ICMGP 2022 - Mercury Workshops: Call for workshop mini proposals and presenters

As you know, the ICMGP organisers host the ICGMP 2022 Mercury Workshops to allow an interactive experience for learning everything about mercury – including tackling challenging mercury issues, identifying best practices and methods, as well as gaining insights on the latest methods and equipment used in mercury research.

The workshops intend to provide attendees with:

• a greater understanding about many areas of mercury research;
• opportunities to help identify and engage with potential research collaborators or co-authors on areas of mutual interest in mercury research; and
• the best learning experience from globally recognised researchers on a variety of mercury topics presented as interactive sessions.

The Executive Committee of the 15th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (ICMGP 2022) to be held in July 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa is now accepting MINI PROPOSALS FOR THE WORKSHOPS to be held. In keeping with the tradition of prior conferences, these workshops will be held on the opening day of registration (Sunday July 24, 2022), and hence on the same day as the Opening Ceremony of the 15th ICMGP.

Exciting news in this space is that the ICGMP 2022 Executive Committee has partnered with the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention, which launched a series of webinars in 2020, viz. Minamata Online Season 1 – 2020, on 17 September 2020. Minamata Online is a digital engagement to provide an opportunity for government officials, scientists, NGOs, and other stakeholders to better understand the Minamata Convention's provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects.

YOUR MINI PROPOSAL shall, upon successful evaluation, have the opportunity to form part of a session at the Minamata Online Season 2 – 2021*, which is envisaged to start in May 2021. Participation in the Minamata Online during the period up to May 2022 shall allow prospective ICMGP 2022 Workshop Presenters:

• to share and have initial engagements on mercury in their area(s) of expertise, and
• the opportunity to introduce their proposed ICGMP 2022 Workshop(s) Topic and Work to the broader mercury community prior to the Conference to be held on 24 July 2022 in Cape Town. *Note: Participation in Minamata Online is optional; see point no. 10 below.

Should you be interested to host a Workshop at the upcoming 15th ICGMP Mercury Workshop Series, and participate in Minamata Online (optional), then this is YOUR TIME TO KINDLY SUBMIT A MINI PROPOSAL, clearly indicating your Workshop Topic, inclusive of any needs that you may have, for the delegates attending or which the conference organisers shall look to provide, as far as possible.

A range of categories/topics for the 15th ICGMP Mercury Workshops have been identified for presentation. Prospective Workshop Presenters are invited to select and submit their mini proposals on any of the identified categories/topics (listed below) OR on any category/topic that is not listed, which they deem to be important to present as a conference workshop:

• ASGM Best Practice Methods
• Mercury Advisories
• Sampling/analysis: Ecosystem approaches, water, wildlife, human, passive sampling
• FAO Program on Mercury
• Global Mercury Program: Policy Elements: UN collaboration
• Socio-Economic and Behavioural Science Aspects related to Mercury
• Minamata Convention: Interfacing Science and Policy
• Isotopic analysis
• New analytical methods / Metrology QA/QC
• NGO Mercury Analytical tools
• Relationship between Mercury and Energy Strategies and its impact on Climate Change
• Life-cycle Assessment applications and Mercury Exposure from technologies
• Priorities in Mercury Research in a Covid-19 Pandemic Environment
• Mercury Research in Africa (Current and Future Status)
• Emerging technologies, software and tools for use in mercury research
• Techniques and equipment in mercury research in the field
• Emerging issues in mercury research

All Mini Proposals must follow the below-mentioned formatting (and length requirements, where applicable); failing which, such submissions will not be considered. At this time, we are requiring the following information from interested Workshop Presenters:

1. 1. Workshop Title:
2. 2. Workshop Category:
3. 3. Name of Workshop Lead Presenter, and your ability to present at the workshop:
4. 4. Name(s) of any Co-Presenters, if any, and their ability to co-present at the workshop:
5. 5. Abstract/ Summary on the Workshop to be presented (no more than 500 words):
6. 6. Workshop Duration (select): full day (5hrs, with one lunch break) or half day (3hrs)
7. 7. Number of delegates estimated to attend the workshop (from past experience):
8. 8. List the resources that delegates will need to bring to the workshop (e.g. laptops, pre-loaded software or appropriate dress/PPE for field trips):
9. 9. List the resources that you require at the venue to host the workshop (this could be special items that the conference organisers shall look to supply to host your workshop, e.g. dual screens, space for special equipment set-up, teaching assistants, etc.):
10. 10. Workshop to be offered in the Minamata Online (select): Yes or No 10.1 If yes, please specify your Month Options 1, 2 and 3, to indicate your preferred month of participation in Minamata Online from September 2021 to May 2022:

• Month Option 1:
• Month Option 2:
• Month Option 3: Note: The first engagements at the Minamata Online Season 2 – 2021 is planned for September 2021.

The ICGMP 2022 Mercury Workshops Committee is headed by two Co-chairpersons, who shall work together with identified Committee members to finalise the selection of the Workshops to be held at the upcoming ICMGP Conference.

Mini Proposals are required to be e-mailed to the 15th ICMGP Co-Chairpersons of the Workshop Committee by no later than 8th October 2021, as follows:

• Dr Joy Leaner
• Mr Eric Uram

The Workshops Committee endeavour to present the selected Workshops to the15th ICMGP Executive Committee, within ONE (1) month of the above-mentioned closing date.

Prospective Workshop Presenters shall be notified and confirmed prior to the Call for Abstracts and Registration of the 15th ICMGP.

The selected Workshops shall be also listed in the Call for Abstracts and Registration of the 15th ICMGP 2022; the cost of the Workshops shall be confirmed during the aforementioned Call.

Please let us know if you have any questions or if there's anything we can help with at this stage.