Center for Nonlinear Studies - Conference

Meetings

Begin 3–6 months ahead

Three months is the recommended minimum; six months is preferred when advertising is needed.

Conferences

Begin 9–12 months ahead

Nine months is the recommended minimum, while one year provides the best planning window.

Annual capacity

Approximately 10–12 events

CNLS typically supports a select portfolio of conferences and meetings each year.

Why CNLS sponsors events

Connecting mission science with the broader research community

Conference and meeting sponsorship is one of CNLS's major institutional activities. As an interface between mission-critical research at LANL and the external scientific community, CNLS uses events to create sustained scientific exchange and launch new collaborations.

Identify and explore nonlinear and complex-systems problems across a wide range of disciplines.
Disseminate important developments in nonlinear and complex-systems science.
Build collaborations between LANL researchers, universities, national laboratories, and other institutions.
Develop new research directions and sharpen existing scientific programs.

Available support

What CNLS sponsorship may include

Support may consist of funding, preparatory administrative assistance, on-site administrative assistance, or a combination of these services.

CNLS generally sponsors approximately 10–12 conferences and meetings each year.
Most sponsored events are held in Los Alamos or Santa Fe to maximize LANL participation and institutional impact.
Priority is given to events aligned with CNLS research areas and interdisciplinary scientific goals.

Event classification

Is your event a conference?

LANL hosts events ranging from small technical meetings to conferences with several hundred participants. To determine whether an event is classified as a conference, complete the Conference Management Team's Is My Event a Conference? worksheet.

CNLS can assist with conferences and scientific meetings. At this time, CNLS does not coordinate training events.

Planning requirements

Meeting and conference policies

Scientific meetings

Allow at least three months; six months is preferred when advertising is required.
LANL meal policy applies. In most cases, LANL funds cannot be used for meals.
Food must generally be supported by non-LANL funding or paid directly by attendees to the vendor.
Speaker and participant travel reimbursements must use LANL Guest Agreements. Organizers are normally responsible for identifying administrative support for these agreements.
Conference Management Team approval is not required for meetings. CNLS negotiates approved venue and service arrangements and pays them with a CNLS P-Card.
All other applicable CNLS conference policies and guidelines remain in effect.

Conferences

Allow at least nine months; one year is preferred.
CNLS may provide a portion of the funding, but organizers must identify additional internal or external support.
All requests require approval by the CNLS Executive Committee.
Every sponsored conference must comply with all LANL regulations, policies, procedures, and limitations.
The organizing committee must designate one organizer as the primary point of contact for the CNLS conference coordinator.

Ready to begin?
Submit the event request form so CNLS can review your concept and planning needs.

Open request form

Working together

Division of responsibilities

When CNLS provides preparatory administrative services, the organizer and conference coordinator must maintain a clear division of responsibilities. The standard arrangement below may be adapted to an event's specific needs.

Responsibilities of CNLS

Submit and track the LANL forms required for formal LANL and DOE approval.
Work with the CNLS DPR and LANL Conference Management Team on monetary commitments, including participant reimbursements, site arrangements, marketing, and food, while ensuring that each purchase complies with LANL and DOE policy.
Serve as the point of contact with vendors. Organizers may not contact vendors directly when LANL policy requires CNLS-managed communication.
Create formal invitations for invited participants and track responses. Organizers are encouraged to make informal preliminary contact with prospective speakers before official invitations are issued.
Maintain the conference website and coordinate marketing materials such as posters, announcements, and email notices, distributing them according to organizer direction.
Help develop a cost estimate and track the event account budget, including expenditures against the applicable U9 code.
Set the task schedule and deadlines based on the needs of the event and the broader portfolio of conferences being supported simultaneously.

Responsibilities of the organizer and organizing committee

Obtain CNLS Executive Committee approval, secure contributing funds, and establish registration fees when appropriate. Organizers must prepare any required funding justifications, including those associated with LDRD, grants, or external sponsorship.
Provide proposed dates, location preferences, expected attendance, and meeting-space needs—including poster, banquet, and breakout requirements—during the initial planning discussion.
Discuss all items requiring LANL purchasing, such as venues, food, off-site meals, and shuttles, at least eight months before the conference.
Provide website images and content, a list of required marketing materials, and a draft agenda in time for formal invitations and communications.
Provide complete contact information for invitees and marketing recipients. Planning meetings with CNLS should begin at least two months before formal speaker invitations are expected to arrive.
Meet deadlines established by the CNLS coordinator and provide required information in a complete and timely form.

Operational guidance

Specific guidelines

The following policies are intended to reduce administrative effort, improve the participant experience, and keep events compliant with LANL requirements. CNLS will work flexibly within institutional regulations when an event has needs not covered below.

Invitations

CNLS must create and send official invitation letters so LANL requirements and regulations are fully communicated.
Organizers may make informal invitations and ask speakers to hold dates, but may not commit LANL or CNLS to reimbursing expenses.
Organizers must provide contact information for each invitee and indicate at the same time whether reimbursement should be offered.
Organizers may review official correspondence before it is sent.

Website and marketing

CNLS can create and host an event website with an overview, agenda, local information, and registration. Additional features may be possible upon request.
Organizers seeking greater creative control may prepare images and text and transfer them to CNLS for final formatting and maintenance. Organizers may maintain the agenda page.
Organizers must provide images, written content, and a draft agenda promptly. CNLS cannot create the website or formal invitations until these materials are received.
Organizers are responsible for confirming that LANL and CNLS have suitable usage rights for all submitted images. Images may be adapted for design purposes in ways that do not preserve their original scientific presentation.
CNLS can produce posters, mailings, programs, and related materials.
CNLS-produced marketing requires LA-UR review and an LA-UR number. Consequently, changes cannot be made within three weeks of the planned distribution date.

Participant reimbursements

Approved expenses are reimbursed only after the participant submits the required receipts to CNLS.
All reimbursements must comply with DOE regulations and LANL policy.
CNLS prepares and submits the paperwork to the LANL CFO office; CNLS does not issue checks.
The process may take eight weeks or longer. Participants should submit receipts promptly after the visit.
Reimbursement requests must be received within three months after the conference ends.

Unallowable expenses

Some common event elements—including receptions, wine with dinner, giveaway items, and awards—are unallowable under DOE policy and cannot be paid for with LANL funds. Organizers wishing to include such elements must obtain outside sponsorship sufficient to cover the associated costs.

Communication is the key to a successful event

CNLS will establish regular planning meetings and encourages organizers to communicate whenever questions or changes arise. Our goal is to combine your scientific vision with our event experience and institutional knowledge so that the conference or workshop is professional, welcoming, and fully compliant.

Thank you for partnering with CNLS on your upcoming event.