The Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) invites your abstracts for presentations at the 2018 SRA Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, December 2-6.
 
We welcome contributions on any topic related to risk assessment, risk characterization, risk perception, risk communication, risk management, risk governance, and policy relating to risk, in the context of risks of concern to individuals, to public and private sector organizations, and to society at a local, regional, national, or global level.

This year's theme, “The Many Faces of Risk,” is intended to showcase inclusion, a cornerstone of SRA and vital to the ability to address today’s most pressing risk issues. The theme underscores the diversity of SRA in terms of the professions, disciplines, methodologies, nationalities, and regions its membership represents. It also highlights the staggering array of topics that SRA members and meeting participants explore in their research and practice. 
 
Abstracts are due no later than May 29, 2018, midnight EST.
Click here for complete submission guidelines and to submit your abstract.

Continuing education workshops will be offered on Sunday, December 2 and Thursday, December 6 in either 4 or 8 hour sessions. This year we are encouraging proposals aimed at improving the foundations and/or practice of risk analysis. Click here for complete workshop submission guidelines and to submit your proposal. Continuing education workshop proposals are due no later than May 29, 2018. 

MCDEM Conference - Partners for Resilience
The 2018 National Emergency Management Conference is fast approaching. This year’s conference will be held in conjunction with the Australasian Natural Hazards Management Conference, focusing on the theme ‘Partners for Resilience’.

Bringing together a range of experienced and knowledgeable speakers including Mark McCrindle, Holly Ransom and Mark Crosweller, the 2018 conference will focus on providing insight, advice and discussions that will be both relevant and engaging for emergency management professionals.

In the days surrounding the main conference, a range of topical workshops will be held. Workshops are a great way of getting a more hands on perspective, as well as a fantastic opportunity to meet people from a range of organisations and sectors. However this year’s workshops are organised and registered for separately from the conference. Workshops will be listed below as they become available.

On 30 May at the annual Awards Dinner, the 2018 Ministerial and Directors awards will be presented as a way of celebrating achievements across the emergency management sector. This is a fantastic way to acknowledge the successes of colleagues from across the sector, all are welcome.

Where: Conference, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Wellington. Awards Dinner, Bee Hive Banquet Hall
When: Conference, 30 – 31 May 2018. Awards Dinner 30 May. Workshops, 29 May and 1 June
Cost: Conference $500 (including access to all workshops). Dinner $80.
Registrations open:  28 February
Registrations close: 4 May
Register online here
If you require any further detail please email Emergency.Management@dpmc.govt.nz

Useful Links:
Conference Overview

Dear SRA-ANZ Members,
As a (relatively new) network scholar, the different ways in which we are all connected never ceases to amaze me. What amazes me even more is how much we don’t know about how widely connected we actually are, how much more closely connected we can be, and how much we can achieve when we reach out to connect to others.
My first year as President of SRA-ANZ has taught me (yet again!) about the extraordinary power of networks. As a small society, we rely heavily on the time that individual members very generously volunteer to get initiatives off the ground. However, this year has shown that the collective resources of SRA-ANZ amount to more than just the sum of time volunteered by our modest membership base. Our deceptively small society has proven to be a network of hidden networks, which has allowed SRA-ANZ to put down 2017 as a year of achievement.
Our 2017 conference, ‘Risk in an Interconnected World’ was one of our most well-attended conferences in recent years. Under the guidance of SRA-ANZ councillors Martina Hoffmann and Anca Hanea, and members Edith Arndt and Tracey Hollings (all from the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, University of Melbourne), the conference effectively connected the society to new and existing members, with expertise spanning disciplines from biosecurity to transport safety. Most notably, the conference linked SRA-ANZ to the Australasian Bayesian Network Modelling Society (ABNMS), whose co-organisation of the conference has resulted in an exciting new connection that we hope will lead to many more productive collaborations in the future.
Through the creative and capable efforts of Martina Hoffmann and Steve Corin (Synapt Consulting, New Zealand) our members have been connected to the latest developments in the various fields of risk analysis through our regular newsletter and website updates. Under the leadership of Steve Corin, the society has likewise been connected to the latest thinking in risk through the SRA International webinar series. This year has also marked SRA-ANZ’s stronger engagement with industry, led by Barbara Campany (GHD Australia), and with policymakers, led by Naomi Cogger (Massey University, New Zealand).
Our society has been working hard to connect our own risk experts with the rest of the world. In line with this, we have received strong support from the editorial board of the Journal of Risk Research. We are currently working with the journal to put together our very first SRA-ANZ special issue, aimed at showcasing the novel work of our members. We hope to get this published in 2018, and hope to continue sharing the work of risk scholars from our region to a global audience.
Finally, the society continues to share its expertise in shaping risk management standards through its participation in Standards Australia committee OB 007, which is currently in the process of updating the international risk management standard ISO31000, among others.
While we have been able to reach out and establish productive connections with others this year, we need to increase our network connectivity even more. We need to broaden our disciplinary connections in order to truly be in a position to meaningfully foster cross-disciplinary interconnections. It is only by building bridges across areas of risk expertise that we will collectively be able to robustly think about complex emerging risks, creatively craft solutions to managing the ever evolving risk landscape, and expand the frontiers of risk analysis.
We now optimistically look forward to 2018 and beyond, confident that we will be able to build on the strong connections we have established this year!
Sandra Seno-Alday, SRA-ANZ President

SRA invites the submission of abstracts for presentations at the Fifth World Congress on Risk to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, May 6-8, 2019. The Fifth World Congress on Risk will focus on ‘Development and Resilience’ and aims to stimulate dialogue and education on risk issues of world-wide interest.

SRA welcomes contributions on any topic related to risk assessment, risk characterization, risk perception, risk communication, risk management, risk governance, and policy relating to risk, in the context of risks of concern to individuals, to public and private sector organizations, and to society at a local, regional, national, or global level.

SRA-ANZ is looking for any further speakers who would like to submit an abstract to be added to our proposed symposium, ‘Risk Analysis in an Interconnected World’. For the submission code to submit an abstract as part of the SRA-ANZ symposium, please contact Hong Jin: Hong.Jin@foodstandards.gov.au

We invite all SRA ANZ members to attend the Annual General Meeting which will take place at 4.00pm, Tuesday November 21st, 2017
 
Location:  Room 155, Arts West – North Wing, Building #148a, Professors Walk,
The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.  
 
Map: https://maps.unimelb.edu.au/parkville/building/148
 
 
Please RSVP to: ericak@unimelb.edu.au by 16/11/17

We are pleased to inform that now the registration site for the Society for Risk Analysis, Asia Conference 2018, or SRA Asia 2018, has opened!

http://www.sra-japan.jp/SRAAsia2018/

At “Registration” page, you can register your abstracts of presentations and participation. For detail, see “How to register abstracts” below.

Date: 13 – 14 March, 2018
Venue: Takatsuki Muse campus, Kansai University, Takatsuki, Osaka
http://www.kansai-u.ac.jp/English/about_ku/muse_map.html
 
 Conference Theme: "Communication and collaboration in diversity of researches in East Asia”
 "We have variety of risk issues to be analyzed. Natural disasters, climate change, accidents by science and technology, chemicals, radiation, EMF (electromagnetic field), food safety, insurance, risk administration of governance and business, war, terrorism, consensus formation, and so on. Each risk issue cannot be solved with single traditional academic field. The solution will be brought through interdisciplinary approach. That was why Society for Risk Analysis was organized. SRA originally has diversity in academic fields, and we have decades of experience that we successfully made progress in risk researches with communication and collaboration in diversity of academic fields. The regional SRAs in Asia also have their diversity, that is, each of them has its specialty. Natural disaster research in China, toxicology in Korea, public health in Taiwan, and risk communication in Japan. The diversity in the regional SRAs in Asia will be a trigger of our success of fruitful risk researches with our communication and collaboration by helping and learning each other. We sincerely welcome all of you to the SRA Asia Conference 2018. "
  - Shoji Tsuchida, Chair, SRA Ssia 2018
 
 Keynote speaker will be Terje Aven, University of Stavanger, and President-elect of Society for Risk Analysis. In addition, Leaders of risk analysts from Korea, China, Taiwan and other countries will meet and share their ideas.
 
Alongside of the conference, we will hold a symposium entitled "Homeland Security and Risk Analysis: Under the military tension in Korean Peninsula", hosted by Kansai University. This is aimed to examine, from the viewpoint of risk analysis, what kind of response should be taken in preparation for the damage caused by war and terrorism as same as preparations for natural disasters. Participants of SRA Asia 2018 can participate here as well.
 
 Registration fee
 Early bird (until 20 Dec. 2017)
 -    Registration fee - Adult     20,000 JPY
 -    Registration fee - Student     3,000 JPY
 -    Gala dinner            5,000 JPY

  After 21 Dec. 2017 or on site
 -    Registration fee - Adult     25,000 JPY
 -    Registration fee - Student     5,000 JPY
 -    Gala dinner              6,000 JPY
 
Important Dates
Deadline for Authors registration
17:00 (JST) 30 October 2017
Deadline for Submission of abstracts
 End of November 2017
 Deadline for Early bird registration
 20 December 2017
 
 How to register abstracts
 1.    Visit “Registration” page in http://www.sra-japan.jp/SRAAsia2018/
Click ”Go to registration of SRA Asia 2018” page, or go to https://sra.confit.atlas.jp/login .
 2.    Make your account by imputing your name, affiliation, and contact information including email address.
 3.    You will receive a message at the email address. Click the URL written in the message for confirmation.
 4.    Login at
 https://sra.confit.atlas.jp/login by using the account made in Step 2.
 Register presentation title, name of author(s), keywords, presentation type (oral or poster), and category (see below).
 
 Accept notification will be sent from the secretariat in early October 2017.
 Then register the abstracts (up to 500 words) at the registration site.
 
 Category of presentation
 -    Environmental risk assessment and management
 -    Chemical risk assessment and management
 -    Radiation risk assessment and management
 -    Industrial and process safety management
 -    Natural disaster risk
 -    Food safety
 -    Risk perception and risk communication
 -    Economic and insurance perspectives
 -    Emerging technology
 -    Home and society risk
 -    Risk governance
 -    Crisis management
 -    Homeland security

This webinar will explore seven interrelated questions. Participants are encouraged to come with their own arguments and ideas regarding these questions. 

1. How do we push the world as far as possible to a world where all analyses supporting risk management are of at least adequate quality?
2. How do we define "adequate quality"?
3. Where should guidelines come down on a continuum from "bright line" to "general guidance"?
4. How do w promote the concept of "Culture of Analysis Quality" in each domain?
5. Do we even want to use the word "enforce"? If not, then how do we best get the guideline complied with?
6. How should any guidelines be promulgated?
7. What is the best way to get these guidelines written?

Wed, Aug 30, 2017 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM NZST
Wed, Aug 30, 2017 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM AEST

Scientific advances over the past decade are transforming our knowledge of the natural microbes of breast and bovine milks. Unexpected results from culture-independent studies of milk microbiomes are raising questions about assumptions of past risk analyses for breast milk banks, food safety regulators, and milk consumers around the world. In ‘milk wars’ around the world, the opposing positions are often stated as definitive beliefs for all time, not as evidence-based communications that merit further deliberation as science advances. Understandably, consumers around the world are confused by conflicting statements about benefits and risks in the media and from regulators.

Attendees will likely find surprises in the webinar, regarding the history of the ‘milk wars’ around the world, as well as assessments based on ‘top-down’ data and ‘bottom-up’ data. In the next phases of the joint RO project, frameworks for assessing and communicating benefits and risks using objective, unbiased evidence-based processes (e.g., evidence mapping, mental modeling) will be applied.

The webinar series is organized by partnering Regional Organizations (Australia, New England, New Zealand, and Upstate NY) of the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) as the first of three phases of a project entitled Understanding Perceptions and Evidence of Benefits and Risks of Consuming Fresh Unprocessed (Certified Raw or Raw Drinking) Milk.

Presenters
Peg Coleman is a medical microbiologist and microbial risk assessor who contributed to human health risk assessments for bacteria causing anthrax, campylobacteriosis, E. coli O157:H7 enterocolitis, listeriosis, salmonellosis, and tularemia. Peg is a former regulator (USDA/FSIS) and currently sole proprietor of Coleman Scientific Consulting. 

D. Warner North, Ph.D., is principal scientist of NorthWorks and author of the first formal microbial risk assessment for NASA in 1974 on potential growth of microbes on Mars. Warner was a member of the committee authoring the 1996 National Academies report, ‘Understanding Risk: Informing Decisions in a Democratic Society.' Dr. North has a long association with Stanford University, having served as a professor or faculty member from 1976 to 2009. 

Annual Scientific Meeting & Continuing Education Day 
27 - 29 September 2017, Rydges Capital Hill, Canberra

ASM Program Now Available
With an impressive 22 presentations over the two day meeting, the 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting will feature speakers from around the world presenting on a range of topics addressing the theme Risk Assessment of New Technologies.

Presentation topics will include:

• Regulation of precision breeding technologies
• Ecological risk assessment of nanotechnology products
• Food derived using new technologies
• PFAS tissue distribution in sheep
• Sustainable food production systems
• Assessing the risks and benefits of using gene drives

 
Visit the Full Program

Early Bird and Group Discounts close 11 August
Register before 11 August and take advantage of the Early Bird discount for the 10th Annual Scientific Meeting and Continuing Education Workshop. Groups of five or more individuals from the same organisation are eligible to register via the group online booking form. Groups must be from the same organisation and will receive a $35 discount off each registration (minimum saving of $175).
 
Who should attend
- Toxicologists (government, academic and industry)
- Eco toxicologists
- Environmental Health Risk Assessors
- Consultants
- Environmental Managers
- Industrialists
- Chemical Regulators and policy makers in government agencies (state and federal)
- Research scientists, including postgraduate students
 
Register Now