Summary of ACP-IOC meeting July 18 at 14:00 CAT

Present: Funmi, Mounia, Sanae, Benard, Azwinndini, Uli, Ulrich, Obinna, lawrence, Kétévi

Apologies: Kenneth

1. Abstract reviewing. We presented preliminary results of abstract reviews: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17x6T9x_c0ArOTdArDVN2ZQAjG3m0uUYs/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116974261321478773102&rtpof=true&sd=true
   • Total Contributed Poster & Oral Presentations: 153
     • Contributed Poster Presentation: 47
     • Contributed Oral Presentation: 106
   • Contributed Oral Presentation:
     • Set the threshold for acceptance at the average score ≥3.5 [That would 38 contributed oral presentations. We expect a max of 32]
     • There are 36 oral abstracts at score ≥3 & <3.5; these abstracts could be suggested as posters
   • Contributed Poster Presentation:
     • Set the threshold for acceptance the average score of 2; there are 37 abstracts
     • If we add the 36 oral abstracts → posters [That would be a total of 73 posters]
     • In-person posters will be discussed at the venue and online abstracts in Gather Town. 
     • We need to set up a time slot on the agenda for online abstracts  and encourage people to interact in Gather town. 
2. Suggestions. 
   • Kétévi: 
     • We need to find a way having much more equal representation in the selection of the contributed poster/ oral abstracts and to make sure that most areas of physics have equal visibility, especially the big fields in Africa: Material Physics, Nuclear Physics and Medical Physics.
     • By having a different score for Particle Physics, this will leave a space for other fields to be also will represented and this will also raise the quality of the Particle Physics abstracts of very high standard.
   • Obinna: 
     • We can create time slots for each physics fields and then we can set up different scores depending on the physics fields.
   • Benard: 
     • We can define how many speakers we need for each physics fields, then we can select the abstracts by playing with the threshold depending on the fields.
3. Main points. 
   • We need to finalize the abstract selections by August 1. We need to inform early the people who abstracts have been are selected; some will need to seek travel funds when their abstracts are accepted. By August 1, we will be at <2 months from the event and that would be getting too late. So we should not delay further than August 1.