10/02/2012 Call for Proposals to Host the Next European Solar Physics meeting in 2014 (ESPM-14)

Letter of Intent submission deadline: April 13, 2012
Proposal submission deadline: June 1, 2012

The European Solar Physics Division (ESPD) solicits proposals by European groups to host the 14th European Solar Physics Meeting (ESPM-14) in the August-September 2014 timeframe. ESPMs include all aspects of heliophysics with an emphasis on solar physics and solar-terrestrial relations and typically attract more than 200 participants. ESPMs are organized every three years, each time in a different European location, attracting  significant visibility for the places and/or the group(s) that host them. The last ESPMs took place in Rhodes, Greece (2011); Freiburg, Germany (2008); Leuven, Belgium (2005); and Prague, The Czech Republic (2002). The Scientific Organizing Committee of ESPMs is the ESPD Board, elected every three years.  More information about ESPD can be found at http://solar.epsdivisions.org/.

Interested groups are invited to send a single-page Letter of Intent (LoI) to submit a proposal to the ESPD President, Valery Nakariakov, at v.nakariakov@warwick.ac.uk. The deadline of the LoI submission is April 13th, 2012, while proposals (with typical size of the order 2-3 pages) should be submitted by June 1st, 2012, for evaluation by the ESPD Board. The final selection will be made in the course of summer or early fall of 2012, thus allowing the selected organizers group two full years of preparation.

The successful proposal should state the envisioned meeting location with a brief cultural history of the area and emphasize on (1) ease of accessibility, (2) availability of different lodging options at close proximity to the meeting location or convenient ground transportation to the meeting location, and (3) suggested registration fee, with stated inclusions. Proposed initiatives or references to the likelihood of obtaining funding support for students, young post-docs, and/or colleagues from less privileged countries is strongly encouraged and will be taken into account during selection. The ESPD Board is also committed to assisting the Local Organizing Committee in gathering support funds. As the last few ESPMs took place in Greece, Germany, Belgium, and The Czech Republic, proposals from groups originating elsewhere in Europe will be given higher consideration.

For more information and questions/clarifications, please contact the ESPD President and Chair of the Conference Committee, Valery Nakariakov (v.nakariakov@warwick.ac.uk) or the Vice-President Manolis Georgoulis (manolis.georgoulis@academyofathens.gr)