KEYWORDS: abstracts, co-presenters, submissions, undergraduates, word limit

What does "undergraduate" mean?

• The term "undergraduate" refers to all academic programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree or similar. The degree system at your university might use different terms, that's not a problem. Important is that the academic program (within which you executed your undergraduate research) is comparable to a Bachelor's program and that it can be described as the "basic and general" part of your academic education.
• Thumb rule: To be an undergraduate, you should have no degree within your discipline yet.

Am I allowed to submit my abstract?

• We welcome research from Bachelor students and students attending a comparable "basic" academic program.
• We also welcome submissions based on Bachelor theses (or theses of a comparable basic degree), as long as the thesis is not older than one year and the research was conducted in an undergraduate degree program.
• All disciplines welcome.
• Submissions from research projects still running are also welcome. If the reviewers accept the submission, we will be eager to learn about your results in 2019.
• If you are unsure whether you are allowed to submit, please send an email to WorldCUR2019@uol.de and describe your situation.

What is the word limit for abstracts?

• 300 words. Please have a look at our Submission Guide.

What prior experience is needed?

• None is needed. Training in scientific presentation (oral or poster) is beneficial.

What is the maximum number of students / co-presenters per submitted abstract?

• The submission form allows to name up to eight co-presenters. Adding one main presenter submitting the abstract, the maximum group size per submission is nine presenters.
• Note that only two individual registrations to attend the Congress will be reserved per accepted abstract. Although we cannot guarantee that additional presenters (i.e., more than two per accepted abstract) will have the chance to attend the Congress, we anticipate that we will advertise any extra registration slots in March of 2019. You will receive further information regarding the registration process with your Abstract Decision Notification in December 2018.

Is it possible that a large number of abstracts from a single university is accepted?

• Yes. But: As space is limited for entries to the World CUR 2019, we encourage institutions to bring forward selected, well-prepared and theme-matching students. Applications will be reviewed using scientific criteria primarily. In the event that the number of qualified applications exceeds the number of presentation slots available, the program committee may apply an acceptance limit per institution as one factor in selecting presenters.

Is it possible to submit more than one abstract? 

• Yes, as long as each submission is an independent research project, you are allowed to submit more than one abstract.

I am from US / Canada / Germany and can't find my university in the institutions list. Does this mean I am not allowed to submit? 

• No it doesn't. Every institution worldwide is included. Please send us an email and we will update the list.

When will I be informed about the results of the review process? 

• We will start sending out review notifications in December. The results are called "Abstract Decision Notifications" (see Schedule »).

KEYWORDS: attendance costs, co-presenters, invitation letter, registrations, travel costs

How do I get an official invitation letter for the visa process after being accepted for the congress?

Please send an email to WorldCUR2019@uol.de with the subject "Invitation letter" and your details:

• Congress PIN:
• First Name(s):
• Surname:
• Date of Birth (Month/Day/Year):
• Nationality:
• Country of Residence:
• Affiliated Institution or University:
• Email Address:
• Passport Number (optional):

We will send you a digital invitation letter soon.

Update: Please note that due to a very high workload we cannot provide invitation letters for guests anymore. Invitation letters for presenters with a congress PIN are still available. Thank you for your understanding!

Is there an estimate for trip and attendance costs for those coming from other countries?

Trip and attendance costs will depend highly on where you start your travel and how you travel. Here some facts that might help calculating your expenses:

• Visa (if needed) = 60 € (cf. Visa »)
• Congress Fees for students ~ 130 € (cf. Fees »). The before- and after-congress-social program cost another 20 € each but both are optional. This means, full participation including both facultative social programs would cost about 170 € (= 20 + 130 + 20).
• Accommodation: Free if you do Couchsurfing or participate in our Beds for Brains Program ». See also Hotels » for more information.
• Food: Hotels in our contingent offer special prices with breakfast included. Lunch and coffee are free during the congress. Thus, you most likely only need to calculate for dinners. Street food costs between 5 and 8 € and a restaurant dish is about 14 € in Germany. If you stay five days (participating in the social program), you should calculate round about 50 € for food.
• Travel costs: If you want to compare prices between airplanes, trains, and busses, have a look at our recommmended Airports » and compare different travel options and routes (for example at www.goeuro.com). Please also read our notes on train tickets from Deutsche Bahn (cf. Travelling By Train »).
• Local bus tickets in Oldenburg cost 2.60 € per trip. If you join the before- and after-congress-social program you might take the bus 5 days x 2 ways which will cost you up to 26 € in total. Tickets can be bought from the bus driver directly (make sure you have bank notes and coins smaller than 20 € though).

How do I register as a guest for the World CUR 2019?

• Please go to the Registration Portal »
• Make sure that your registration is successfully saved (your browser should show a success message) and that you receive a confirmation email with a guest registration number directly after registering!

KEYWORDS: accessibility, disabled attendees, special needs, special services

How accessible is the public transport in Oldenburg and the long-distance transport in Germany?

• All public buses in Oldenburg are equipped with a low-floor system. In order to facilitate the entry for wheelchair users and handicapped persons, all buses can be lowered sideways (kneeling). Wheelchair users access the bus via a ramp attached to the middle bus door. Inside the bus, the corridor is completely free of obstacles. Each vehicle has a large footprint for strollers and wheelchairs.
• Deutsche Bahn offers a) help with boarding and changing trains (please contact msz@deutschebahn.com) as well as b) assistance for deaf or hard-of-hearing passengers (please contact deaf-msz@deutschebahn.com).
• The main station Oldenburg offers a stepless access on the tracks 1, 3/4, 5/6 and 7/8.

Are there accessible accommodations for attendees with special needs?

• Of course! For details concerning our hotel contingent, please contact "Oldenburg Tourism and Marketing" by writing an email to tagungen@oldenburg-tourist.de - they are really experts when it comes to the accessibility of Oldenburg's hotels and will be glad to help you!
• Offers from the Beds for Brains program will also include accessibility details.

To what extend are the venue as well as the presentations accessible to disabled persons?

• The venue and conference buildings (A14 and Mensa) provide stepless access to all rooms used, but sometimes a detour will be necessary. All buildings have wheelchair accessible toilets. Seminar rooms generally offer good visibility, but the acoustics are not always optimal. On request, we will install a system that uses frequency-modulated radio signals as a hearing aid.
• Please communicate your special needs as soon as possible to the World CUR Team (WorldCUR2019@uol.de). We will try to prepare and support your attendance wherever possible.

Are special driving services, sign language interpreters or letter interpreters available for the World CUR 2019?

• Yes. We will organize driving services and interpreters, if these services are requested early enough. Please send an email to WorldCUR2019@uol.de to inform us about your needs as soon as possible. Please inform us even before you receive your Abstract Decision Notification or register for the congress!
• Note. The assumption of costs for special driving services must be clarified.

Will there be a child care service for attendees of the World CUR 2019?

• Depending on the number of requests a child care service will be arranged for attendees of the World CUR 2019 (23 – 25 May).
• Important: Please send an email to WorldCUR2019(at)uol.de to inform us before 1 March!