Space Physics Postdoc Survey

POSTDOCS AND OTHER NON-PERMANENT RESEARCHERS –

Please fill out the survey found at the link below!

https://redcap.helsinki.fi/redcap/surveys/?s=TCPL4WJJCMFAYJDM

Or follow the QR code in this post.

The questionnaire is anonymous and does not require registration.

This survey is intended to measure the working conditions and career prospects of non-permanent researchers in the international heliospheric, magnetospheric, and ionospheric–thermospheric physics communities. We are particularly interested in the challenges faced by post-PhD researchers as they work to advance their careers.

In this project, we are motivated by the following questions:
1. How are postdocs doing in our field?
2. Are there any issues that need to be addressed? What are the causes?
3. What can be done to improve the situation?

We intend to publish the survey results and use them to promote postdoc wellbeing in our community.

The survey will close on January 11, 2025. Be sure to submit your final answers before then, and also to share the link with other postdocs and non-permanent researchers.

For more information, you may contact the survey administrators: konstantinos.horaites@helsinki.fi , giulia.cozzani@cnrs-orleans.fr , eleanna.asvestari@helsinki.fi , maxime.grandin@fmi.fi

Thank you for your participation!

XXth IAGA Workshop Summer School

A summer school for students and young observers was organised as part of the XXth IAGA Workshop on Geomagnetic Observatory Instruments, Data Acquisition and Processing, which recently took place in Vassouras, Brazil. This offered students, young scientists, technicians and young observers from all over the world an opportunity to immerse themselves in the fascinating world of geosciences and deepen their knowledge of the study of the Earth's magnetic field. In this post, we want to share some insights and experiences gathered during this inspiring summer school.

The Summer School at the XXth IAGA Workshop in Vassouras offered 42 participants from many different countries a variety of exciting activities. From lectures by renowned experts in the field of geomagnetic observatory management to practical exercises, poster presentations and demonstrations by instrument manufacturers, the programme was educational and varied.

A highlight was the guided tour through the Geomagnetic Observatory in Vassouras (VSS) where students were given training by experienced colleagues. The participants were able to experience first-hand how magnetic measurements are carried out and learned how this data can be interpreted. These hands-on experiences helped participants to deepen their understanding of the complexity of the Earth's magnetic field and gain new perspectives.

There were also many networking activities, one was an excursion to a Cachasa brewery followed by a get-together with live music and local drinks, where participants were able to socialise with like-minded people and experts. The exchange of ideas and experiences was inspiring and offered participants the opportunity to expand their knowledge and make new connections.

The summer school was not only an opportunity to learn and grow, but also an unforgettable experience that provided participants with new insights, friendships and memories. We would like to thank the Local Organising Committee (LOC), and the Scientific Committee for the rich and inspiring programme and the successful execution of the XX IAGA workshop.

- ICEO (IAGA Interdivisional Commission on Education and Outreach)

XXth IAGA Workshop

The XX IAGA Workshop was held at the Vassouras Magnetic Observatory in Brazil between October 31 and November 6, 2024. This meeting brought together 92 participants from 35 countries and was very productive, particularly among experienced researchers and young students.

The workshop showed intensified collaboration between the different levels aimed at better understanding and facilitating new scientific approaches to meet the challenges of better understanding in the study of the Earth's magnetic field and near-Earth space. 

The scientific program included conferences, thematic sessions, panel discussions and poster presentations. Among the main topics covered were:

    - Magnetic observatories and data processing techniques
    - Geomagnetic instrumentation
    - Geomagnetic field monitoring and modeling
    - Effects of space weather on satellites and technological systems
    - Interactions between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere

It has established itself as one of the most prestigious global forums for exchanging knowledge and presenting innovative research. In this edition of the IAGA Workshop on Geomagnetic Observatory, the Organizing Committee invited several instrument developers who also took part in the discussions, providing enlightening views on the state of the art in measuring the Earth's field and on the future prospects of these technologies.

In this edition, the workshop offered 8 summer schools. Of these, five were held at the hotel hosting the workshop and three at the magnetic observatory in Vassouras, located just 350 meters from the Observatory.

Thus, the 2024 meeting was a valuable opportunity for young researchers who were able to present their work and establish connections with the global scientific community on a larger scale. It also brought visibility to the advances made by different institutions in the areas of geomagnetism, geomagnetic data, instrumentation and space weather.

In addition, the presentations highlighted the growing importance of research into solid Earth geomagnetism and aeronomy in these times of great advances in space weather-sensitive technologies, such as GPS navigation systems, satellite communication networks and the effects on electricity transmission networks, among others. With 92 participants from all over the globe, the XXth IAGA Workshop reinforced the increase in international scientific collaboration and consolidated Vassouras as a reference point for global scientific discussions.

After the Vassouras part, the National Observatory hosted a meeting of the INTERMAGNET (International Real-time Magnetic Observatory Network) management committee in Rio de Janeiro, an event that usually takes place after the IAGA meetings and brought together leaders in the geomagnetism sector for technical and scientific meetings on November 7 and 8.

- Luiz Benyosef

Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee

Luiz Benyosef is a full researcher at the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology, National Observatory, Geophysics Coordination. He was researcher in charge of the Vassouras Magnetic Observatory between 1986 and 1992. He works on the development of fluxgate magnetic sensors. He teaches the masters' and doctorate courses in geophysics in the subjects: Geomagnetism, geophysical instrumentation and space weather.

IAGA 2025 Travel Grant Submission Open

The International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA) will have a joint conference with the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior (IASPEI) next year from 31st August to 5th September in Lisbon, Portugal. It will be preceded by a week long summer school organised by the two associations for early career researchers in their respective fields. 

The call for travel grants is now open until 12th March 2025 and the successful candidates will be notified by 17th April 2025. The registration opens in January 2025 and the candidates provided support should be registered by 8th May 2025. The grant covers the registration fees and/or the living expenses. More details and the form can be found here. 

All information, new and old will be regularly posted on our blog page including many outreach sessions planned. Stay tuned for more info to start preparing for the upcoming conference! You can see the list of blogs related to the assembly by visiting this webpage.

Web series: Grand Spectrum

Katia Pinheiro, from IAGA, won the IAGA Grant for her project "A magnetic journey: from core to space" awarded in the year 2023.

The project features experienced scientists addressing the Geomagnetic Grand Spectrum and discussing about the time variations of the geomagnetic field. This will be presented as a web series and may interest the general public and students in Earth Sciences. 

In a second part of this project, we have interviews with Early-Career Scientists (ECS) during the 6th IAGA Summer School in Niemegk about themselves and their science. We hope these short movies will encourage young students to start careers in geosciences. 

You can now watch the first part of this project: the Grand Spectrum web series on the IAGA YouTube channel with videos being uploaded every week. This will be followed by the second part in the new year. Keep a look out at our social media channel to know when we upload new videos and subscribe to our YouTube for more. And don't forget to share!

IAGA 2025 Abstract Submission Open

The International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA) will have a joint conference with the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior (IASPEI) next year from 31st August to 5th September in Lisbon, Portugal. It will be preceded by a week long summer school organised by the two associations for early career researchers in their respective fields. 

The call for abstracts is now open until 12th March 2025 while the registration opens in January 2025. More details about abstract submission, registration and the conference can be found on the website. The abstract notification will be sent out by 17th April 2025. Abstract title and text are limited to 20 and 250 words respectively.

All information, new and old will be regularly posted on our blog page including many outreach sessions planned. Stay tuned for more info to start preparing for the upcoming conference! You can see the list of blogs related to the assembly by visiting this webpage.

IAGA YouTube

We are here to remind you that IAGA YouTube has a lot of exciting and interesting videos created for the general public, elementary school kids and early career researchers in various aspects of earth sciences as well as planetary and space sciences. Have a look!

Some series that would be of interest are-

1) Magnetic Mosaic: This documentary is not on IAGA official channel but on one of our creator's channel. It talks about the magnetic field of the earth and was one of the finalists in the UNESCO Earth's Future Festival.

2) Geoscience Connections: This documentary is an animated movie along with interviews of various early career researchers talking about everything about the earth- from its formation to its future. The project of the same name also consists of a small animated movie called 'Earth-Human Connections' that uses analogy between the earth and humans to explain about their connection. Finally, it has over 15 scientists talking about themselves and their science in short video formats. Don't forget to check out your favourite videos from the playlist here.

3) Bimbim's Team: Next, we have short animated videos about the Solar System, Earth and Mars in three languages- English, French and Portuguese- for kids. The protagonist is Bimbim, a jolly dog who wants to throw a space themed birthday party!

4) Summer School: There are handy lecture videos from the last IAGA summer school in Berlin 2023 where different science aspects of IAGA was covered by experts. The participants were phd and postdocs who received an understanding of the concepts of geomagnetism and hands on experience in dealing with the data.

5) Finally, we have many more exciting outreach science videos coming up in the following weeks in the form of documentaries, web series and short videos. Don't forget to check them out as well!