Town Hall Q&A - April 27, 2020

APS members submitted dozens of questions for Society leadership during the Annual Membership Meeting. We didn’t get to all the questions asked, so we’ve compiled a list of answers, organized by topic, to all the questions that were submitted. 

Watch the "Ask Us Anything" Town Hall

Strategic  |  Publications  |  Meetings, Events and Experimental Biology  |  Committees, Sections and Awards  |  Membership  |  International  |  Education and Professional Development  |  Other

Strategic

Q: Does your strategic plan include diversity and inclusion? How?
APS: We are exploring how to incorporate D&I into the strategic plan: whether as a theme that is imbedded in appropriate goals in the plan or called out as a separate goal. Our current thinking is to call it out as a separate goal to emphasize its importance and develop a specific action plan.

Q: Has the Society been reassessing its membership in FASEB?
APS: No, we’re proud members of the FASEB community and intend to stay that way. We have reassessed some of the ways we engage with FASEB so that we are spending our time and effort where we get the most value.

Q: Much of what APS has done for members has focused on improving the climate for domestic research. For example, advocating for pro-science-related policies at a federal level. This is not easily recapitulated in other countries without considerable staff and expertise. As we switch to an international organization, how will such critical efforts in the U.S. change?
APS: Our goal is to provide greater value to our international members and to ensure that all APS members can engage with us fully. That said, our public policy efforts will continue to be principally focused on the U.S.

Q: How is APS going to take advantage of the digital age?
APS: APS is moving on several fronts to take greater advantage of technology. We are:

• engaging in a full assessment of our technology infrastructure,
• assessing and streamlining our social media presence,
• ramping up a host of online-only programming, and
• exploring new digital tools for member engagement and governance.

Publications

Q: Regarding the executive order (EO) for publications to go online immediately, can you explain a little bit more of how that relates to increased expenses for APS versus the subscription model?
APS: APS’ publishing program currently relies on a business model that generates revenue primarily through subscriptions. Subscription revenue is the Society’s principal source of revenue and supports many APS initiatives. If the EO is passed, it is likely that all our journals will move to an open access (OA) model and this will likely mean that authors would have to cover their entire cost of publishing articles. In an OA publishing model, we anticipate that overall revenue to the society will decrease which will impact the financial resources available for Society initiatives and services.

Q: Will the federal government provide funding to facilitate open access?
APS: Researchers are currently permitted to charge publication costs to grants however it is anticipated that significantly higher amounts will be needed to cover the full cost of publishing if the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) requires immediate open access of research articles. It is expected that any changes from federal agencies will be rolled out gradually. Currently, there is no indication agencies will provide supplements, so grantees will have to include anticipated publication costs in their applications.

Q: Are the FASEB societies lobbying the White House to prevent the OA rule?
APS: APS and FASEB both participated in a publishers’ roundtable with OSTP. APS, FASEB and other member societies have submitted comments to a formal Request for Information that was issued by OSTP, asking for input on ways to increase access to publications based upon federally funded research.

Q: Given the recent spate of COVID-19 publications pushed through peer review, and the focus on peer review not fulfilling its purpose, what measures are being implemented to ensure appropriate reviewers are being selected for paper revision? This focuses on numerous papers being published, that should not have moved through peer review, that seems to be due to lack of reviewer expertise.
APS: Our editors are working hard to ensure that all COVID-19 submissions are being properly reviewed. 

Q: Would you consider applying for grants to foundations (e.g., Max Planck, HHMI) to support open access?
APS: Possibly. If these foundations make grants available to societies like APS we would certainly consider applying.

Q: Does the U.S. government plan to provide any funding, as a part of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, to help pay for open access publication?
APS: Researchers are permitted to charge publication costs to grants.

Q: Will open access mean higher publication fees for authors?
APS: Yes, we do anticipate that costs for authors will increase. The cost of publishing is currently heavily subsidized by subscription fees. 

Meetings, Events and Experimental Biology

Q: Is APS delivering any content from the Experimental Biology (EB) 2020 meeting?
APS: Yes, we will have a virtual EB Week May 26–29 where the featured topic sessions that included abstract presentations will be held via Zoom. More information is available on the website.

Q: I hope that next year's meeting will include presentation of awards for this year's EB, especially including those for trainees and students. 
APS: The planning teams for both meetings are encouraged to work together to ensure that awardees from 2020 are recognized in 2021.

All merit-based trainee awards from EB 2020 were recognized and provided their cash prizes in April.

Many sections held virtual events that included a component of awardee recognition.

Since trainees in 2020 will not necessarily be at the same stage for the 2021 meeting, it didn’t make sense to reschedule them for 2021.

There are nearly a dozen abstract-based oral sessions that will be presented online during the last week in May.

Q: When will the EB 2020 meeting abstracts be published?
APS: We are awaiting the final release of the abstract which should be announced any day. There have been some issues with data transfer to The FASEB Journal’s new publisher, Wiley.

Q: Would APS consider joint meetings perhaps alternating with other societies? APS is essentially forcing members to choose between APS and the other societies.
APS: APS is still working on building the meeting model. Nothing is off the table. Partnerships are possible and the Team 2023 Task Force and Council will be discussing these opportunities over the next few months. That said, most associations our size do their own annual meeting, including most other societies to which our members belong.

Q: Does APS leadership support a major footprint for nutrition physiology at the annual meeting?
APS: APS supports elevating the discipline of physiology at all levels, including nutrition physiology. We are still in the early stages of developing a content strategy for the 2023 annual meeting.

Q: Will the mechanism for construction of the 2023 and beyond meetings be like what has been in place until now (largely section-driven) or will there be a change in how programming will be developed?
APS: APS is working with an outside consultant to review all aspects of meeting. Evaluating what has been done in the past and reviewing feedback from members and attendees. The Team 2023 Task Force has section representatives, including the incoming SAC chair. It is also conducting significant outreach to member groups, sections, committees, etc.

Q: We want to bring innovation and use cutting-edge technology to the new meeting, while also providing opportunities for members to share, network and collaborate with one another.
The meeting model has not yet been determined; however, it is unlikely the current section “slot” system will be continued in the same way it is currently done. We anticipate an increase in inter-sub disciplinary sessions that highlight the breadth and scope of physiology.

Q: Was the main reason to split from EB financial? If yes, okay, I guess. If not, we lose the option to connect with great other society content, now that we are going it alone.
APS: The leadership considered several criteria in their decision making, including how we might:

• spotlight exceptional physiological science,
• create a “must attend” experience,
• engage the entire physiology community,
• elevate the brand of physiology, and
• create a more financially sustainable meeting.

Q: Where will EB 2021 be held?
APS: Indianapolis: May 1–4, 2021. Please visit: www.experimentalbiology.org.

Q: What is to become of EB after 2021 and will APS partner with other EB societies for future meetings? I ask the latter question because I am also a member of AAA. Having splintered annual meetings puts societies at risk for low attendance and weakens attraction of corporate exhibitors. Therefore, I worry about long-term viability of individual societies.
APS: The five EB societies, including APS, have committed to meet through 2022. The 2022 EB Meeting is in Philadelphia.

As far as we know, the other four societies are intending to continue holding EB after we begin our new meeting in 2023.

We believe this move is in the best interest of APS’ long-term sustainability, as well as the discipline of physiology.

Q: Tell us about plans to separate from EB; how do (you) envision this to unfold?
APS: APS will continue to meet with EB through 2022. During the time we continue to meet with EB, we will be working on building program content and locating a venue for our 2023 stand-alone meeting. New program formats will be tested at the 2021 and 2022 meetings.

Q: Are there trainees that are on the steering committee for the new stand-alone meeting? If not, would you consider adding trainees to that committee?
APS: Yes, there are several members of the Trainee Advisory Committee who are serving on the new annual meeting Task Force.

Q: Will cost of attendance (e.g., registration, housing) be different for a stand-alone meeting?
APS: Unfortunately, at this point, we have no idea. We have not completed either a meeting design or the financial analysis to determine registration or housing rates yet, nor have we explored possible locations. We are, however, aware that cost is an important factor for our members and attendees.

Q: How can you reconcile the fact that EB had a vast undergraduate and trainee presence, which means abstracts that aren't always the most “defined and refined,” with the fact that you are trying to implement a meeting that has “better science”? I'm not quite sure these two can be reconciled, if our goal is not only for science, but for breadth and for inclusion of younger members?
APS: We realize that there are multiple audiences for the new annual meeting, and we must balance several competing objectives to be successful. We realize that if we want to strengthen the perception of the discipline, we need to create a world class science meeting. We also know that we need to continue to create a great experience for trainees. 

Q: Has the need to cancel this year's EB meeting led to a reconsideration of how the APS structures future meetings?  Would we be better served my multiple small meetings with streaming options, for example?
APS: Great question. While we believe having an annual meeting is still an important touchstone for a scientific community and for the promotion of the discipline itself, we believe that the pandemic will likely have significant effects on how we think about our meetings. We are already exploring how we might create more virtual components for our meetings, and we can extend the value of our meetings far beyond the actual in-person event.

Q: How can the membership give suggestions and feedback for the designing of APS 2023?
APS: We would love to have your ideas. Send any suggestions or feedback to meetings@physiology.org. 

Committees, Sections and Awards

Q: It was exciting to see the postdoc awards. It was also exciting to hear about the commitment to diversity and inclusion. However, there were no women chosen for the largest APS awards in its inaugural year. Why was this? 
APS: We are acutely aware of the optics of the postdoc awards as presented at the meeting. This is a matter of concern for APS leadership and we are addressing this with the sections and the Awards Committee. However, two of the original awardees were women, but both received other more lucrative fellowships and, unfortunately, both turned down the APS award too late for us to nominate replacements, since a notification had already been sent out to all applicants. We will do better next year.

Sections are being encouraged at the Letter of Intent (LOI) application stage to consider diversity of the applicants, just like our policy statement which asks that members consider diverse speakers for our EB symposia. Diversity is encouraged in all APS applications, including type of institution, gender and race/ethnicity. We’ll add this statement to the full application review documentation for the Awards Committee, as well.

Q: Will these award winners be able to give their lectures at EB 2021?
APS: Yes, lectures will be rolled over to 2021 for all major awards.

Q: How will the loss of revenue from subscription impact awards from the Society?
APS: We recognize that awards are an important member benefit. Most of our awards are funded through special reserve funds rather than through our operating budget. Our goal is to ensure that our awards program aligns with our overall strategy, and that we are presenting awards and recognition that are both truly valued by our membership and move us forward as a discipline.

Q: Are you planning to establish a climate committee to ensure the recommendations of the Task Forces are followed through?  If yes how will you choose the members of this committee? How will the committee be empowered?
APS: There’s no need to establish a new committee. The Task Force on Sexual Harassment has developed a set of values and policies to “create an environment where individuals can exchange ideas and be safe, accepted and respected.” The Diversity and Inclusion Committee will continue their work and is empowered by their new charter to ensure that “the Society continuously strives to create an environment in which all individuals are encouraged to join, thrive and lead.“ The new committee charters took effect in January 2020. Members are welcome to apply for this committee through the annual application process beginning in September 2020.

Q: What specific initiatives are being enacted and planned to increase underrepresented minority individuals in APS leadership and beyond?
APS: We are acutely aware of this, which is not unique to APS. Our new Diversity & Inclusion Committee has been charged with helping us to create initiatives and policies to ensure strong underrepresented minority (URM) representation in all aspects of the Society. Part of the problem, of course, is that the discipline is not very diverse, and we need to do better to address some of the systemic issues that are at the root of this. We have noted that the URM participation in APS is strong at the trainee level, and we need to understand why participation falls off in subsequent years. If you have any ideas or suggestions, we would be more than pleased to hear them.

APS plans to visit institutions around the country also focusing on historically black colleges and universities to increase engagement.

Membership

Q: Is there evidence that international physiologists want to join APS?
APS: Today 25% of APS members are from countries outside the US. Each year, we get more international members joining, with over 250 new international members in 2019.

Q: Could the Society help absorb member costs for newer/earlier career faculty? They will be especially hit hard during this time.
APS: Late last year, APS implemented a drastically reduced fee for students, trainees and early career. Student membership is $25 and early career is $50. We are also looking at how we might waive or delay membership charges for those with financial hardships resulting from the pandemic.

Q: What are the new membership benefits?
APS: In just the past 12 months, we have introduced a new website, The Physiologist Magazine, the Physiology in Focus Learning Series and the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, among other benefits. We are also exploring several other benefits as part of our strategic planning process.

Q: Are there any opportunities for postdocs to get involved in APS? Has the postdoc membership category been fixed yet so that their membership fee is more reasonable?
APS: APS Council approved the addition of the new Trainee category in 2019. This category includes postdoctoral fellows and early career professionals. The membership rate for these members is $50 giving them access to majority of benefits including applicable awards and grants.

International

Q: Taking into consideration that it is more expensive for Latin American people to be part of APS than Americans what is the strategy for that people that want work with APS? Thanks, so much for your time!
APS: APS has established membership dues based on the World Bank classification of international developing countries. Members in these countries will have access to all member benefits based on their membership category at a reduced rate based on their country. Contact the APS Membership Department if the country in which you reside falls within the World Bank classification as a resource-restricted country.

Q: As an international member, I am interested in what percentage of the Society’s membership is international and how you support this membership. For example, I note that several conference awards are aimed at U.S.-based scientists.
APS: 25% of APS membership is made up of international members.

Education and Professional Development

Q: How might APS contribute to and provide leadership for the online teaching of physiology at the undergraduate, graduate and medical school levels?
APS: We are in the process of exploring how we might improve the value we provide for the physiology educator community. This is an interesting idea and we will pass it on to our Educators Committee and staff.

Q: There are many physiologists whose primary role in academia is teaching physiology. What efforts should be made to attract more of these type of physiologist to the Society? What of value can we provide that will, in fact, attract them?
APS: We are currently exploring these issues and will be addressing them directly in our new strategic plan.

Q: Is there an electronic teaching platform for APS members to participate in teaching physiology to students anywhere in the world, especially in such circumstances? In other words, how can we be effective members and physiology teachers during this period?
APS: Not currently, although we are happy to explore this. Our understanding is that most universities provide their faculty access to these platforms.

ADInstruments, one of our strategic partners, is providing free access to Lt, their online learning platform. https://www.adinstruments.com/lt/covid19

Q: Are there any volunteer jobs we can take part in?
APS: We just completed filling our 2020-21 committee slots, but APS is increasingly creating new task forces and other volunteer opportunities throughout the year. If you are interested, contact our director of governance, Sandra Spadoni, at sspadoni@physiology.org.

Q: Are you planning in the very near future to host online or virtual conferences especially during this pandemic time? Can you please elaborate on this and about plans to organize conferences across taking into consideration all members of the APS?
APS: We’ve announced a virtual program to replace Featured Topics that were scheduled to be presented at EB. The planning is underway as we speak, and details will be announced shortly. The sessions will be presented May 26-29 and will be a member benefit.

We’ll be scheduling professional development talks during this week, too. The Institute for Teaching and Learning organizers have also proposed a virtual conference the same week the conference was originally scheduled.

Q: How do you see the role of physiologists from the industry in APS programs and activities?
APS: The Physiologists in Industry Committee will devise new strategies and initiatives to increase the relationship between APS and industry members, as well as addressing issues such as collaborations between academia and industry, how to start a company, and how to develop intellectual property.

Members in industry/corporate settings can apply to serve on the Physiologists in Industry Committee to get involved in developing strategies and moving new initiatives forward.

Q: What is the status of funding for our K-12 outreach programs and is there a plan to reinstate financial support for national activities like PhUn Week?
APS: There are no plans to reinstate K-12 activities including PhUn Week. The APS leadership made the decision back in 2017 that we need to prioritize creating value for our members, and this will become especially important as our money gets a little tighter moving forward. We will, however, advise chapters that would like to engage in PhUn week activities.

For members who want to continue outreach activities, we have curated five collections of our outreach materials available on the Educator Resources page on the APS website.

Other

Q: As a tenured faculty member at a small liberal arts college in the Northeast, I realize my time limitations in the realm of research. My collaborations with high-end universities have been limited by long teaching hours and committee work. Yet I manage to work with students on small research projects which are simple and involve techniques which are certainly not cutting-edge. However, they are significant and noteworthy, yet not thorough. Is there any way that physiologist like myself can connect with researchers at intensive universities and even collaborate with our emerging cohort of undergraduates? Is it possible for APS to provide a blog which might open communication between full-time researchers and teacher-intensive faculty? I think that there is an audience of faculty like myself who would welcome such an opportunity.  
APS: Thanks for your idea. We will share this with our Member Communities Department to see what might be possible.

Q: Could we consider restoring the APS Living History Program? I have watched many of those interviews and learned about some amazing careers. Recently I realized that only APS members were informed about those Living History interviews. Is there a way we could publicize them and not just to APS members?
APS: The Living History program sunset in 2018, in part because of the cost of filming and editing the very long videos and the relatively small number of people viewing these videos. However, the full archive still lives on our Membership & Community page. Additionally, all the interviews are archived on our National YouTube Channel and our Archive YouTube Channel. In the meantime, our Careers Opportunities in Physiology Committee is hard at work developing new outreach and resources related to educating students and biomedical researchers on the wide variety of physiology careers that can be undertaken.