EMCR Agony Aunt

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Q

Dear Agony Aunt,

Recently, I was invited to give my first ever conference keynote, a pretty big deal for an early-career researcher. But (you know where this is going) the conference has now been cancelled due to COVID-19. My question is, can I still put it on my CV? I feel like I should, but also, I never actually gave the presentation. What should I do?

From,

Keynote-in-waiting.

A

Hi Keynote-in-waiting,

Firstly, congrats on the invite, you are right, that is a big milestone, and you should be very proud of yourself. Still take the time to celebrate this!

There has been lots of talk about this on the academic social media, and the general consensus is yes, you should still list it, but include a note (with an asterisk or in or parenthesis) stating it was cancelled due to COVID-19. As this is a world-wide pandemic, there are many in the same boat, and it is likely that those reviewing your CV in the future will understand.

I’d also encourage everyone missing out on conferences to suggest their organisations consider remote ways of presenting. Even if it can’t be a full conference, there are lots of ways to connect online these days. 

Yours in COVID-related limbo,

Agony Aunt.

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