New Frontiers

Research themes that will be covered on the day...

About the conference...

Who? Postgraduate students with research interests in astronomy in one of four broad themes: cosmology; galaxies; the sun and stellar physis; brown dwarfs and exoplanets. Students should be from a SEPnet institution but depending on numbers, external students may be considered.

What? An astronomy and astrophysics conference organised by PhD students from SEPnet. The conference will include talks by invited speakers and selected students as well as posters and a recreational session. 

Why Should You Apply? This conference aims to unite GRADnet students from various astronomy and astrophysics disciplines studied across SEPnet institutions. These include research topics such as brown dwarf atmospheres and galaxies at Hertfordshire, planet formation at Queen Mary, and observational cosmology at Portsmouth. Attendees will gain insights into the cutting-edge research their fellow astronomy students are conducting within SEPnet. They will also have the opportunity to hear from an invited speaker — a leading researcher from outside SEPnet – speaking on each of the four themes. 

Another key goal of this conference is to provide a supportive environment for PhD students to develop their conference skills. This includes the chance to give talks or present posters for the first time, with less pressure than they might face at international conferences later in their careers and with the opportunity for constructive feedback. Furthermore, the event offers a fantastic opportunity to network with peers working on similar topics and to foster potential future collaborations. 

The conference program includes four themed sessions: cosmology, galaxies, solar and stellar physics, and brown dwarfs and exoplanets. Poster pop-up sessions will also take place during breaks. Prizes will be awarded for the best student talk and poster as voted on by the attendees, as well as for the winning team of the astronomy quiz near the end of the day. 

Lunch and conference dinner will be provided and SEPnet will fully reimburse travel expenses to and from London for attendees from SEPnet institutions. 

Submitting an abstract...

The deadline for submitting an abstract is 7th March 2025. The abstract should be between 100-200 words and can be for a talk or a poster. All accepted abstracts not given a talk will automatically be awarded a poster. You can submit here.

Once your abstract has been accepted you will be notified by the conference organisers to register for the conference.  The registration deadline will be 10th March 2025. 

Meet the organising committee...