2025 MRS Spring Meeting & Exhibit

Session Chair Guidelines

All session chairs should make note of the' MRS Meeting policies. 

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Oral Session Chair Guidelines

As Session Chair, your responsibility is to assist with the smooth flow of the session. This includes: 

  • Ensuring that the session environment is distraction free 

  • Ensuring that the equipment for the presenter (audio-visual equipment, microphones and lighting) is satisfactory 

  • Ensuring the presentations follow the scheduled program by keeping presenters on time 

  • Checking the room throughout presentations to ensure that there are no photos/videos of presentations being taken unless it has been pre-approved by MRS (you will receive an email is this is the case) 

  • Pausing presentations as needed if attendees are not following the no photo/video policy 

Before the Session: 

  • Arrive in the Meeting room 30 minutes before your session to assist the presenting authors in setting up their personal equipment.  

  • Ensure the projector and microphone are in the room. Lights in the Meeting room have been pre-set at a level of brightness which will enable attendees to take notes.  

  • Introduce yourself to your Symposium Assistant who will be assisting you in the Meeting room. 

  • If there are any audio-visual or temperature problems, ask your Symposium Assistant to seek help. 

The Symposium Assistant is responsible for the following:  

  • Providing a session sheet for you that lists the latest program information 
  • Recording attendance numbers for each presentation on the presenter attendance form 
  • Recording no shows and substitute presenter information 

  • Notifying MRS Staff of any audio-visual problems, as well as any special symposium needs 

*If the Symposium Assistant does not show, an MRS staff person will provide you with your blue presenter attendance form. Please record your attendance numbers and return the form to the Technical Program Support Desk located at Seattle Convention Center – Summit, Level 3, Pine Lobby. 

At the Start of the Session: 

  • Make any general announcements including any program changes.  
  • Remind attendees that videos and/or photos are not permitted and to please silence their phones. 

During Presentations:   

  • Introduce each presenter to the audience at the start of their presentation. The presenter’s name and affiliation are listed on the session sheet provided by the Symposium Assistant. 
    • Presenter No Show - If you have a “presenter no show”, do not rearrange the schedule of presentations. Use the open time slot for discussion or review.  It is important to maintain published program times in order to facilitate attendee scheduling.  
    • Substitute Presenters - It is important for MRS to know if someone other than the presenting author delivers the talk. Clearly identify all authors who are substituting for the presenter noted on the session sheet so your Symposium Assistant may make a note of it on their presenter attendance form. 
  • Continually check the Meeting room to ensure photos or videos are not being taken. If they are, pause the presentation as needed to remind attendees of the MRS recording policy. 
  • Interrupt the presenter if they are not finished at the end of their presentation time. It is important to maintain published program times to facilitate attendee scheduling.  
    • Oral presentations are 15 minutes. Invited Speaker and JMR Distinguished Invited presentations are 30 minutes. Early Career Distinguished presentations are either 15 minutes or 30 minutes. 
      • Invited Speakers are indicated on the session sheets by an asterisk before the abstract number (e.g. *EL07.03.01) 
      • JMR Distinguished Invited Speakers by a plus (e.g. +EL07.03.02) 
      • MRS Communications Early Career Distinguished Presenters by a caret (e.g. ^EL07.03.03) 

At the End of the Session: 

  • Initial your Symposium Assistant’s volunteer log. They will need your initials in order to be paid. 

  • Ensure the microphone stays in the Meeting room for the subsequent sessions.  

  • If the Meeting room is consistently overcrowded, ask the Symposium Assistant to report this to the Technical Program Support Desk. Remember: It is normal for all symposia to experience standing-room crowds at times; MRS will intervene, if possible, if such overcrowding persists throughout the day. 

The MRS recording and photo policy is below: 

  • Recording of Presentations is Strictly Prohibited: No individual or entity— including a presenting author—may electronically record or broadcast any portion of the MRS Meeting without prior written consent of MRS. Unauthorized recording (audio, video, still photography, etc.) or streaming of presentations during sessions, posters, workshops, tutorials, etc., without the express written consent of MRS and individual authors is strictly prohibited. 

  • MRS reserves the rights to any approved audio and video production of presentations at all MRS events. Press representatives must receive a Press Pass and photo/recording permission from MRS. Those who do not comply with the MRS recording policy may have their access to Meeting content revoked. 

  • Photo Policy: Attendees or exhibitors are encouraged to network and enjoy the Meeting experience. As such, capturing memories of casual Meeting activities and networking is permitted with the permission of those being prominently photographed. Photographing formal Meeting presentations, posters or displays is forbidden without permission of MRS and the presenter. Those who do not comply with the MRS Photo policy may have their access to Meeting content revoked. 

  • Videos and Photos for MRS Use: MRS Meeting attendance implies your consent to be photographed, filmed and/or otherwise recorded for use on the MRS website, social media, news publications or promotions. Please note that no technical presentations will be recorded without prior consent of MRS and the authors. 

MRS Recording Policy

Recording of Presentations is Strictly Prohibited

No individual or entity—including a presenting author—may electronically record or broadcast any portion of the MRS Meeting without prior written consent of MRS. Unauthorized recording (audio, video, still photography, etc.) of presentations during sessions, posters, workshops, tutorials, etc., without the express written consent of MRS and individual authors is strictly prohibited. MRS reserves the rights to any approved audio and video production of presentations at all MRS events.

Press representatives must receive a Press Pass and photo/recording permission from MRS. Those who do not comply with the MRS recording policy may be asked to leave the premises.

Photo Policy

Attendees or exhibitors are encouraged to network and enjoy the meeting experience. As such, capturing memories of casual meeting activities and networking is permitted with the permission of those being prominently photographed. Photographing formal meeting presentations, posters, or displays is forbidden without permission of MRS and the presenter.

Those who do not comply with the MRS photo policy may be asked to leave the premises.

Videos and Photos for MRS Use

MRS Meeting attendance implies your consent to be photographed, filmed and/or otherwise recorded for use on the MRS website or news publications. Please note that no technical presentations will be recorded without prior consent of MRS and the authors.

Poster Session Chair Guidelines

Poster sessions are an important and integral part of MRS Meetings, allowing many more researchers the opportunity to share their research and ideas with others. As Session Chair of a poster session, you will be responsible for nominating candidates from your symposium for the MRS Best Poster Award for each night your symposium has a poster session. This award is different from any symposium specific awards your symposium organizers may choose to present.

You will receive Best Poster Award nomination forms that must be filled out for posters you wish to be considered for a Best Poster Award. Best Poster Award nomination packets will be given to the symposium organizers on-site in Seattle. If you are not a symposium organizer, it is your responsibility to meet with the symposium organizers on-site prior to the poster session to receive your nomination packet.

The Meeting Chairs will review all nomination forms from all symposia and will select one or more as Best Poster with an award amount of up to $500. This award does NOT come from your symposium funding; it will come from the Meeting Chairs’ budget. The Meeting Chairs will select the winners based on the poster's technical content, appearance, graphic excellence and presentation quality (not necessarily equally weighted).

The number of nominees for each poster session is determined by the number of posters:

  • One nominee per symposium per night (1-15 posters)
  • Two nominees per symposium per night (16-30 posters)
  • Three nominees per symposium per night (31 posters or more)

The Poster Session schedule is below:

  • 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM – Poster Check-In by Presenters
  • 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM – Poster Session Chair Judging
  • 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM – Meeting Chair Judging
  • 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Poster Session
  • 5:30 PM – Best Poster Award Presentation

Please be on time to the Poster Session Chair Judging and complete your nomination forms within the required time frame. 

Thank you for volunteering!