Chapman Conferences
About the AGU Chapman Conference program
Chapman Conferences are interactive, turnkey meetings focused on solving challenges in a specific scientific field. Chapman conferences can be held virtually, in-person, or as a hybrid conference.
These transformative conferences should be goal-oriented and conveners should consider alternative session formats as well as brainstorming sessions and team exercises to stimulate outcomes during and after the meeting.
Conveners are responsible for scientific planning and programming. AGU team members offer logistics and organizational expertise. Proposals are reviewed four times a year by AGU scientists who provide feedback to conveners.
Caldera-forming Eruptions at Basaltic Volcanoes: Insights and Puzzles from Kīlauea and Beyond
9-14 February 2025
Hilo, Hawai'i
This Chapman Conference will gather in Hawaiʻi to assess current understanding, share insights, and map out work on critical outstanding questions from the Kīlauea 2018 eruption and other global historical eruptions.
Particle Precipitation: Drivers, Properties, and Impacts on Atmosphere, Ionosphere, Magnetosphere Coupling
14-21 February 2025
Melbourne, Australia
The Chapman Particle Precipitation will bring together participants from the atmosphere-ionosphere-magnetosphere (AIM) communities to focus efforts on identifying and communicating outstanding issues, how models can bridge knowledge gaps, promising techniques for enhanced analysis, and required new types of observations.
Remote Sensing of the Water Cycle: Sensors to Science to Society
13-16 February 2024
Honolulu, HI
The Chapman considers the water cycle and the role of scientists, researchers, and business in a time of unprecedented changes in the fields of sensor technology, satellite missions, modeling and applications. Which science questions have been answered in this past decade and what are the next decade’s pressing questions?
Second National Conference: Justice in Geoscience Phase II
Fall 2023 - Fall 2024
Washington, DC, USA
Phase II of the Second National Conference consists of the writing of the 2072 Report. The Report will contain a record of the 2022 Second National Conference and articulate a forward-looking vision statement that can guide critical actions and creative interventions towards justice in geoscience from 2022-2072.
Convener responsibilities
If you have a conference idea, it takes an average of 15-18 months from your initial application to the actual meeting.
Conveners are expected to:
- Engage scientists with breadth of knowledge and diversity of opinions to form the program committee
- Support grant applications for funding to keep registration rates down and enable participation from student/early career scientists. All potential sponsorships need to be discussed with AGU before a contract is signed.
- Recruit participants, generally a minimum of 75 attendees, including speakers/presenters. Student/early career scientists should be fairly represented at the conference.
- Plan the session topics and schedule for the meeting as well as program development including sessions, workshops, career development opportunities.
- Promote the conference to your network with the help of AGU team members.
- Create outcomes that can be disseminated in many media, including completing a final conference report for AGU scientists that will be posted on an AGU website.
After steps 1-6 are complete, submit your Chapman idea for a Phase 1 review to receive feedback from AGU scientists. Once you receive feedback and make any necessary revisions, submit a Phase 2 application.
Propose a future Chapman Conference
Get started on your own Chapman Conference proposal by downloading and reviewing our sample proposal (PDF).
Proposal process and overview
Chapman conveners should consider the grand challenges in their science and focus on identifying key, yet solvable, problems. Chapman Conferences are goal-oriented and conveners should have activities before, during and after the meeting that will contribute to its success. Meeting outcomes are required and could include publications, as well as special sessions at scientific meetings (including AGU's Fall Meeting) that present the solutions and pathways developed from the Chapman.
Proposing a Chapman Conference is a two-step process:
Phase I: Submit a high-level proposal to be reviewed by AGU scientists for feedback. Here is the Phase I application.
Phase II: Submit a full proposal that includes list of attendees, funding garnered by conveners and more specific scientific information. Here is a Phase II proposal.
Some conveners submit a revised proposal to funding agencies for meeting support. AGU can provide organizational support.
Proposals may be submitted at any time but are generally reviewed in February, May, August and November by AGU scientists.
Designing a Chapman
Any AGU member can propose a Chapman Conference.
The program committee designs the conference with sessions, networking, mentoring, public engagement, small group work, or other formats depending on conference needs and outcomes. Your Chapman conference might focus on developing a hypothesis, on testing a hypothesis, or focus on sensing, modeling, or measurements that can yield new results. These are only a few examples of how you could center your meeting.
Drafting the proposal and creating the team
A convener works with several others to create the scientific statement and high-level topics. Because conveners also recruit attendees, it is critical to have focused document that appeals to multiple career stages.
Phase I of the application answers a few simple questions. Your proposal will be peer reviewed by multiple AGU scientists who will provide feedback. After you make any necessary revisions, you will complete a Phase II application online.
What you need to know
If you are considering proposing a Chapman Conference, we encourage you to review the following information to understand the scope, organization, and management of Chapmans. If you have questions regarding a proposal, please contact Victoria Forlini, Director, Meetings, AGU.
Participants and size
The conveners should establish an appropriate list of potential participants even before submitting Phase I of the application. The most productive Chapman Conferences include 80-120 attendees with 15-20 graduate students as well as speakers included in that number.
Your Phase II application should include a list of names and contact information of people who are likely to attend the conference.
Planning timeframe
You should allow no less than 15 months between your proposal and the proposed conference dates.
AGU scientists review Chapman Conference proposals four times a year: February, May, August and November. Chapman submissions are accepted at any time, but would likely wait for the next review cycle. Chapman Conferences should not conflict with major holidays, or other scientific society meetings. No Chapman Conferences are convened in December. View upcoming meetings.
Schedule
Chapman Conferences range from three to five days. Conference objectives are more likely achieved when all participants remain for the full conference. Conference longer than three days generally have attendance attrition, particularly on the last day.
Location
Chapmans are held globally and AGU team members will work with you to find a location. The site should be chosen to promote conference objectives and limit distractions while keeping costs reasonable. Hotels and lodges in tourist centers or resort areas during off season, all-inclusive resorts or college campuses during semester breaks often provide excellent facilities at reasonable costs. AGU Headquarters in Washington, DC, is also a great location for Chapman conferences.
Your proposal should indicate three possible meeting locations (city and country), in order of priority with notations on why locations are preferred.
While conveners may recommend a venue for the Chapman Conference, the site selection is made by AGU. Selecting a location is a balance between low cost and attracting attendees.
Outcomes
Field trips
Hosting scientific field trips are common with Chapman Conferences and are a reason to suggest a particular location for the meeting.
The Program Committee may recommend a local scientist to assist with the development of the field trip. Additional sight-seeing activities may be organized by the conveners but are not managed by AGU.
Sponsorship
Chapman Conferences are a self-supporting program of AGU, meaning AGU does not provide monetary funding. Conveners need to identify potential financial sponsors for their conferences early on. AGU is the principal sponsor of Chapman Conferences, however, other societies, institutions, and organizations can be approved as co-sponsors. Co-sponsorship is a natural way to recognize and promote interdisciplinary approaches to a problem. Anticipated co-sponsors should be identified when submitting your Phase I application.
If your conference is proposed outside the United States, a local geophysicist or geophysical organization should be asked to co-sponsor. Sponsorship, in this case, may not include financial assistance.
Financial responsibility
AGU is responsible for managing conference finances including the development of the conference budget and setting the registration rates. Revenue comes primarily from registration fees and sponsorship and the conferences are expected to be self-supporting.
Registration fees vary per conference requirements (i.e., food and beverage, audio-visual, and logistics and administrative support, etc.).
It's important that scientists work closely with their program managers to ensure that the science and funding are appropriately aligned.
Program
The scientific program design contributes to the conference outcomes. AGU will support the conveners in designing engaging session formats, including virtual sessions, if desired.
The program should include a scientific plan with a list of recruited speakers. The conveners will also program the daily themes, discussions, posters, panels, and if appropriate, scientific field trips. Time for informal gatherings and discussions are mandatory as they encourage more ideas and collaboration.
Publications
The information presented at Chapman Conferences lends itself to publication. The Conference Convener must include a publication plan as part of the proposal. Publication outputs may take the form of conference reports, peer-reviewed journal articles, and/or a book. AGU has a range of options for publication. Contact [email protected] if you are interested in proposing a special collection. Contact [email protected] if you are interested in proposing a book.
Checklist for Chapman Conference proposals
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1Create a written summary, including scientific topics, objectives and goals.
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2Prepare a preliminary list of key speakers and anticipated number of participants. Collect contact information for confirmed co-conveners.
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3Suggest conference dates, potential locations with explanation and duration.
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4Begin to line up co-sponsors and financial support.
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5Submit your Phase I application. After receiving peer-review from AGU scientists incorporate your edits in your Phase II application that will provide granular information about sessions, format, attendees, and overall focus.
Convener resources for approved Chapmans
Grant funding
Conveners will revise their Chapman proposal, as appropriate, and submit it to various funding agencies for travel and meeting support. While AGU assistance is available to submit the grant proposal, the conveners will write it. AGU is listed as a funding recipient and used the money to pay for direct conference expenses. In addition to requesting funds for AGU to pay for the meeting venue, conveners may also request travel support for attendees, e.g., airfare and hotel to help minimize cost for attendees.
Logistics
AGU staff assumes responsibility for contracting all services for the conference. AGU staff has responsibility for all conference services including setting registration fees. The conveners should not pre-arrange facility contracts or other services required for the conference.
Promotion
Conveners will assist in the preparation of announcements and pre-conference communications to be published on social media and other appropriate channels or networks. AGU staff prepares final copy for marketing pieces. Registration and housing information is sent to all who contribute to the conference program or express an interest in attending.
Abstracts
AGU runs an abstract management system for the conference with a schedule based on the scientific program. The primary convener manages the scientific program and all conveners review abstracts. These abstracts are distributed to conference attendees. The program, with abstracts, is also published online by AGU.
Poster sessions
Poster sessions invite detailed discussion and are often created for Chapman Conferences with options both in person and virtually. Printed poster options include charts, schematics, maps, photographs and computer outputs. Online posters can include video, audio tours and commentary, and chats and be integrated into the conference schedule. By mixing regular sessions with poster sessions, attendees have more time to exchange ideas and results.
AGU responsibilities
While AGU scientists focus on the scientific programming of a Chapman meeting, AGU team members lead on logistics, promotion, and overall organization. Conveners and AGU team members communicate regularly throughout the process on all organizational subjects.
AGU meetings and communications staff will:
- Build and maintain a conference website.
- Manage the conference budget and communicate with the conveners on budgetary issues.
- Work through site selection, logistics and food and beverage management, vendor management onsite, coordination of poster and AV needs, contract negotiations and overall conference management.
- Set up and manage registration per conference needs.
- Assist conveners with sponsorship and fundraising to fulfill obligations (as needed).
- Support onsite during the meeting.
Propose a future Chapman Conference
Get started on your own Chapman Conference proposal by downloading and reviewing our sample proposal (PDF).
Virtual Chapmans
AGU Chapman conferences are going online! Science collaboration needs to continue, and with Chapmans, there are now three options to discuss latest scientific topics and potential solutions:
- Virtual Chapmans: Virtual Chapmans can be on “late-breaking” or “hot topic” science that should be convened quickly. The conferences can also focus on more traditional Chapman themes. These online meetings generally have 90-180 minutes of learning and interaction over a period of several days or weeks, depending on duration.
- Applications are being accepted and conveners will be notified within 4-6 weeks.
- In-person Chapmans: Traditionally, Chapman conferences have been 4-5 days at a field location. These conferences will continue as long as all participant’s health and safety are protected.
- AGU is accepting applications for future in-person Chapmans.
- Hybrid Chapmans: These conferences join online learning components with a daylong meeting, potentially attached to a location (field work) or collaboration space (a daylong meeting associated with the annual AGU or GSA meeting, for example).
- AGU is accepting applications for future hybrid meetings.
AGU staff will work with conveners to choose the best collaboration space, in-person, online, hybrid as well as discuss ways to accomplish goals of the online conference. All Chapman conferences have a registration fee and sponsorship is encourage to lower fees.
Click here to see how to apply for a virtual conference.
For virtual conferences, conveners should use this checklist:
- Create a written summary of your topic, including scientific topics, objectives, outcomes, and goals.
- Prepare a preliminary list of key speakers and anticipated number of participants.
- Share contact information for confirmed co-conveners and program committee members as well as CVs/biographies for conveners.
- Suggest conference date schedule and duration of conference each day. If a “hot-topic” or “late-breaking” conference, please label it as such.
- Conference cosponsors (if applicable).
- Related previous conferences..
- Anticipated reports, publications, and other outcomes.
Chapman conference outcomes
Recent Chapman Conference publications
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Hydrothermal Circulation and Seawater Chemistry – Book in preparation; publication expected 2025
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Alfvén Waves Across Heliophysics: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities – Book published 2024
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Congo Basin Hydrology, Climate, and Biogeochemistry: A Foundation for the Future – Book published in 2022 In English In French
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Cenozoic Evolution of Mountains, Monsoons, and the Biosphere – Special collection in Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
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The Quest for Sustainability of Heavily Stressed Aquifers at Regional to Global Scales – Special collection in Water Resources Research
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Winter Limnology in a Changing World – Special collection in JGR: Biogeosciences
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Understanding Carbon-Climate Feedbacks – Special collection in Global Biogeochemical Cycles
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Scientific Challenges of Space Weather Forecasting Including Extremes – Special collection in Space Weather
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Stratospheric Aerosol During the Post Pinatubo Era: Processes, Interactions, and Impact – Special collection in JGR: Atmospheres
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Particle Dynamics in the Earth's Radiation Belts – Special collection in JGR: Space Physics
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Merging Geophysical, Petrochronologic and Modeling Perspectives to Understand Large Silicic Magma Systems – Special collection in JGR: Solid Earth
Contacts
Chapman Conference archives
Review our past Chapman Conference programs by year.
2023
- Climate and Health for Africa, in Washington, DC, 12-15 June 2023
- Advances in Understanding Alfvén Waves in the Sun and the Heliosphere, in Berlin, Germany, 28 May - 2 June 2023
- Hydrothermal Circulation and Seawater Chemistry, in Agros, Cyprus, 15-19 May 2023
2022
- Distributed Volcanism and Distributed Volcanic Hazards, in Flagstaff, Arizona, 19-23 September 2022
- Solving Water Availability Challenges through an Interdisciplinary Framework, in Golden, Colorado, 12-16 September 2022
- The Second National Conference: Justice in Geoscience, in Washington, D.C., 14-17 August 2022. See Phase II, Fall 2023-Fall 2024
2020
- Evolution of the Monsoon, Biosphere and Mountain Building in Cenozoic Asia, in Washington, D.C., 5–9 January 2020
2019
- Quest for Sustainability of Heavily Stressed Aquifers at Regional to Global Scales, in Valencia, Spain from 21-24 October 2019
- Winter Limnology in a Changing World, in Polson, Montana from 14-18 October 2019
- Large-scale Volcanism in the Arctic: The Role of the Mantle and Tectonics in Selfoss, Iceland from 13-18 October 2019
- Understanding Carbon Climate Feedbacks in San Diego, Calif. from 26 – 29 August 2019
- Scientific Challenges Pertaining to Space Weather Forecasting Including Extremes in Pasadena, Calif. from 11 – 15 February 2019
2018
- Hydrologic Research in the Congo Basin in Washington, D.C. from 25 – 27 September 2018
- Stratospheric Aerosol in the Post-Pinatubo Era: Processes, Interactions, and Importance in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Islands from 18 – 23 March 2018
- Particle Dynamics in the Earth's Radiation Belts in Cascais, Portugal from 4 – 9 March 2018
- Merging Geophysical, Petrochronologic, and Modeling Perspectives to Understand Large Silicic Magma Systems in Quinamavida, Maule Region, Chile from 7 – 12 January 2018
2017
- Dayside Magnetosphere Interactions in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China from 10 – 14 July 2017
- Submarine Volcanism: New Approaches and Research Frontiers in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia from 29 January – 3 February 2017
- Extreme Climate Event Impacts on Aquatic Biogeochemical Cycles and Fluxes in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from 22 – 27 January 2017
2016
- Emerging Issues in Tropical Ecohydrology in Cuenca, Ecuador from 5 – 9 June 2016
- Currents in Geospace and Beyond in Dubrovnik, Croatia from 22 – 27 May 2016
- Slow Slip Phenomena in Ixtapa, Guerrero, Mexico from 21 – 25 Februrary 2016
2015
- The MADE Challenge for Groundwater Transport in Highly Heterogeneous Aquifers: Insights from 30 Years of Modeling and Characterization at the Field Scale and Promising Future Directions in Valencia, Spain from 5 – 8 October 2015
- Magentospheric Dynamics in Fairbanks, Alaska from 27 September – 2 October 2015
- The Width of the Tropics: Climate Variations and Their Impacts in Santa Fe, N.M. from 27 – 31 July 2015
- Evolution of the Asian Monsoon and Its Impact on Landscape, Environment, and Society: Using the Past as the Key to the Future in Hong Kong from 14 – 18 June 2015
2014
- Catchment Spatial Organization and Complex Behavior in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg from 23 – 26 September 2014
- Low-Frequency Waves in Space Plasmas on Jeju Island, Republic of Korea from 31 August – 5 September 2014
- Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling in the Solar System in Yosemite National Park, Calif. from 9 – 14 February 2014
2013
- Soil-mediated Drivers of Coupled Biogeochemical and Hydrological Processes Across Scales in Tuscon, Ariz. from 21 - 23 October 2013
- Synthesizing Empirical Results to Improve Predictions of Post-wildfire Runoff and Erosion Response in Estes Park, Colo. from 25 - 30 August 2013
- Seasonal to Interannual Hydroclimate Forecasts and Water Management in Portland, Ore. from 28 - 31 July 2013
- Crossing the Boundaries in Planetary Atmospheres: From Earth to Exoplanets in Annapolis, Md. from 24-28 June 2013
- Communicating Climate Science: A Historic Look to the Future in Granby, Colo. from 8-13 June 2013
- Coastal Processes and Environments Under Sea-Level Rise and Changing Climate: Science to Inform Management in Galveston, Texas from 14 - 19 April 2013
- Causes and Consequences of the Extended Solar Minimum between Solar Cycles 23 and 24 (4CESM) in Key Largo, Fla. from 8 - 12 April 2013
- Fundamental Properties and Processes of Magnetotails in Reykjavik, Iceland from 10 - 15 March 2013
2012
- Hydrogeomorphic Feedbacks and Sea Level Rise in Tidal Freshwater River Ecosystems in Reston, Va. from 13 – 16 November 2012
- Longitude and Hemispheric Dependence of Space Weather in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 12 – 16 November 2012
- The Agulhas System and its Role in Changing Ocean Circulation, Climate, and Marine Ecosystems in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa from 8 – 12 October 2012
- Hawaiian Volcanoes: From Source to Surface in Waikoloa, Hawaii from 20 – 24 August 2012
- Volcanism and the Atmosphere in Selfoss, Iceland from 10 – 15 June 2012
- Remote Sensing of the Terrestrial Water Cycle in Kona, Hawaii from 19 – 22 February 2012
2011
- Advances in Lagrangian Modeling of the Atmosphere in Grindelwald, Switzerland from 9 – 14 October 2011
- The Galápagos as a Laboratory for the Earth Sciences in Puerto Ayora, Galápagos, Ecuador from 25 – 30 July 2011
- Dynamics of the Earth's Radiation Belts and Inner Magnetosphere in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada from 17 – 22 July 2011
- Modeling the Ionosphere/Thermosphere System in Charleston, S.C. from 9 – 12 May 2011
- Climates, Past Landscapes, and Civilizations in Santa Fe, N.M. from 21 – 25 March 2011
- The Relationship Between Auroral Phenomenology and Magnetospheric Processes in Fairbanks, Alaska from 27 February – 4 March 2011
- Atmospheric Gravity Waves and Their Effects on General Circulation and Climate in Honolulu, Hawaii from 28 February – 4 March 2011
- Source to Sink Systems Around the World and Through Time in Oxnard, Calif. from 24 – 27 January 2011
2010
- Giant Earthquakes and Their Tsunamis in Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, and Valdivia, Chile from 16 – 24 May 2010
- Detachments in Oceanic Lithosphere: Deformation, Magmatism, Fluid Flow, and Ecosystems in Cyprus from 8 – 16 May 2010
- Exploration and Study of Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments (SAE) in Baltimore, Md. from 15 – 17 March 2010
- Complexity and Extreme Events in Geosciences in Hyderabad, India from 15 – 19 February 2010
2009
- Examining Ecohydrological Feedbacks of Landscape Change Along Elevation Gradients in Semiarid Regions in Boise and Sun Valley, Idaho from 4 – 8 October 2009
- The Biological Carbon Pump of the Oceans in Brockenhurst, England from 1 – 4 September 2009
- Abrupt Climate Change in Columbus, Oh. from 15 – 19 June 2009
- Effects of Thunderstorms and Lightning in the Upper Atmosphere in University Park, Penn. from 10 – 14 May 2009
- Arsenic in Groundwater of Southern Asia in Siem Reap, Cambodia from 24 – 27 March 2009
2008
- Physics of Wave-Mud Interaction in Amelia Island, Fla. from 17 – 20 November 2008
- Universal Heliophysical Processes (IHY) in Savannah, Ga. From 10 – 14 November 2008
- Atmospheric Water Vapor and Its Role in Climate in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii from 20 – 24 October 2008
- Organic Matter Fluorescence in Edgbaston, England from 20 – 23 October 2008
- Biogeophysics in Portland, Maine from 13 – 16 October 2008
- Shallow Mantle Composition and Dynamics Fifth International Orogenic Lherzolite Conference in Mount Shasta, Calif. from 22 – 26 September 2008
- Special Issue of Limnology & Oceanography in Lake Tahoe, Nevada from 8 – 10 September 2008
- Solar Wind Interaction with Mars in San Diego, Calif. from 22 – 25 January 2008
2007
- Long Time-Series Observations in Coastal Ecosystems in Rovinj, Croatia from 8 – 12 October 2007
- The Role of the Stratosphere in Climate and Climate Change in Santorini, Greece from 24 – 28 September 2007