Inclusion Statement

Equal opportunity for all persons regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or career stage represents a fundamental goal of science and society in the 21st century. With a commitment to this mission, the International Herpesvirus Workshop (IHW) embraces diversity in its participants and invited speakers. While invitations for presentation should primarily be driven by the quality of science in a given scientific area, organizers are expected to be cognizant of the diversity of invited speakers. Organizers must recognize and proactively counteract conscious or unconscious biases that contribute to the underrepresentation of both women and minorities among invited speakers. Further, organizers are encouraged to balance the inclusion of junior investigators, who represent the next generation of leaders in the field, with more established investigators in their invited speaker and session chair invitations. It is the intent of IHW to honor diversity in the field of virology by actively promoting the representation and advancement of women, minorities, and junior investigators through speaker and convener invitations.