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SIAM’s Response to the International Outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

Last updated Tuesday, April 6, 2021

SIAM leadership and senior staff have been closely monitoring the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the associated disease COVID-19. We are deeply committed to the health and well-being of our members and the general public, and to finding an appropriate compromise between containment of the novel coronavirus and our important mission of advancing industrial and applied mathematics.

Some of the things we did in 2020 to achieve this goal: 

  • moved the 2020 Annual Meeting completely online and did not charge a registration fee
  • hosted 8 other virtual conferences free for attendees 
  • increased the number of virtual seminars and webinars run by activity groups
  • held a virtual career fair that was free for job seekers (and planning another for 2021)
  • granted members free temporary access to all SIAM journals and extended free SIAM Journal on Mathematics of Data Science (SIMODS) access by one year
  • procured a collection of 100+ SIAM epidemiology books and articles and gave free access
  • offered members a free activity group  
  • published a special issue of SIAM News on disease

We will continue to explore new ways to meet the needs of our membership into 2021 as we look forward to the end of the coronavirus pandemic.

This blog entry will be updated regularly as we learn new information relevant to attendees of SIAM conferences. We will base all decisions on the latest science and predictions provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. We also encourage all conference attendees to consult the above websites for a list of best practices on avoiding contraction of the novel coronavirus. Until further notice, SIAM conferences will take all recommended onsite precautions, including the provision of hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial wipes, etc.

Status of 2021 SIAM Conferences

Unfortunately, disruptions to SIAM conferences have continued into 2021. A detailed list is provided below. SIAM will explore alternatives for these meetings, ranging from rescheduling to pivoting to a virtual format. More information will be posted here and on the conference websites as it becomes available.

SIAM’s Commitment to Timely Updates

The speed with which the novel coronavirus appears to spread makes prediction of its progress very difficult. Nevertheless, for each upcoming conference, SIAM will strive to either cancel the conference or commit to holding the conference as scheduled no later than two weeks prior to the first day of the conference.  In cases where the conference is under the financial control of a local organizer, the decision whether to cancel or go forward lies with the local organizer; SIAM plays an advisory role.  

Policy on Travel Expenses in the Event a Conference is Cancelled

In the event of cancellation of any SIAM conference, SIAM will reimburse registration fees to the extent possible. SIAM will work with the conference hotel to limit any losses incurred by registrants staying for fewer nights than those to which they have committed. Unfortunately, SIAM is not able to assist with airline reservations or with hotels that are not official conference hotels. Registrants are encouraged to contact the provider directly in these cases.  In cases where the conference is under the financial control of a local organizer, the reimbursement policy lies with the local organizer; SIAM plays an advisory role.

Please note, while our policy ensures refunds of all registration fees paid for cancelled SIAM conferences, we ask you to consider waiving your registration refund and alternatively directing us to retain all or part of your registration as your charitable contribution to help alleviate the financial impact incurred by SIAM by such conference cancellations. You will be given the option to have your registration fee redirected and applied as a tax-deductible donation when you are contacted regarding reimbursement.  All conference cancellations result in a negative financial impact on SIAM and your support is greatly appreciated.  We will provide gift receipts of all donations promptly.

Policy on Travel Expenses in the Event a Presenter is Unable to Attend

In the event a registered speaker is unable to attend due to self-quarantine or travel restrictions, SIAM will reimburse registration fees to the extent possible.  SIAM will work with the conference hotel to limit any losses incurred by registrants staying for fewer nights than those to which they have committed. Unfortunately, SIAM is not able to assist with airline reservations or with hotels that are not official conference hotels. Registrants are encouraged to contact the provider directly in these cases.  In cases where the conference is under the financial control of a local organizer, the reimbursement policy lies with the local organizer; SIAM plays an advisory role.  

Modified Policy on Remote Presentations

In the event an invited plenary or minitutorial speaker is unable to attend due to self-quarantine or travel restrictions, SIAM will make every effort to provide the speaker with the option to present his or her talk remotely.  In the event a minisymposium or contributed talk speaker is unable to attend, SIAM encourages the session organizer to explore options that would allow the speaker to present via conference tools such as Zoom or Skype, but SIAM is unable to guarantee that this will be possible.

Policy on Sponsorship Refunds in the Event a Conference is Cancelled

While our policy ensures SIAM will reimburse sponsorship funds to the extent possible in the event of a SIAM event cancellation, we ask that you considering retaining your support of SIAM as a charitable contribution to help alleviate the financial impact incurred by SIAM by such conference cancellations. All conference cancellations result in a negative financial impact on SIAM and your support is greatly appreciated. Sponsors and exhibitors will be contacted with next steps regarding reimbursements. In cases where the conference is under the financial control of a local organizer, the reimbursement policy lies with the local organizer; SIAM plays an advisory role.

Possible Delays on Book Orders

SIAM staff is doing its best to continue providing products and services to the community as usual – we are in the office and fulfilling orders to the best of our ability. However, customers may experience delays in receiving book orders due to carrier delays, as well as shipping restrictions which are limiting inventory. Please know that we are working hard to process orders as quickly as possible. If you have any questions or concerns about your book order, please don’t hesitate to contact us at customerservice@siam.org.

Don't forget, in response to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and the associated disease COVID-19, SIAM has made a collection of epidemiology articles freely available. We hope this content on epidemiology, disease modeling, pandemics and vaccines will help in the rapid fight against this global problem. Access this collection.

Please direct any questions or concerns to Suzanne L. Weekes, SIAM Executive Director, at weekes@siam.org.