Code of conduct

In case of a breach of the Code of Conduct, the concerned individuals or witnesses are encouraged to report it in the following ways:

• The Ombuds person for the ESC-Coimbra 2025 meeting is Tiffany Pinho. We have all been communicating with her during these months of organization. Tiffany Pinho will be available during the whole meeting and has been instructed to respect the anonymity of everyone, if preferred.
• For immediate action onsite, contact Tiffany Pinho or any ESC-Coimbra 2025 staff member at the registration desk, at the entrance of the venue. If unattended, you will find staff members also at the technical desk, where the sound technician will be.
• If you feel threatened, do not hesitate to approach a security person onsite or any staff members. You will find them around the venue, but also you will be able to find more staff of the building in the general reception.
• For reporting online, write an email to ombuds.ESC2025@gmail.com. Only the ombuds person will have access to this email, and anonymity will be preserved. Please provide as many details as possible, so Tiffany Pinho can take action.
• There will be a complain box located at the entrance of the venue, properly identified. Please leave there your complains, trying to be as specific as possible, so actions can be taken.
• In addition to reporting to conference organisers, individuals may report aggressions to the Police. The Portuguese police and general emergency service  can be reached by 112. In general, Portuguese people speak good English. Ask ESC-Coimbra 2025 staff or security personnel if you need assistance.

Any details that help identify the perpetrator and describe the incident will assist in addressing the situation.

Once a report has been submitted, whenever possible, ESC-Coimbra 2025 will pursue action in a way that maintains the anonymity of the concerned individual. If any enforcement action requires the breach of this anonymity, it will only be applied after informed consent is obtained from the concerned individual.

The ESC-Coimbra 2025 organisers reserve the right to take any action to prevent and report any violation of the present Code of Conduct as deemed necessary. The necessary actions will be decided on a case-by-case basis, and can include the following:

• involving the onsite security and medical team
• filing a police report when appropriate
• reporting to host institutions of reported individuals
• permanent removal from the in-person meeting and any related credentials

ESC-Coimbra 2025 cannot investigate reports of harassment or other misconduct onsite, but will refer victims to the appropriate authorities and will inform the relevant department(s) of the offender’s host institution about any registered reports.

For the purpose of these guidelines, harassment consists of improper or unwelcome conduct that might reasonably be perceived as causing offence or humiliation to another person. Harassment may involve any conduct of a verbal, non-verbal or physical nature, including written and electronic communication. Harassment in any form is not tolerated at the ESC-Coimbra 2025 meeting.

Examples of harassment include, but are not limited to:

• Comments – whether verbal or written – that reinforce social structures of domination related to e.g., career status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, ethnicity, race, age, religion, political affiliation
• Any form of bullying or abuse of power through coercion, manipulation, etc.
• The production or non-consensual sharing of photography or unwanted recording, including sexual images, in public spaces (in any format, electronic or otherwise)
• Deliberate intimidation, humiliation, stalking or following
• Sustained disruption of poster presentations, talks, sessions or other events
• Inappropriate physical contact
• Unwelcomed sexual attention
• Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviours

All events are exclusively reserved for registered participants. Non-registered individuals will not be permitted in any of the event areas. This rule excludes infants of registered delegates who may access the ESC-Coimbra 2025 premises, upon agreement with the organiser, under the sole responsibility and constant supervision of a registered parent and/or designated caretaker. Otherwise, designated infant caretakes are welcomed into the central entrance hall, before the badge checkpoint.

Infants (under 2 years old) of registered delegates (or similar) may access the meeting premises under the sole responsibility and supervision of a registered parent and/or designated caretaker. A consent form must be signed at the registration counter.

Babies can be with their parents and/or designated caretaker anywhere at the meeting venue, parents and/or designated caretaker are asked to respect the learning environment in the session areas.

Unless otherwise specified, ESC-Coimbra 2025 badges indicating the name of the person in possession of the delegate or exhibitor’s badge, should always be visibly worn inside the restricted areas of the meeting venue.

Mobile phones, tablets, computers and other electronic devices must be set to silent mode throughout all scientific sessions of the Forum.

Smoking is prohibited inside the entire meeting venue, except in designated smoking areas where applicable. Smoking outside is permitted according to the specific guidelines of the venue.

Where alcoholic beverages are available in the context of the ESC-Coimbra 2025 meeting, participants are expected to drink responsibly. Individuals that are visibly under the influence of alcohol or other legal or illegal substances will be escorted from the venue and will not be allowed re-entry.

Delegates should express cultural sensitivity and respect towards all participants with regards but not limited to clothing and appearance.

Any recording, filming, or other capturing of presentations at the Forum, including of scientific posters is not acceptable without the expressed clear consent of the presenter.

All data and scientific research that is presented at the ESC-Coimbra 2025 meeting must be based on original research findings that have been derived from procedures and experiments that adhere to the accepted guidelines for good ethical and experimental research conduct. Presenters are responsible for the content of their presentations, whether oral or written, and shall secure appropriate consent from collaborators and funders, as relevant, prior to any presentation at the meeting.

The presentation of research or data within sessions, posters or in other formal or informal engagements is the sole responsibility of the presenter. ESC-Coimbra 2025 is not responsible for the data, its accuracy, or the way it was obtained. By submitting abstracts and posters, the authors unanimously give consent to ESC-Coimbra 2025 to present their materials onsite (physically) and online (digitally) on the app and on any other virtual platforms used for the scientific organization of the ESC-Coimbra 2025 meeting. By submitting abstracts, the authors also unanimously give consent to ESC-Coimbra 2025 to make the abstracts publicly downloadable.

Bags, containers or suitcases may not be left unattended at any time in or around the venue. There might not be designated cloakrooms for such items in the venue. The organizers furthermore advise delegates to use safety deposit boxes in their accommodation if available for all valuables. ESC-Coimbra 2025 takes no responsibility for lost and stolen items in or around the venue.

The organisers do not accept liability for personal accidents, loss, or damage to private property, which may be incurred as a result of the participation in ESC-Coimbra 2025. Participants are advised to secure appropriate insurance (health, travel, theft, or otherwise) for their stay and travel to and from the ESC-Coimbra 2025 meeting.

Outside of the congress center, as in any popular big city, tourists in Coimbra should be mindful of their surroundings, especially in crowded areas and popular tourist spots. Portugal in general, and Coimbra in special, are very safe areas. However, keep an eye on your belongings to avoid pickpocketing, and be cautious when dealing with street vendors or unsolicited offers.

Attendees of the ESC-Coimbra 2025 are required to respect the privacy of other participants and refrain from any unauthorised or unwelcomed recording or photography. Participants are not allowed to take photos or videos of scientific material shown unless express prior consent by the presenter has been ascertained. Moreover, substantial or integral recording of oral presentations is not allowed unless these are done by a professional entity that has been contracted for this purpose by or on behalf of the organiser. The use of flash is not allowed in the main venue unless performed by an authorised professional photographer.

Taking photos and recordings within the ESC-Coimbra 2025 environment for professional use is not allowed without obtaining prior permission from the organiser.

ESC-Coimbra 2025 follows the guideline for consent related to the use of pictures with identifiable persons in a public space under the EU General Data Protection Regulation. Recordings via video, photography or other means of ESC-Coimbra 2025 participants is in general allowed as long as people are not shown in incriminatory or private situations and images are not used in a misleading or derogatory way. Any publication of photos or videos on social media requires the clear consent of all participants. It is highly recommended for anyone to obtain permission before the sharing of such content, including on social media.

ESC-Coimbra 2025 adheres to the copyright laws guiding the appropriate sharing of scientific research material, including data.

Presenters and exhibitors are strongly encouraged to clearly indicate whether or not photography/recording of the poster, presentation, or exhibit booth and sharing/remixing of the material is permitted.

By registering to the ESC-Coimbra 2025, participants, presenters and exhibitors agree that ESC-Coimbra 2025 shall be entitled to use images of the meeting collected by the ESC-Coimbra 2025 photographer for use in future promotional materials. If participants, presenters or exhibitors do not agree to such use, they can object to such use by sending an email to esc.coimbra2025@gmail.com before the end of the meeting.

ESC-Coimbra 2025 encourages open and respectful discussions on social media and blogging platforms. Nonetheless, participants are requested to not post images or videos online without obtaining appropriate permission. Participants are requested to respect any request from an author not to disseminate the contents of their presentation/poster. Participants who do not respect these provisions will themselves be fully liable for any claims made in this regard.

While ESC-Coimbra 2025 meeting is organised in objectively safe city and areas, ESC-Coimbra 2025 delegates are encouraged to observe safe practices while traveling and attending the meeting.