Symposium Assistant Application

Symposium Assistant FAQs

• I am a postdoc. Can I apply for a Symposium Assistant position?

  Symposium Assistant positions are only open to current Graduate Students only. For other postdoc volunteer opportunities during the meeting, please visit this link.

• Do I need to register for the meeting?

  If you are chosen as a Symposium Assistant, you will need to register for the Fall Meeting.

• Will I receive a special registration code?

  No, we do not provide registration codes for Symposium Assistants. You will be responsible for registering for the Meeting. Please visit this link to register.

• How does the registration reimbursement work?

  If you are chosen to assist in four half-day sessions (equivalent to two full days), you will receive your registration refunded to you after the conclusion of the Fall Meeting. The registration will be refunded to the same method of payment you used to pay for your registration. For example: if you use your credit card, the same credit card used will receive the refund. If your institution pays for your registration, your institution will receive a refund.

• I need to find someone coming to the meeting to room with. Will MRS assist with this?

  Unfortunately, we cannot assist with finding housing/transportation for Symposium Assistants. For further information on MRS-endorsed hotel options with discounted rates, please visit this link. 

• I have an oral presentation scheduled at the meeting. Will this interfere with volunteering as a Symposium Assistant?

  We do recommend you fill out your schedule preferences around your scheduled presentation time. If selected, we will make an effort to avoid scheduling conflicts with your presentation time.

• Can I leave the session I am scheduled to assist to attend a talk at another symposium?

  You cannot leave the session to which you are assigned, as the Session Chair is relying on you to provide support to the session you are assisting.

• I have a Poster Presentation scheduled and cannot assist in the afternoon. Can I still be selected as a Symposium Assistant?

  Poster check-in is anytime between the hours of 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Tuesday-Thursday. You do not have to be available the whole time slot. We advise if you are assisting as a Symposium Assistant to check in your poster between the morning/afternoon sessions. Poster sessions are held in the evening Tuesday-Thursday after the afternoon sessions have concluded.
• Will training on my duties be provided?

  There will be a recorded web video training provided, as well as an on-site training on Sunday, December 1, which will be mandatory.

• How will my stipend for assisting be given to me?

  If you are a non-US assisting (meaning you attend an institution outside of the US territories and will travel from outside the US territories and back to the meeting), tentatively you will receive your stipend on-site at the meeting. If you are a US assistant (who lives and attends an institution in the US), you will receive your stipend after the conclusion of the 2024 Fall Meeting.

• Do I need to apply here if my Symposium Organizer nominated me? Or am I guaranteed to be an Assistant if a Symposium Organizer nominated me?

  You do not need to fill out this application. If your Symposium Organizer has nominated you to assist, you are guaranteed to be assisting the symposium for which you are nominated. 

• Do I get to choose which symposium sessions I will assist with?

  You are permitted to mark up to three symposia preferences on the application. Please note that assistants are assigned on a first-come/first-serve basis on symposium preference. Some symposia can be more popular than others and fill rather quickly very early. In addition, Symposium Organizers may also nominate one of their students to assist in a symposium, which can be another way the schedule can get filled early on.

• Do I need to attend the entire session?

  You must say for the entire am or pm session for which you are assigned, so you may record attendance for each of the talks. You may also need to address any potential audio/video issues that may arise within the symposium.

• What if I have to miss one of the sessions I am scheduled for? Can I add a session onsite? Will I still get reimbursed?

  Please notify us immediately if you cannot attend a session or need to cancel. If you need a makeup session for a session you canceled, there will be an email blast sent to all scheduled Symposium Assistants notifying them of openings/cancellations. You will still be reimbursed for the sessions you actually assist regardless. If you are short of the requirement of four half-day sessions to be reimbursed for the registration fee, unfortunately, we cannot reimburse your registration if you assist in less than four half-day sessions.

• What if I am late for a session?

  All Symposium Assistants must be on-time to check in at the Symposium Assistant Desk 30 minutes before the actual start of your session. If you do not show up 15 minutes before the start of your session, you will lose your session and it will be reassigned to someone else.

• I registered for the meeting but I still haven't secured my travel funds yet. I don't really want to miss out on the opportunity. Can I still apply? Will MRS help with this?

  Please be sure you can travel to the meeting prior to applying as a Symposium Assistant. If you think you may have some trouble securing funding to travel to the meeting, we highly encourage you to reach out to your institution or the Symposium Organizers of the symposium you are assisting to see if there are any funds they may be able to provide you in aiding you in your travel funds