ASB7 – 13th to 14th September, 2017
The ASB conference series continues its objective of promoting discussion on UK astrobiology interests in research, education and outreach, and is pleased to announce that the 7th conference of the Astrobiology Society of Britain will take place at the Open University, Milton Keynes, focusing on the topic of habitability beyond the Earth. The conference will begin at 10.30 am on Wednesday 13th September, with talks, posters and discussions broadly aligned to four sessions as follows:
- Ground-based and LEO simulation
- In situ and remote sensing observations of habitability
- Biosignatures
- Outreach
Abstracts for oral and poster presentations will be accepted in all aspects of Astrobiology, however priority will be given to the above topics.
The preliminary scientific programme for the meeting can be viewed here.
Confirmed Keynote speakers
- Mark Sephton (Imperial College London)
- Elliot Sefton-Nash (European Space Agency)
- Charles Cockell (University of Edinburgh/UKCA)
Registration and abstract submission
Registration is now closed.
Abstracts should be between 200 and 300 words. Please use our abstract template, which can be downloaded here.
Conference registration is £40 for non-students, and £20 for students.
The conference dinner will be held on the 13th September and will be funded by the ASB.
Early career astrobiologist workshop
We are planning a workshop for early career astrobiologists on the 12th September. The ASB Early Career Workshop aims to connect early career astrobiologists from across the UK and give them access to senior UK astrobiologists and scientists from industry to get knowledge and advice on how to advance their careers. More details can be found here.
Registration is available when signing up for the ASB 2017 Conference.
Barrie Jones Award Lecture
The Barrie Jones Award Lecture will take place, as part of the conference, on September 13th. The Barrie Jones Award recognises an individual’s contribution to society and outstanding achievement in science and outreach through work relating to astrobiology. It was established by the Open University (OU) Department of Physical Sciences in partnership with the ASB with the legacy of the late Barrie Jones (1941–2014), an astrobiologist at the OU, who dedicated much of his career to public engagement and outreach.
The Astrobiology Society of Britain and the Open University are delighted to announce that Dr Louisa Preston has been chosen to accept the second biennial Barrie Jones Award. Dr Preston is a UK Space Agency Aurora Research Fellow based at Birkbeck, University of London. She is a talented researcher, and a gifted and passionate communicator of science who has regularly discussed astrobiology and space science on programs such as BBC Stargazing Live, The Sky at Night, and Horizon. Dr Preston is a TED Fellow, and recently published her first popular science book: ‘Goldilocks and the Water Bears: The Search for Life in the Universe’.
Student bursaries
A limited number of bursaries (kindly enabled through UKSA and RAS funding) are available for students attending the workshop or presenting at the conference. Please register your interest by ticking the relevant box on the registration form.
The Sohan Jheeta travel award
Dr Sohan Jheeta has kindly made available 5 travel awards of £100 to enable students to attend and present at the conference. Those interested in applying for this travel award should tick the relevant box on the registration form, and provide a short statement (up to 100 words) on how they will benefit from the travel award.
Travel and accommodation
A block booking for rooms from the 11th to 14th of September 2017 has been made at Kents Hill Park, close to the OU. The block booking is reserved until the 4th August 2017.
Rates: Standard single occupancy rate = £75/night (breakfast included).
How to book: call 01908 358 099 to make a reservation, quoting the following reference in order to get the above rates: “92468”
Attendees are welcome to stay elsewhere within Milton Keynes, but may require car transportation to get to the OU campus.
Directions to Milton Keynes and the OU in general can be found here.
A campus map is provided here.
The Berrill Lecture Theatre can be accessed from Kents Hill Park accommodation by foot (10 min walk) or by car (4 min drive). The map below shows the appropriate routes.