preliminary Budget: list preliminary budget to include direct costs related to the conference

h. Targeted Funding Sources: list entities from which funding support will be sought

Selection Criteria
The National Sleep Foundation Education Committee will consider all proposals.  Proposals with highest potential for impacting near-term public health, sleep health and safety, public policy and advancing the science of sleep will be given preference.   Some meritorious proposals that are accepted may have delayed implementation pending available resources. 

Expectations of Conference Chair and NSF
The Conference Chair will be expected to program the entire conference, including inviting faculty, managing faculty deliverables (e.g., presentation slides, disclosures, etc.), and raising the funding for the proposed conference.  The National Sleep Foundation will provide the Chair with administrative and program management support, such as staffing, event logistics, registration, marketing and promotions, etc.  The Chair must raise a minimum amount of funds within a given time period before the National Sleep Foundation commits to final scheduling and conference implementation.  The Chair and the National Sleep Foundation Education Committee Chair and staff will coordinate grant application submissions so as to maximizing potential funding as well as not jeopardizing other National Sleep Foundation grant proposals.  Pending available resources, the National Sleep Foundation may consider providing up to 20% of the budget or $10,000, whichever is less, to help offset the budget.  Where appropriate, the Chair will be provided with a summary of past conference history and previous grant submissions to NIH and other entities to help make a stronger grant submission. 

Important Dates
For NSF Conferences proposed to occur between June 2012 and September 2012:

  • Conference Proposal due to NSF........................ May 31, 2011
  • NSF Conference Selection Period....................... June 1-30, 2011
  • NSF Notification to selected Conference Chair.. July 1, 2011
  • Meeting Description............................................ September 1, 2011
  • Preliminary Program due to NSF......................... November 1, 2011
  • NIH Proposal due to NSF................................... November 18, 2011
  • Final Program due to NSF................................... 4 months prior to meeting
  • All other federal grant proposals due to NSF...... 4 weeks prior to agency deadline

For NSF Conferences proposed to occur between January 2013 and May 2013, the NSF will issue a call for educational programs in fall 2011 with a conference proposal due date of January, 31 2012.

Documents and Templates
The Documents and Templates section contains examples of the different types of correspondence that you will likely send as well as the standard template for your Conference Program and other information that will be requested of you.  The following files contain sample letters and document templates that should be helpful when organizing your Conference.  The documents are grouped by topic. 

Conference Proposal Planning Calendar

  • 2012 Session I Planning Snapshot
    This is a one-page overview of the important actions and due dates leading up to the start of your National Sleep Foundation Conference.  Session I meetings run from June through September. 
  • 2013 Session II Planning Snapshot
    This is a one-page overview of the important actions and due dates leading up to the start of your National Sleep Foundation Conference.  Session II meetings run from January through May. 

Sample Letters and Reports

  • Sample Support Solicitation Letter
    This sample letter is intended to be used as a guide or reference when you are writing to private organizations and/or industry to request support for your conference.  
  • Sample Speaker-Discussion Leader Invitation Letter
    This sample letter is intended to be used as a guide or reference when creating your own letter inviting potential speakers and discussion leaders to participate in your conference. 
  • Sample Follow-Up Letter to Discussion Leaders
    This sample letter is an example of the type of letter you should send once a discussion leader has accepted your invitation to participate in your conference.  You should be specific about your expectations and about the amount of support you intend to offer. 
  • Sample Follow-Up Letter to Speakers
    This sample letter is an example of the type of letter you should send once a speaker has accepted your invitation to participate in your conference.  You should be specific about your expectations and about the amount of support you intend to offer.

Advice for Speakers & Discussion Leaders

  • Tips for Speakers
    This set of tips is designed to help speakers maximize the effectiveness of their talk (timing / content / audio-visual). 
  • Tips for Discussion Leaders
    This set of tips is designed to help discussion leaders manage their session (speakers / timing / discussion) in the most effective way possible. 

Program Templates

  • Meeting Description Template
    A brief introductory paragraph is the first piece of information due on your program page.  Please use the information in this template as a guide when preparing the description text. 
  • Preliminary Conference Program Template
    The preliminary program is a list of session topics, speakers and discussion leaders.  This is the second piece of information due on your program page.  This program is also used in NSF marketing materials.  Please send this information to us using the specific format noted in this template. 
  • Final Conference Program Template
    This template is required to submit the final program draft for your Conference (the full schedule, including sessions, speakers, titles, times, etc).  The times in this template work for almost all of our meeting sites. 

Questions
If you have questions about NSF Conferences, please submit your question in writing to NSFConferences@sleepfoundation.org.

About the National Sleep Foundation
The National Sleep Foundation is a charitable, educational and scientific not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving sleep health and safety through education, public awareness, and advocacy. Located in Washington, DC, its membership includes researchers and clinicians focused on sleep medicine, professionals in the health, medical and science fields, individuals, patients, families affected by drowsy driving and more than 900 healthcare facilities throughout North America. To find out more about the National Sleep Foundation, visit www.sleepfoundation.org.