by Nick Schafstall
Attending the EGU General Assembly for the get-go time
The European Geosciences Union (EGU) is a wedlock comprised of 12,500 scientists all over the world. Every year, the full general assembly is organised inwards Vienna too is visited past times a dandy publish of people active inwards Geosciences. This year, a full of 15,000 people from 106 countries, promotional stands too conference staff non included, occupied the Republic of Austria Center Vienna from Dominicus 7 until Fri xiii April. I was at that topographic point for the get-go time, too every bit a Quaternary entomologist I felt a flake similar an outsider.
When I initially applied for the EGU I had existent difficulties finding a session which could include my research. My PhD enquiry focuses on using subfossil beetle remains to reconstruct climate too landscapes to laid upwardly baselines inwards questions of nature too landscape conservation. This enquiry topic would technically autumn nether Biogeosciences. However, none of the session descriptions seemed relevant for my PhD research. Yet I wanted to become to the EGU, sense the ‘big conference’, run into the few friends I knew that were going, seat myself out there, too consider other fields inwards Geosciences. I decided to submit my abstract inwards a Natural Hazards session because my run includes quantifying bark beetle populations through fourth dimension at sites inwards the mountains of cardinal Europe. In a way, these wood insect pests tin go regarded every bit a natural guide a chance (at to the lowest degree for the tree populations inwards mount forests). Luckily I got accepted inwards ane of the sessions of Natural Hazards too fifty-fifty received a move grant for early-career scientists.
The mentor-mentee program
As the appointment of the conference drew closer, I received many emails from EGU including newsletters the size of a contract agreement. As a first-timer, I was frustrated past times the fact that these emails didn’t offering whatever suggestions nearly how to excogitation for the conference. However, at that topographic point was ane electronic mail regarding the mentor-mentee computer programme that did intrigue me. This computer programme allows first-time attendees to run into amongst an experienced EGU-goer. So I registered, hoping it would Pb to a practiced conversation amongst a to a greater extent than experienced globe scientist who could offering advice nearly which sessions I should attend.
Meeting my mentor
Early Mon morning, mentors too mentees assembled for an introduction nearly the mentor-mentee program. Here I met Martin Maier, a soil scientist at the University of Freiburg, who was matched to go my EGU mentor. Martin attended the EGU for the 7th fourth dimension too has convened his ain sessions for the past times iv years, making him the perfect mentor for a first-time EGU-goer. In improver to chatting nearly his ain career too nearly the electrical flow phase of my career too time to come career plans, Martin gave clear too helpful advice every bit to which sessions I should attend. He suggested looking for medal lectures too curt courses. The speakers at the medal lectures are ofttimes interesting people too dandy speakers every bit well. Short courses encompass many topics such every bit ‘How create y'all peer-review?’ or ‘How to notice funding too write a enquiry grant’, which are specially interesting for early-career researchers. Martin also suggested that I bring payoff of the poster sessions because it’s a practiced chance to guide maintain a human face at the character of posters without getting distracted past times the scientific content. Other advice Martin offered for first-time EGU attendees is to non acquire overwhelmed, an advice that was repeated past times many experienced EGU-goers. Try to brand fourth dimension to choice out a few interesting sessions too guide maintain a human face at the to a greater extent than full general talks. With his help, I planned my computer programme for the EGU over again too this time, quite to my satisfaction.
My ain presentation
At the final twenty-four hours of the conference, I gave my ain presentation. As I expected, I was an outlier inwards the Natural Hazard session too the positive responses that I received afterward were generally from other paleoecologists that walked by. Again, my mentor Martin gave valuable advice nearly how to capture an audience that is non real familiar amongst your written report subject, every bit good every bit comments on the character of my presentation. At such a large conference every bit the EGU, Martin said it is condom to assume that many inwards the audience volition non go familiar amongst your enquiry field. Therefore, it is amend to proceed the amount of information inwards your presentation at a minimum too non to acquire into also much particular nearly your research. People who are interested volition enquire the questions about, for instance, your methods or that missing information betoken anyway.
Tips for EGU first-timers
While my mentor Martin gave incredible advice during the EGU, I guide maintain some impressions of my ain that I’ve summarized below for first-time EGU-goers:
by Nick Schafstall
Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry too Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Czech Republic
If y'all guide maintain questions or comments concerning Nick's post, delight go out a comment below, or transportation him an email. You tin also connect amongst him on Twitter or ResearchGate.
Attending the EGU General Assembly for the get-go time
The European Geosciences Union (EGU) is a wedlock comprised of 12,500 scientists all over the world. Every year, the full general assembly is organised inwards Vienna too is visited past times a dandy publish of people active inwards Geosciences. This year, a full of 15,000 people from 106 countries, promotional stands too conference staff non included, occupied the Republic of Austria Center Vienna from Dominicus 7 until Fri xiii April. I was at that topographic point for the get-go time, too every bit a Quaternary entomologist I felt a flake similar an outsider.
 |
| The EGU offers a mentoring computer programme to aid ECRs notice their bearings. |
When I initially applied for the EGU I had existent difficulties finding a session which could include my research. My PhD enquiry focuses on using subfossil beetle remains to reconstruct climate too landscapes to laid upwardly baselines inwards questions of nature too landscape conservation. This enquiry topic would technically autumn nether Biogeosciences. However, none of the session descriptions seemed relevant for my PhD research. Yet I wanted to become to the EGU, sense the ‘big conference’, run into the few friends I knew that were going, seat myself out there, too consider other fields inwards Geosciences. I decided to submit my abstract inwards a Natural Hazards session because my run includes quantifying bark beetle populations through fourth dimension at sites inwards the mountains of cardinal Europe. In a way, these wood insect pests tin go regarded every bit a natural guide a chance (at to the lowest degree for the tree populations inwards mount forests). Luckily I got accepted inwards ane of the sessions of Natural Hazards too fifty-fifty received a move grant for early-career scientists.
The mentor-mentee program
As the appointment of the conference drew closer, I received many emails from EGU including newsletters the size of a contract agreement. As a first-timer, I was frustrated past times the fact that these emails didn’t offering whatever suggestions nearly how to excogitation for the conference. However, at that topographic point was ane electronic mail regarding the mentor-mentee computer programme that did intrigue me. This computer programme allows first-time attendees to run into amongst an experienced EGU-goer. So I registered, hoping it would Pb to a practiced conversation amongst a to a greater extent than experienced globe scientist who could offering advice nearly which sessions I should attend.
Meeting my mentor
Early Mon morning, mentors too mentees assembled for an introduction nearly the mentor-mentee program. Here I met Martin Maier, a soil scientist at the University of Freiburg, who was matched to go my EGU mentor. Martin attended the EGU for the 7th fourth dimension too has convened his ain sessions for the past times iv years, making him the perfect mentor for a first-time EGU-goer. In improver to chatting nearly his ain career too nearly the electrical flow phase of my career too time to come career plans, Martin gave clear too helpful advice every bit to which sessions I should attend. He suggested looking for medal lectures too curt courses. The speakers at the medal lectures are ofttimes interesting people too dandy speakers every bit well. Short courses encompass many topics such every bit ‘How create y'all peer-review?’ or ‘How to notice funding too write a enquiry grant’, which are specially interesting for early-career researchers. Martin also suggested that I bring payoff of the poster sessions because it’s a practiced chance to guide maintain a human face at the character of posters without getting distracted past times the scientific content. Other advice Martin offered for first-time EGU attendees is to non acquire overwhelmed, an advice that was repeated past times many experienced EGU-goers. Try to brand fourth dimension to choice out a few interesting sessions too guide maintain a human face at the to a greater extent than full general talks. With his help, I planned my computer programme for the EGU over again too this time, quite to my satisfaction.
 |
| Mentors too mentees hang out during the ice-breaker political party on Dominicus 8 April, laid upwardly past times the ECS commission of EGU. |
My ain presentation
At the final twenty-four hours of the conference, I gave my ain presentation. As I expected, I was an outlier inwards the Natural Hazard session too the positive responses that I received afterward were generally from other paleoecologists that walked by. Again, my mentor Martin gave valuable advice nearly how to capture an audience that is non real familiar amongst your written report subject, every bit good every bit comments on the character of my presentation. At such a large conference every bit the EGU, Martin said it is condom to assume that many inwards the audience volition non go familiar amongst your enquiry field. Therefore, it is amend to proceed the amount of information inwards your presentation at a minimum too non to acquire into also much particular nearly your research. People who are interested volition enquire the questions about, for instance, your methods or that missing information betoken anyway.
 |
| Me presenting at the EGU General Assembly inwards Vienna, Apr 2018. |
Tips for EGU first-timers
While my mentor Martin gave incredible advice during the EGU, I guide maintain some impressions of my ain that I’ve summarized below for first-time EGU-goers:
- Don’t attempt to pack your days amongst semi-interesting sessions. Rather, human face for a few overnice presentations or medal lectures that y'all actually desire to see. Medal lectures are lectures given past times early-career researchers who are chosen for extraordinary run inwards their field, too who ofttimes are practiced speakers every bit well. So these talks are a dandy means to larn something nearly a dissimilar topic too to choice upwardly on presentation techniques.
- Spend some fourth dimension earlier the start of the conference to notice out if at that topographic point volition go whatever people at EGU whom you’d similar to meet. It tin go a hurting to search through the huge, endless ongoing computer programme beforehand or to seat lots of people’s names inwards the search bar, precisely ane time you’re at the conference it volition go also slow every bit y'all volition go overwhelmed past times the publish of people too sessions.
- There are lots of presentations too curt courses organized specially for early- career researchers. These tin go institute nether ‘Sessions of ECS interest’. Also, banking concern check out the ECS lounge where they pamper the ECRs amongst gratis java too drinks.
- When y'all are invited to acquaint at a session which is (partially) exterior your field, assume that your audience volition go every bit well. Therefore y'all should arrange your presentation to the marker of full general knowledge.
- The mentor-mentee programme of the EGU is a wonderful chance to guide maintain in-depth conversations nearly the EGU, your electrical flow career phase too geosciences amongst an experienced researcher exterior your field. This was my most valuable sense during the EGU.
by Nick Schafstall
Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry too Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Czech Republic
If y'all guide maintain questions or comments concerning Nick's post, delight go out a comment below, or transportation him an email. You tin also connect amongst him on Twitter or ResearchGate.