Technology Transfer Session
and
Research and Developments Summaries Session


NMC 51st Annual Meeting
January 22-24, 2012
TradeWinds Island Grand Resort
St. Pete Beach, Florida

Prospectus

Objective
The purpose of the Technology Transfer Session (TTS) is to disseminate information on mastitis control and quality milk production. The TTS supplements the NMC annual meeting program by providing additional information through the use of posters and one-on-one interaction. The session is designed to provide a forum for exchanging information in an informal, relaxed atmosphere.

Participants
Participants include educational and research institutions, commercial companies, and non-profit organizations. We want you to share research data and teach fundamental principles of products, technologies, and services that have application in mastitis control and quality milk production.

This is not a trade show. Poster presentations must be factual and non-commercial, with emphasis on procedures, mechanisms and services, rather than product sales and marketing. Presentations cover all aspects of quality milk production. Examples include (but are not limited to):

-- basic research relating to mastitis control and milk quality
-- research data on specific products and procedures
-- new product technologies
-- mastitis control and herd health programs

Audience
NMC annual meeting attendees include a wide variety of people interested in udder health, milking management, milk quality, and milk safety. Included are university researchers, extension specialists, students, veterinarians, equipment manufacturers, dairy suppliers, producers, field representatives, quality control specialists, and state and federal regulatory officials. These individuals attend the meeting to receive technical and applied information, review research, share information, and extend their network of contacts. About 400 people attend the meeting.

Posters
The poster board surface area is 4 ft. (1.2 m) high x 8 ft. (2.4 m) wide (self-supporting tack board). Charts, figures, photographs, and text should be mounted securely on the poster board by appropriate means. In general, the posters should be self-explanatory. Companies may be identified on the posters, but table top displays may not be used. Sales-oriented exhibits are not allowed. Educational literature or pamphlets may be distributed, provided it is not a "sales piece". A representative should be available during the specified times to respond to questions. Suggestions for poster presentations follow:

-- include title, author(s) and affiliation at top of poster (use lettering at least 1" [2.5 cm] high)
-- keep illustrative material simple
-- keep text and figure legends short; use large print - at least 3/8" (1 cm) high
-- illustrations must be readable at distances of three feet or more
-- a short "introduction" and "summary" are helpful to the reader

Additional Opportunity - "Research and Development Summaries" Oral Session
Participants in the NMC Technology Transfer Session also have the option to have their poster considered for oral presentation during the "Research and Development Summaries" session. First introduced in 2007, this session is designed to highlight research and development projects from around the world.

The Research and Development Summaries session will be held concurrently with another session of the General Program (simultaneous sessions) so that the NMC meeting registrants may choose between attending the traditional general session presentations, or attend the short research and development summaries. These split sessions will be on Monday afternoon, January 23. (Note the day change. The split sessions previously were held on Tuesday afternoon.

A subcommittee will review the TTS submissions that have requested to be considered for oral presentations. A slate of 10 presentations will be selected on the basis of scientific quality, interest to NMC members, and natural fit as topics together. The presentations will be 15 minutes in length, which includes time for questions and discussion after the presentation.

Please note that there is not an option to only present the paper in an oral session. ALL TTS papers must be presented as posters. However, those selected from ones that requested consideration will also be presented in the oral session.

Procedures
Participation requires submission of a two-page manuscript summarizing the information being presented (tables, figures and references are included in the page limit). The paper is the same regardless of whether or not the presentation is submitted for consideration in the oral session.

Manuscripts must be formatted according to the instructions for manuscript preparation and submission, and submitted in advance of the meeting. Papers that are not formatted correctly will be returned to the author.

Submitted manuscripts will be reviewed to assure the poster theme complies with the guidelines and objectives of the Technology Transfer Session. Manuscripts will be published in the 2012 NMC Annual Meeting Proceedings. The submission deadline is November 1, 2011.

Note: When submitting your manuscript online, you will be asked to provide an interpretive summary of about 100 - 150 words. This is not to be included as part of the written manuscripts. See the instructions for more information.

Posters will be exhibited on Monday and Tuesday, January 23 & 24, 2012. Presenters will be asked to be present during the poster session during specific hours (information provided later). Papers that are selected for the Research and Development Summaries oral session will be presented on Monday afternoon, January 23.

Participants are required to register for the meeting and attend the meeting. In the event that a paper is published in the proceedings but the poster is not presented, a penalty in the amount of poster rental and labor ($125) will be assessed to the presenting author.

Commercialism and Use of Logos, Product Names and Trademarks
The intent of the Technology Transfer Session and the Research and Development Summaries Session is to provide quality sessions focused on educational content, which is free from commercial influence or bias. Manuscripts and posters are not to be be used as platforms for commercial sales, promotions and/or advertising. Excessive use of brand names, product names, trade names, and/or trademarks is not allowed. Excessive use of brand names, product names or logos, failure to substantiate performance claims, and failure to objectively discuss alternative methods, processes, and equipment are indicators of sales pitches. Restricting commercialism benefits both the authors and recipients of submissions and presentations. A general guideline is to use proprietary names once and thereafter to use generic descriptors or neutral designations.

Fees
University/Government/Non-profit Organizations: Representatives from educational/research institutions, government and non-profit organizations may participate without paying a fee (however participants must pay the basic registration fee for the meeting).

Commercial Companies
: The charge for poster space for representatives from commercial companies is $100 (participants must also pay the basic registration fee for the meeting). Click here for a payment form.

Note: if any of the authors listed on a TTS paper are affiliated with a commercial company, even if they aren't the primary author, the $100 application fee applies.

Instructions for Manuscript Preparation and Submitting Papers Online
Your manuscript should be formatted according to NMC guidelines before you submit your paper online. The instructions are below, and may also be accessed via the online paper collection website.

Please Note: When you access the site, you will be asked to enter the title of the paper and author information. You only need to enter the presenting author's and corresponding author's information. It is not necessary to enter each author's information.

  • Click here for instructions on how to format and submit your manuscript. Your manuscript should be formatted prior to submitting your paper online. (The instructions for manucript preparation and a template are also available on the paper submission website.)

  • Click here to access the website for submitting manuscripts.
[Note: Manuscripts MUST be submitted to the collection website by November 1. Manuscripts will not be accepted via email.]



For additional information contact:

Anne Saeman
National Mastitis Council
421 S. Nine Mound Rd.
Verona, WI 53593 USA
Phone: (608) 848-4615 Fax: (608) 848-4671 Email: anne@nmconline.org

NMC home