Meeting Free Weeks for Genomics and Beyond!

Ever feel like you can’t get any work done because you are in too many meetings and phone calls? Need a week to catch up or time to dive into a project, manuscript or grant that requires uninterrupted blocks of time? Then Meeting Free Weeks is for you! A week without interruption means a week of productivity and innovative thinking as described in a World View on this in Nature. After successful implementation in my local groups, I launched a global “Meeting Free Weeks” campaign. I have organized the dates of the global Meeting Free Weeks to avoid major genetics and genomics meetings but many other non-genetics groups are also participating. The weeks occur once per quarter and alternate which week of the month to avoid interrupting the same monthly meetings.  I am also working to make sure each year’s schedule follows the same structure.

-Heidi Rehm

Upcoming Schedule:

August 17-21, 2026 - 3rd week

November 9-13, 2026 - 2nd week

January 18-22, 2027 - 3rd week

May 3-7, 2027 - 2nd week

August 23-27, 2027 - 4th week

November 8-12, 2027 - 1st week

Join the movement! Guidance for implementing Meeting Free Week:

Plan ahead! Block the weeks on your calendar now and start moving or canceling meetings per guidance here:

• Cancel weekly meetings and don’t schedule new meetings in these weeks

• Reschedule monthly meetings to a different week (or cancel) - schedule alternates 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th weeks so monthly meetings are only disrupted 1X/year

• For already scheduled meetings, try to move them if possible, but it’s OK to keep difficult-to-schedule meetings

• Once the week arrives, ad hoc meetings are allowed at the discretion of the supervisor/team leads, to accomplish work planned for the meeting-free week

• A write-up on setting up and advocating for meeting free periods.