Calendar of Events — Frequently Asked Questions

What events does the NIH Calendar list?

The NIH Calendar of Events lists no-fee, NIH Institute-sponsored or related events held at or near the National Institutes of Health’s Bethesda, Maryland, campus. Events that require fees to register, are held away from the NIH campus, invitation-only, or not associated with the NIH or one of its 27 institutes and centers should not be submitted. NIH-sponsored online events (such as Twitter Chats, webinars, etc.) may be submitted.

How do I get started?

If you would like to add an event to the calendar, you (or a member of your staff) must have a calendar account. To set up an account, register at the following link: http://calendar.nih.gov/app/PUsrInfo.aspx?type=NACCT. Once registered, you will be able to add and modify events. Please make a note of the email address you use to register; the calendar will recognize this specific address only, and not other NIH aliases associated with your email account.

How do I create a user account?

If you would like to add an event to the calendar, you (or a member of your staff) must have a calendar account. To set up an account, register at the following link: http://calendar.nih.gov/app/PUsrInfo.aspx?type=NACCT. Once registered, you will be able to add and modify events.

After your account is created, you may click on the "Sign in" link on any calendar application page to access the login page (https://calendar.nih.gov/app/PAppLogin.aspx).

How do I subscribe or unsubscribe from calendar notification list?

Signing up for email updates and entering events in the calendar are two separate processes. You do not need a password to sign up for the calendar updates you receive in your inbox. If you want to receive daily, weekly, and or monthly email notifications of upcoming NIH events, click on the “Subscribe” tab on the left side Quicklinks bar; you will only need your name and email address to receive these updates. You may also visit: http://calendar.nih.gov/app/MListSubcribe.aspx to subscribe or unsubscribe.

How do I add an event to the calendar?

  1. From any screen in the NIH Calendar of Events, click the Add button in the side navigation bar. If you are not signed in to the calendar system, you will be prompted to do so.
  2. Select Add a new event, and Fill your event data in the appropriate fields:
  3. Select event type from the drop down menu
  4. Enter your title. Please use initial caps in your title and do not use quotes.
  5. Describe your event in the Description text box
  6. Fill in the boxes that follow the text box. This area includes a space to list the URL for your event, a URL for a videocast, if applicable, and check boxes for special instructions. Here you may indicate whether your event requires reservations, is eligible for CME credit, is available as a teleconference, or whether additional information will be available.
  7. When you are finished entering your data, click either Save And Submit this Event For Approval or Save This Event.
  8. You will receive an email notification when the event is approved or rejected by the Calendar Administrator.

Is there a limit to how much information I can enter into the form?

Yes. Each text box has a character limit, as follows:

  • Title: 300
  • Description: 2000
  • Series Name: 250
  • Event URL: 100
  • Videocast URL: 100
  • Speaker Name: 70
  • Title: 80
  • Organization: 70
  • City: 40
  • Country: 40
  • Sponsoring Organization: 70
  • Office/Lab/More Info: 70
  • Building: 50
  • Room: 50
  • Street Address: 40
  • City: 20
  • Zip Code: 12
  • Other Information: 1500
  • Contact Name: 50
  • Email: 50
  • Phone: 25
  • Ext: 5
  • Fax: 25

How do I add an event similar to one I previously entered?

  1. From any screen in the NIH Calendar of Events, click the Add button in the side navigation bar. If you are not signed in to the Calendar system, you will be prompted to do so.
  2. Select Add a Similar Event from the calendar.
  3. Select or enter any search criteria to find a previously entered event. Click Search Events.
  4. Select the similar event you wish to use by clicking the name of the event. Click Add Similar Event.
  5. Fill your event data in the appropriate fields.
  6. When you are finished entering your data, click either Save And Submit this Event For Approval or Save This Event.
  7. You will receive an email notification when the event is approved or rejected by the Calendar Administrator.

How do I modify an event?

  1. Click the My Events button in the side navigation bar. If you are not signed in to the Calendar system, you will be prompted to do so.
  2. Select the event you wish to edit.
  3. Edit your event data in the appropriate fields.
  4. Click the Save and Submit this Event for Approval button.

If the event was already approved, it must go back through the approval process. It will not reappear in the Calendar until the administrator has approved it.

Why isn't my event listed in the calendar right away?

Events are not displayed on the calendar until the administrator approves them. You will be notified via email when the event is approved. If for some reason the event is not approved, you will also be informed via email.

How do I cancel an event?

If you need to cancel a scheduled event, you may login to your account, open the event page, and select Cancel Event. The event will then appear with the word CANCELLED before the title, letting those who were looking for the event know of its status. If the event has just been entered or is scheduled far in the future, you may request that your event be deleted completely from the calendar. Only a calendar administrator can delete an event.

I am having trouble logging in

The NIH Password is tied directly to the specific email address you used during registration. The system will not recognize other NIH email aliases. Each NIH email address has several different associated versions (such as jdoe@mail.nih.gov, john.doe@nih.gov, johnd@exchange.nih.gov, etc; these are viewable by double clicking on an NIH email address in the to or from fields in MS Outlook, and clicking on the Email Addresses tab). If you are uncertain of the address used during registration, please try your other aliases first. If you are still unable to login, please send a request to: nihcala@mail.nih.gov and the Calendar administrator will change it for you.

How do I change my password or email address?

If you know your login and password but wish to change either, you must first be signed in to the Calendar system:

  1. From any screen, click the Change Password link in the upper left corner next to your name.
  2. In the Old Password field, enter your old password
  3. In the New Password field, enter your new password. The password must be at least seven characters long and contain at least one number.
  4. Re-type your new password in the Re-Type New Password field.
  5. Click Save to save your new password.

How do I print event information?

The Calendar allows you to print a custom list of events from the Day, Week, Month, Year, and Search Results views. Full instructions may be found here: http://www.nih.gov/news/calendar/calendarprinting.htm.

How do I email event information?

You can email information about a single event by viewing its Event Details and clicking on the Email this page link at the upper right of the page.

You can email multiple events from the Day, Week, Month, Year, and Search Results views.

  1. Click the checkboxes next to the events you want to include in the email message.
  2. Enter the email address of the recipient in the Email field. You can only enter one email address.
  3. Click the Email button.

How do I search for events?

  1. Click the Search button in the side navigation bar.
  2. Scroll down the page and select one of the options in the event types or dropdown menu boxes, the location or sponsoring organization drop boxes, or fill in the criteria you wish to search by in any of the text boxes.
  3. Click the Search Events button or hit the 'Enter' key on your keyboard.
  4. The system will search all events based on the selected criteria and display events that meet that criteria.

How do I find CME accredited events?

CME, or Continuing Medical Education, consists of educational activities which serve to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills, and professional performance and relationships that a physician uses to provide services for patients, the public, or the profession.

  1. Click the Search button in the side navigation bar.
  2. Select the time frame you want to search by.
    Past Events will display CME events that have a start date prior to the date on which you perform the search.
    Current and Future Events will display CME events that have a start date greater than or equal to the date on which you perform the search.
    All Events will display all CME events in the system.
    By Date(s) allows you to enter a day or date range.
  3. Check the CME credited Events checkbox.
  4. Click the Search Events link at the upper right, OR the Search Events button at the bottom of the page, OR hit the 'Enter' key on your keyboard.
  5. The system will search all events for the selected time frame and display all events that have been designated as CME events.

This page last reviewed on November 3, 2015