Animal Behavior Society Student Paper Competition: Submit Your Extended Abstract by March 8 The 2024 Warder Clyde Allee Session for Best Student Paper Competition will be held during the annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society from June 26-29, 2024 in London, Ontario (https://www.animalbehaviorsociety.org/2024/index.php). All eligible students and recent graduates are encouraged to apply. Eligibility requirements: Any independent graduate student research on animal behavior is suitable for the application. The participant may present any work done prior to the completion of the PhD; most commonly it will be one component of the student¡¯s PhD dissertation, but this is not required. The work presented may be part of a larger collaborative effort, but the student must be first author and have principal responsibility for conceptualization and design of the research, collection and analysis of the data, and interpretation of the results. The work presented may be unpublished or published at the time of submission to the Allee Competition. The entrant cannot have been awarded the Ph.D. degree before the start of the preceding ABS annual meeting. An individual can enter the session only once per lifetime. If selected as a finalist in the period of eligibility, applicants with dependent care responsibilities that preclude conference attendance may request a one-year deferral of participation in the competition. To submit an entry to the Allee Competition, applicants must:(1) check the appropriate box in the online abstract submission system for the annual meeting; (2) submit a cover letter and an electronic version of their extended abstract as specified below; (3) confirm that they meet all eligibility requirements above; (4) present an in-person spoken version during the annual meeting; and (4) participate in the Allee welcoming dinner and the ABS awards ceremony during the annual meeting. Applications, including the extended abstract, will be due on the meeting¡¯s abstract submission deadline - March 8, 2024.Applicants will be asked to submit a cover letter with addresses and phone numbers, as well as an extended abstract in PDF format (see below for details). Extended abstracts should be no more than four single-spaced text pages, including no more than a total of two tables and/or figures. This limit includes all extended abstract sections (see below). Margins must be at least 2.5 cm on all sides with 12 pt font. Follow author guidelines for the journal Animal Behaviour (https://www.elsevier.com/journals/animal-behaviour/0003-3472/guide-for-authors) for appropriate formatting of references as well as use of abbreviations, nomenclature and units. Extended abstracts are shortened manuscripts, not long abstracts. They should include the following sections, all included within the 4-page limit: 1.TITLE & AUTHOR 2.ABSTRACT (¡Â300 words) - Clearly and accurately reflect the study topic, results, and importance. 3.KEYWORDS (3-5) 4.INTRODUCTION - Demonstrate a mastery of the literature as evidenced by appropriate citations and synthesis. - Provide a background for the current study and integrate new ideas and/or research foci into existing conceptual frameworks. - Clearly articulate hypothesis (if relevant) and/or objectives. 5.MATERIALS & METHODS - Ensure that methods and analyses are appropriate for testing the stated hypotheses and objectives. 6.RESULTS & DISCUSSION - Present results in a clear manner. - Ensure that tables and figures are understandable, with appropriate labels and legends. - Interpret the results in a manner consistent with findings and relate results back to previously stated hypotheses and objectives. - Ensure that all computations and analyses are reproducible. 7.CONCLUSION - Integrate major findings into past and current knowledge. 8.REFERENCES (15 total) - Format according to Animal Behaviour guidelines. - Limit references to no more than fifteen in total. Allee judges will evaluate all applications and then select a slate of applicants to be invited to present their research in-person during the Allee Competition at the annual meeting. Submission of an entry does not guarantee participation in the Competition, but if an applicant is not invited to participate in the Allee Session they will be guaranteed a regular oral presentation at the annual meeting. If invited, the oral presentation should focus on the material presented in the submitted extended abstract but may also include other original material as well as general introductory and concluding remarks. Questions should be addressed to ABS Second President-Elect, Beth Jakob (preselect2@animalbehaviorsociety.org). Click here to submit your abstract! https://www.animalbehaviorsociety.org/2024/abstracts.php Meeting home page: https://www.animalbehaviorsociety.org/2024/index.php Competition details: https://www.animalbehaviorsociety.org/web/awards-allee.php Beth Jakob (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)