The 2nd UT Dallas [University’s new official acronym P.S.]Project Management Symposium in August will be held on the UT Dallas campus in Richardson, Texas, USA. The event is being sponsored by the Graduate Program in Project Management in the School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas). Co-sponsors include the PMI Dallas Chapter and PMForum.

Project management experts and practitioners are invited to submit abstracts for paper presentations on one of the following topics:

• Construction & Property Development Project Management

• Engineering Project Management

• Global Program & Project Management

• Management of Complex Programs & Projects

• Medical & Healthcare Project Management

• New Ideas & Emerging Trends in Project Management

• Program & Portfolio Project Management

• Project Management in Local Government

• Project Management on Energy, Oil & Gas Projects

• Project Management for New Product Development

• Program & Project Management Tools& Techniques

• Sports & Entertainment Projects (Cowboys, Mavs, Stars & more)

• Telecommunications & Technology Project Management

• Transportation Infrastructure PM (trains, planes & automobiles)

Abstract and paper preparation guidelines are as follows:

• Papers should not have been previously published

• Papers and presentations should be free of commercial sales content

• Papers and presentations should focus on the subject of the title, and provide new contributions to the topic

• The length of the abstract should be between 150 and 250 words

• Abstracts shall be typed in 12pt Times New Roman font in the MS Office Word format, 2000 or 2003 versions

• Each abstract must have a lead author who will serve as the primary contact for all correspondence.

• Length of the final paper should be between 1000 to 2000 words.

Key Dates

10 March 2008 – Abstracts Due
15 April 2008 – Papers & Speakers selected
30 June 2008 – Full papers due

Authors whose abstracts are accepted will be expected to deliver a final paper and a presentation at the symposium in August, according to the final symposium schedule. In addition to paper presentations, the symposium will include:

Opening Ceremony with Keynote Speakers – Monday morning
Monday evening reception for attendees, speakers and exhibitors
Opening and Closing Keynote speakers on Day Two
Exhibition of PM products & services – Sponsorships available

The Symposium will be held in the School of Management building on the campus of The University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson, Texas, USA during August 18-19, 2008. Both UT Dallas and the PMI Dallas Chapter are Registered Education Providers with PMI, so attendees and presenters can receive PDUs for PMP recertification. Full registration fee will only be $400 for the two-day conference; UTD students and PMI members will receive a discount. Authors will attend the symposium free of charge. For more information or to submit an abstract, contact Debbie Samac at debbie@utdallas.edu.

The Project Management Program at UT Dallas provides application-oriented education for professionals with significant project, program or general management responsibilities. Established in the Executive Education Center in The UT Dallas School of Management, students can earn a Certificate in Project Management, a Master of Science degree with emphasis in project management, or a Master of Business Administration degree with project management emphasis. The UT Dallas PM program, originally developed in 1997, is accredited by PMI’s Global Accreditation Center (GAC) and is registered with the PMI Registered Education Provider Program (PMI R.E.P.). The program is taught by world-class faculty with a blend of industrial project management, consulting and teaching experience. The PM Program is delivered both on campus and online, and attracts students from across the United States and around the world. For more information, visit http://som.utdallas.edu/project/.

Founded in 1984, the Dallas Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) – the PMI Dallas Chapter – is one of the oldest PMI components in the world. With nearly 4,000 members, it is also one of the largest. Monthly dinner meetings feature a wide variety of project management experts and topics, and typically attract over 200 attendees. The chapter sponsors workshops, PMP and PDU development opportunities, an annual Vendor exhibition, a school outreach program, corporate interaction and other activities. The president of the Dallas Chapter for 2008 is Mr. Dwaraka Iyengar. For additional information, visit http://www.pmidallas.org/index.phtml.

Established in 1995, www.pmforum.org was the world’s first website devoted to professional project management and is one of the world’s most popular sources of project management news and information. PMForum also produces the monthly online PM World Today eJournal where articles, case studies, papers and viewpoints by leading PM authorities from around the world can be found; free subscriptions are available at www.pmworldtoday.net. PMForum has established an Events Partnering Program through which conference development and media services are offered. Visit http://www.pmforum.org/events/partner_program.htm.

*Note: Earning and reporting Professional Development Units (PDUs) for Project Management Professional (PMP®) recertification from PMI will be the responsibility of individual attendees and presenters, based on hours of classroom and preparation time. Conference organizers are not responsible for awarding PDUs, but can verify attendance and presentations. PMI members should refer to PMI’s Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook for guidance

The Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) has issued a call for papers for the AIPM 2008 National Conference. This year’s event, Keeping the promise through people, projects and performance”, will be held at Canberra’s new National Convention Centre (pictured) in Canberra, ACT, Australia, from Sunday 12 October to Wednesday 15 October 2008.

Project managers and PM practitioners around the world are invited to submit abstracts for paper presentations in Canberra on the following subjects/tracks:

PEOPLE

• Managing the change projects introduce

• Managing the organisational environment of projects

• Staff attraction, retention and development

• Social recognition and the development of the occupation

PROJECTS

• Managing portfolios, programmes, and multi-discipline/cross industry projects

• Carbon capture and other emerging project drivers

• Managing projects by non-traditional methods

PERFORMANCE

• Governance

• Value and benefits realisation

• Methodologies

• Learning lessons

• New or alternative approaches

PROMISE

• Managing expectations

• The tendering process

• Professionalism

• Social utility and wider benefits

According to Dr Steve Milner, chair of the conference’s technical program committee and co-founder of specialist project management company Biologystics, there are two types of papers accepted for presentation at the AIPM conference. The first type is the non-refereed paper which provides an opportunity for a wide range of conference presentations. The second type is the refereed paper which is reviewed by a panel and is generally based on the outcomes of completed research.

“The refereed section of the conference provides an excellent opportunity for researchers and students to showcase their work,” he said

Abstracts should outline the purpose, methods, results and conclusions of the paper and the author must provide an indication of the stream in which they anticipate their paper will be accepted.

“We are looking for abstracts that will capture the attention of the project management community, invigorate debate and pass on experiential learnings,” said Dr Milner.

The abstract submissions deadline is 2 May 2008, with full paper submissions due by 20 June 2008. Abstracts of up to 250 words must be submitted via www.aipm2008.com.au.

The AIPM 2008 National Conference also offers sponsors a fantastic opportunity to connect with Australia’s project management community and vertical industry leaders. View the sponsorship and exhibition prospectus at www.aipm2008.com.au/sponex.asp. Further details of the conference are available online at www.aipm2008.com.au

The Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) is the only body to represent and promote project management Australia-wide. The organisation also offers the only recognition framework for project management and project managers in Australia. AIPM formed 30 years ago and has since grown to more than 7,500 individual members and 120 corporate members. This membership represents a diverse range of industries including finance, human resources, government, defence, engineering and construction. For additional information, visit www.aipm.com.au.