The Lunar Science, Exploration & Utilisation Session will address the latest results from lunar missions, ground-based and satellite measurements, lunar meteorites research, terrestrial analogue studies, laboratory experiments, and modelling. The session aims to bring together contributions on theoretical models concerning the deep interior and subsurface structure and composition; observations of the surface morphology and composition; analyses of the atmospheric composition and dynamics; the interaction with the solar wind; analogue studies and future habitability of the Moon.
This session also aims at presenting highlights of results regarding the exploration and sustainable utilisation of the Moon through observations, modelling, and experiments. All past/current results as well as future exploration ideas and prospects are welcome.
In details, the topics of interest include:
- Lunar results: origins, geochemistry, geophysics in the context of open planetary science and exploration;
- Results from Clementine, Prospector, SMART-1, Kaguya, Chang’e programme, Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover, LCROSS, LADEE, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Artemis and GRAIL, JAXA SLIM lander, and missions using NASA commercial lunar payload services.
- Goals and Status of missions under preparation: orbiters, Luna25-27, SLIM, GLXP legacy, LRP, commercial landers, future landers, Lunar sample return missions;
- Precursor missions, instruments and investigations for landers, rovers, sample return, and human cis-lunar activities and human lunar surface sorties with Artemis and Intl Lunar Research Station;
- Preparation for International Lunar Decade: databases, instruments, missions, terrestrial field campaigns (e.g., EuroMoonMars), In-Situ Resources, ISRU, support studies;
- ILEWG and Global Exploration roadmaps towards a global robotic/human Moon village;
Note that this session is open to all branches of lunar science and exploration, and is intended as an open forum and discussion between diverse experts and Earth geoscientists and explorers at large. It is co-sponsored by ILEWG, COSPAR, IAF International Astronautical Federation, Space Renaissance International and MVA Moon Village Association.

Understanding the formation, evolution, composition, interior structure, and environment of Mercury is of primary interest to better understand Mercury and the role this terrestrial planet plays in the evolution of our solar system.

NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft provided many insights and surprising results regarding these goals. MESSENGER data are still under analysis and will continue to provide many important contributions to Mercury science.

However, MESSENGER also raised many questions that are still open and will be addressed by the new joint ESA/JAXA mission to Mercury, BepiColombo, which was successfully launched in October 2018 and it is currently on a seven-year-long cruise to Mercury. Three of the six flybys of Mercury already took place.

This session welcomes contributions addressing the planet’s geology, surface composition, geodesy, interior structure, exosphere, magnetosphere, gravity, and magnetic fields, based on modeling, laboratory experiments, and observations (ground-based, remote-sensing and in situ). The first analyses of BepiColombo's flyby data from Mercury are welcome. Finally, contributions of concepts of future missions to Mercury are encouraged.

In June 2021, NASA and ESA selected a fleet of three international missions to Venus. Moreover, the ISRO orbiter mission Shukrayyan-1 and VOICE (Chinese Academy of Sciences) are currently proposed for launch in the mid 2020s. With the ‘Decade of Venus’ upon us, many fundamental questions remain regarding Venus. Did Venus ever have an ocean? How and when did intense greenhouse conditions develop? How does its internal structure compare to Earth's? How can we better understand Venus’ geologic history as preserved on its surface as well as the present-day state of activity and couplings between the surface and atmosphere? Although Venus is one of the most uninhabitable planets in the Solar System, understanding our nearest planetary neighbor may unveil important lessons on atmospheric and surface processes, interior dynamics and habitability. It may further help us draw important conclusions on the history of our own planet. Beyond the solar system, Venus’ analogues are likely a common type of exoplanets, and we likely have already discovered many of Venus’ sisters orbiting other stars. This session welcomes contributions that address the past, present, and future of Venus science and exploration, and what Venus can teach us about (ancient) Earth as well as exo-Venus analogues. Moreover, Venus mission concepts, new Venus observations, Earth-Venus comparisons, exoplanet observations, new results from previous observations, and the latest lab and modelling approaches are all welcome to our discussion of solving Venus’ mysteries.

The polar regions of Mars are key to understand the planet's climate dynamics, geological activity, and thermal state of the interior, as well as their interactions. The geologically young polar caps of Mars are shaped by the atmospheric-ice interaction and are the most active regions on the planet. Similarly to Earth, Mars undergoes obliquity-driven climatic cycles leading to ice ages and irradiation-driven seasonal cycles causing the deposition and sublimation of CO2 ice. The large-time-scale cycles are recorded in the ice caps’ structure, whereas the seasonal ones are mainly observed from current surface changes with multi-temporal imaging.

Radar measurements have been combined with climate and geophysical models to determine the structure and composition of the Martian polar caps, and to provide constraints on the climate history and present–day heat flow of Mars. Additional clues come from bright radar reflections at the Martian south polar region that have been attributed to the presence of potentially liquid brines. Geodetic observations can unlock crucial information about geology, climate change, hydrology, geochemistry, and more. While geodesy at Earth and Moon has flourished with the GRACE, GOCE, and GRAIL gravity mapping missions, geodesy at Mars has lagged behind. New geodetic data from a dedicated gravity mapping mission could be used to locate hidden water resources on Mars, elucidate the nature of Martian crustal dichotomy as well as reveal the connections between Martian climate and orbital dynamics.


This session brings together planetary science, cryosphere, geodesy, and geodynamics communities to address past and present-day geological, geophysical, and atmospheric processes at the polar regions on Mars. Furthermore, this session aims to explore the scientific gain from the next generation gravimetry at Mars as well as to start the discussion on measurement requirements necessary to create a lasting benefit. We welcome contributions that include but are not limited to numerical modeling, geological investigations, ice dynamics and atmospheric processes, remote sensing data, as well as studies of Earth analogs and laboratory experiments. Of particular interest are studies that address the interactions between ice, atmosphere, and thermal state of the lithosphere at the polar regions on Mars.

This session primarily focuses on neutral atmospheres, surfaces, and exospheres of terrestrial bodies other than the Earth. This includes not only Venus and Mars, but also exoplanets with comparable envelopes, small bodies and satellites carrying dense atmospheres such as Titan, exospheres such as Ganymede, or with a surface directly exposed to space like asteroids. We welcome contributions dealing with processes affecting the atmospheres of these bodies, from the surface to the exosphere. We invite abstracts concerning observations, both from Earth or from space, modeling and theoretical studies, or laboratory work. Comparative planetology abstracts will be particularly appreciated.

Dynamical processes shape the Earth and other rocky planets throughout their history; their present state is a result of this long-term evolution. Early on, processes and lifetimes of magma oceans establish the initial conditions for their long-term development; subsequently their long-term evolution is shaped by the dynamics of the mantle-lithosphere system, compositional differentiation or mixing, possible core-mantle reactions, etc.. These processes can be interrogated through observations of the rock record, geochemistry, seismology, gravity, magnetism and planetary remote sensing all linked through geodynamical modelling constrained by physical properties of relevant phases.

This session aims to provide a holistic view of the dynamics, structure, composition and evolution of Earth and rocky planets (including exoplanets) on temporal scales ranging from the present day to billions of years, and on spatial scales ranging from microscopic to global, by bringing together constraints from geodynamics, mineral physics, geochemistry, petrology, planetary science and astronomy.

The arrival of the Europa Clipper and Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft at Jupiter in the early 2030s will represent a watershed moment in the field of planetary science by providing, for the first time, simultaneous long-term observations in the Jovian system by two spacecraft. These missions are poised to provide unprecedented insights into the complex, enigmatic, and potentially habitable icy moons of the Jupiter system. This conference session aims to bring together scientists to discuss the latest advancements in our understanding of the Jupiter system and the implications for habitability, geology, and planetary science. It will feature updates and highlights from the Juice and Europa Clipper missions, including mission objectives, instrumentation, and recent developments. In addition, we will delve into the geology of Jupiter’s icy moons, with a particular focus on Europa and Ganymede; explore the characterization, chemical composition, thermal dynamics, and potential habitability of their subsurface oceans; and investigate the evidence for cryovolcanic activity, its implications for surface processes, and its role in shaping these worlds. We further extend the discussion to the complex interaction of the moons with Jupiter’s magnetic environment and the effects of radiation on their surfaces. The Europa Clipper and Juice missions offer a unique opportunity to unlock the secrets of the Jupiter system and its icy moons through individual and joint science investigations. We invite contributions on these topics from scientists at all career stages and backgrounds with the aim to foster collaboration, share knowledge, and inspire further research in this exciting and rapidly evolving field of planetary science.

The Uranus and Neptune planetary systems are among the most intriguing and least explored in our Solar System, presenting exciting opportunities for new discoveries. This session invites submissions of interdisciplinary topics covering all aspects of ice giant systems, including atmospheres, interior structure, ionospheres, magnetospheres, rings, and satellites. Our session welcomes presentations that advance our understanding of ice giant systems from a range of perspectives including observations, modelling, theory, and laboratory work. Papers related to future ice giant system exploration, instrumentation, mission concepts, technology developments, and international cooperation are welcome. We also encourage comparative studies between the Uranus/Neptune systems and other planetary bodies, within our solar system and beyond.

Results from Juno at Jupiter have revealed numerous discoveries associated with the physics and chemistry of its interior, atmosphere, magnetosphere and its origin and evolution. Juno’s extended mission began last summer and transformed the Jupiter-focused mission to a full system explorer. The extended mission runs through 2025 and includes numerous close and distant flybys of Io, Europa, and Ganymede along with an exploration of Jupiter’s enigmatic ring system. This session invites observational and modeling results related to Juno’s results on Jupiter and the comparison to other giant planets, including exo-planetary systems. New results from Juno’s extended mission on Jupiter’s northern latitudes as well as the satellites and ring system are welcome.

The icy moons of our Solar System are prime targets for the search for extraterrestrial life. Moons such as Saturn's Enceladus and Jupiter's Europa are considered potential habitats because of their subglacial water oceans, which are in direct contact with the rocks below. Titan, with its potential subsurface ocean, icy surface and methane-based weather, could provide an analogue for a primordial earth and the circumstances in which life developed. To assess the habitability and sample the oceans of these moons, several approaches are being discussed, including water plume surveys on Europa and Enceladus, as well as developing key technologies to penetrate the ice and even study the ocean itself with autonomous underwater vehicles, if the ice is thin enough. Moreover, a key aspect of habitability is linked with the geological processes acting on these moons. The main questions that this session aims to address are the following:
- What can we learn from analogue studies on Earth?
- What are the properties of the ice shell and how do they evolve?
- How will planned missions to these bodies contribute to furthering our understanding?
- What measurements should be conducted by future missions?

The goal of this multidisciplinary session is to bring together scientists from different fields, including planetary sciences and the cryosphere community, to discuss the current status and next steps in the remote and in-situ exploration of the icy moons of our solar system. We welcome contributions from analogue studies, on the results of current and past missions, planned missions, mission concepts, lessons learned from other missions, and more. Contributions bridging the cryosphere-icy moons communities are of particular interest to this session.

The session convenes researchers investigating various aspects of small celestial bodies and dust in planetary atmospheres and surrounding space. Discussions encompass asteroids, comets, meteoroids, meteors, meteorites, dust (including its behavior, charging, lifting, and settling on planetary surfaces), and more. The session emphasizes the multidisciplinary nature of such studies, incorporating laboratory experiments, numerical simulations, and observations. It provides insights into small bodies' evolutionary and compositional aspects, elucidating their role in shaping space environments. We invite presenters to showcase recent and upcoming space missions, warmly welcome early career scientists, foster collaborative ideas, and encourage the presentation of cross-disciplinary research.

The Heliosphere, a dynamic region of space influenced by the Sun's magnetic and solar wind activity, presents an array of unresolved questions and challenges for researchers. From the innermost planets to the outer reaches of the solar system, numerous persisting problems and processes demand attention from experts of various subdisciplines. This interdisciplinary field encompasses solar physics, solar wind interactions, magnetospheres, ionospheres, thermospheres, and plasma physics, extending from Earth to distant moons, small bodies, and the enigmatic heliospheric boundary region.

While mission implementation schemes may vary, a common thread unites the underlying physical processes of interest. Planetary auroras are a prominent example where the interaction of the solar wind or space weather-related activity with the planetary magnetosphere (if present) and subsequently its atmosphere, leads to auroral emissions. These phenomena arise from complex dynamics involving the planetary atmosphere, magnetosphere, and the surrounding plasma environment. This interplay induces photochemical changes in the atmosphere, deposits heat, and contributes to the atmospheric escape of the planets.

Our proposed session aims to facilitate a comprehensive discussion on the future of Heliophysics research and the persistent common questions spanning the entire Heliosphere. A significant part of the session will delve into the diversity of observed auroras in the Solar System and the underlying physics propelling these phenomena. We invite contributions that spotlight unresolved scientific problems in the field of space plasma physics across our solar system. Authors are encouraged to present ideas for innovative spaceborne and ground-based observations, innovative modeling approaches, and novel data analysis methodologies. Early Career Scientists and established experts from the global Heliophysics and planetary science communities are invited to actively participate in this collaborative exploration of our solar system's dynamic and interconnected Heliophysical environment.

The ionospheres and (induced) magnetospheres of unmagnetized and weakly magnetized bodies with substantial atmospheres (e.g. Mars, Venus, Titan, Pluto and comets) are subject to disturbances due to solar activity, interplanetary conditions (e.g. solar flares, coronal mass ejections and solar energetic particles), or for moons, parent magnetospheric activity. These objects interact similarly as their magnetized counterparts but with scientifically important differences.
As an integral part of planetary atmospheres, ionospheres are tightly coupled with the neutral atmosphere, exosphere and surrounding plasma environment, possessing rich compositional, density, and temperature structures. The interaction among neutral and charged components affects atmospheric loss, neutral winds, photochemistry, and energy balance within ionospheres.
This session invites abstracts concerning remote and in-situ data analysis, modelling studies, comparative studies, instrumentation and mission concepts for unmagnetized and weakly magnetized solar system bodies.

The recent growing number of probes in the heliosphere and future missions in preparation led to the current decade being labelled as "the golden age of heliophysics research". With more viewpoints and data downstreamed to Earth, machine learning (ML) has become a precious tool for planetary and heliospheric research to process the increasing amount of data and help the discovery and modelisation of physical systems. Recent years have also seen the development of novel approaches leveraging complex data representations with highly parameterised machine learning models and combining them with well-defined and understood physical models. These advancements in ML with physical insights or physically informed neural networks inspire new questions about how each field can respectively help develop the other. To better understand this intersection between data-driven learning approaches and physical models in planetary sciences and heliophysics, we seek to bring ML researchers and physical scientists together as part of this session and stimulate the interaction of both fields by presenting state-of-the-art approaches and cross-disciplinary visions of the field.

The "ML for Planetary Sciences and Heliophysics" session aims to provide an inclusive and cutting-edge space for discussions and exchanges at the intersection of machine learning, planetary and heliophysics topics. This space covers (1) the application of machine learning/deep learning to space research, (2) novel datasets and statistical data analysis methods over large data corpora, and (3) new approaches combining learning-based with physics-based to bring an understanding of the new AI-powered science and the resulting advancements in heliophysics research.
Topics of interest include all aspects of ML and heliophysics, including, but not limited to: space weather forecasting, computer vision systems applied to space data, time-series analysis of dynamical systems, new machine learning models and data-assimilation techniques, and physically informed models.

Planetary science is entering an exciting new technological era with advanced spacecraft providing the most in-depth view of planetary bodies in our Solar System, together with large aperture telescopes like JWST that will characterize the physics and chemistry of exoplanets in our galaxy. From the terrestrial and gas giant planets in our Solar System, to the exoplanet population of super-Earths and sub-Neptunes, rocky worlds, and gaseous planets like hot Jupiters, coupled observational and modeling efforts are needed in order to understand planetary diversity. In this session, we welcome contributions spanning observational and theoretical research that seeks to better understand the properties of planets both within and beyond the Solar System. In the coming decades, the main avenue for characterizing exoplanets will be through observations of their atmospheres. Since an in-depth study of every planet’s atmosphere is becoming increasingly impractical with the ever-growing number of known exoplanets, a comparative planetology approach, with tools including parameter surveys and statistical techniques, is increasingly important. Therefore, we invite works on the nature of planetary atmospheres, especially those with a comparative viewpoint. Of the many exoplanet systems that JWST has started to observe, the Trappist-1 system is one of the most exciting, with 7 transiting terrestrial-sized worlds. In this session, we also welcome efforts related to the formation, evolution and habitability potential of planets in this fascinating system.

Understanding the structures and dynamics of the core of a planet is essential to constructing a global geochemical and geodynamical model, and has implication on the planet's thermal, compositional and orbital evolution.

Remote sensing of planetary interiors from space and ground based observations is entering a new era with perspectives in constraining their core structures and dynamics. Meanwhile, increasingly accurate seismic data provide unprecedented images of the Earth's deep interior. Unraveling planetary cores' structures and dynamics requires a synergy between many fields of expertise, such as mineral physics, geochemistry, seismology, fluid mechanics or geomagnetism.

This session welcomes contributions from all the aforementioned disciplines following theoretical, numerical, observational or experimental approaches.

In this session, we discuss the interior structure and evolution, surface and atmosphere, and possible conditions and habitats for the origin and persistence of life of planetary bodies. We cover planets and moons within the solar system including Earth, Mars, and icy moons, and exoplanets from the size of Earth to Super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. We are interested the mineralogy and interior structure of these planetary bodies, mantle evolution, interior-atmosphere volatile exchange, the conditions for habitability, prebiotic chemistry, the origin of life, signatures of life, and the possible links between life and the evolution of planetary reservoirs.

To this interdisciplinary session, we invite contributions of relevance to the topic from all fields of Planetary Sciences, Geology, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Photochemistry, (Exo-)Biology and Astronomy. This includes the formation and structure of planetary bodies, interior dynamics and evolution, insights from high-pressure high-temperature laboratory experiments, volatile outgassing and recycling, atmospheres, impacts, geological evidence of habitability, abiotic and prebiotic chemistry, biogeochemical interactions, extremophiles and the limits of life, preservation and detection of biosignatures, as well as mission concepts for exploration of planetary atmospheres and habitability.

Session will be divided in two sub-session - separated by the break
Sub Session "Terrestial Field Analogs":
The relationship between endogenic and exogenic processes have produced a variety of landforms, compositions and structures observed on Mars, Venus, Mercury and the Moon, which are often similar to those on Earth.
The study of analogues (i.e. natural geological settings) and simulant (i.e. artificially made) materials provide insights into processes that may have occurred on other planets. Thus, they represent the most effective tool to fill the gap between models/lab experiments and reality, making them fundamental in interpreting geological and other planetary processes.
The goal of this session is to bring together scientists from different fields to share their insights in understanding the Earth and terrestrial planets with new “eyes”, plan future missions and investigate limits of life. This includes planetary geologists (working with remotely sensed data, potential field data and seismic data), engineers, astrophysicists studying rocky exoplanets and astrobiologists studying life in extreme environments.

Sub Session "Crewed Analog Missions for Planetary Human Exploration Simulated Missions":
Human analog missions prepare the forthcoming exploration of other worlds by replicating mission operations in extreme conditions on planet Earth, simulating far-off environments. This serves as crucial platform for testing innovative technologies, conducting cutting-edge scientific research, and studying crew behavior in extreme environments.
Drawing from over 10 years of experience with the AMADEE program of the Austrian Space Forum, we welcome contributions from all analog mission programs and campaigns to initiate a discussion about the status of the analog science field and the direction of this wide and highly cross-disciplinary subject.
This session is open to contributions from researchers, scientists, engineers at all career stages, as well as those from diverse backgrounds engaged into human analog missions. Subjects for this session are open to all the aspects of a simulated explorative mission to other worlds, including mission architecture, spacecraft design, life support systems, and the psychological challenges associated with extended space travel, experiment design and scientific assessment.

Since the dawn of interplanetary missions, spacecraft telecommunications systems have been exploited to improve knowledge about the atmospheres, ionospheres, rings, surfaces, and interiors of solar system bodies. The process, known as radio science, involves the propagation of a signal from a transmitter to a receiver, working together effectively as one instrument. We welcome submissions on a wide range of radio science techniques to study solar system bodies, from large planets and their moons to small bodies. The applications include, but are not limited to, traditional ground-based orbitography and satellite-to-satellite tracking to investigate planetary interiors, planetary ionosphere and neutral atmospheres, surface roughness and dielectric constant, solar wind properties, and long-range gravitational theories.

The Planetary Geomorphology session aims to bring together geomorphologists who study the Earth with those who work on other bodies such as Mars, Venus, Mercury, the Moon, icy satellites of the outer solar system, comets, and/or asteroids. Studies applicable to landscapes on any scale on any solid body are welcome. We particularly encourage those who use Earth analogues, laboratory/numerical simulation and/or big satellite datasets to submit their work. Considered processes could include aeolian, volcanic, tectonic, fluvial, glacial, periglacial, or "undetermined" ones. We especially welcome contributions from early-career scientists and geomorphologists who are new to planetary science.

Humans have been successfully mapping the remotest and most inhospitable places on Earth, and the surfaces and interiors of other planets and their moons at highest resolution. The remaining blank spots are located in areas that are hardly accessible either through field surveys, geophysical methods or remote sensing due to technical and/or financial challenges. Some of these places are key areas that would help to reveal geologic history, or provide access to future exploration endeavours.

Such extreme and remote locations are commonly associated with the ocean floor, or planetary surfaces, but these extreme worlds might also be found in hot deserts, under the ice, in high-mountain ranges, in volcanic edifices, hidden underneath dense canopy cover, or located within the near-surface crust. All such locations are prime targets for remote sensing mapping in a wider sense. The methodological and technical repertoire to investigate extreme and remote locations is thus highly specialized and despite different contexts there are commonalities not only with respect to technical mapping approaches, but also in the way how knowledge is gathered and assessed, interpreted and visualized regarding its scientific but also its economic value.

This session invites contributions to this field of geologic mapping and cartography of extreme (natural) environments with a focus on the scientific synthesis and extraction of information and knowledge.

A candidate contribution might cover, but is not limited to, topics such as:

- ocean mapping using manned and unmanned vehicles and devices,
- offshore exploration using remote sensing techniques,
- crustal investigation through drilling and sampling,
- subsurface investigation using radar techniques,
- planetary geologic and geophysical mapping,
- subglacial geologic mapping
- geologic investigation of desert environments.

The aim of this session is to bring together researchers mapping geologically and geophysically inaccessible environments, thus relying on geophysical and remote sensing techniques as single source for collecting data and information. We would like to keep the focus on geologic and geophysical mapping of spots for which we have no or only very limited knowledge due to the harsh environmental conditions, and we would thus exclude areas that are inaccessible for political reasons.

Radar is a prominent tool to study ice on Earth and is quickly becoming widespread in the study of other planetary bodies. In this session, we hope to bring together all those interested in radar to showcase their work, take inspiration from each other and develop new interdisciplinary collaborations. We aim for this session to encompass many targets, instruments and applications, including:

Targets: snow, firn, land ice, sea ice, lake ice, river ice and permafrost on Earth as well as the surfaces and interiors of Mars, Europa, The Moon, Titan, Venus, Small bodies, etc.
Instruments: airborne and spaceborne sounders, altimeters, SAR and passive microwave radiometers as well as drones, GPR, ApRES and other stationary radars, etc.
Acquisition and processing: hardware, passive measurements, datasets, algorithm development, etc.
Analysis and Interpretation techniques: reflectometry, interferometry, thermometry, specularity, EM simulations, etc.
Applications: surface-, englacial and basal structure, roughness, hydrology, geothermal heat flux, material properties, modeling, Earth and extraterrestrial synergies, etc.

We especially encourage the participation of Early Career Researchers and those from underrepresented groups.

Aeolian processes act on planetary surfaces throughout the Solar System, yielding similar landforms and patterns across a wide range of spatial scales despite differences in atmospheric and surface properties. They are typically associated with the movement of sediments driven by an atmospheric flow but can also be controlled by other modes of matter transport such as ice sublimation. The combination of terrestrial and extra-terrestrial experiments and observations, as well as analogue studies, provides the opportunities as well as challenges for improving our fundamental theories and numerical models for better understanding of these aeolian environments. Innovations in instrumentation and experimental techniques continue to yield novel insights on Earth, while space missions and remote probes constantly deliver new and surprising evidence from aeolian environments on other planetary bodies. This session welcomes research on all aspects of aeolian processes and landforms, contemporary and ancient, on planetary surfaces across the Solar System, and includes a solicited presentation by Hezi Yizhaq and Orencio Duran-Vinent on their latest findings.

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!

During this course, 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.

This is a useful short course for first-time attendees, those who have previously only joined us online, and those who haven’t been to Vienna for a while!

Publishing papers is a crucial part of science communication, but it can be daunting. Whether you are working on your first draft, or perfecting your tenth, there can still be uncertainties about what the publishing process has in store. In this short course you will have the opportunity to meet editors of internationally renowned journals in the field of geoscience and biogeoscience. After a short introduction of the editors, we will explore various facets of scientific publishing and peer-reviewing, such as:
● What are the duties and roles of editors, authors and reviewers?
● How to choose a suitable journal for your manuscript and what is important for early career authors?
● How can early career scientists get involved in successful peer-reviewing?
● What is important for appropriate peer-reviewing?
● What are ethical aspects and responsibilities of publishing?
In this short course, there will be an opportunity to have an open discussion about how to make your manuscript seamlessly ready for submission and the whole publication and peer-reviewing process. Together with the editors from different journals, we will explore different aspects of publishing and related topics, such as cover letters, and how to get involved in peer-reviewing and editing.
If you are interested in the aspects of writing your manuscript - don’t miss the short course: Meet the editors (1): how to write and revise your manuscript. Both courses can be listened to independently.

Preparing a manuscript for submission to a scientific journal can be a challenging task for many scientists. However, it's crucial to recognize that scientific writing is an indispensable component of the research process. In fact, the manner in which results are presented is often just as significant as the results themselves. Crafting a scientific paper is a skill that can be cultivated over time and progressively advances with practice. This concise course aims to provide early career scientists with straightforward guidelines for effectively communicating their research and, consequently, enhancing their prospects of successful publication. Our program will invite guest editors from various respected journals who will impart fundamental insights into paper writing. They will also offer practical advice on how to embark on the writing process, how to structure the paper for maximum impact, and how to adeptly address reviewers' comments.

We warmly encourage participants to submit any questions they may have for our speakers in advance of the course by reaching out to the organizers. This will enable our speakers to tailor their presentations to address specific concerns and inquiries from the attendees.

While this course is open to everyone with an interest in scientific writing, please bear in mind that the number of available seats is limited due to the room's capacity. Therefore, we kindly request that attendees arrive promptly to secure their place. For any additional information or inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact the course conveners. We are here to assist and support your journey toward becoming a more proficient scientific writer.

If you are interested in the aspects of writing your manuscript - don’t miss the short course: Meet the editors (2): how to publish and peer review. Both courses can be listened to independently.

Networking is crucial for scientists of all career stages for collaborations as well as for their personal growth and career pathways. Your scientific network can offer valuable support in navigating the challenges of academic life, aiding in career decisions, and providing constructive input on job applications, proposals, and research papers. Not only that but also, a scientific network can offer fresh insights, open doors to interdisciplinary partnerships, and spark innovative projects.

Establishing an initial network can prove daunting, particularly when extending beyond the boundaries of your research institution. As scientific conferences and social media platforms are evolving, the possibilities of academic networking are also changing. In this short course, we will share tips and tricks on how to establish, grow and maintain your scientific network. Additionally, panellists will talk about their own personal experiences. In the latter part of this course, we will engage in a networking exercise to put theory into practice. This short course is relevant to scientists who are starting to build/grow their network or want to learn more about networking in today’s scientific settings.

Going through a career transition (such as moving into or out of a formal research environment) can be a challenge that many people feel underprepared for. Being able to consider the value of a position in its entirety, beyond salary, is an important skill that can be difficult to master until you have had some practical experience. Many elements beyond salary may fall into the category of employment conditions, including: flexible working hours and conditions; contracted hours; location; workplace culture and values; paid leave allowance; healthcare benefits; pension; bonuses; and much more – though only some of these will be negotiable. This short course aims to mitigate the gap in experience through a transparent discussion of not only what you can consider as valuable in a job role, but also when and how you can negotiate these aspects. By drawing on the experience of senior career workers, as well as HR professionals, this short course will address questions such as: what elements you should consider as negotiables in your current or prospective position; what are the processes for negotiating your employment conditions; when is a good time to negotiate a pay rise; and how to negotiate employment conditions once you have received a job offer.

As a practical exercise, this short course will guide participants through the writing of their own letter of application for a salary increase or change of employment conditions, with the target that each participant will be knowledgeable and confident enough to put these skills to use when navigating the job market.

After the PhD, a new challenge begins: finding a position where you can continue your research or a
job outside academia where you can apply your advanced skills. This task is not
always easy, and frequently a general overview of the available positions is missing. Furthermore,
in some divisions, up to 70% of PhD graduates will go into work outside of academia. There are many
different careers which require or benefit from a research background. But often, students and
early career scientists struggle to make the transition due to reduced support and networking.
In this panel discussion, scientists with a range of backgrounds give their advice on where to find
jobs, how to transition between academia and industry and what are the pros and cons of a career
inside and outside of academia.
In the final section of the short course, a Q+A will provide the audience with a chance to ask
their questions to the panel. This panel discussion is aimed at early career scientists but anyone
with an interest in a change of career will find it useful. An extension of this short course will
run in the networking and early career scientist lounge, for further in-depth or
one-on-one questions with panel members.

The European Geosciences Union (EGU) is the largest Geosciences Union in Europe, largely run by volunteers. Conferences, journals, policy making and scientific communication are all important parts of EGU.

Whatever your closest link with EGU, would you like to get more involved?

Perhaps you are interested in running events, being a representative or being part of a committee. In this short course, we will provide an overview of all the activities of EGU, which are much more than just the General Assembly. We will give practical tips on how to get involved, who to contact and where to find specific information if you want to organise events, become an editor or nominate yourself for Division President. From blog writing to organising networking events, there’s something for everyone.

LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersexual, Asexual, plus; or LGBT for short) geoscientists are likely to have to face several obstacles throughout their career compared to their cisgender/heterosexual colleagues. These obstacles can take many forms, e.g., inflexible bureaucratic limits on name/gender marker, changes on documentation, a lack of training for cruise/field leaders on LGBT topics, a lack of support for transgender and gender non-conforming (GNC) people on field trips and research cruises, and safety and medical considerations LGBT people must account for when travelling for either field work/cruises or when moving countries for a new position. These obstacles can be abated and overcome; with adequate understanding by colleagues and initiatives, LGBT academics can thrive, allowing them to contribute to research without obstacles.

In this short course, our invited speakers will discuss some of these topics, present their experience with the obstacles they have faced in their careers, and share how they have dealt with or overcome these obstacles. We will also highlight the changes that have occurred in recent years on an institutional level and on a General Assembly level and discuss future challenges and improvements to come.

Speakers
- Sean Vrielink, University of Twente, the Netherlands
- Karsten Haustein, Leipzig University, Germany
- Louis Rivoire, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

In this short course, we will introduce students and early-career researchers to the principles of Open Science, data, and software, as well as the benefits open practices can have for their own research careers, for science, and for society. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the practical impact of Open Science for their work. Participants will develop their digital presence, including using an ORCID to build a permanent profile of their work, and will make a plan to share their data, software, and publications as openly as possible. We will go over the open science outcomes and tools that advance research and collaboration and practice hands-on skills to advance participants’ careers through open science practices.
Participants in this short course will be able to define open science, discuss the benefits and challenges of open science, and identify practices that enable open science. Participants will develop their digital presence, including using an ORCID to build a permanent profile of their work, and will learn strategies for sharing research outputs, data, and software as openly as possible. This course is designed for students or other researchers new to open science; no previous experience with publishing research is required.

Have you been asked to join a committee or review a paper, but your time was already limited? You wanted to say no, but you didn’t know how to say it. At the end you probably agreed to join the committee or do the review, but you were not able to focus on your research due to this. We all know that great scientific work is a process which needs focus and time. Both are very limited resources in research and need to be handled with care. Therefore it is inevitable from time to time to decline an offer and “say no”. But “how can we say no” and when is it best to decline the request to join a committee and better focus on our own research?
In this short course, geoscientists from different career stages will talk about their experiences in ”saying no” and how this had an effect (or not) on their scientific research. There will be concrete scenarios with tips, room for questions and an open part for exchange and discussion.

The scientific communication landscape in the digital era is rapidly becoming all about effectively delivering ideas in brief. As scientific conferences move from longer physical meetings to more condensed hybrid formats, not only are short presentations necessary for pitching yourself to senior scientists or your next entrepreneurial venture to Venture Capitalists, but also for promoting your research. The opportunities of networking rarely reveal themselves, unless you are able to tell a brief, informative, and compelling story about you and your research.
It is truly an art to engage people through these short presentations and ignite a fire in their hearts, which will burn long enough for them to remember you and reach out to you later about relevant opportunities. While practice makes perfect is the mantra for delivering power-packed short presentations, there are several tricks to make your content stand out and set yourself apart from the crowd.
In this hybrid format course, we will bring together ideas and tips from years of sci-comm experience to provide you a one stop shop with the tricks of the trade. Finally, a hands-on exercise where participants will receive structured feedback on all aspects of their talk will help solidify the learning outcomes. The learning objectives of this short course are as follows:
Structuring a killer elevator pitch – learning from 1/2/3-min examples
Knowing your audience – harnessing the power of tailored openings/closings
Captivating delivery – leveraging body language to your advantage
Harnessing creativity - choosing the right medium
Enunciating to engage – communicating across borders
Effectively practising your pitch – making the best of your time
Early career and underrepresented scientists are particularly encouraged to participate as they can gain the most from the learning outcomes of this short course.

Persistent issues of bullying, harassment, and other exclusionary behaviours remain prevalent in research and academic settings, disproportionately impacting underrepresented groups. Bystander intervention offers a proactive approach that enables individuals to safely counteract these instances of exclusionary behaviours and support those who are targeted.
This Short Course is facilitated by ADVANCEGeo and is designed to equip participants with the skills to be effective active bystanders. Workshop participants will be trained to: (i) discern various types of hostile behaviours such as bullying, microaggressions, and sexual harassment, (ii) identify the institutional structures and practices in research and academia that support their prevalence, and (iii) respond in a manner that's both safe and constructive.

Building a successful academic career is a challenge. Doing it while also building a family might push you to your limit. Many early and mid-career scientists are faced with the question of how to balance family and academic career. They are finding themselves left with a private problem, when it is actually a shared and societal issue, linking to other overarching themes of participation and diversity.
It is crucial to find support and confidence in going forward as an individual, and we as a community need to talk about parenting in academia to be able to demand and develop sustainable solutions that benefit many, instead of fighting private battles over and over again.
This short course aims to follow up on what has been discussed at the EGU General Assembly in 2023 and will (1) provide some insight into how being a parent affects your every day academic life, (2) highlight the existing support measures for parents in academia in different countries, and (3) offer some experience-based strategies that are being shared by a panel of academic parents, (4) concluding with an open discussion, touching on the public discourses on equal parenting and life-work balance. This course targets scientists who think about having a family, as well as parents in academia keen to connect, and faculty staff with responsibilities towards parenting employees.