48th Annual Meeting

October 1-5, 2008
Hilton Hotel, Austin, Texas
Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau:  http://www.austintexas.org

Call for Abstracts

The 2008 deadline for the Call for Abstracts is May 1, 2008.  Online instructions and submission is available here. Meanwhile, additional conference information is available here. (136 kB pdf file)

Child Care

In need of child care while you are at the SPR meeting? Mom's Best Friend Agency provides child care based on individual requests. For more information on child care, associated costs and availability, please contact Lindsey Hudson with Mom's Best Friend Agency directly at 1-512-646-1042. (This service is not sponsored nor endorsed by the SPR, it is provided for information purposes only.)

Conference Schedule

The SPR Conference will begin with an evening reception and registration on Wednesday, October 1. The scientific program will commence on Thursday morning, including invited speakers, symposia, poster sessions, special interest luncheons and dinners, informal conversation and social hours. The program will conclude on Sunday morning, October 5, with the Farewell Breakfast. All sessions will be held at the Hilton Austin.

Early Careers Conversation Hour

8:15 p.m.-10:15 p.m.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Hilton Hotel, Austin, Texas

Don't miss this opportunity at the Annual Meeting to discuss early career issues with some of SPR's leading scientists! As in past years, the first hour will be a panel discussion followed by a breakout into small groups. If you have any questions about this event or would like to RSVP, please contact Catherine Norris by e-mail at cnorris@dartmouth.edu. Confirm your attendance by September 15.

Education and Training Committee Roundtable Discussions

11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Hilton Hotel, Austin, Texas

This year, there will once again be the opportunity to participate in the Roundtable Discussions at the Annual Meeting. Each topic will be led by one or more leaders in their respective fields. To register, please contact Greg Hajcak at greg.hajcak@stonybrook.edu. If you are interested in the Clinical Psychophysiology Roundtable, please contact Julie Hall directly at halljl@umich.edu. Attendance is limited to 10 people at each roundtable. Confirm your attendance prior to September 15!

Roundtables:
Subliminal/Pre-attentive Methods (Luiz Pessoa and Stefan Wiens)
Setting up a Psychophysiology Laboratory (John Allen and John Curtin)
Pupillometry (Canan Karatekin and Stuart Steinhauer)
Clinical Psychophysiology and Neuroimaging (Julie Hall and Greg Siegle)
ERP Data Collection and Analysis (Joe Dien and Bob Simons)
Emotion Regulation (Greg Hajcak and Heather Urry)

Hotel Reservations

SPR also has rooms available at the Hilton Garden Inn, just three blocks from the host hotel. To make a reservation, please call 800-684-7243 and mention SPR to receive the $149 conference room rate.

Need a Roommate for the 2008 SPR Convention?

The Committee to Promote Student Interests is offering assistance in can helping you find a roommate (or roommates) for the annual meeting. If you are looking for a roommate for the 2008 SPR convention in Austin, Texas, please e-mail Robin Nusslock. He will send you the contact info of other attendees looking for a roommate.

Pre-Conference Workshop - Limited to 50 People

Program

Registration

Registration is Closed. You are welcome to register onsite in Austin. Onsite registration fees are available here.

Special Interest Lunches and Dinners

Small group lunches and dinners will be held during the Annual Meeting to provide an informal setting for people to meet and share common interests. If you are interested in hosting a special interest lunch or dinner, contact Bruce Bartholow at bartholowb@missouri.edu. Information on topics, hosts, dates and times for each lunch and dinner scheduled will be provided here as they are scheduled.

Special Interest Lunch
Topic: Psychophysiology in Primarily Undergraduate Institutions
Date: Friday, October 3, 2008
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Contact: Becky Compton (rcompton@haverford.edu)

Special Interest Dinner
Topic: Laterality
Date: Friday, October 3, 2008
Contact: Joseph Dien (jdien07@mac.com)

Travel and Airport Transportation

Air Travel

Plan your airline arrangements to Austin early! To make a flight reservation or request a quote, contact Burkhalter Travel at 1-800-556-9286 or +1-608-833-9339 (press 0 and ask for the Corporate Department) from 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (CST) Monday through Friday. Please reference the SPR Annual Meeting when making your reservations. Fare restrictions and cancellation penalties may apply to your travel. Be sure to have the agent advise you of any applicable restrictions. Burkhalter Travel will book your travel on the air carrier offering the greatest discount.

Ground Travel

Super Shuttle: Upon arrival at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, follow the signs to the SuperShuttle ticket counter, located just past baggage carousel one. Purchase your ticket to the hotel for $12.00 per person one way or $21.00 roundtrip; pay with cash or credit card. Please note this fee does not include driver gratuity or the $1.00 fuel surcharge fee. Schedule your return shuttle from the ticket counter or later by calling +1-800 BLUE VAN (258-3826); 24-hour advance notice is recommended.

Please note: A $2.00 discount is available for those who make their prepaid roundtrip reservation online. Prepaid roundtrip reservations made in advance on the website are just $19.00 per person roundtrip. Please visit: http://www.supershuttle.com and use the group discount code: YMGZB.

Airport Flyer: Capital Metro's 100 Flyer Service will get you from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to downtown for only 50 cents! The 100 Flyer runs every 40 minutes from early in the morning (5:00 a.m. on weekdays) until late in the evening (11:00 p.m.) The Flyer makes multiple stops along the way, and does stop directly in front of the Hilton Austin. Check capmetro.org to plan your route or call Capital Metro's GO Line at +1-512-474-1200 for more information.

Travel Grants

The aim of the SPR travel grant program is to help psychophysiologists from developing countries in Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe become members of the SPR and participate actively in its annual meetings. The awards include a travel grant typically in the amount of $1,500; free registration fee for the 2008 conference, and c) free SPR membership for 2008. A large number of grants are available, but applications are evaluated competitively based on merit, geographical distribution and other factors.

Travel grants are also available for graduate and undergraduate students. See the SPR Student Web site for more details

Travel Grant Applications

Women in Science and Education Lunch Box Discussion

11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Hilton Hotel, Austin, Texas

Please join us at the Annual Meeting for the Third Annual Women in Science and Education (WISE) Lunch Box Discussion regarding women in leadership. All SPR members, including men, are invited to attend. If you have any suggestions for this event, please contact Stacie Warren at swarren3@uiuc.edu.