# Venue Templates

> Access comprehensive LaTeX templates, formatting requirements, and submission guidelines for major scientific publication venues (Nature, Science, PLOS, IEEE, ACM), academic conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, CVPR, CHI), research posters, and grant proposals (NSF, NIH, DOE, DARPA). This skill should be used when preparing manuscripts for journal submission, conference papers, research posters, or grant proposals and need venue-specific formatting requirements and templates.

- Skill: `mkurman/venue-templates` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 25 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add mkurman/venue-templates`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/mkurman/venue-templates/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Research & Search
- License: MIT license
- Author: mkurman (https://skillmd.com/u/mkurman)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/mkurman/venue-templates

---

-------|---------------|---------------|
| **Journal Articles** | 30+ | Nature, Science, PLOS, IEEE, ACM, Cell Press |
| **Conference Papers** | 20+ | NeurIPS, ICML, CVPR, CHI, ISMB |
| **Research Posters** | 10+ | A0, A1, 36×48, various packages |
| **Grant Proposals** | 15+ | NSF, NIH, DOE, DARPA, foundations |

### By Discipline

| Discipline | Supported Venues |
|------------|------------------|
| **Life Sciences** | Nature, Cell Press, PLOS, ISMB, RECOMB |
| **Physical Sciences** | Science, Physical Review, ACS, APS |
| **Engineering** | IEEE, ASME, AIAA, ACM |
| **Computer Science** | ACM, IEEE, NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR |
| **Medicine** | NEJM, Lancet, JAMA, BMJ |
| **Interdisciplinary** | PNAS, Nature Communications, Science Advances |

## Helper Scripts

### query_template.py

Search and retrieve templates by venue name, type, or keywords:

```bash
# Find templates for a specific journal
python scripts/query_template.py --venue "Nature" --type "article"

# Search by keyword
python scripts/query_template.py --keyword "machine learning"

# List all available templates
python scripts/query_template.py --list-all

# Get requirements for a venue
python scripts/query_template.py --venue "NeurIPS" --requirements
```

### customize_template.py

Customize templates with author and project information:

```bash
# Basic customization
python scripts/customize_template.py \
  --template assets/journals/nature_article.tex \
  --output my_paper.tex

# With author information
python scripts/customize_template.py \
  --template assets/journals/nature_article.tex \
  --title "Novel Approach to Protein Folding" \
  --authors "Jane Doe, John Smith, Alice Johnson" \
  --affiliations "MIT, Stanford, Harvard" \
  --email "[email protected]" \
  --output my_paper.tex

# Interactive mode
python scripts/customize_template.py --interactive
```

### validate_format.py

Check document compliance with venue requirements:

```bash
# Validate a compiled PDF
python scripts/validate_format.py \
  --file my_paper.pdf \
  --venue "Nature" \
  --check-all

# Check specific aspects
python scripts/validate_format.py \
  --file my_paper.pdf \
  --venue "NeurIPS" \
  --check page-count,margins,fonts

# Generate validation report
python scripts/validate_format.py \
  --file my_paper.pdf \
  --venue "Science" \
  --report validation_report.txt
```

## Best Practices

### Template Selection
1. **Verify currency**: Check template date and compare with latest author guidelines
2. **Check official sources**: Many journals provide official LaTeX classes
3. **Test compilation**: Compile template before adding content
4. **Read comments**: Templates include helpful inline comments

### Customization
1. **Preserve structure**: Don't remove required sections or packages
2. **Follow placeholders**: Replace marked placeholder text systematically
3. **Maintain formatting**: Don't override venue-specific formatting
4. **Keep backups**: Save original template before customization

### Compliance
1. **Check page limits**: Verify before final submission
2. **Validate citations**: Use correct citation style for venue
3. **Test figures**: Ensure figures meet resolution requirements
4. **Review anonymization**: Remove identifying information if required

### Submission
1. **Follow instructions**: Read complete author guidelines
2. **Include all files**: LaTeX source, figures, bibliography
3. **Generate properly**: Use recommended compilation method
4. **Check output**: Verify PDF matches expectations

## Common Formatting Requirements

### Page Limits (Typical)

| Venue Type | Typical Limit | Notes |
|------------|---------------|-------|
| **Nature Article** | 5 pages | ~3000 words excluding refs |
| **Science Report** | 5 pages | Figures count toward limit |
| **PLOS ONE** | No limit | Unlimited length |
| **NeurIPS** | 8 pages | + unlimited refs/appendix |
| **ICML** | 8 pages | + unlimited refs/appendix |
| **NSF Proposal** | 15 pages | Project description only |
| **NIH R01** | 12 pages | Research strategy |

### Citation Styles by Venue

| Venue | Citation Style | Format |
|-------|---------------|--------|
| **Nature** | Numbered (superscript) | Nature style |
| **Science** | Numbered (superscript) | Science style |
| **PLOS** | Numbered (brackets) | Vancouver |
| **Cell Press** | Author-year | Cell style |
| **ACM** | Numbered | ACM style |
| **IEEE** | Numbered (brackets) | IEEE style |
| **APA journals** | Author-year | APA 7th |

### Figure Requirements

| Venue | Resolution | Format | Color |
|-------|-----------|--------|-------|
| **Nature** | 300+ dpi | TIFF, EPS, PDF | RGB or CMYK |
| **Science** | 300+ dpi | TIFF, PDF | RGB |
| **PLOS** | 300-600 dpi | TIFF, EPS | RGB |
| **IEEE** | 300+ dpi | EPS, PDF | RGB or Grayscale |

## Writing Style Guides

Beyond formatting, this skill provides comprehensive **writing style guides** that capture how papers should *read* at different venues—not just how they should look.

### Why Style Matters

The same research written for Nature will read very differently than when written for NeurIPS:
- **Nature/Science**: Accessible to non-specialists, story-driven, broad significance
- **Cell Press**: Mechanistic depth, comprehensive data, graphical abstract required
- **Medical journals**: Patient-centered, evidence-graded, structured abstracts
- **ML conferences**: Contribution bullets, ablation studies, reproducibility focus
- **CS conferences**: Field-specific conventions, varying evaluation standards

### Available Style Guides

| Guide | Covers | Key Topics |
|-------|--------|------------|
| `venue_writing_styles.md` | Master overview | Style spectrum, quick reference |
| `nature_science_style.md` | Nature, Science, PNAS | Accessibility, story-telling, broad impact |
| `cell_press_style.md` | Cell, Neuron, Immunity | Graphical abstracts, eTOC, Highlights |
| `medical_journal_styles.md` | NEJM, Lancet, JAMA, BMJ | Structured abstracts, evidence language |
| `ml_conference_style.md` | NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CVPR | Contribution bullets, ablations |
| `cs_conference_style.md` | ACL, EMNLP, CHI, SIGKDD | Field-specific conventions |
| `reviewer_expectations.md` | All venues | What reviewers look for, rebuttal tips |

### Writing Examples

Concrete examples are available in `assets/examples/`:
- `nature_abstract_examples.md`: Flowing paragraph abstracts for high-impact journals
- `neurips_introduction_example.md`: ML conference intro with contribution bullets
- `cell_summary_example.md`: Cell Press Summary, Highlights, eTOC format
- `medical_structured_abstract.md`: NEJM, Lancet, JAMA structured format

### Workflow: Adapting to a Venue

1. **Identify target venue** and load the appropriate style guide
2. **Review writing conventions**: Tone, voice, abstract format, structure
3. **Check examples** for section-specific guidance
4. **Review expectations**: What do reviewers at this venue prioritize?
5. **Apply formatting**: Use LaTeX template from `assets/`

---

## Resources

### Bundled Resources

**Writing Style Guides** (in `references/`):
- `venue_writing_styles.md`: Master style overview and comparison
- `nature_science_style.md`: Nature/Science writing conventions
- `cell_press_style.md`: Cell Press journal style
- `medical_journal_styles.md`: Medical journal writing guide
- `ml_conference_style.md`: ML conference writing conventions
- `cs_conference_style.md`: CS conference writing guide
- `reviewer_expectations.md`: What reviewers look for by venue

**Formatting Requirements** (in `references/`):
- `journals_formatting.md`: Comprehensive journal formatting requirements
- `conferences_formatting.md`: Conference paper specifications
- `posters_guidelines.md`: Research poster design and sizing
- `grants_requirements.md`: Grant proposal requirements by agency

**Writing Examples** (in `assets/examples/`):
- `nature_abstract_examples.md`: High-impact journal abstract examples
- `neurips_introduction_example.md`: ML conference introduction format
- `cell_summary_example.md`: Cell Press Summary/Highlights/eTOC
- `medical_structured_abstract.md`: NEJM/Lancet/JAMA abstract format

**Templates** (in `assets/`):
- `journals/`: Journal article LaTeX templates
- `posters/`: Research poster templates
- `grants/`: Grant proposal templates

**Scripts** (in `scripts/`):
- `query_template.py`: Search and retrieve templates
- `customize_template.py`: Customize with author info
- `validate_format.py`: Check compliance with requirements

### External Resources

**Journal Author Guidelines**:
- Nature: https://www.nature.com/nature/for-authors
- Science: https://www.science.org/content/page/instructions-authors
- PLOS: https://plos.org/resources/for-authors/
- Cell Press: https://www.cell.com/author-guidelines

**Conference Formatting**:
- NeurIPS: https://neurips.cc/Conferences/2024/CallForPapers
- ICML: https://icml.cc/Conferences/2024/StyleAuthorInstructions
- CVPR: https://cvpr.thecvf.com/Conferences/2024/AuthorGuidelines

**Grant Resources**:
- NSF PAPPG: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=pappg
- NIH Forms: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide.html
- DOE Funding: https://science.osti.gov/grants

## Example Usage

### Example 1: Nature Article Submission

```markdown
User: "I need to prepare a manuscript for Nature"

Response:
1. Load Nature formatting requirements (references/journals_formatting.md)
2. Retrieve Nature template (assets/journals/nature_article.tex)
3. Key requirements:
   - Length: ~3000 words, ~5 pages
   - Format: Single column, 12pt font
   - Citations: Numbered superscript (Nature style)
   - Figures: 300+ dpi, RGB color
4. Customize template with your title, authors, affiliations
5. Compile and validate against requirements
```

### Example 2: NeurIPS Conference Paper

```markdown
User: "What are the formatting requirements for NeurIPS?"

Response:
From references/conferences_formatting.md:
- Page limit: 8 pages main text + unlimited references/appendix
- Format: Two-column, 10pt font
- Template: neurips_2024.sty (official style file)
- Anonymization: Required for initial submission
- Citations: Numbered (brackets)
- Figures: High resolution, colorblind-safe recommended
```

### Example 3: NSF Proposal

```markdown
User: "Help me format an NSF proposal"

Response:
NSF requirements (from references/grants_requirements.md):
- Project Description: 15 pages maximum
- Project Summary: 1 page (Overview, Intellectual Merit, Broader Impacts)
- Budget Justification: 3-5 pages
- Biographical Sketch: 3 pages per senior personnel
- Font: Minimum 10pt, Times Roman or similar
- Margins: 1 inch all sides
Template: assets/grants/nsf_proposal_template.tex
```

### Example 4: Conference Poster

```markdown
User: "I need to create a poster for ISMB"

Response:
ISMB poster specifications:
- Size: Typically A0 portrait (33.1 × 46.8 inches)
- Recommended template: beamerposter or tikzposter
- Font sizes: Title 60-85pt, Headers 36-48pt, Body 24-32pt
- Include: QR code for paper/supplementary materials
Available templates:
- assets/posters/beamerposter_academic.tex
- assets/posters/tikzposter_research.tex
```

## Updates and Maintenance

**Template Currency**:
- Templates updated annually or when venues release new guidelines
- Last updated: 2024
- Check official venue sites for most current requirements

**Reporting Issues**:
- Template compilation errors
- Outdated formatting requirements
- Missing venue templates
- Incorrect specifications

## Summary

The venue-templates skill provides comprehensive access to:

1. **50+ publication venue templates** across disciplines
2. **Detailed formatting requirements** for journals, conferences, posters, grants
3. **Helper scripts** for template discovery, customization, and validation
4. **Integration** with other scientific writing skills
5. **Best practices** for successful academic submissions

Use this skill whenever you need venue-specific formatting guidance or templates for academic publishing.