Conference: Cool Stars Meeting 22: Support for the Longest Running Independently Organized Conference in Astronomy

The University of California San Diego will organize and host the 22nd Cool Stars meeting, June 24-28, 2024. This is claimed to be the longest-running, independently-organized conference series in astronomy and astrophysics. The conference, which is expected to draw between 600 and 800 attendees, will highlight recent discoveries and innovations in in stellar, solar, and planetary sciences, including those associated with NSF’s current and future programs and facilities. The portion of the workshop costs funded by the NSF will be used to reduce financial barriers to participation for early-career U.S. researchers and to facilitate informal engagement, scientific exchange, and networking among the U.S. and international participants. The science to be presented at Cool Stars 22 is driven by programs and facilities supported by the NSF and other national agencies, and is thus an opportunity to showcase the science enabled by US investment in astronomy, including the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST), and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), as well as the anticipated science from NSF’s investment in the Vera Rubin Observatory/LSST and next-generation 30-m class of ground-based telescopes. There is also a focus on new techniques in theory, simulation, instrumentation, observation, and data science. The meeting will provide an important venue for early-career researchers—graduate students and postdoctoral scholars—to engage with colleagues in the field, learn about the latest science results and technical resources, and present their own ground-breaking work. The conference organizers have also committed to integrating professional development for early-career researchers through a networking and career development training session led by an award-winning entrepreneur, science journalist, and professional speaker. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.