About AbGradcon

The Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon) is a conference dedicated to the networking, interaction, and potential collaborations of graduate students and early career scientists interested in Astrobiology-related research areas. Because AbGradCon is organized and executed by students, this conference is unique in that it’s specifically catered to the aspiration and needs of early-career astrobiologists who will lead the field of astrobiology in the years to come.

What is Astrobiology?

Astrobiology is defined as any form of research pertaining to or concerning the origins, search for, and/or understanding of the context of life in our universe, as well as the extension of human life to other parts of our universe and the habitability of other worlds.

Why AbGradCon, not other astrobiology-centered conference?

AbGradCon is unique in that it is a student-led meeting, from the organization to the presentations. AbGradCon strives to remove the "pressures" of typical scientific meetings by providing a relaxed atmosphere in which presentations and roundtable discussions are fostered along with numerous social activities. The general GOALS of AbGradCon are:

To create an intellectually stimulating yet comfortable environment in which early-career astrobiologists meet, share research and exchange ideas.
To develop and maintain an international network of interdisciplinary early career astrobiologists.
To encourage interdisciplinary research projects and collaboration.
To foster multidisciplinary awareness.
To create an environment of shared learning by providing time for oral and poster sessions.
To foster leadership skills in the next generation of scientists by giving early career astrobiologists experience in organizing scientific meetings.

How did AbGradCon start?

AbGradCon was started in 2003 by a group of graduate students with the aim of creating a network among early-career astrobiologists. Except for 2006, it has been held annually every year since then, often in conjunction with an AbSciCon or a Bioastronomy conference. AbGradCon in 2022, or ABGRADCON22, will be the 18th year of the conferences. Have a look at the previous websites HERE to know more about past conferences.

ABGRADCON22 will take place virtually on Aug. 8th-11th, 2022

This will be a unique virtual conference like no others!

The specific GOALS of ABGRADCON22 are to bring astrobiology-enthusiastic of different racial, cultural, educational, professional backgrounds together, especially after the toughest months of a global pandemic, to

discuss the importance and practice of diversity, equity, and inclusivity within the astrobiology field,
establish and strengthen interdisciplinary, intersectoral, and international collaborations for accessible learning opportunities and diverse career choices to welcome astrobiology-enthusiasts coming from all backgrounds,
spread the passion about astrobiology to the public through various outreach activities and inspire younger generation scientists to join.

To truly advocate an inclusive, diverse, equitable, accessible (IDEA) vision within astrobiology field, and to safely engage with a global network of astrobiologists in the pandemic, the ABGRADCON22 has both SCIENCE and SOCIAL components.