Due to the transition of AbGradCon 2021 to a virtual format, the AbGradCon abstract deadline has been extended to April 15th (23:59 JST). Although AbGradCon is now a virtual meeting, early career astrobiology graduate students and postdocs will have the opportunity to present their work in a formal setting, and also to make international and interdisciplinary connections with other students and postdocs.

Although some exact details may change between now and the conference, the conference will be held over two sessions each day (September 14-17, 2021), during the morning and late afternoon Japan Time, so that attendees have the opportunity network with those from other timezones. All participants will give an oral presentation of their work (of 10-15 minutes, exact length TBD), either live during the meeting or in recorded form accessible to all attendees. A pre-recorded one minute “flash talk” for each presentation will also be part of the meeting, giving each participant a chance to introduce their talk. Additionally, discussions (facilitated by other attendees) will be a major component of the meeting, and will focus on either larger questions in the astrobiology field, or on topics related to talks of that day’s sessions. Finally, other career-building aspects may be included, although the exact logistics are still to be decided. Participants should plan to attend at least one session per day of the conference if at all possible.

For more information, visit the AbGradCon 2021 website at: https://www.abgradcon.org/