Student Support

BioEM2014 will offer travel support to students. This support is intended to partially offset participation costs to attend BioEM2014. To be eligible for travel support, the student must be a first author, present their paper at the meeting and be a member of either BEMS or EBEA. The grant money for student travel will be divided among the applicants based on the number of applications received and the total grant budget.

Requests for travel support will be accepted until March 21, 2020. The LOC will send out notifications via email approving travel support and announcing the funds budgeted.

To apply for Student Travel Support, fill out this application form and email it to StudentSupport@bioem2014.org.

To apply for BEMS membersh
ip, contact us.

To apply for EBEA membershipcontact us.

NOTE: Students must be a (student) member of EITHER BEMS or EBEA. Please choose the society of your preference. You may, of course, apply to both societies, but membership in only ONE society is required to apply for student travel support for BioEM2014.

For assistance contact one of our committee members:

LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE (LOC)
Marnus van Wyk
Richard Nuccitelli
Theodoros Samaras
Andrew Wood
Niels Kuster
Suné van Rooyen, ConsultUS (Pty) Ltd
Dawne Johnson, ConsulUS (Pty) Ltd

TECHNICAL PROGRAMME COMMITTEE
Theodoros Samaras, Co-Chair (EBEA)
Phil Chadwick, Co-Chair (BEMS)

CONGRESS SECRETARIAT:
For further information, please contact: ConsultUS (Pty) Ltd, BioEM 2014 Conference, P O Box 19063, Tygerberg, 7505 c/o: Akron Foundation Basement Service.

Liability at Conference

The BioEM 2018 Congress Secretariat has taken all reasonable care in making the arrangements for the Congress.   In the event of unforeseen disruptions, neither BEMS, EBEA or CONSULTUS can be held responsible for any losses incurred by delegates. The programme is correct at the time of printing, but the Scientific Committee reserves the right to alter the programme if and when deemed necessary.

The Congress Secretariat acts as an a agent only in securing hotel, transport and travel services, and shall in no event be liable for acts or omissions in the event of injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity of any kind whatsoever during arrangements organised through contractors or by the employees of such contractors. Hotel and transportation services are subject to the Terms and Conditions under which they are offered to the general public.

Delegates should make their own arrangements with respect to personal insurance. The Congress Secretariat reserves the right to make changes as and when deemed necessary, without prior notice to the parties concerned. All disputes are subject to resolution under South African Law.

All accommodation, travel, programme and other arrangements are subject to alteration and cancellation at any time without prior notice, due to factors that are outside of the organizers reasonable control. This will be at the sole and absolute discretion of the organizers. Should such events, such as Force Majeure (eg  war, earthquake, fire, flood, vandalism, destruction, act of God or of government, legislative enactment or amendment, regulatory interference, strikes, lockouts or any other industrial disputes as well as all other causes beyond the reasonable control of a party)  render the organizers unable to deliver such service, the organizers shall not be held responsible.

The organizers cannot be held responsible for any damages, and or costs, whatsoever arising from any such alteration or cancellation. For moving assistance, please contact Moving Companies Syracuse, NY.

Need to know for the upcoming conference

Are you ready?

Check out this important information to get ready for this year’s conference in Capetown, South Africa:

INSURANCE
The congress organizers cannot accept liability for personal injuries sustained, or for loss of, or damage to, property belonging to congress participants (or their accompanying persons), either during or as a result of the congress.  Please check the validity of your own insurance.

RESTAURANTS
The following restaurants offer a 15% discount off your bill provided delegates produce some sort of identification (conference name tag) that they are part of the conference:

City Grill Steakhouse
www.citygrill.co.za

Greek Fisherman
www.greekfisherman.co.za

Meloncino
www.meloncino.co.za

The following restaurants offer a 10% discount off your bill provided delegates produce some sort of identification (conference name tag) that they are part of the conference:

Belthazar Restaurant and Wine Bar
www.belthazar.co.za

Gibson’s Gourmet Burger and Ribs
www.gibsonsburgers.co.za

Amherst Plumbibg
https://www.amherstnyplumbing.com/

Plumbing Cheektowaga, NY
https://www.cheektowaga-plumbers.com/services.html

MORE USEFUL TRAVEL INFORMATION:

WEATHER IN SA
Please click on the link for a current weather report http://www.weathersa.co.za/web and choose the city you would like a report on.

Cape Town Climate in June:
Although Cape Town winters have a reputation for rain and wind, they often produce perfect days or even weeks. Some climatic change seems to have reduced winter rainfall, and when its not raining, winter becomes a perfect green season, when temperatures can reach a summery 26C (80F) or higher. Capetonians watching the World Cricket Cup being played in England in June regularly enjoyed temperatures and weather much more suitable for cricket here than they were there. This time is known in Cape Town as the “Secret Season” – because of all the secret pleasures to be experienced!

TAX
14% Value Added Tax is included in all costs. Visitors can claim back this Tax for purchases in excess of R250.00 at central points in major centres and International Airports.

VACCINATIONS
South Africa’s yellow fever vaccination requirements policy has been reviewed. As of 1 October 2011, South Africa requires all travellers journeying from yellow fever risk countries to show proof of yellow fever vaccination by means of a valid yellow fever certificate.

Countries for which a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for entry into South Africa are Angola, Argentina, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Guinea‐Bissau, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, French Guyana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Venezuela, and Zambia.

CREDIT CARDS
All major credit cards are accepted : Visa, MasterCard, Amex and Diners Club.

SERVICE CHARGES
It is customary to add 10% Service Fee to all Food and Beverage charges. The following service providers expect a tip: Luggage porters, taxi drivers, tour guides, coach drivers, restaurant waiters and waitresses, and car guards.

TIME ZONE
GMT + 02:00

CURRENCY 
South African Rand (ZAR)

INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS 
Cape Town | Johannesburg | Durban | Nelspruit |

EMERGENCY CONTACTS 
If you’re in your hotel room, contact the emergency number provided or the front desk. If you’re out and about, dial 10111 from a landline for the police or 112 from a local mobile phone for emergency assistance.

ELECTRICITY

  • The South African electricity supply is 220/230 volts AC 50 HZ.
  • Most plugs are 15 amp 3‐prong or 5 amp 2‐prong, with round pins. Adapters are available locally.
  • US‐made appliances may need a transformer.
    Most hotel rooms have 110 volt outlets for electric shavers and appliances

TELEPHONE CALLS 
Telecommunications in South Africa also includes a well‐established mobile (cellular) phone network. Four mobile service providers ‐ Vodacom, MTN, Cell C and 8ta ‐ ensure countrywide coverage and reception is generally good in urban areas. Mobile phones can be hired at all international airports and prepaid airtime can be purchased at most retail outlets.

Useful information on dialing codes:

  • For outgoing international calls, dial 00 plus the country and area codes of the destination concerned. Refer to telephone directories for international dialing codes, or obtain 24‐hour assistance by calling 10903.
  • For incoming international calls, the code is +27 followed by the city code or cellphone code, dropping the first 0.
  • Important local city dialing codes: 011 ‐ Johannesburg; 012 ‐ Pretoria; 021 ‐ Cape Town; 031 ‐ Durban; 041 ‐ Port Elizabeth

South Africa’s mobile phone operators utilize the GSM system. If your phone is GSM compatible, set up international roaming with your service provider before you leave home.

DRINKING WATER 
Drinking water in South Africa is safe to drink when taken from taps in urban areas. The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry maintains that South Africa’s national standard of water quality compares well with World Health Organisation standards.

SECURITY 
Safety precautions in South Africa are more common sense than hard and fast measures.
Important South African safety advice includes avoiding deserted areas at night; securing valuables such as photographic equipment and wallets on your person; and leaving expensive, flashy jewellery in your hotel safe while out and about.

  • Being vigilant of your luggage and other belongings (never leave them unattended).
  • Storing valuables in your hotel safe.
  • Limit the amount of money you carry on your person. Also, don’t accept offers of assistance at ATMs and keep your pin numbers secure.
  • When using a credit card in restaurants, ask the waiter to bring a portable credit card machine to your table. Report stolen or lost cards immediately.

Visa Requirements

ALL VISITORS (irrespective of whether they need a visa or not) MUST have 2 adjacent blank pages in their passports, which must be valid for 6 months after their departure from South Africa. These pages must be entitled “Visas”. (Note that some passports have an “Endorsement” page, often towards the end, which is not valid for this purpose). This requirement is strictly enforced.

passport

 

Visitors’ visas are required for international travelers who have permanent residence outside South Africa and who wish to visit the country on a temporary basis for tourism or business purposes for a period of 90 days or less. (Click here to read more about applying for a visa to South Africa and plumbing in Amherst, NY.)

Requirements for visitor’s visas differ from country to country (click here to see which countries are currently exempt) and the requirements are subject to change.  As each application is treated as an individual case, you should make enquiries with your nearest South African mission or consulate abroad or any office of the Department of Home Affairs to see whether or not you are required to apply for a visa.

Remember that there is a fee charged for issuing a visa, and you should check the cost with the office as well, as this is updated annually.  The fee is payable in different currencies in different countries.

Visas for people attending a conference in South Africa

  • Normal procedures must be followed for applying for a visitor’s visa (Form BI-84)
  • The application for a visa must be supported by a letter of invitation for the conference
  • The conference organizer will notify the Department of Home Affairs that the conference is taking place – giving all the relevant details and a list of delegates, if possible.
  • The Department of Home Affairs will then notify all South Africa representatives abroad, authorizing them to issue visas to the delegates providing that
    nothing detrimental is known about the delegate, and that
    all visitor visa requirements are met

All delegates from outside Africa are encouraged to take an inter-continental flight directly into Cape Town or Johannesburg on well-known carriers or their alliance partners.

Important documents
Make two copies of all your important documents, like passports. Take one with you, in a different bag to the original, and leave one at home with a responsible, easily reachable person. Try to memorize all your important numbers – passport numbers, credit card numbers, etc – or store them securely (some smartphones have “password keeper” applications). If you lose your bag, this could be an enormous help.

How to register

All delegates are encouraged to make use of the Early Bird discounted rate and register online before the closing date for early registrations on April 14.

Please note that late registrations can only be accepted at the congress office up to May 23.  Thereafter, delegates must register on-site.

Online registrations will be acknowledged by e-mail. (Please ensure your email address is correctly uploaded when registering online)

CANCELLATION & REFUNDS OF REGISTRATION TO THE CONFERENCE:
Once you register for BioEM2014, refunds and cancellations are not permitted except in the case of a medical emergency.

Your registration includes:

  • Entry to all meeting sessions & exhibits
  • Official program booklet
  • Online access to abstracts
  • Welcome Reception
  • Lunch
  • Coffee and tea
  • Conference dinner

ON SITE REGISTRATION
While it will be possible to register on site, we strongly recommend that participants and their accompanying persons take advantage of the convenience of registering in advance.
Special meals cannot be arranged for on-site registration.

Method of Payment
Payment of fees must accompany all registration forms. Registrations will not be confirmed until full payment is received.

You’re Invited!

The BioEM2014 Local Organizing Committee, The Bioelectromagnetics Society (BEMS) and the European BioElectromagnetics Association (EBEA), welcome you to Cape Town, South Africa, for the Annual Joint Meeting of our two societies from June 8-13.

As the premier international conference in the area of bioelectromagnetics, BioEM2014 is expected to stimulate further research in this field through the exchange of ideas and lively debate on state-of-the-art knowledge, as well as gaps to be filled.

With the increased presence of electromagnetic fields (EMF) in our everyday lives, the meeting aims at presenting and advancing high quality research in basic and applied aspects of bioelectromagnetics to address the health concerns, regulations and medical applications associated with EMF. The program of the meeting will provide a comprehensive overview of the field of bioelectromagnetics – from fundamental research topics on the interactions between living tissue and EM energy to medical applications. BioEM2014 will feature invited plenary talks by world-renowned scientists, a variety of special sessions and panel discussions aligned with the most pressing issues in the field of bioelectromagnetics as well as informative technical sessions, poster sessions, and social functions. Student competitions are also a focus of the conferences. Students from around the world will have the opportunity to present their work in an oral or poster session while developing their technical communication skills and networking with the bioelectromagnetics community.

We look forward to meeting you at the Table Bay Hotel, situated in the V&A Waterfront. It started off with a small jetty, built by Jan van Riebeeck in 1654 as part of his task to establish a refreshment station at the foot of Africa for the Dutch East India Company. The Cape had become a stopover for Dutch ships sailing to Eastern Africa, India and the Far East on their quest for exotic goods. From these humble beginnings the harbour and city continued to be further developed and in 1988 parts of the historic docklands were redeveloped to establish the V&A Waterfront.

Cape Town also offers many other tourist attractions, such as Table Mountain and the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years in prison.

We trust that this will be a fruitful scientific meeting against the backdrop of one of the best loved cities on the African continent.