Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to the FAQ for Conference-in-a-Box! Below you will find several categories containing the most frequently asked questions by past conference planning teams.

If you have a question that is not answered here, please email conferences@scienceatlantic.ca. We will be updating the FAQ as questions arise.

Finances

Over the years we have run into numerous problems when groups use external bank accounts:

  • Organizers graduating without passing banking information on to anyone
  • Bills arriving late resulting in the Dean’s office or department having to pay them
  • Banks not allowing changes in signing officers without the old officers present
  • Once the conference is over, no one is aware that the bank account existed and the money is “lost”

Interesting fact: As of December 2013, the Bank of Canada was holding approximately 1.4 million unclaimed account balances, worth over $500 million in total (http://www.bankofcanada.ca/unclaimed-balances/).

This is in addition to dormant accounts opened within the last 10 years at commercial banks.
(You can search the database of unclaimed accounts at http://ucbswww.bank-banque-canada.ca/scripts/search_english.cfm).

Using a university financial account:

  • Is simple: it’s already set up
  • Increases accountability and transparency:  all money goes through an established financial system
  • Simplifies record keeping and reporting
  • Reduces your personal risk for being responsible for the funds
  • Increases the efficiency of using the funds for the conference and related activities

Funding from the conference must be used in accordance with the reason the money was collected. This means that the funds must be used for activities related to your conference or a future conference or similar activity. For more information, please see the Holding Account Policy hereps://scienceatlantic.ca/about/constitutionandpolicies/holdingaccount/.

Following your conference:

  • Ensure all bills have been paid and that any travel reimbursements promised to students have been confirmed
  • Send your final financial statement (using the template found here) to conferences@scienceatlantic.ca and to the coordinators for the next conference
  • If students are to be reimbursed for travel but you are not doing it directly, provide their names and email addresses to Science Atlantic for sending reimbursements
  • Mail any surplus funds via cheque to the Science Atlantic office at the following address:

Science Atlantic
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
Dalhousie University
LSC Room 1376
PO Box 15000
Halifax, NS B3H 4R2

Science Atlantic does not charge tax on event registrations. If you are arranging for delegates to pay through your university’s finance department, the university may require that tax be charged. Be sure to discuss this before you post your registration link, as this can increase your cost substantially. For further details, download the HST exemption letter found here.

When conferences are held at MUN, Science Atlantic will provide limited additional support for student travel to the conference organizers. Organizers at MUN should contact conferences@scienceatlantic.ca for details.

Individual committees may decide to provide travel for students from their own funds. Check with your Science Atlantic Committee Chair.

That depends.

You are responsible to pay tax on goods and services used for the conference. When you set the ticket price for your banquet, you must first determine how much each meal will cost including tax and gratuity.

If you are using the financial account set up through your Dean’s office to pay your bills, the tax procedures will follow the procedures for your institution. Most universities will calculate a reduced tax rate on expenses charged through the university system.

If you are using an external hotel or restaurant, check with your finance office regarding how the tax will be calculated. Determine what the final amount you must pay will be and adjust your banquet ticket prices accordingly.

The Dean’s office at each institution has an account set up for Science Atlantic conferences. Contact their office for details. Ideally, all funds should be managed through the Dean’s office, to improve accountability, reduce tax rates, and simplify payment and reporting. Click here for information on how to open an account through your university.

Thinking about using a regular bank account? Click here for information on personal bank account use.

Upon request, Science Atlantic provides some start-up conference funding. Your first draft budget (template in the Treasurer’s timeline, here) and request should come well before your conference (four or more months before the event).

Transfer of funds is not automatic! The funds will be released once the budget has been reviewed and approved by your Committee Chair and the Science Atlantic Executive Director.

Last year’s conference may also have generated a surplus. If so, the funds are held in a Science Atlantic Holding Account. If needed, you can request these funds. This should not happen until after you have submitted your initial budget and it is apparent that there is no other way to make your budget balance.

Yes.

We recommend that you arrange to use the Science Atlantic PayPal account, which has a reduced charitable fee of 1.9% (rather than the regular 2.9% fee) and eliminates the need for you to create an external bank account for PayPal fund transfers. To arrange this, contact conferences@scienceatlantic.ca as soon as you know you wish to use PayPal, but no later than one month before your registration will open.

The recommended value for a guest speaker is on average $50; however, this may be increased for local speakers, as you will not be covering their travel expenses. A safe option is a book related to the speaker’s field, or something related to your community if they are not local.

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