SOP for holding a meeting:

• We suggest that you take a look at the Google form or the Checklist to get an idea about all the details that we need from you. Kindly email us at meetings@ncbs.res.in or schedule a meeting using the Meetings calendar https://calendly.com/meetings-ncbs/organizing-a-meeting and we will fill out the form with the inputs received from you (the organizers).
• Kindly check the things to keep in mind page for more information to plan your meeting. This page contains information on general things, financial implications and international meetings.
• Kindly assign a person of contact – either a volunteer or organizer with whom we can correspond.
• We request you to check out the events calendar and plan your conference accordingly. We will suggest if there are any clashes.
• According to the SOP, we cannot accept more than 3 meetings in a month. This is primarily to give a breather to our hospitality team. They require at least a day's time to set up accommodation. Moreover, they require enough time to serve amazing meals.
• We suggest that the meeting organization process start at least 6 months in advance for an International Meeting and at least 3 months for a National Meeting. Check out the meeting timeline page for more details.
• Based on the information shared with us, we will design a tentative budget. Based on this budget, a budget code will be generated, which will be used for billing expenses, venue charges, booking accommodation, arranging food, buying stationery, booking tickets, etc. **Venue charges will be levied for hosting meetings in NCBS venues. For NCBS organizers, we will charge you through the budget. For external organizers (includes inStem, TIGS and C-CAMP), we will provide an invoice for the entire meeting or only for venue booking, depending on the service availed. To book Ectoderm at inStem, a special form needs to be filled out. We will share this with the organizers.
• To ensure a smooth meeting, we suggest that we be involved from the initial stages of the meeting. However, in case you should require single services, kindly refer to the useful links page for more information.
• We will create a Whatsapp group with all relevant parties for easier communication. This group will include meeting office members, organizers, volunteers, Head A&F, and Mr. K.M. Basavaraj (for international meetings).
• Please provide us with filled-out TA forms, boarding passes, one original needed or web check-in info, and relevant bills at the end of the meeting. E-boarding passes also work.
• For the TA forms, please ensure that the names, details, and signatures of all attendees are mentioned. Bank details need to be filled out on the last page for reimbursement.
• NCBS follows a strict anti-harassment policy https://www.ncbs.res.in/women's_cell. Kindly include this information in your invitation email. The Meetings office will include this in the arrangement emails sent out to the speakers and attendees.

Steps involved for International Meeting/Meeting with foreign participants/funding:

• Put together a tentative budget for the meeting
• Put together a meeting proposal that will be sent to TIFR for approval (10 days)
• The sources of funding/funding proof should be provided to do step 1 and 2, which can happen in parallel.
• If a meeting has foreign funding or a foreign attendee, we need DAE approvals. If this is the only source of funding, then admin approval would be enough. (at least 1.5 months, depending on the council approval)
• We can send the proposal to MEA for clearance as long as the proposal has been forwarded to the council for consideration at the council meeting, only in some cases.
• In case there is a fund contribution from NCBS, we require funding approval. This is irrespective of where the conference is being held.
• To get a funding approval, we additionally require TIFR Council approval.
• The council meeting happens every 3 months. 
• We will suggest aiming for the (n-1)th Council Meeting, with n being the Council Meeting closest to the conference date, to prevent delays. For example, in 2024, the first council meeting happened in February, next in May, then August and then November. For a meeting in September, we should aim for the May meeting and not August to prevent delays.
• Only after we get DAE approval, can we send documents for MEA clearance.
• MEA will not give a clearance until a month before the conference for security reasons.
• Attendees will be able to apply for a conference VISA only after we get MEA clearance. MEA clearance is necessary and sufficient, and we do not require MHA clearance.
• A month is enough time to apply for a conference VISA. It has to be a stamped conference VISA.
• Attendees can check the Embassy website for more details. They need not go to the embassy in person, however this may vary depending on various factors.