FAQ I

Yes. At EFCF we believe that it is important to offer support and encouragement to students making a strong scientific contribution to the technologies we cover during our events.

EFCF offers students a 50% reduction on the normal conference fee. In addition students are also still eligible for Early Bird discounts. See www.EFCF.com/Schedule
for details of the benefits offered for early registration.

The Excellent Student Support Fund offers 3 students free registration and a financial contribution towards the cost of travel and accommodation. Full details can be seen here www.EFCF.com/ESSF

Any full-time student, anywhere in the world, who is able to meet the criteria outlined on the Excellent Student Support Fund page.

You can apply as soon as the official Call for Papers opens in September.
All steps of the application must be completed no later than 30 April in the year of the conference you are applying for. For further details on the application process please see www.EFCF.com/ESSF

Yes, it is very important that all abstracts are correctly formatted prior to upload.
Full instructions and sample templates are available for download here.
If you would prefer to receive these via e-mail, please send your request to; forum@EFCF.com

Yes, it is possible to change the title of your abstract. Please send the abstract number from the confirmation e-mail, and the new title to; forum@EFCF.com

Yes, if you would like to make changes please send an updated version of your abstract, with the changes clearly marked to; forum@EFCF.com
However, the initial abstract is used for evaluation and programme planning, so if the changes are fairly minor, it may be better to wait and include them when you submit your extended paper at the end of April.

During the abstract and paper upload process, you can include 3 authors for each submission. Due to space restrictions, only the first 3 authors will be listed in the printed programme. However in the abstract itself, and later the full paper, an unlimited number of authors can be listed. All listed authors will appear in the conference agenda and the online proceedings.
If at any time after submission you need to add or change the author list, please send full details in an e-mail to; forum@EFCF.com.

After your abstract has been evaluated and accepted, you will be asked to submit a full paper (8 - 10 pages) no later than the 30^th May. This applies to all abstract submissions – both oral and poster – and is outlined in the Call for Papers (www.EFCF.com/C4P) under the heading ‘Abstract Submission’. The submission of a full paper is mandatory.

The reason everyone is required to submit an extended abstract is to ensure the level of information offered to participants at all EFCF events remains at a consistently high level. Out of fairness and respect to all authors who do submit a full paper, we can not make exceptions to this rule.

In addition, as presentations at the conference are run in two parallel sessions, this allows all participants to receive information about topics they are interested in, even when they are unable to attend every presentation.

After your abstract has been evaluated and accepted, you will be asked to submit a full paper (8 - 10 pages) no later than 30^th May.
If your work has been published elsewhere, or is due to be published elsewhere, then it is acceptable to submit a slightly shorter paper (4 - 7 pages) with an abridged description of the contents, and pictures or graphs. You should make sure you refer to your publication on the first page of your abstract.

You are also very welcome to distribute copies of your publication at the beginning of your session, which will help to generate interest in your work, as well as ensuring an ongoing high level of information exchange during the conference.

Places for oral presentations are naturally limited, and assignment of these places is aiming for a balance between Institutes, topics and countries, whilst adhering to the usual high-quality standards set by EFCF. It is simply not possible for all who request oral presentations to be given a place, no matter how high the quality of the contribution is.
Because of the strict quality controls during the evaluation process, poster contributions are highly regarded as poor quality contributions will always be rejected.

At the EFCF several dedicated poster sessions take place, and the posters are accessible throughout the duration of the conference.
Posters are always very well received, and many intense discussions and networking opportunities take place in front of the posters.

In previous years authors who were initially disappointed with their poster position later admitted that it offered them the opportunity to connect directly with relevant people on a more personal level than an oral presentation would allow.

All poster contributions are listed in the program, the abstract list, and in the proceedings with ISBN published on www.EFCF.com/Library
Poster contributions can also be considered for publication in the Special Issues www.EFCF.com/SI

The best poster presentation will be awarded with the Schönbein Award "Best Poster" (incl. cash award) and poster contributions are also considered for "Best Scientific Contribution Award ".

A full list of ISBN numbers (assigned to all proceedings prior to 2021) can be viewed in the online library at: www.EFCF.com/Lib

All contributions which deliver an extended abstract will have the opportunity to be assigned an individual DOI number (based on the author's preference).
Additionally these papers will be published online in the EFCF Community on the open access repository at www.Zenodo.org

Currently DOI's are being assigned to all papers from 2020 onwards.
Over time the goal is to work back through the previous years and assign all papers their own DOI, and include them in the EFCF Community at Zenodo.

Yes, an automatic confirmation is always sent after a successful upload.
If you did not receive a confirmation e-mail, you should first check in your junk mail and spam folder.
If you still can't find a confirmation, please send an email to forum@efcf.com so we can check if your upload was successful.

There are many reasons that you might not receive a confirmation e-mail after successfully filling in your contact data in the Author Center (e.g. spam filters, errors, etc).
We can work together to solve this issue if you write to us at forum@efcf.com outlining the problem.
As soon as we receive your message we can review your account set up, activate and test it, and will reply with instructions on how to proceed.

We require all submissions to be done via the Author Center upload feature at; www.EFCF.com/Upload
Using the upload feature allows you to select the type of presentation (oral or poster), your publication wishes, and the subject category that best describes your work.
If you have problems using this feature, please let us know, and we will be happy to help.

If If it is not possible for you to upload your contribution via the Author Center, then we can do this on your behalf.

Please write to forum@efcf.com and attach your contribution as a formatted .doc file.
You will also need to include the following information:

A - Abstract
- One or two topics which best describe the contribution www.EFCF.com/TOPICS
- Your Publication Wish - ISBN or FUEL CELL/ISBN or ELSEWHERE www.EFCF.com/PP

B - Paper
- Your EFCF ID (e.g. A0307)
- Your Publication Wish - ISBN or FUEL CELL/ISBN or ELSEWHERE  www.EFCF.com/PP
- If you are willing to share your slides (3 options)
a.  "Yes, I am open to share all of my watermarked slides as pdfs after the EFCF conference."
b.  "Yes, I am open to sharing some of my watermarked slides as pdfs after the EFCF conference."
c.   "No, I do not want to share my slides for optimal understanding of my presentation."you have problems using this feature, please let us know, and we will be happy to help.

Yes, to reset your EFCF user account password click here.

Everybody who has created an EFCF Login.

From 2020 onwards, all contributions which deliver an extended abstract will be eligible to be assigned an individual DOI (digital object identifier). 
These proceedings will be published on the EFCF website in the library, and additionally included in the EFCF Community on the open access repository at www.Zenodo.com

Over time, all previous proceedings will be assigned a DOI and included in the EFCF Community at Zenodo.

Usually EFCF Authors who have previously uploaded abstracts and papers, or Scientific Board members already have an EFCF Login (=EFCF Frontenduser).
If you have forgotten your password we can send you a new one.

If you do not have an EFCF Login please fill in your contact data in the on-line form, and you will receive an email to confirm your address.
After your email is confirmed you can proceed by simply logging in with your Email and Password at www.EFCF.com/Library.

 

Everybody, who has a valid EFCF Registration and an EFCF Login (see above).

Participants at the EFCF conferences have a valid EFCF Registration, which allows them to see and download the permitted presentations of the year of participation, as well as for the previous 5 years.

However, to access all of the presentations conference attendees will still need an EFCF Login (see above) and approval.
If you already have an EFCF Login, please send an email to forum@efcf.com with details of the year(s) you were a participant at an EFCF conference.
Your potential rights will be manually checked, and you will be notified by email once access has been granted.
If you do not have an EFCF Login, please apply for the download rights by filling in your contact data HERE.

If you have not participated at an EFCF conference, you can still access the past five years of online Presentations by purchasing the download rights.
All accounts will also be valid for the ISBN proceedings.

Shipping Address can be found here.
For the KKL Lucerne it is: 

  EFCF
  + Your Company Name
  -----------------
  c/o KKL Luzern
  Europaplatz 1
  CH-6005 Luzern/Switzerland

  Add phone of a responsible person

_______________________________________________________

Find here info about the ATA carnet
and the schedule as well as additional furniture.

Temporary importation (CDTA + ATA Carnet)
The temporary admission procedure is intended for foreign goods which are used in Switzerland only for a limited period of time and which are not to be released into free circulation.

Find Info about the shipping address and the schedule as well as additional furniture in these links.

Please send an e-mail outlining your request to: forum@EFCF.com
Using this Visa Invitation Request Form simplifies and accelerates the process for us and also for you. 

Once your attendance can be confirmed, we will send you an official invitation letter.
Usually this this takes between 2-7 days. 

See also this page with information on  Foreign Representations in Switzerland for other consular services needed abroad.

The conference will be held at the KKL in Lucerne, Switzerland.
The KKL is perfectly located directly opposite the main train and bus stations, and just a few minutes walk from the historic old town, with it's wide array of hotels, shops and restaurants..
The lakefront location makes this a spectacular and convenient location for all attendees.

See more information on the KKL here.

Yes, Wifi is available throughout the entire conference venue.
Login details are provided at the registration desk.

Yes, a free, secure cloakroom is available throughout the conference for all attendees.

Information about registration and hotel bookings can be found on www.EFCF.com/HOTEL
If you want to book a hotel directly with our partner Bucher Travel, click on www.EFCF.com/BookHOTEL.
Convenient Hotel rooms are usually blocked until 30 April, but depending on demand, there are often rooms available after this date.
If you would like to book before the booking tool is active, please use the contact found on www.EFCF.com/HOTEL

Of course it is also possible to use any of the well known online booking sites to directly book your room independently.

An excellent tool for seeing exactly where you are staying in relation to the conference venue is: www.map.search.ch
Using the above website you can even plot a route via foot, public transport, or car from your hotel.

The official address of the KKL is:
    KKL Luzern
    Europaplatz 1
    CH-6002 Lucerne / SWITZERLAND

Please send an e-mail directly to booking@buchertravel.ch outlining your requirements.
They will be happy to support you with all of your travel and accommodation needs. For security reasons it is not possible to access former accounts.

To see a sample of available hotels click here.
To be taken directly to the registration form click here.

Zürich airport offers easy and direct access via public transport to Lucerne.

You can take a direct train from Zürich airport to Lucerne.
The train station is directly below the airport terminal complex, and direct trains leave hourly - currently (May 2020) at 15 minutes past the hour.
The journey takes just over an hour.

Full information on train times, ticket prices, etc can be found at www.sbb.ch in English, German, French and Italian.
Please check the SBB website for the latest infromation before you travel.

Your partner is welcome to attend several special events which take place during the conference.
Additional tickets can be booked at the time of registration, and are strictly available on a 'first come - first served' basis.
Dinner on the Lake
The Swiss Surprise

Additional activities can also be arranged as part of our Spouse Programme. For full details click here.
More information on the beautiful town of Lucerne can be found here; www.EFCF.com/Lucerne  

Naturally our reception staff are also available to help with ideas and suggestions, and know the local area and attractions well.
Please drop by outside of the peak registration times, and they will be happy to have a chat about how to make the most of your time in beautiful Lucerne.

YES, EFCF is a fully independent and totally neutral organisation.

EFCF offers a platform for creating a knowledge based network, enabling the exchange of technology and business information, and acting as an inspiring podium for new projects and partnerships. 

In Detail:

The Conference.
EFCF is different to many commercial conferences in that it is fully organised by fuel cell technologists and scientists. The conference is not influenced by any state agency, academic institute or industrial group, which allows it to remain an independent place of exchange.

The EFCF’s International Board of Advisors elects the annual rotating scientific Chair/s to ensure a balanced representation of the current European trends. The conference Chair/s hold the final scientific responsibility for their event. A full evaluation process insures that all abstracts are reviewed by at least 3 people, who are familiar with the criteria that are used for the allocation of presentation slots. As active members of the fuel cell and hydrogen community, the organisers are aware of current trends, and closely follow the recommendations of the IBoA, to make sure that the needs of the stakeholders are always the main focus of the European Fuel Cell Forum.

The Exhibition and Special Events.
These are also organised from a neutral position, and their sole purpose is to optimally serve the participants. Everyone is welcome to show their ideas, developments, products, and business options, and we strive to maintain an atmosphere of openness to innovation.

EFCF has established a podium to debate and exchange, and does not directly take part in any discussion of technologies. Principally the focus is on "Membrane based Electrochemical Reactors" of any technology and for all products, as long as it is ethically justifiable. This focus also incorporates the necessary energy in- and output, and includes Hydrogen, BioGas, Natural Gas, Methane, Syngas, Oxygen, Air, Current, Heat, Cold, H2O, etc. as well as its treatment such as Puri­fication, Compression, Storage and Distribution/Fueling.

EFCF activities support all stages in the above mentioned value chain: Research, Development, Demonstration, Implementation, Standardisation, Commercialisation, Investments, Politics and Human and Ethical Issues. The final goal is the realisation of a more sustainable (green) energy and mobility system.
 
The EFCF offers a platform where facts and figures are presented, discussed and published (www.EFCF.com/Library). Therefore all authors and presenters speak always and only in their own name. Any single personal view or opinion, whether it is from an individual, current collaborators, or board members, does not represent EFCF’s neutral position.

EFCF distances itself from any polemic controversy around the subject of "Membrane based Electrochemical Reactors” and associated topics. EFCF has contributed, contributes and will continue to contribute to a broader, more integrated view, established through an open exchange with leading subject matter experts.
We would welcome you to take part in these debates.

YES, EFCF respects your privacy. We continue to protect your data and respect your preferences about when you hear from us. In line with the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we have updated our Privacy Policy to protect your information. It is automatically in place as of May 24, 2018 (see also Statement www.EFCF.com/DataProt).