1. ATS Members:

First look toward the ATS membership when seeking speakers for your session. If a special expertise cannot be found among the ATS members, non-member speakers may be sought. The ATS has a small budget to assist non-member speakers with their travel expenses.

2. Faculty Diversity and Inclusion:

The ATS seeks diversity among faculty by institution, gender, ethnicity, career level, and international representation. In an effort to be more inclusive, the International Conference Committee has instituted a policy by which speakers may not participate in more than three sessions during the Conference. If your proposal is accepted for the program, you may be asked to replace faculty members to provide a more diverse and inclusive program.

3. International Participation:

To foster an international atmosphere at the conference and to ensure that the program content is comprehensive, you are encouraged to include speakers from outside North America.

4. Trainee/Fellow Involvement:

The ATS also wishes to involve trainees and junior professionals in the International Conference program. Please consider pairing a fellow or physician in training as a co-chair with a more experienced session chair in Scientific Symposia you may be proposing.

5. Industry-Employed Speakers:

In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education and ATS policy, industry employees cannot serve as chairs and faculty members in CME accredited sessions unless their assigned topics do not relate to any business lines or products of their employers. If the content of a session controlled by the industry-employed speaker relates to the business lines and products of his/her employer, the session may still be programmed, but will not be eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 CME credit™.

6. The Tobacco Industry:

Individuals who have a relationship with either (a) the tobacco industry, within the past 12 months or by the end of the 2023 conference, or (b) with a company engaged in the manufacture, promotion and sales of a recreational cannabis product consumable by inhalation, within the past 12 months or by the end of the 2023 conference, cannot serve as an organizer, chair/moderator or presenter for the ATS International Conference. (Note: if limited to personal financial holdings, divestiture at least 30 days prior to the conference is permitted; see the ATS Policy on Tobacco Involvement and ATS Policy on Association with the Cannanbis Industry  for details.)