Currently SPPS organises three types of international meetings, the SPPS Congress, the ECPI Meeting for early career researchers, and the SPPS PhD Student Conference. A local organising committee is appointed to organise teach event. Junior members of the society may apply for SPPS travel grants to attend these meetings.
The SPPS Congress is the primary meeting of the society arranged every second year. The location alternates amongst the Nordic countries. This international meeting focuses on current and interesting topics within the field of plant physiology. Internationally distinguished scientists are invited as speakers and other research groups have the chance to be selected for a talk. Providing a stimulating environment for discussion, idea exchange, and establishing contacts has always been one of the main purposes of the SPPS Congresses. The general assembly of SPPS convienes during the SPPS Congress.
Between Congresses, SPPS organises PhD student conferences. These were established to provide a smaller-scale, less-formal forum for younger scientists to gain experience giving talks and communicating their work to senior scientists from many countries and institutions. A significant part of the program is therefore dedicated to PhD student presentations, rather than to international top level scientists or research group leaders. Career related issues are also a focus of these meetings. The PhD Conference is fully organized by PhD students with financial backup and organizational support from the society, and scientific mentoring from the council.
The Early Career Principal Investigator (ECPI) Network, supported by SPPS, serves as a platform for the promotion of plant science in the Nordic countries. All starting and consolidating group leaders (Assistant/Associate Professors) can join the network and participate in the ECPI meetings. Usually, SPPS assumes the organization costs and travel and accomodation are paid by the researchers. The ECPI meetings are meant to promote possibilities for networking and collaboration.
In addition to the SPPS meetings, the society may support other international meetings or initiatives within the field. Financial support for meetings or symposia is usually given out as a reimbursment stipulated grant that aims in securing arranging of the meeting. SPPS warmly welcomes proposals of initiatives related to the advancement of plant physiology and plant science. For more information, visit our SPPS grants page.
