Sessions of special interest for ECS

Over the whole Earth history, the climate has encountered tipping points, shifting from one regulated system to the other. This tilting motion affects both climate and the carbon cycle and has played a major role in the evolution of the Earth climate, at all timescales. Earth History has been ponctuated by large climate changes and carbon cycle reorganizations, from large climate variations occurring in deep times (snowball events, terrestrialisation, Mesozoic and early Cenozoic warm episodes, quaternary glacial cycles…) to past and on-going abrupt events. Many potential triggers of those climate and carbon cycle shifts have been proposed and tested through modeling studies, and against field data, such as those directly or indirectly linked with tectonics (plate motion, orogenesis, opening/closing of seaways, weathering…) and orbital forcing. Given that the Earth climate is currently experiencing an unprecedented transition under anthropogenic pressure, understanding the mechanisms behind the scene is crucial.

Our aim is to point out the most recent results concerning how a complex system as the climate of the Earth has undergone many tipping points and what is the specificity of the future climate changes. Therefore, within this session, we would like to encourage talks discussing advances in our record and modeling of the forces triggering and amplifying the changes of Earth climate and carbon cycle across spatial and temporal scales.

In today’s changing world we need to tap the potential of every talented mind to develop solutions for a sustainable future. The existence of under-representation of different groups (cultural, national and gender) remains a reality across the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM fields) around the world, including the geosciences. This Union Symposium will focus on remaining obstacles that contribute to these imbalances, with the goal of identifying best practices and innovative ideas to overcome obstacles.

EGU is welcoming six high-level speakers from the funding agencies and research centres on both sides of the Atlantic related to geosciences to present efforts and discuss initiatives to tackle both implicit and explicit biases. Speakers are:

Jill Karsten, AGU Diversity and Inclusion Task Force (confirmed)
Erika Marín-Spiotta, University of Wisconsin - Madison (confirmed)
Daniel Conley, Lund University (confirmed)
Giulio di Toro, University of Padua (confirmed)
Liviu Matenco, Utrecht University (confirmed)
Barbara Romanowicz, European Research Council (confirmed)

The geosciences are currently used by policymakers in a wide variety of areas to help guide the decision-making process and ensure that the best possible outcome is achieved. While the importance of scientific advice and the use of evidence in the policymaking process is generally acknowledged by both policymakers and scientists, how scientific advice is integrated and who is responsible is still unclear.

EU Policymakers frequently highlight institutionalised processes for integrating scientific advice into policy such as European Commission's Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (SAM) and the EU Commission’s Register of Expert Groups. But how efficient and accessible are these mechanisms really?

Some emphasise the need for scientists to have their own policy networks in place so that they can share their research outcomes with policymakers who can then use it directly or pass it on to those responsible for relevant legislation. But from funding applications to teaching and even outreach activities – scientists are often already overloaded with additional tasks on top of their own research. Can they really be held responsible for keeping up with the latest policy news and maintaining a constantly changing network of policymakers as well?

This debate will feature a mixed panel of policymakers and geoscientists who have previously given scientific advice. Some key questions that the panel will debate include:
• How can the accessibility of current EU science-advisory mechanisms be improved?
• Are scientists doing enough to share their research?
• And who is responsible for ensuring that quality scientific evidence is used in policymaking?

Speakers will be encouraged to explain any science advisory mechanism that they highlight (e.g. SAM) to ensure that the debate is understood by all those in attendance.

While the panel and subsequent debate will have an EU focus, it is likely that many of the issues discussed will be applicable to countries around the world.

Public information:
David Mair: Head of Unit, Knowledge for Policy: Concepts & Methods, Joint Research Centre
Paul Watkinson: Chair of SBSTA (Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice)
Kasey White: Director for Geoscience Policy, Geological Society of America
Günter Blöschl: Head of Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Engineering Hydrology, Vienna University of Technology
Detlef van Vuuren: Professor in Integrated Assessment of Global Environmental Change at the Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University

"What counts may not be countable and what is countable may not count". Assessments of scientists and their institutions tend to focus on easy-to-measure metrics related to research outputs such as publications, citations, and grants. However, society is increasingly dependent on Earth science research and data for immediate decisions and long-term planning. There is a growing need for scientists to communicate, engage, and work directly with the public and policy makers, and practice open scholarship, especially regarding data and software. Improving the reward and recognition structure to encourage broader participation of scientists in these activities must involve societies, institutions, and funders. EGU, AGU, and JPGU have all taken steps to improve this recognition, from developing new awards to starting journals around the topic of engaging the public to implementing FAIR data practices in the Earth, environmental, and space sciences, but far more is needed for a broad cultural change. How can we fairly value and credit harder-to-measure, these less tangible contributions, compared to the favoured metrics? And how can we shift the emphasis away from the "audit culture" towards measuring performance and excellence? This session will present a distinguished panel of stakeholders discussing how to implement and institutionalize these changes.

Public information:
Moderator:
Robin Bell - AGU President

Co-Moderator:
Helen M. Glaves - President of the EGU ESSI Division

Panelists:

Liz Allen – Director of Strategic Initiatives at F1000
Visiting Senior Research Fellow, Policy Institute, King's College London

Stephen Curry – Professor and Assistant Provost, Imperial College London
Chair, Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)

Demetris Koutsoyiannis – Professor and former Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Technical University of
Athens, Past Editor in Chief of the Hydrological Sciences Journal of IAHS

The ever more challenging work environments and increasing pressures on Early Career Scientists e.g. publish or perish, securing grant proposals, developing transferable skills and many more – and all while having a lack of job security. This puts a big strain on Early Career Scientists and this can lead to neglected mental well-being which in turn increases the risk of developing anxiety, depression or other mental health issues. The graduate survey from 2017 (https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v550/n7677/full/nj7677-549a.html) shows that 12% of respondents had sought help or advice for anxiety or depression during their PhD.

In this debate we want to discuss: Is there a problem? How ECS can take control of their mental wellbeing and prioritise this in the current research environment? And what support would ECS like to see from organisations like EGU or their employers?

Plastic pollution is recognized as one of the most serious and urgent problems facing our planet. Rates of manufacture, use and ultimately disposal of plastics continue to soar, posing an enormous threat to the planet’s oceans and rivers and the flora and fauna they support. There is an urgent need for global action, backed by sound scientific understanding, to tackle this problem.

This Union Symposium will address the problems posed to our planet by plastic pollution, and examine options for dealing with the threat.

Wed, 10 Apr, 12:45-14:00 / Room E1

Public information:
The dialogue between scientists, institutions, policymakers and the general public is widely recognised as an essential step towards a fair and sustainable society. Nowadays, more than ever in human history, international cooperation is an essential requirement for protecting the planet, advancing science and ensuring an equitable development of the global economy.
Despite its importance, the above dialogue can be a challenge for scientists, who often cannot find a productive connection with governments and politicians. Scientific associations are a key link between researchers and policy makers, as they have the potential to establish a durable and profitable connection with institutions.
The EGU elected the dialogue with society as one of its priority missions. At its General Assembly, the EGU is launching an innovative symposium format, Science and Society (SCS), to host scientific forums specifically dedicated to connecting with high-level institutions and engaging the public and policymakers.
The conversation with Ilaria Capua and Mario Monti will focus on science and politics with a global perspective, and the impact of populism on European integrity and therefore scientific research. The discussion will elaborate on optimal strategies to deliver topical and clear scientific messages to key institutions.
Ilaria Capua is a virologist best known for her research on influenza viruses and her efforts promoting open access to genetic information on emerging viruses. In 2006, Science reported on Capua’s effort towards open access science, stating that she had “renewed the debate about how to balance global health against scientists’ needs to publish and countries’ demands for secrecy". She has been a member of the Italian parliament from 2013 to 2016 and a fake news victim. She is currently a full professor at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, US, and director of the UF One Health Center of Excellence.
Mario Monti served as a European Commissioner from 1995 to 2004, with responsibility for the internal market, services, customs, taxation and competition. He was Prime Minister of Italy from 2011 to 2013, leading a government of national unity to cope with the Italian debt crisis. Monti has also been Rector and is currently President of Bocconi University in Milan. His publications deal mainly with monetary and financial economics, public finance, European integration, competition policy. He is currently lifetime member of the Italian Senate.
During the conversation, Ilaria Capua and Mario Monti will present their vision with two 15-minute talks that will be followed by 20 minutes dedicated to questions from the audience and answers.

Presenting at a scientific conference can be daunting for early career scientist and established. How can you optimally take advantage of those 12 minutes to communicate your research effectively? How do you cope with nervousness? What happens if someone asks a question that you don’t think you can answer? Is your talk tailored to the audience?
Giving a scientific talk is a really effective way to communicate your research to the wider community and it is something anyone can learn to do well! This short course provides the audience with hands-on tips and tricks in order to make your talk memorable and enjoyable for both speaker and audience.

Over the last decades, research in the Solar Terrestrial sciences has greatly advanced our understanding of this huge system. For half a century, satellites and a continuously growing network of ground based observatories, have allowed us to get closer and make observations with higher precision than ever before. Together with more complex models, this gives us detailed knowledge on how the Sun affects its surrounding environment, and especially its coupling to Earth. As new space missions fill in today’s missing pieces of knowledge, new questions are born that need to be tackled by new thoughts. Being an Early Career Scientist, it is often hard to identify which questions are new and what has been answered before. In this short course we have invited a panel of renowned researchers. They will give their view on how far we have come in our understanding, and most importantly, on what challenges lie ahead for the young scientists to embark upon. This is an excellent opportunity to meet with the experts and discuss the future of our community. Target audience is students and early career scientists that want to increase their awareness of current and future research challenges within solar terrestrial sciences and to discuss their potential contributions. The audience is invited to propose specific topics and/or questions for discussion in advance to ecs-st@egu.eu.

Public information:
In this short course we bring together established researchers and the Early Career Scientists in the Solar Terrestrial Sciences division for three visionary talks and a chance to discuss the future opportunities, challenges, and directions in our field, with the experienced experts. The invited speakers this year are Prof. Esa Turunen, Prof. Eric Priest and Prof. Margareth Kivelson, who will each give a talk about their view and visions about the future of our field.

Are you unsure about how to bring order in the extensive program of the General Assembly? Are you wondering how to tackle this week of science? Are you curious about what EGU and the General Assembly have to offer? Then this is the short course for you!

In one hour we will provide you with tips and tricks on how to handle this large conference and how to make the most out of your week at this year's General Assembly. We'll explain the EGU structure, the difference between EGU and the General Assembly, we will dive into the program groups and we will introduce some key persons that help the Union function.

Feel free to join us, we are looking forward to meeting you!

Contaminant hydrology over the last century has used physically-based solute transport models that solve equations of advection and diffusion to estimate the fate and transport of contaminants. In the last decade, time variant transit time models have been proposed as a stochastic alternative to solve solute transport in a more time efficient manner. Transit time models follow a top-down approach that require fewer model parameters than classic advection-diffusion approaches. The caveat being that it requires high resolution (temporally) data for concentration of solutes in the hydrologic system.

With the advent of advanced laser-based picarro devices, measuring stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water have become more feasible. These stable isotopes of water can also be used to infer the transit time model parameters and provide mean catchment transit time information (i.e. on average how long a water molecule spends in the catchment after first entering into the soil). This becomes highly relevant in agricultural catchments where the applied fertilisers and pesticides can find their way to the groundwater pool in a short span of time that may later be consumed for domestic purposes.

This session will bring together a panel of experts on both the top-down (transit time modeling) and the bottom-up (physically-based models) approaches to modeling solutes in streams. After a short introduction by the experts, the session will follow an open discussion where participants can engage with the panel. The discussion will conclude with a summary from the panelists.

This will be the sixth edition of Meet the Expert session. This session is organised in cooperation with the Young Hydrologic Society (http://younghs.com/) and the EGU Geomorphology Section (GM).

Public information:
Invited Speakers: Paolo Benettin (EPFL), Simone Fatichi (ETH Zurich), Christine Stumpp (BOKU, Austria)

Research, especially for early career scientists, starts with the spark of an idea and is then often challenged by empirical or methodological road bumps and seemingly dead ends. A diverse range of challenges face those in earth science research, particularly for early career scientists (ECS). Challenges include (1) access difficulties, whether for field sites, equipment or data, (2) problems of scaling and extrapolation and (3) a lack of methodological understanding or knowledge. In this short course, we will raise engaging discussions, which aim to solve challenges, suggest new research approaches and methods, and encourage networks and possibilities for in-depth discussions amongst early career scientists at international conferences.

This short course will start with 2 minute ‘pop-up’ presentations outlining the questions or challenges submitted by attendees. These pop-ups are followed by chaired group discussions in which short course participants engage to crowd solve the presented challenges. To wrap up the session, solutions and suggestions from each topical group are presented to the whole session in a final discussion. A summary on last years’ crowd solving efforts can be found in the EGU GM blog post https://blogs.egu.eu/divisions/gm/2018/04/25/diving-under-the-scientific-iceberg/.

This short course lives by your input: i) by stating a research idea or challenge you would like to share, and ii) by participating in the discussion during the short course. To organize and prepare the discussions, please send a short statement of your idea or challenge related to geomorphic research, and your motivation for solving it (3-4 sentences) to geomorph-problems@geographie.uni-bonn.de, by March 1, 2019. The contributions within the short course are free of charge. If you want to discuss a specific problem, but rather stay anonymous, please let us know. We are all early career scientists and expect a non-hierarchic, respectful and constructive environment for the discussions, which will hopefully go some way to identifying and engaging with problems which face ECS geomorphologists.

Session organizers: Anne Voigtländer, Johannes Buckel, Eleanore Heasley, Felix Nieberding, Liseth Perez, Anna Schoch, Harry Sanders, Richard Mason,...

Public information:
We encourage meeting up before the short course during the Networking Time ~18h - so grab another drink and join us near room -2.62!

The goal of the short course is to increase awareness of the impact of gender unconscious bias and provide tools to facilitate equitable decision-making across a range of processes. In this short course you will be presented with various situations where gender imbalance may occur and you will be invited to interactively discuss concrete actions to change this reality.

The situations presented will range from formal/institutional (e.g. recruitment and evaluation committees) to informal/individual (e.g. daily-life choices or actions).

The short course will address the following issues:

- Short introduction to (gender) implicit bias; (presentation)
- Concrete situations where implicit bias can be present and lead to unfairness; (presentation + small group discussion)
- Concrete efforts to move forward and change the world (presentation + small group discussion)

The European Research Council (ERC) is a leading European funding body supporting excellent investigator-driven frontier research across all fields of science. ERC calls are open to researchers around the world. The ERC offers various different outstanding funding opportunities with grants budgets of €1.5 to €3.5 million for individual scientists. All nationalities of applicants are welcome for projects carried out at a host institution in Europe (European Union member states and associated countries). At this session, the main features of ERC funding individual grants will be presented.

Applying for Marie Skłodowska-Curie grants is highly competitive. So applicants have to be well prepared and highly motivated to compile a convincing proposal. The aim of this short course is to provide general information about the funding schemes and evaluation processes, recommendations and tips to future applicants.

The workshop will include:
- General presentation of the MSCA calls
- Individual Fellowships: This part of the workshop will give an introduction and background information of the program and the evaluation process by a Vice-Chair of the “Environmental and Geosciences” evaluation panel. You will get recommendations and tips and the experience of a grantee. This year the grantee will be José Alberto Padron Navarta from Montpellier.
- European Training Network: This part of the workshop will give a brief introduction and overview on how to apply for ETNs as international scientific multi-partner research training networks and show I) the most important general parts of proposals, II) how to avoid pitfalls and III) how to implement successful management already at this early stage.
Why attend?
In this hands-on workshop, participants will get the basics of how to prepare competitive MSCA proposals and how to shape it so that it is aligned with the objectives of the Marie Curie programme.
Who is this training course for?
The target audience is early-career and established researchers as well as project managers involved in the pre-proposal phase, who are I) currently preparing a MSCA-IF or MSCA-ITN-ETN proposal, II) have in the past unsuccessfully submitted such proposals and would like to try again, or III) who have very concrete ideas about a proposal they want to prepare, but are unsure how to approach this.

Trainers:
ITN-ETN: Dr. Sylvia Walter, Coordinator for International Collaboration - H2020 MEMO2, Dr. Daniela Henkel, Marie Sklodowska Curie ITN Project Manager – BASE-LiNE Earth
IF: Dr. Jannick Ingrin, Mineralogist at the University of Lille, Vice-Chair of the ”Environmental and Geosciences” evaluation panel for several MSCA calls.

While many enjoy working in an academic environment, scientific skills are valued in other job sectors and an increasing number of scientists pursue careers outside of academia. However, navigating different job opportunities and transitioning to new career paths can be difficult, especially for researchers who are not given enough opportunities to develop their transferable skills. In this workshop, a repeat of the popular 2018 course, a panel of current and former geoscientists will share their experiences and discuss career opportunities for Earth, space and planetary scientists both inside and outside academia. Following short presentations by each panelist, there will be a question and answer session with the audience.

Publishing your research in a peer reviewed journal is essential for a career in research, however, getting those first few papers submitted can be daunting. This short course, given by the co editor-in-chief of The Cryosphere Thomas Mölg, will cover all you need to know about the publication process from start to end. This includes: what the editor looks for in your submitted paper, how to deal with corrections or rejections, and how best to communicate with your reviewers and editors for a smooth transition from submission to publication. There will also be time for questions from the audience, and for the editor to give you some ‘top tips’ for a successful publication. This course is aimed at early-career researchers who are about to step into the publication process, and those who have a few papers under their belt, but may not have published in The Cryosphere previously. Similarly, this course will be of interest to those looking to get involved in the peer-review process through reviewing and editing.

Within the geosciences there are a number of prestigious award and medal programmes that recognise the scholarly contributions of scientists in their research field. Recognition by the research community and general public can boost the self-confidence and self-identity of scientists as well as creating role models for present and future generations of geoscientists. Furthermore, awards can lead to further positive recognition in the form of tenure, promotion or grant application and thus can significantly boost the recipient’s career trajectory.
This short course will provide an overview of the current diversity in awards available to geoscientists. It will enhance awareness of the nominating and selection process for awards in general. Finally our aim is to encourage and motivate young and senior scientists to become active in the nomination process and engage in the discussion of the nomination and selection process.
Invited Speaker: Özgür Karatekin (Chair of the EGU Union Awards Committee)
Round Table Discussion: with a diverse range of present and former Division Presidents from the geosciences.

Public information:
Programme schedule

08:30 Welcome and Introduction by the Convenors

08:35 Annica Ekman (President of the EGU Atmospheric Sciences Division 2017-2019)
Athanasios Nenes (President of the EGU Atmospheric Sciences Division 2019-2021)


08:50 Özgür Karatekin (Chair of the EGU Union Awards Committee and Deputy President of the EGU Planetary Sciences Division)

09:05 Sonia Seneviratne, ETH Zurich
Recipient of the James B. Macelwane Medal awarded by the AGU.
Fellow of the AGU

09:15 Murugesu Sivapalan University of Illinois
Recipient of the John Dalton Medal and the Alfred Wegener Medal awarded by the EGU, the Hydrological Sciences Award and the Robert E Horton Medal awarded by the AGU. Fellow of the AGU, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, the Modeling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand and Life Member of the International Water Academy

09:30 Round Table discussion and questions from the audience

• Özgür Karatekin EGU Awards Committee President
• Annica Ekman EGU Atmospheric Sciences President
• Athanasios Nenes EGU Atmospheric Sciences President
• Elena Toth EGU Hydrological Sciences President
• Giuliana Panieri EGU Biogeosciences President
• Sonia Seneviratne
• Murugesu Sivapalan

Are you an early career scientist coming to EGU looking for inspiration to take the next step in your career? Are you feeling a little lost with all the opportunities both academic and elsewhere? Then this short course is for you!

Join us for a panel discussion about everything to do with life post-polar-PhD and expand your ideas about where you might go next.

Our five expert panelists come from a wide range of backgrounds, from various stages of academia to applied science, science project management and science journalism. They will give you a little background about their experience and career. Afterwards, we will open the floor to a chaired discussion about all aspects of their careers and it’s over to you! Want to know how to get into a certain career, what experience you might need and what working in a certain career entails – just go ahead and ask!

Come along to listen or participate in what will be a lively and informative discussion. The session is open to anyone at any level in their career. Questions and answers will also be live tweeted!

Public information:
Panelists:

NANNA B. KARLSSON (Senior Scientist, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland), ROBERT McSWEENEY (Science Editor, Carbon Brief), CARMEN GAINA (Director, Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics (CEED), University of Oslo, Norway), SARAH CONNORS (Science Officer at the IPCC Working Group 1 TSU)

Drafting your first grant proposal can be daunting. Grant writing improves with experience, so how do early career scientists compete on equal footing with those who are more established? In this short course, a panel of scientists will share their experience applying to different funding bodies (national and international research grants, such as NERC (UK) and DFG (German)). Gain insight and (even better) inspiration by discussing with the panel the bits and pieces you may struggle with when writing a strong grant proposal.

NOTE - this course has a broader scope than the more specific ERC and Marie Curie short courses. This course gives broad tips and hints on how to write a successful proposal irrespective of the funding body.

Many scientists around the world travel to different countries and across oceans to pursue exciting graduate programmes and research positions. Relocating for work can offer many opportunities to advance your research and develop your career; however working across borders can present many challenges to scientists, from securing visas to navigating new cultural environments to losing their professional network of peers.

In this short course, a panel of geoscientists who have migrated to advance their careers will share their experiences, discuss obstacles they have faced, and provide advice for how to make the most of a career opportunity abroad. Following short presentations by each panelist there will be a Q&A session where participants will be able to ask questions.

Poetry is one of the oldest forms of art, potentially even predating literacy. However, what on Earth does it have to do with science? One is usually subjective and emotive, whilst the other (for the most part) is objective and empirical. However, poetry can be a very effective tool in communicating science to a broader audience, and can even help to enhance the long-term retention of scientific content. During this session, we will discuss how poetry can be used to make (your) science more accessible to the world, including to your students, your professors, your (grand)parents, and the general public.

Writing a poem is not a particularly difficult task, but writing a good poem requires both dedication and technique; anyone can write poetry, but it takes practice and process to make it effective. In this session, experienced science-poets will discuss the basics of poetry, before encouraging all participants to grab a pen and start writing themselves. We aim to maximise empowerment and minimise intimidation. Participants will have the opportunity to work on poems that help to communicate their research, and will be provided with feedback and advice on how to make them more effective, engaging and empathetic. Those who wish to do so may also recite their creations during the “EGU Science Poetry Slam 2019”.

Geoscience Communication (GC) is a journal to help share knowledge and give more "traditional" recognition to science communication in the geosciences. Science communication is used as an umbrella term by GC to cover all aspects of outreach, public engagement, widening participation, policy, knowledge exchange, and any other initiatives within the scope of the journal. It can be thought of as any initiative which seeks to communicate an aspect of geoscience to a wider audience than the experts within that particular field.

Come along to this Short Course to find out more about Geoscience Communication, meet the editorial team, and find out how you can turn your science communication and public engagement initiatives into reviewed research that is of benefit to the wider geoscience community.

Drawings, graphics and illustrations are one of the oldest ways of knowledge transfer without language barriers. Through the growth of the scientific community and the associated increase of publications, it has become more difficult to communicate key findings just with plain text. Visualisations of scientific content have become increasingly popular (e.g. colour figures, graphical abstracts, short videos and animations) and represents an efficient form for science communication, also outside of academic journals (e.g. social platforms, teaching).

We use the opportunity at the EGU2019 to give a guided tour through the current trends. We go over the basic rules (do’s and don’ts) for graphic design and present low-budget do-it-yourself solutions along with (hopefully) useful software suggestions.

Public information:
Drawings, graphics and illustrations are one of the oldest ways of knowledge transfer without language barriers. Through the growth of the scientific community and the associated increase of publications, it has become more difficult to communicate key findings just with plain text. Visualisations of scientific content have become increasingly popular (e.g. colour figures, graphical abstracts, short videos and animations) and represents an efficient form for science communication, also outside of academic journals (e.g. social platforms, teaching).

We use the opportunity at the EGU2019 to give a guided tour through the current trends. We go over the basic rules (do’s and don’ts) for graphic design and present low-budget do-it-yourself solutions along with (hopefully) useful software suggestions.

When a strong earthquake strikes, a hurricane is close to making landfall in a populated area, or an extreme heatwave is sweeping a continent, scientists are often called upon to address the public. Communicating science in these situations can be particularly hard, not only because human lives could be at stake but because the available information about the event may be incomplete. How can you best communicate risk and uncertainty in a quick and effective matter? In this short course, we will address this question and look into how best to communicate controversial issues in sensitive situations.

Those interested in attending this short course, might also be interested in the EOS4.3 session, 'Communicating geoscience in the face of modern geocontroversy': https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2019/session/32817

SPEAKERS
Stephen Hicks, Postdoctoral Researcher in Seismology, Imperial College London, UK
Cathelijne Stoof, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, the Netherlands
Boris Behncke, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservatorio Etneo - Sezione di Catania, Italy [TBC]
Terri Cook, freelance (geo)science journalist, US

Public information:
Paul Williams, Professor of Atmospheric Science in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, UK, will also be speaking at this short course.

Despite the emergence of many new forms of media, the press release remains one of the most important steps in getting your work featured in the media... This short course will cover the basics of writing a press release that will grab the attention of journalists, amidst their all-too-full inboxes. Together, we will look at how to craft your press release, finding the story within your work and the wider relevance of your science to society. The course will consist of: an introduction on how to identify a good science story; general tips on how to write with clarity and flair; an introduction on how to go about promoting your work via press releases and working with embargoes; tips on working with press officers and journalists; practical exercises on headline writing; and practical exercises about turning abstracts into press releases.

Public information:
Despite the emergence of many new forms of media, the press release remains one of the most important steps in getting your work featured in the media... This short course will cover the basics of writing a press release that will grab the attention of journalists, amidst their all-too-full inboxes. Together, we will look at how to craft your press release, finding the story within your work and the wider relevance of your science to society. The course will consist of: an introduction on how to identify a good science story; general tips on how to write with clarity and flair; an introduction on how to go about promoting your work via press releases and working with embargoes; tips on working with press officers and journalists; practical exercises on headline writing; and practical exercises about turning abstracts into press releases.

One of the biggest challenges for scientists working in natural hazard prevention and management is to communicate the right knowledge and the related uncertainty to stakeholders and population at risk.

It is often emphasized that scientists should learn and use a more popular language to disseminate their knowledge and their messages, and many efforts have been recently done for this purpose. However, all components of the society - not just scientists - have to play a role and have a responsibility in natural hazards prevention. Several communities are not aware that they are living in high-risk areas and they do not know how to deal with potential hazards. Only some countries have already adopted disaster laws or codes that define the role of each component of the society. Nevertheless, also among the most developed countries, it is common to see that people do not know what they should do or who to contact before, during or after a disaster: they often lack information, and when they receive it, it is in many cases too late. Ideally, each component can help and must understand that everyone is part of the prevention cycle, where the failure of a single part can generate or contribute to the failure of the whole system.

In this short course, we will use a serious game useful for multi-hazards and disaster risk management. Using a real case study, participants will understand the role and the responsibility of each component (national and local authorities, scientists, media and population) in a scenario potentially prone to natural hazards. Further, it will be possible to learn to identify the needs, how to contribute in the disaster cycle, how to collaborate with others to obtain information or how and which information you can provide to other components.

The short course will be a combination of individual and group work and the goal is to come with a definition of the different roles and a list of actions for each component of the society. The output of the exercise will help to reveal, thus enable participants to learn, how the communication should be among society components as well as how the different players can address barriers and bridges.
In this sense, this exercise will help to promote the understanding of different roles and responsibilities in disaster risk prevention and people attending the course can replicate the exercise for other real cases or while teaching at their own institutions.

We especially encourage, but not limit, the participation of Early Career Scientists interested in the field of Natural Hazards.

In order to better organize the short course, we ask interested people to fill-in the registration form available at the following link: https://goo.gl/forms/NAeeUarf0gTlRRGA2. Be reminded that the short course is open to everyone, even not registered people, and the form does not supersede the general registration for the General Assembly.

The short course is organized in cooperation with NhET (Natural hazard Early career scientists Team).

Encompassing a large number of scientific disciplines, the geosciences play an important role in many policy decisions including, but not limited to, those relate to climate change, natural hazard management, energy security, space exploration, agriculture and ocean health. The information that geoscientists can give to policymakers is able to improve the policy making process, expand the impact of research and provide scientists with new research and career opportunities.

To ensure that your efforts to share your research with policymakers are effective, it is important to know when and how to communicate before engaging with science for policy. This session will focus on basic science for policy and communication techniques that can be used to engage policymakers. It will also outline specific science for policy processes and initiatives within the EU and explain how scientists can become involved with them.

This session is open to all EGU General Assembly participants but will be of particular interest to anyone who wants to make their research more policy relevant and learn more about science-policy.

Public information:
Chloe Hill: EGU Policy Officer
Ilias Grampas: EU Affairs Manager, European Parliament Intergroup on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development
Panos Panagos: Research Officer, Joint Research Centre, European Commission.
Theresa Lorenz: Project Manager, Adelphi
Noel Baker: Project Manager, Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy

Teaching a climate change course and looking for great resources? Doing climate outreach and want to be more engaging? Or simply aiming to broaden your knowledge and teaching of climate change? This short course explores ways of effectively teaching the key disciplinary and interdisciplinary concepts and skills related to the science and politics of our changing climate. Structured around the recent IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, the course spans the interlinkages between climate science, climate impacts and adaptation, mitigation options, and sustainable development.

Thinking of educators as learning facilitators rather than mere suppliers of facts and figures, we will present teaching activities that use the principles of active learning to fully engage learners and get them thinking critically. Along the way, we will demonstrate ways to overcome some of the key teaching challenges, including how to explain hard-to-grasp concepts (e.g., why do we care about such seemingly small temperature changes?), bridge diverse time- and space-scales (e.g., weather vs climate, intergenerational equity), and provide an upbeat, action-oriented outlook. The course will be interactive, involving hands-on activities and opportunities to practice your climate communication skills. We will close with a group discussion about how to scope a climate change course, including a list of the key integrative ideas and skills you want learners to come away with.

This short course is an introduction to structural and petrological geological principles, used by geologist to understand system earth. The data available to geologists is often minimal, incomplete and representative for only part of the geological history. Besides learning field techniques to acquire and measure data, geologists need to develop a logical way of thinking to close gaps in the data to understand the system. There is a difference in the reality observed from field observation and the final geological model that tells the story.

In this course we briefly introduce the following subjects:
1) Acquisition of field-data
2) From structural field data to paleostresses
3) Using petrological field data to identify tectonic phases (e.g. burial and exhumation)
4) Rock deformation - What happens in the lab?
5) Data publications and EPOS - What to do with your research data?
6) Creating geological models: how to make the story complete


Our aim is not to make you the next specialist in geology, but we would rather try and make you aware of the challenges a geologist faces when he/she goes out into the field. Also the quality of data and the methods used nowadays are addressed to give seismologists and geodynamicists a feel for the capabilities and limits of geological research. This course is given by Early Career Scientist geologists and geoscientists and forms a trilogy with the short course on ‘Geodynamics 101’ and ‘Seismology 101’. For this reason, will also explain what kind of information we expect from the fields of seismology and geodynamics and we hope to receive some feedback in what kind of information you could use from our side.

How do seismologists detect earthquakes? How do we locate them? Is seismology only about earthquakes? Seismology has been integrated into a wide variety of geo-disciplines to be complementary to many fields such as tectonics, geology, geodynamics, volcanology, hydrology, glaciology and planetology. This 90-minute course is part of the Solid Earth 101 short course series together with ‘Geodynamics 101 (A & B)’ and ‘Geology 101’ to better illustrate the link between these fields.

In ‘Seismology 101’, we will present an introduction to the basic concepts and methods in seismology. In previous years, this course was given as "Seismology for non-seismologists" and it is still aimed at those not familiar with seismology -- in particular early career scientists. An overview will be given on various methods and processing techniques, which are applicable to investigate surface processes, near-surface geological structures and the Earth’s interior. The course will highlight the role that advanced seismological techniques can play in the co-interpretation of results from other fields. The topics will include:
- the basics of seismology, including the detection and location of earthquakes
- understanding and interpreting those enigmatic "beachballs"
- an introduction to free seismo-live.org tutorials and other useful tools
- how seismic methods are used to learn about the Earth, such as for imaging the Earth’s interior (on all scales), deciphering tectonics, monitoring volcanoes, landslides and glaciers, etc...

We likely won’t turn you in the next Charles Richter in 90 minutes but would rather like to make you aware how seismology can help you in geoscience. The intention is to discuss each topic in a non-technical manner, emphasizing their strengths and potential shortcomings. This course will help non-seismologists to better understand seismic results and can facilitate more enriched discussion between different scientific disciplines. The short course is organised by early career scientist seismologists and geoscientists who will present examples from their own research experience and from high-impact reference studies for illustration. Questions from the audience on the topics covered will be highly encouraged.

The main goal of this short course is to provide an introduction into the basic concepts of numerical modelling of solid Earth processes in the Earth’s crust and mantle in a non-technical manner. Emphasis will be put on what numerical models are and how they work while taking into account the advantages and limitations of the different methods. We will go through the steps of building a numerical code and setting up the corresponding models, using specific examples from key papers to showcase:
(1) The motivation behind using numerical methods,
(2) The basic equations used in geodynamic modelling studies, what they mean, and their assumptions,
(3) How to choose appropriate numerical methods,
(4) How to benchmark the resulting code,
(5) How to go from the geological problem to the model setup,
(6) How to set initial and boundary conditions,
(7) How to interpret the model results.
Armed with the knowledge of a typical numerical modelling workflow, participants will then be able to better assess the use of a specific numerical model to answer their own research question.

The 90-minute short course is run by early career geodynamicists and is part of the Solid Earth 101 short course series together with Geodynamics 101B, Seismology 101 and Geology 101. It is dedicated to everyone who is interested in, but not necessarily experienced with, understanding numerical models; in particular early career scientists (BSc, MSc, PhD students and postdocs) and people who are new to the field of geodynamic modelling. The course "Geodynamics 101B: Scientific applications" focusses on the application of the numerical methods discussed in this short course to large scale dynamic processes on Earth. Discussion and questions will be greatly encouraged.

Writing a scientific paper is an essential part of research, and is a skill that needs practice. In this short course several invited scientists will advice early-career scientists on how to write a scientific paper and how to increase the chance of publishing their research.
This session is organized in cooperation with the Young Hydrologic Society (http://younghs.com/).

This year's expert panel:
Prof. Dr. Thorsten Wagener (University of Bristol)
Prof. Dr. Christine Stumpp (BOKU, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna)
Prof. Dr. Jan Fleckenstein (UFZ Leipzig and University of Bayreuth)

his session will discuss the ins & outs of convening or co-convening a session from proposing to a session, the promotion and abstract handling to the actual General Assembly. We will discuss what makes a good session abstract and what are your options. What happens are you suggest a session and what you can do to promote your session.

The main goal of this short course is to provide an overview of the large scale dynamic processes on Earth, recent advances in the study of these processes and future directions. The course focusses on numerical methods to explain and advance our knowledge of geodynamic large scale processes, but additional constraints and insights obtained from the geological record and seismology (e.g., tomography) are also touched upon. The basic dynamics, state of the art understanding and outstanding questions of the following geodynamic processes are discussed through key papers in the field:
(1) Mantle convection
(2) The start of plate tectonics
(3) Break-up of supercontinents
(4) Subduction dynamics
(5) Crustal deformation & mountain building
Using their newfound knowledge of geodynamical processes, participants will be better able to understand and use geodynamical papers to answer their own research question.
The 90-minute short course is run by early career geodynamicists and is part of the Solid Earth 101 short course series together with Geodynamics 101A, Seismology 101, and Geology 101. It is dedicated to everyone who is interested in, but not necessarily experienced with, the large scale dynamics of the Earth; in particular early career scientists (BSc, MSc, PhD students and postdocs) and people who are new to the field of geodynamic modelling. The course "Geodynamics 101A: Numerical methods" discusses the numerical methods that are often used to solve for and study the processes outlined in this course. Discussion and questions will be greatly encouraged.

Research can have a beneficial impact on society. However, understanding and demonstrating the impact of your research often needs training and specific professional and personal skills. This short-course aims to introduce early career scientists to practices that can enhance their ability to use their knowledge to benefit society and thus to increase the potential policy impact of their research. At a more personal level, this can result in a higher level of personal satisfaction and increased opportunities at local, national and international levels.

Researchers often search for making a real difference in the world by influencing policy-making and contributing to improve economy, implement climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions for nature and people, co-build environmental policies and sustainable water-food-energy management practices, for instance. Showing the impact of your research can open new horizons and make a difference to people’s lives. However, it may take time until research results or the key messages from a research project resonate with the interests and agendas of policy-makers. Researchers need to develop communication and influencing skills to make their findings accessible and amplify their impact.

Also, there is often a major gap between the supply of, and demand for, policy-relevant research. This problem is not solved simply by employing excellent researchers and policymakers in the same organisation, or locating them in the same building. Rather, the gap relates primarily to key differences in the practices, expectations, incentives, language, and rules of researchers and policymakers, which is sometimes described as the ‘two communities’ problem. Training is therefore essential to develop skills and collect practical advice on maximising impact and building efficient teams of researchers, policy-makers and ‘knowledge brokers’.

Based on the Knowledge management for policy (KMP) initiative of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, built to promote a new ‘skills and training agenda’ to foster evidence-informed policy-making, this short course will provide an introduction to the eight skills that are recommended to produce efficient teams of people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and complementary skills (presented in detail in Topp et al., 2018):

1. research synthesis, to generate ‘state of the art’ knowledge on a policy problem,
2. management of expert communities, to maximise collaboration,
3. understanding policymaking, to know when and how to present evidence,
4. interpersonal skills, to focus on relationships and interaction,
5. engagement, to include citizens and stakeholders,
6. effective communication of knowledge,
7. monitoring and evaluation, to identify the impact of evidence on policy,
8. policy advice, to know how to present knowledge effectively and ethically.

In this short course, participants will get hands-on experience with some of the new skills through interactive games in real-life settings.

Reference:
Topp, L., D. Mair, L. Smillie & P. Cairney (2018) Knowledge management for policy impact: the case of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. Palgrave Communications, Vol. 4 (87), 2018.

Public information:
In cooperation with the Young Hydrologic Society (http://younghs.com/).

Analysis of uncertainty has been one of the overarching themes of hydrology research. With ever increasing need for quantification and communication of uncertainty, uncertainty analysis is a fundamental part of any modelling study in hydrology, e.g. flood forecasting. This short course aims to provide a state-of-the-science overview of different approaches to analysis and modelling of uncertainty. The primary focus will be given to methods in the hydro-meteorological domain.

We kindly invite early career hydrologic researchers (MSc students, PhD candidates, post-doctoral researchers) to attend this short course designed to address fundamentals of most widely adopted approaches for uncertainty analysis.

This will be the fifth year that the Hydroinformatics for Hydrology short course is run. The previous themes of the course were data-driven and hybrid techniques, data assimilation, geostatistical modelling and extreme value modelling.

Please note that a pre-registration is not necessary. The course will be open to a limited number of participants selected on a first come-first served basis.

We are delighted to announce Dr. Francesca Pianosi from University of Bristol as the lecturer of this short course.

For any additional information, please contact the conveners. In cooperation with the Young Hydrologic Society (http://younghs.com/).

You have heard of Jupyter Notebooks already? But you do not quite understand the hype about it? Then this short course is exactly for you. We will show you the beauty in working with Jupyter Notebooks and the entire Jupyter environment.

With Jupyter Notebooks you have your code, visualisation and documentation all in one place. Widgets allow the setup of interactive visualisations, where you can e.g. include leaflet maps into your notebooks.
JupyterLab and JupyterHub provide the right working environments to create and host your Jupyter Notebooks and collaborate with others.

This short course will introduce you to Jupyter Notebooks and give you practical examples how environmental data (meteorological data and satellite images) can be analysed. After a general introduction to Jupyter Notebooks, we will give you examples how you are able to access large volumes of meteorological and satellite data from data repositories, such as ECMWF, and cloud environments, such as the Copernicus Climate Data Store or Google Earth Engine. We will analyse and interactively visualise the data with Jupyter widgets. Towards the end, we will introduce you to JupyterLab and JupyterHub, to better understand the full Jupyter environment.

The course will be structured as follows:
- Jupyter Notebooks - Data analysis made simple
- Data access with Jupyter Notebooks from different data repositories
- Jupyter widgets - Make your data analysis interactive
- Jupyterlab, JupyterHub, … - Getting to know the Jupyter environment

This short course is hands-on and you can bring your laptop along. All exercises are designed to be easy to follow. The Jupyter Notebooks of this course will be made available after the course.

Public information:
This short course will introduce you to Jupyter Notebooks and give you practical examples how environmental data (meteorological data and satellite images) can be analysed. After a general introduction to Jupyter Notebooks, we will give you examples how you are able to access large volumes of meteorological and satellite data from data repositories, such as ECMWF, and cloud environments, such as the Copernicus Climate Data Store (CDS) or Google Earth Engine (GEE). We will analyse and interactively visualise the data with Jupyter widgets. Towards the end, we will introduce you to JupyterLab and JupyterHub, to better understand the full Jupyter environment.

Image analysis has become a standard tool for shape and fabric analysis of a wide range of rock types (sedimentary, magmatic and metamorphic) and for microstructure analysis of natural and experimental samples at all scales. From quantified shape fabrics, rock properties may be inferred and related to the processes that created them.

In the first half of the short course, some basic techniques are outlined, in the second half, there will be demonstrations of selected applications.

The following topics will be covered:
1) image acquisition and pre-processing
2) segmentation: from picture to bitmap
3) shape analysis of individual grains or particles
4) fabric and strain analysis: looking at volumes and surfaces
5) analysis of spatial distribution: from clustered to random to ordered

Demonstrations will be made using ImageJ and Image SXM. Note, however, that familiarity with either of these programs is not required. - This is a short course, not a workshop.

Please send email if you want to participate (renee.heilbronner@unibas.ch)

Recommended for: geoscientists, climate scientists, geostatisticians, engineers.

This course is an introduction to stochastic simulation using Multiple Point Statistics (MPS), a modelling approach based on the use of training images with the aim of generating realistic heterogeneity characterizing natural processes. This family of techniques has been shown to be particularly suited for preserving complex features, for example the connectivity and geometry of geological units [1], the seasonality and complex time dependence of climate time-series [2], or the small-scale variability of missing data from remote sensing images [3].

In the routine practice, MPS can be used to fill the gaps in spatial or temporal datasets, interpolate sparse data, or simulate random fields to study the uncertainty of a process outcome. We will present the theory behind MPS, demonstrate an open-source code, and give practical tutorials on how to use it.

The course will be organized in two parts: the first one is a short introduction on the theory at the base of stochastic simulation and interpolation. The second and main part is dedicated to practical cases related to time series modeling and remote sensing data.

References:

[1] dell’Arciprete, D., Bersezio, R., Felletti, F. et al., Comparison of three geostatistical methods for hydrofacies simulation: a test on alluvial sediments, Hydrogeol Journal (2012) 20: 299. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-011-0808-0

[2] Oriani F, Mehrotra R, Mariethoz G, Straubhaar J, Sharma A, Renard P (2017). Simulating rainfall time-series: how to account for statistical variability at multiple scales, Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment, doi: 10.1007/s00477-017-1414-z.

[3] Gaohong Yin, Gregoire Mariethoz, Ying Sun & Matthew F. McCabe (2017) A comparison of gap-filling approaches for Landsat-7 satellite data, International Journal of Remote Sensing, 38:23, 6653-6679, DOI: 10.1080/01431161.2017.1363432

Rationale:
The proper and deep education on ethical issues in geosciences has been evolving in recent times, although not as quickly and deeply as necessary. Many of the professionals dedicated to Earth Sciences have been not in touch with such new concepts and tendencies as the concept of Geoethics. Geoethics is the research and reflection on the values which underpin appropriate behaviors and practices, wherever human activities interact with the Earth system. Geoethics provides a framework from which to define ethical professional behaviors in both geosciences and engineering and to determine how these should be put into practice for the benefit of society and the environment. This Short Course goes is directed towards introducing and training geoscientists in those new concepts and ideas.
Targeted audience:
Most, if not all, of the EGU GA attendants are potential participants, although we will target, mostly, early-career practitioners and scientists, with enough basic background not to be overly challenged in these theoretical and practical issues.
Learning objectives
After completing this course, participants
1. Will know the basic principles of ethics and how these lead to geoethics.
2. Will be aware of the dilemmas involved in making geoethical decisions.
3. Will have gained some experience in taking a geoethical approach to real-world cases.
Course Content:
1. From Ethics to Geoethics: definition, values, tools.
2. Responsible conduct of research and professionalism.
3. Tools for Confronting (geo)ethical dilemmas.
4. Geoethics for society: sustainable development and responsible mining.
5. Geoethics in natural hazards.
6. Geoethics in geoscience communication.
Time Schedule:
2-time blocks (1 hour 45 min x 2).
Preference for the afternoon a day after session Session EOS5.2 - Geoethics: ethical, social and cultural implications of geoscience knowledge, education, communication, research and practice. It could be one block overlapping afternoon not EOS5.2 poster sessions (from 15:45 up to 17:30) followed for the second slot after 17:30 the same day. Monday and Friday cannot be used.

Proposed Schedule and lecturers (backups considered but not listed):
First Block:
1. From Ethics to Geoethics: definition, values, tools. SILVIA PEPPOLONI
2. Responsible conduct of research and professionalism. VITOR CORREIA
3. Tools for Confronting (geo)ethical dilemmas. EDUARDO MARONE
Second Block:
4. Geoethics for society: sustainable development and responsible mining. JAN BOON
5. Geoethics in natural hazards. GIUSEPPE DI CAPUA
6. Geoethics in geoscience communication. NIC BILHAM

Public information:
Proposed Schedule and lecturers:
First Block:
1. From Ethics to Geoethics: definition, values, tools. SILVIA PEPPOLONI
2. Responsible conduct of research and professionalism. VITOR CORREIA
3. Tools for Confronting (geo)ethical dilemmas. EDUARDO MARONE
Second Block:
4. Geoethics for society: sustainable development and responsible mining. JAN BOON
5. Geoethics in natural hazards. GIUSEPPE DI CAPUA
6. Geoethics in geoscience communication. NIC BILHAM

The General Assembly is a busy time and seems difficult to take any time out for self-care during this week. But there are some quick & easy things you can do to support your mental & physical wellbeing – even beyond the GA. Join us for some lunchtime time out sessions
Session 1: Stretch & walk that stress away – We will spend approximately 15min stretching (no worries you won’t get sweaty) followed by a 30min walk in the park near the conference venue. This will give the opportunity to switch off & meet some people in an informal setting.
Please bring a packed lunch.

How do you peer-review? Apparently you are just supposed to miraculously know. Many of us never receive formal training in peer review, yet our peer-reviews are the cornerstone of scientific legitimacy. Constructive, respectful, coherent reviews nurture dialogue and advance research. So, how can we review papers in an efficient way? In this course, we suggest a process to help ensure that we give the authors the most useful feedback? We will hear from peer-review experts about how they go about the process and have an open discussion with the audience.

So, you've been given a time series, e.g, of hourly precipitation. That's great, but how can you generate as many as you like with exactly the same statistical properties? In this short course you'll find out.

You'll be introduced to a unified method of stochastic modelling and downscaling that makes feasible the generation of time series that preserve any desired marginal probability distribution and correlation structure including features like intermittency. The workshop includes a rapid introduction in the stochastic properties of hydroclimatic processes like precipitation, flooding, wind, temperature, etc., and highlights features like stationarity, cyclostationarity, marginal distributions, correlations structures and intermittency. We'll develop and apply on-the-spot and step-by-step: (a) the iconic AR(1) model, (b) higher order AR models as a method to approach arbitrary correlations structures; (c) the parent-Gaussian framework to simulate time series with any marginal distribution and correlation; and (d) intermittent time series modelling (like precipitation) at any time scale.

Early Career Scientists (ECS) are specifically welcome, and of course, this short course is organized in cooperation with the Young Hydrologic Society (YHS; younghs.com)!

Machine learning (ML) is a well-established approach to complex data analysis and modelling in different scientific fields and in many practical applications. Nowadays, ML algorithms are widely used as efficient tools in GI Sciences, remote sensing, environmental monitoring and space-time forecasting. The short course gives an overview of ML algorithms widely applied in data exploration and modelling of high dimensional and multivariate geoscientific data. The main topics of the course, presented within the framework of a generic data-driven methodology of modelling, include detection of patterns and predictability, feature selection, unsupervised, supervised and active learning, visual analytics. Real case studies consider environmental pollution, natural hazards and renewable energy resources assessments.

Research projects can be very messy. They start from an idea which then becomes a proposal and (hopefully) turns into a funded project which needs to be implemented and reported to the funding agency. Somewhen along the project lifetime it’s easy to lose track of the tasks and then get buried in paperwork when reporting time comes, especially if you are an early-career scientist with little or no experience in project management.
In this short course, experienced research project managers will share tips and tricks on how to successfully manage your scientific project like a pro. The course will cover the phases of a project lifetime, from concept to closure. The course will also offer an overview of some popular tools to keep track of deadlines, budget, risks and communications. Finally, the short course will also provide templates and guidelines for plans, meetings and report.

Why attend?

When the course was offered the first time at EGU18, it was attended by 80+ participants, most of whom early career scientists. The feedback was very positive with participants stating it was “clear and very informative”, “interesting” and with “many useful tips”, and that they “would recommend the session further to colleagues”. We have collected the participants’ suggestions and now offer an improved version of the same course with a more diverse training team covering a wide spectrum of expertise in project management.

Who is this training course for?

If you’re a scientist with no background in management this course is for you, as you will learn how to apply project management principles to a wide variety of research projects from field-trips to large international collaborations.
If you’re an early-career scientist this course is great to get a good grasp of the effort necessary to run scientific projects and learn how you can make your academic life easier from the start with smart, easy-to-use tools and templates.
If you’re an experienced research project manager we’d love to hear about your work and for you to share your tips and lessons learnt with us.

Number of expected participants: 80-90

Sexual and racial harassment and other hostile behaviors, including bullying and other forms of discrimination and incivilities, have wide-ranging detrimental effects on mental and physical wellbeing, including anxiety, depression, and physiological responses akin to trauma and can result in decreased motivation and work productivity. The tolerance of hostile behaviors can affect the community beyond the individual or individuals being targeted, and create negative work environments in entire research groups and departments. Traditional hierarchical structures within academia that create strong power imbalances allow for the potential for abuse in research and educational environments. Despite this, scientists often do not receive mentoring or training in how to address, respond to, and prevent these types of behaviors. Questions including “What behaviors are appropriate at work?”, “How do we create a work environment where people of different age, gender and sexual identity, culture, religion, ethnic origin and social class feel respected and included?” and “What can I do personally against bullying and sexual harassment at work?” are important topics that are not discussed enough in academia. Promoting conversations about these topics and identifying ways to prevent unwanted behavior are important steps towards building respectful and productive work environments.
This interactive short course explores academic practices and institutional structures that allow for harassment and other hostile behaviors to persist, discusses initiatives to address harassment as scientific misconduct, and provides training in personal intervention strategies to protect and support targets of harassment through real world scenarios. As a result of this session, participants will be able to identify:
(1) Different ways in which harassment can manifest in research environments;
(2) Strategies for bystander intervention, and
(3) Resources for cultural change in the office, laboratory, at conferences and in field settings.
This workshop was developed by ADVANCEGeo (serc.carleton.edu/advancegeo) with a U.S. National Science Foundation ADVANCE Partnership award in collaboration with the Earth Science Women's Network, the Association for Women Geoscientists and the American Geophysical Union. We welcome participants from a diverse background of Geosciences, career stages and countries in order to enable sharing of experiences and facilitate opportunities for cooperation among participating scientists.

Presenters: Erika Marín-Spiotta, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe

Details to presenters:
Erika Marin-Spiotta
Associate Professor
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Lead PI of ADVANCEGeo Partnership
Leadership Board Member Earth Science Women's Network

Asmeret Asefaw Berhe
Associate Professor
University of California-Merced
Co-PI of ADVANCEGeo Partnership
Leadership Board Member Earth Science Women's Network

Horizon 2020 is allocating almost €80 billion to research and innovation over 7 years (from 2014 to 2020). This money is distributed throughout various scientific divisions and provides a plethora of opportunities for scientists, not only within the EU but also throughout the world.

The magnitude of the Horizon 2020 Programme can, however, make the potential opportunities and openings offered to scientists, difficult to navigate.

This short course will highlight some of the EU funding opportunities offered to scientists at different career levels and the tools available to help them manage both the funding applications and projects. Following this, a scientist who has worked on a Horizon 2020 evaluation panel will speak about some of the best and worst things that scientists do in their funding applications.

The session will conclude by outlining some of the likely changes to EU research funding that the upcoming Horizon Europe framework programme will bring.

This session is open to all EGU General Assembly participants and is relevant for all divisions.

Public information:
Speakers
Chloe Hill: EGU Policy Officer
Bente Lilja Bye: Owner of BLB, an Earth observation research and consulting company
Jannick Ingrin: Director of research, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, (CNRS)
Nicole Biebow: Head of International Cooperation Unit at the Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung [polar and ocean science]

You are working towards you PhD degree, and you know you want to stay in academia. Or you have just completed your doctorate and you are seeking a new job whatever and wherever it will be. But you are asking yourself how to increase your chances? Apart from having a good research record, on what grounds are people hired, what qualifications does one need to have to get hired, and how can you develop a strategy that fits with your personality?
Well, welcome to the early career researcher (ECR) club. We will share our experience as a current postdoc ECR, an assistant professor, and a former experienced ECR that left the science-part of academia. We will talk about our common experience in failing to obtain grants and research positions, and in sometimes succeeding.

In this short course you will gain more insight into how you can plan your path, and what skills you need for this. We will use information from our networks on hiring decisions, and add our personal experience so you know of different methods on how to find out what is expected from you, and how to define your overarching research niche that broadens your appeal for both grants and research positions. In addition, you will gain tips and tricks on networking while staying close to yourself, and you will learn about the pros and cons of moving away from the country you are currently working in.

As such, the overall learning goal is to understand how you can be pro-active in guiding your own scientific career. This short course is particularly targeted to PhD students and for researchers in their early post-doctorate stage. It could also be relevant, however, for senior researchers who are interested in best mentoring and assisting ECRs.

Speakers:
Giovanni Mastrolonardo, post-doc reasearcher at University of Florence
Cathelijne Stoof, assistant professor at Wageningen UR
Peter Vermeulen. PhD education coordinator and PhD advisor

Mapping is a fundamental process to understand landscape diversity and how it changes across different times and scales. Despite the advances in mapping methods and the availability of co-variates, several challenges arise when mapping at different scales and data is very heterogeneous. Reducing mapping error and identifying the most accurate map is still a challenge, especially in areas with a high degree of human impact. The objective of this short course is to present the most advanced techniques to model environmental variables at different scales.

8:30-8:40: Course opening.

8:40-9:10: “Pedons to Pixels: Adapting to technological advances” David Lindbo, Director, Soil Science Division at USDA-NRCS, The USA

9:10-9:40: "Soil mapping and modelling in Europe" Panos Panagos, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy

9:40-10:10: “Methods for mapping ecosystem services at multiple scales“. Miguel Villoslada, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia.

10:10-10:15: Course clausure.

This short course is supported by the project A09.3.3-LMT-K-712-01-0104 Lithuanian National Ecosystem Services Assessment and Mapping (LINESAM) is funded by the European Social Fund according to the activity “Improvement of researchers” qualification by implementing world-class R&D projects.

R is open-source, versatile and scales for analyses from just a few observations to big data and high-performance computing. Its growing, enthusiastic user-base (including hydrologists) is responsible for a continuous stream of ever more efficient and useful packages and workflows.

In this short course we wish to introduce and showcase to our peers a selection of recent developments, approaches and best practices that can be applied to data analyses in hydrology. The majority of these are readily transferred to other disciplines, hence interested participants in all fields of geoscience are welcome to join!

The course is delivered by guest lecturers with experience in flood risk modelling, streamflow and drought analyses, as well as ecohydrology. It is tailored for absolute newcomers, as well as advanced useRs, and provides a platform for open discussion. In its third installment, the course also continues to build up R resources for hydrologists that remain accessible in the future: https://github.com/hydrosoc.

This session is organised in cooperation with the Young Hydrologic Society (YHS; https://younghs.com/)

Public information:
R is open-source, versatile and scales for analyses from just a few observations to big data and high-performance computing. Its growing, enthusiastic user-base (including hydrologists) is responsible for a continuous stream of ever more efficient and useful packages and workflows.

In this short course we wish to introduce and showcase to our peers a selection of recent developments, approaches and best practices that can be applied to data analyses in hydrology. The majority of these are readily transferred to other disciplines, hence interested participants in all fields of geoscience are welcome to join!

The course is delivered by guest lecturers with experience in flood risk modelling, streamflow and drought analyses, as well as ecohydrology. Topics include:

- getting, cleaning and visualizing hydrological data
- automating data downloading and reporting
- Parallel and HPC computing for hydrologists
- developing custom apps for data exploration, analyses and visualization
- modelling of the hydrological cycle in snow dominated catchments
- open discussion and QA time

In its third installment, the course also continues to build up R resources for hydrologists that remain accessible in the future: https://github.com/hydrosoc.

This session is organised in cooperation with the Young Hydrologic Society (YHS; https://younghs.com/)

Scientific careers build on more than published articles. Young scientists often face questions that cannot be answered from a textbook. How do I achieve a good work-life balance? Should I move to this new job? How do I decide which projects to work on?

In this session, a successful scientist with many years of experience will provide a look back to give a personal perspective of her/his career. We will discuss how some decisions subsequently affected the career, which problems emerged, and how research is affected by life and vice versa. This account of a life and work will be a fascinating window to how a master scientist works, and there will be ample opportunity for questions from the audience to get advice on how to succeed in an academic career.

Public information:
Scientific careers build on more than published articles. Young scientists often face questions that cannot be answered from a textbook. How do I achieve a good work-life balance? Should I move to this new job? How do I decide which projects to work on? In this session, a successful scientist with many years of experience will give a look back to give a personal perspective of their career.

This year we are happy that Stuart Lane, Leader of the Research Group ALPine Water Ice Sediment and Ecology at University of Lausanne, has agreed to partake. Stuarts research focuses on the impacts of rapid climate change and human activities on Alpine landscapes, including glaciers, hydrology, geomorphology and aquatic ecosystems. His activities bridge multiple scientific fields but also contribute heavily to community-wide efforts such as editing the journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms.

We will discuss how his decisions subsequently affected his career, which problems he had to face, and how research is affected by life and vice versa. His account of life and work will be a fascinating window to how a master scientist works, and there will be plenty of opportunities for questions from the audience to get advice on how to succeed in an academic career.

The course will be followed by an open drop-in session in the Networking and ECS zone (13:00, Red level), where Stuart will be joined by the GM division president and ECS representatives, to foster informal discussions.

R is a free and open software that gained paramount relevance in data science, including fields of Earth sciences such as climatology, hydrology, geomorphology and remote sensing. R heavily relies on thousands of user-contributed collections of functions tailored to specific problems, called packages. Such packages are self-consistent, platform independent sets of documented functions, along with their documentations, examples and extensive tutorials/vignettes, which form the backbone of quantitative research across disciplines.

This short course focuses on consolidated R users that have already written their functions and wish to i) start appropriately organizing these in packages and ii) keep track of the evolution of the changes the package experiences. While there are already plenty of introductory courses to R we identified a considerable gap in the next evolutionary step: writing and maintaining packages.

The course covers:
- reasons for building packages,
- the general package structure and their essential elements,
- efficient ways to write and document functions,
- adding and documenting example data sets and examples,
- approaches to checking, building and sharing packages,
- versioning of packages using git and GitHub.

The course is open to everyone who is interested in R and whose experiences go beyond basic scripting. Participants should be able to answer the following questions right away: What is the difference between data type and data structure? How do matrices differ from lists? How are S4-objects indexed and how are lists indexed? What is the difference between lapply() and mapply()? What are the functions missing(), on.exit() and return() good for?