Reduced Conference Fees and Fully Subsidized Registrations for Contingent Faculty & Graduate Students

As part of our ongoing efforts to increase access to our annual conference, the Board is proud to announce major changes in its approach to conference fees. The outgoing board recently voted to reduce registration fees for all graduate students and contingent faculty. We will also fully subsidize registration fees for an increased number of these attendees. These changes are made possible by meaningful reductions of other conference-related costs, which are listed below.

The changes will be in effect from 2024-2026, after which point the Board will evaluate and assess these changes.

Reduced Fees and Fully Subsidized Registrations

• Reduced conference registration fees for all graduate students and contingent faculty from current level to the undergraduate level, which based on our most recent fees would be a change from $106 to $70.
• Fully subsidized registration around 55 graduate students and contingent faculty, depending on budget, up from 20.

Changes from Previous Conferences

• AAAS will cover the first night of accommodations only for contingent faculty and graduate student reps and no longer for all other board members, even as board members are still expected to arrive a day early for the board meeting.
• Honoraria budgets for the presidential, site, and plenary committee panels will be reduced from $3000 to $750 each.
• The Community Award will be the only award to include a cash prize. Other awards will no longer include cash prizes.

These substantive changes will widen access to AAAS conferences, which strengthens us all.