Organisational Information & Policies
About us
The International Workshops on Genotoxicity Testing (IWGT) is an ad hoc international scientific working group affiliated with the European Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society (EEMGS). IWGT is responsible for the governance, scientific direction, financial oversight, sponsorship arrangements, data protection and administration of its workshops and related activities. In carrying out these responsibilities, IWGT operates within and complies with the applicable rules and principles of the EEMGS Constitution.
IWGT is not a subscription-based membership organisation. Its workshops take place approximately every four years, usually as satellite meetings associated with the International Conference on Environmental Mutagens (ICEM).
IWGT’s activities are directed by its Steering Committee. The Steering Committee may appoint event organisers, professional advisers and other service providers, but IWGT retains oversight and responsibility for its activities. Individual workshops are delivered with administrative and professional support commissioned for that event.
The affiliation between IWGT and EEMGS does not alter the responsibility of individual participants to comply with the professional, governmental, regulatory or ethical obligations of their respective employers and organisations.
Governing Documents
IWGT is governed by:
1. the applicable provisions of the EEMGS Constitution;
2. IWGT’s Terms of Reference;
3. policies adopted by the IWGT Steering Committee; and
4. applicable law and regulatory requirements.
If an IWGT policy or decision conflicts with a binding provision of the EEMGS Constitution, the EEMGS Constitution will prevail.
Responsibility of the Steering Committee
The IWGT Steering Committee is responsible for:
• establishing IWGT’s scientific priorities;
• selecting workshop topics and working groups;
• protecting the scientific independence and integrity of IWGT;
• approving budgets, expenditure and sponsorship arrangements;
• overseeing registration and event administration;
• adopting and reviewing organisational policies;
• managing actual, potential and perceived conflicts of interest;
• ensuring that personal information is handled appropriately;
• appointing and overseeing contractors and service providers; and
• ensuring compliance with the applicable provisions of the EEMGS Constitution.
Privacy Responsibility
IWGT is responsible for deciding how and why personal information collected for IWGT workshops and related activities is used.
Event organisers, registration-platform providers, payment providers, venues and other suppliers may process personal information on IWGT’s behalf or for their own stated purposes. IWGT will ensure that responsibilities are appropriately documented and that participants are informed about relevant third parties.
Privacy enquiries and requests should be sent to the IWGT administration office: iwgt@phproductionservices.co.uk
See full Privacy Policy here.
Terms of Reference
Terms of Reference
1: Purpose
These Terms of Reference describe the structure and operation of IWGT as an ad hoc scientific working group affiliated with EEMGS.
They supplement any EEMGS governance requirements applicable to IWGT. If these Terms of Reference conflict with a binding EEMGS governance requirement, the EEMGS requirement will prevail.
2: Steering Committee
IWGT is directed by a Steering Committee comprising a Chair, one or more Co-Chairs and other individuals appointed for their expertise and experience.
The Steering Committee is responsible for:
• selecting workshop topics;
• establishing working groups;
• appointing working-group leaders and participants;
• maintaining the scientific integrity and independence of IWGT;
• approving workshop budgets and sponsorship arrangements;
• overseeing event administration and contractors;
• managing organisational and reputational risks;
• addressing conflicts of interest; and
• supporting the preparation and publication of workshop reports.
Appointments should take account of scientific expertise, regulatory and professional perspectives, geographical representation, continuity and inclusion.
3: Working Groups
Each working group will normally have a Chair, Co-Chair and Rapporteur.
Working groups are responsible for:
• reviewing the relevant scientific evidence;
• undertaking preparatory discussions and analysis;
• considering different scientific and regulatory perspectives;
• developing consensus recommendations where supported by the evidence;
• recording important limitations or differences of opinion;
• presenting conclusions at the IWGT workshop and associated scientific meetings; and
• preparing a report for peer-reviewed publication.
4: Decision Making
Scientific decisions should normally be reached through evidence-based consensus.
Where full consensus cannot be achieved, a majority position may be accepted provided that significant objections, uncertainties and limitations are recorded accurately.
The Steering Committee will maintain an appropriate record of significant organisational and financial decisions.
5: Finance
IWGT does not receive regular membership subscriptions. Workshop funding is obtained principally from:
• delegate registration fees; and
• sponsorship from appropriate organisations.
IWGT funds must be used solely to support its scientific and organisational purposes. This may include venue and equipment hire, event administration, publication activities and reasonable travel or accommodation support for working-group participants who cannot obtain funding from their employers.
Appropriate financial records and approval controls must be maintained.
6: Scientific Independence
Sponsors, service providers and other contributors may not:
• determine working-group membership solely to advance a commercial interest;
• control scientific discussions;
• require a particular conclusion or recommendation;
• suppress legitimate scientific findings;
• improperly influence authorship or publication; or
• present sponsorship as scientific or regulatory endorsement by IWGT.
7: Conflicts of Interest
Steering Committee members, working-group leaders and other persons making material IWGT decisions must disclose relevant actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest.
Conflicts must be recorded and managed under the IWGT Conflict of Interest Policy.
8: Review
These Terms of Reference will be reviewed before each IWGT workshop and whenever there is a material change to IWGT’s structure or relationship with EEMGS.
Adopted by the IWGT Steering Committee on: XXX (DATE)
Sponsorship Policy
Purpose
IWGT workshops take place approximately every four years and do not receive income from regular membership subscriptions.
Delegate registration fees cover only part of the cost of organising a workshop. Sponsorship is therefore important in supporting venue and equipment hire, administration, scientific publication and reasonable assistance with travel or accommodation for working-group participants who cannot obtain support from their employers.
Potential Sponsors
IWGT may seek or accept support from organisations including:
• scientific and professional associations;
• trade associations;
• industrial companies;
• publishers of scientific journals and books;
• research organisations; and
• other organisations whose support is compatible with IWGT’s scientific purposes and reputation.
IWGT reserves the right to decline sponsorship where accepting it could create an unacceptable legal, ethical, scientific or reputational risk.
Sponsorship Levels
IWGT does not operate fixed sponsorship tiers. Contributions of any appropriate amount may be considered. Sponsors have historically contributed approximately £500–£5,000, although this range is not a requirement or guarantee.
The value of a contribution does not provide a sponsor with greater influence over IWGT’s scientific programme, discussions, conclusions or publications.
Sponsor Recognition
Subject to the agreed sponsorship arrangements, IWGT may:
• display the sponsor’s name and logo on the IWGT website;
• display the sponsor’s name and logo during the workshop;
• acknowledge the sponsor in appropriate event materials;
• make a reasonable quantity of the sponsor’s scientific or corporate literature available to delegates; and
• provide sponsors with publicly releasable workshop slides or summaries after their scientific presentation.
All use of names and logos is subject to the approval of the respective rights holder.
Exhibitions & Promotional Materials
Because venue space is limited, IWGT does not normally provide exhibition stands.
Sponsors may be permitted to supply a reasonable quantity of leaflets or small brochures for delegates to collect voluntarily. Materials must:
• be relevant and professionally appropriate;
• comply with applicable laws and industry requirements;
• not contain misleading claims;
• not imply endorsement by IWGT, EEMGS, a regulator or any participant’s employer; and
• be approved by IWGT before distribution.
IWGT may decline or remove materials that do not meet these requirements.
Scientific Outputs
Each IWGT working group aims to produce a report setting out its conclusions, recommendations and consensus statements. Reports are normally submitted to an appropriate peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Working-group findings may also be presented at the International Conference on Environmental Mutagens or another relevant scientific meeting.
Sponsors may receive copies of publicly available reports and, where authorised by the presenters and appropriate for release, presentation slides or an early summary of workshop outcomes.
Sponsorship does not give a sponsor:
• advance control over findings;
• a right to edit or approve scientific material;
• privileged access to confidential working-group discussions;
• an entitlement to authorship;
• ownership of workshop outputs; or
• access to delegates’ personal information without a separate lawful basis.
Conflicts & Disclosures
Sponsorship relationships will be documented and disclosed appropriately.
Members of the Steering Committee and working groups must disclose relevant financial, professional or organisational interests. Actual, potential or perceived conflicts will be managed under IWGT’s Conflict of Interest Policy.
Anti-Bribery Requirements
Sponsorship must never be offered, requested or accepted as an inducement or reward for:
• a favourable scientific conclusion;
• preferential access to regulators or other participants;
• selection of particular working-group members;
• the award of a contract;
• favourable treatment of a product or organisation; or
• any other improper advantage.
Sponsorship payments must be made through the approved payment process and accurately recorded. Cash payments and payments to an individual’s personal account will not be accepted.
Use of Funds
Sponsorship income will be applied to legitimate workshop and scientific costs. Unless expressly agreed for a lawful restricted purpose, sponsorship will support the workshop budget generally rather than a particular scientific conclusion or recommendation.
Cancellation
Any cancellation, refund or transfer of sponsorship will be handled in accordance with the written sponsorship agreement and costs already reasonably incurred by IWGT.
Contact
Sponsorship enquiries should be directed to the IWGT administration office: iwgt@phproductionservices.co.uk
Privacy Policy
IWGT is committed to protecting your personal information and respecting your privacy.
What information we collect
When you register for an IWGT event, we may collect information including:
• Your name
• Organisation and job title
• Contact details (such as email address)
• Dietary or accessibility requirements where provided
• Accommodation requirements
• Any other information necessary to administer your registration
How we use your information
We use your personal information solely for the purposes of organising and delivering the conference, including:
• Processing your registration
• Managing delegate attendance
• Arranging catering
• Booking or coordinating accommodation where applicable
• Communicating important event information
• Carrying out the administrative functions necessary for the successful organisation of the event
Sharing your information
We will not sell or pass your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.
Where necessary, we may share relevant information only with organisations directly involved in the delivery of the conference, such as:
• Catering providers
• Hotels or accommodation providers
• Event venues
• Other suppliers providing services essential to the successful running of the conference
Only the information required for those services will be shared.
Data security
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure.
Data retention
Your information will be retained only for as long as is necessary to administer the event, meet any legal or financial obligations, and deal with any post-event enquiries. It will then be securely deleted.
Privacy enquiries and requests should be sent to the IWGT administration office: iwgt@phproductionservices.co.uk
Conflict of Interest Policy
Purpose
IWGT is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scientific integrity, independence and transparency. This policy sets out the principles governing relationships with sponsors to ensure that financial support does not influence the scientific content, discussions, recommendations or outcomes of the Workshop.
Principles
IWGT welcomes financial support from organisations whose objectives are compatible with the successful delivery of the Workshop. Sponsorship enables the event to take place but does not confer any influence over the scientific process or the development of recommendations.
All decisions relating to the scientific programme, workshop discussions, conclusions and published outputs remain entirely independent of sponsors.
Sponsorship
Sponsors may receive the benefits outlined within their agreed sponsorship package, which may include:
• Exhibition space.
• Acknowledgement in conference materials.
• Recognition on the conference website and promotional materials.
• Attendance at the Workshop in accordance with the agreed registration terms.
These benefits do not include any right to:
• Influence the scientific programme.
• Influence the selection of speakers, chairs or participants.
• Influence the composition of working groups.
• Influence discussions, recommendations or consensus statements.
• Review, amend or approve scientific conclusions before publication.
Conflicts of Interest
All members of the Organising Committee, Scientific Committee, workshop chairs and invited speakers are expected to disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest that could reasonably be considered to influence their judgement.
Where a conflict is identified, the Organising Committee will determine whether any management action is required, including, where appropriate:
• Public declaration of the interest.
• Restriction from participating in specific discussions or decisions.
• Withdrawal from decision-making where necessary.
Independence
Scientific recommendations and consensus documents produced by IWGT are developed through independent scientific discussion and evidence-based decision-making.
Financial support from sponsors will not influence:
• The development of international recommendations.
• Scientific consensus.
• Publication of findings.
• Future research priorities.
Transparency
The names of sponsors will be publicly acknowledged. Where appropriate, sponsorship arrangements will be transparent and available for review.
Compliance
All organisers, committee members and participants involved in decision-making are expected to comply with this policy.
Any concerns regarding potential conflicts of interest or inappropriate sponsor influence should be raised with the Chair of the Organising Committee, who will investigate the matter and determine any appropriate action.
Review
This policy will be reviewed periodically by the Organising Committee to ensure it continues to reflect good governance, transparency and best practice.
(Date: xxxx)
Meeting Cancellation Policy (2026)
Tue 1 - Fri 4 September, John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh, UK
Payments
Payments for registration and student accommodation is by card only.
Refunds are given as follows:
• Before midnight Tuesday 9 June 2026: 100% refund
• From Wednesday 10 June – midnight Tuesday 4 August 2026: 50% refund
• From Wednesday 5 August onwards: no refund
Cancellation by the organiser
In the event that the IWGT Meeting 2026 is cancelled by the organiser, all registration fees will be refunded in full. However, the IWGT will not be liable for any additional expenses incurred because of cancellation.