Inclusion and accessibility
ECCB 2026 is committed to fostering an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming conference environment for the computational biology and bioinformatics community. In line with our Code of Conduct, and in collaboration with the SIB Diversity Focus Group, ECCB 2026 is implementing measures to ensure equitable and accessible participation for all attendees, including the measures and initiatives listed below:
If you have specific accessibility or inclusion requirements not covered here, please contact us by email so we can discuss possible arrangements.
Inclusion, Diversity and Equality
The following measures are implemented across ECCB 2026 to support equitable participation, representation, and respectful engagement:
- Gender-balanced scientific committees
Conference committees aim to reflect balanced representation, with particular attention to gender diversity. - Fair and transparent selection process
Proceedings manuscripts, abstracts, and proposals for tutorials and workshops are evaluated through a transparent review process, including blind assessments, to ensure fairness and scientific merit. - Support for PhD students and early-career researchers
ECCB 2026 offers dedicated activities and mentoring opportunities to support career development, including sessions led by invited speakers, special-track sessions (focus and industry sessions), tutorials and workshops, and structured networking and social events such as the conference reception and social programme. - Inclusive and respectful communication
Participants are encouraged to use inclusive language, avoid stereotypes, and engage respectfully with others. Participants are invited to indicate their preferred pronouns on their conference badge. - Respectful conflict resolution
Any issues or conflicts will be addressed in a professional and respectful manner, in line with the conference’s Code of Conduct. - Childcare support
Childcare support can be arranged upon request. On-site childcare is organized in a dedicated room (room 201/202, floor 2). Participants wishing to use this service are kindly asked to contact the organizing team at least 4 weeks in advance and provide the required information. More information here.
- Lactation and nursing facilities
A lactation and nursing room is available at the congress centre (room 203, floor 2). - Quiet rooms
Dedicated quiet rooms are available at the congress centre (rooms 208, 217 & 230, floor 2) for participants needing a calm space for rest, reflection, prayer, or sensory breaks. - Dietary needs
Catering will make its best efforts to accommodate dietary requirements. All lunches and coffee breaks are vegetarian within the conference venue.
Accessibility and mobility
SIB is committed to providing an accessible conference environment and to ensure that information and services are available to participants with disabilities or other accessibility needs:
- A website accessibility tool to support online navigation.
- All sessions and event spaces are accessible to participants with reduced mobility.
- Elevators are clearly signposted and provide access to all floors of the congress centre.
- Ramps for presenters are available in all conference rooms to allow speakers and presenters to access the stage.
- Quiet rooms for rest or sensory breaks (rooms 208, 217 & 230, floor 2).
- Printed versions of the conference programme are available at the registration desk.
In addition, personal assistance with a dedicated volunteer can be arranged to accommodate individual needs during the event (upon prior request). Participants with specific accessibility or mobility needs are encouraged to contact the organizing team at least a few weeks in advance to discuss possible arrangements.
Encouraging women to take the stage at our conference
Published research consistently shows that women remain under-represented among invited speakers and submitted abstracts in computational biology and bioinformatics. We share this information transparently to acknowledge this imbalance and to make clear that it is not a reflection of scientific excellence or interest, but rather the result of well-documented structural factors and unconscious biases in academic environments.
At the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, we are actively reflecting on these mechanisms and working to address them through concrete actions in conference organization, review processes, and outreach. As part of this effort, we explicitly encourage women and other under-represented researchers, across career stages, to submit abstracts, apply for talks, and participate visibly in ECCB.
ECCB aims to provide a scientific space where diverse expertise and perspectives are represented. Increasing participation from women is an essential step toward more balanced, inclusive, and scientifically robust conferences. SIB is committed to promoting inclusive scientific exchange through both structural action and encouragement of women’s participation.
A more extensive overview of women’s underrepresentation at academic conferences, including detailed evidence and references, is available in a dedicated document authored by SIB Group Leader Natasha Glover for the SIB Diversity Focus Group (December 2024), which can be found here.