OUR STORY
Have you ever attended an international conference? It’s inspiring, you hear about science being done at that very moment, you can network with colleagues, find your next position, learn from seasoned experts, and more.
Many of us relate to this description, but not everyone can join high-quality microbiome conferences. What about VISA barriers? What about travel costs? What about accessibility? What about caring duties? What about health issues? What about the carbon footprint?
In 2020, we started dreaming of creating a free, inclusive, accessible, global, diverse, and sustainable space where researchers could share and discuss the highest-quality microbiome science. That dream became a reality in September 2021 with the first Microbiome Virtual International Forum (MVIF) event. And we did not stop there. With 25+ free global events organized to date, we are proud of the community that has grown around and with MVIF, which is now a registered non-profit organization.
We are not professional conference organizers. We are microbiome scientists who want to maintain a high-standard community-driven virtual conference free and accessible to everyone around the world.
We are MVIF. You are MVIF.
Join us in our dream.
Design by Eleonora Nigro.
If you’d like to make a direct donation to MVIF, please check out our Support MVIF page.
OUR MISSION
The mission of the Microbiome Virtual International Forum (MVIF) is to advance the field of microbiome research by providing a more convenient, accessible, and globally inclusive platform for the dissemination of high-quality research and scientific networking. We are committed to promoting diversity of gender, race/ethnicity, and geography, and to actively engaging and promoting students and early-career researchers and scientists. We facilitate collaborations and knowledge exchange in a free and open-access setting with rigorous scientific and evidence-based standards.
MVIF in short:
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free of cost: for speakers and attendees
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recurring: monthly event
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bite-sized: about 3 hours
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worldwide: premiere + replay sessions
HOW MUCH WE NEED TO RAISE
For the past 3 years, we have been running on our own funds, donations by our non-commercial partners, and sponsorships. Not to mention the time and skills donated by our volunteers. However, MVIF is a community-driven forum and we would like it to be as independent as possible. That’s why we are asking the community for support!
The next goals you can help us reach are:
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2,500 EUR: covers the basic platform cost for the main conference
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4,000 EUR: covers the networking session and interactive part of the event
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8,000 EUR: covers the Best Selected Talk and Best Highlight prizes for the whole Season
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10,000 EUR: will cover the organization of a pilot microbiome podcast organized by MVIF volunteers and actively involving previous speakers and participants
MVIF is a non-profit organization registered in Italy (Tax-ID: 94049260220), registered in the Province of Trento, Italy on Feb. 20, 2023 with ref. no. 2023-D337-00082. Official legal name: “Associazione Microbiome Virtual International Forum - APS”.
THE CONFERENCE
To make a microbiome conference that can be followed by anyone, in any part of the world, each month we alternate between Atlantic-first (9 AM New York time, premiering in time zones convenient for Atlantic North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Western Asia) and Pacific-first events (more convenient for Eastern Asia, Oceania, Pacific North America).
Each monthly event consists of a keynote talk by a highly recognized microbiome scientist and two sessions with contributed talks by microbiome researchers at all career levels. We prioritize talks by early career researchers and unpublished or preprint work. Abstract submission is always open.
Check out our website for more info: https://www.microbiome-vif.org/en-US/-/info/the-event.
THE NUMBERS
During the first two Seasons (Sept 2021 - June 2023), MVIF audience members connected from 80 countries in 6 continents. We have hosted 142 speakers from 26 countries on 6 continents, from all career levels (7% tenured faculty, 15% untenured faculty; 39% postdocs; and 39% doctoral and pre-doctoral students), and 53% of them self-identify as women.
Countries from which MVIF attendees joined in Seasons 1 and 2.
The fully virtual format allows pregnant people and people with caring duties or health conditions that are incompatible with in-person conferences to present and attend, and removes visa and economic barriers to attendance. These numbers are in line with MVIF’s mission of promoting diversity of gender, race/ethnicity, and geography, and of actively supporting early-career researchers not only to attend but also to present their research at high-quality international conferences.
All events are run by an amazing and diverse group of over 30 scientists from 15+ countries on 6 continents and at all career stages. They donate their time and skills so that everybody can join MVIF, freely, wherever they are. Learn more about the Organizing Committee here https://www.microbiome-vif.org/en-US/-/info/about-us.
If you’d like to make a direct donation to MVIF, please check out our Support MVIF page.