Travel Grant for U.S. Scientist to the African Geophysical Society Conference and International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI) School; Lusaka, Zambia; September 26-October 4, 2023

Catholic University Of America, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

This travel grant will support ten US scientists and students to participate in the International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI) school and the African Geophysical Society (AGS) 2023 International Conference. The ISWI school and the AGS conference will be held in Lusaka, Zambia, from September 26th to 30th and October 2nd to 4th, 2023, respectively. The timing of the AGS conference and ISWI School will enhance discoveries and advance science to recent, vigorous international modeling and observational efforts in geospace sciences. The conference and school will address a primary objective of the NSF International program to establish new collaborations and further existing partnerships between US and African geospace science programs and institutions while addressing and discussing outstanding and relevant scientific problems. The success of the AGS conference and ISWI School will strongly rely on the support of the international space weather community. Previous international meetings held in Africa have opened the door for many new collaborations between US and African institutions to study complex space weather phenomena in detail. The primary objective of having an international meeting in Africa is to create one-on-one interactions with scientists from the US and other international institutions. These crucial professional connections are essential to opening more opportunities for new international collaborations, including instrument deployment and data collection. ISWI school and AGS conference activities and follow-on discussions will boost and expand these connections, which will enhance capacity building in Africa. ISWI school will consist of roughly 40-50 graduate students and postdocs from across the globe, most of whom will be drawn from Africa. Having the ISWI school before the AGS conference will have students appreciate the conference topics more. NSF funding will directly support two US students and four US scientists (lecturers) to participate in the ISWI school, and an additional four scientists/students will attend and contribute to the AGS International Conference. Therefore, the travel will be associated with the participation of students, postdocs, early career scientists, and underrepresented minorities and their exposure to the frontiers of space weather science and technology in a truly interdisciplinary and international scientific gathering. 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.