Proposers for a Splinter Meeting need to be aware of new guidelines regarding remote participation in splinters.  Please read the explanation of these guidelines on the Meeting Sessions and Content pages.

Splinter Meetings are science or programmatic meetings that do not fit the definition of Special Session (e.g., longer than 90 minutes, or with a by-invitation audience). Proposers should consider whether a weekend Workshop, or a summer Meeting-in-a-Meeting might meet their objectives.

• Splinter Meetings are held at winter and summer Meetings
• Splinter Meetings can be scheduled before, during, or after AAS meeting days. Additional fees may apply to meetings scheduled after the AAS meeting closes.
• The session organizer must be an AAS Full Member 
• Splinter Meetings can be proposed as Private (by invitation) or Open to AAS attendees
• Public Splinter Meetings sessions will scheduled not to conflict with AAS invited and prize talks. Private (invitation only) Splinter Meetings can be scheduled at any time.
• A summary of the meeting topic, objective, and content must be submitted on the Mira web form along with complete contact information both prior to the Meeting, and onsite.
• Splinter Meeting proposals are reviewed by the AAS VPs, who reserve the right to reject or modify the proposed session, in consultation with the organizer
• A brief summary provided by the organizer (for Open Splinters) will be published in the online meeting program 
• AAS will provide a slack channel for each splinter session
• Costs associated with the AAS Administration fee, catering and equipment rental are the responsibility of the Splinter Meeting organizer. The fees will be invoiced by the AAS once the meeting closes and is audited.
• Deadlines for submitting Splinter Meting proposals, notices of acceptance, and logistic details such as specific room assignments will be shown on the web pages for the Meeting

Rules for remote access to Splinter Sessions

• Splinter session organizers who want access to the Internet for their Session must order and agree to pay for the cost of an Ethernet drop (or its equivalent) as part of the session proposal submitted in Mira. 
• If dedicated technical help is needed or desired by the organizers, that will be billed separately and such help must be requested at the time of the session proposal submission.
• Splinter meeting organizers may allow participants who are not registered for the meeting to participate in their session virtually. Participants cannot be charged an additional fee for virtual attendance by the splinter session organizers.
• Splinter session organizers must use their own Zoom licensing (or equivalent meeting software) and manage virtual participation, including access control and security, for their sessions. 
• The AAS will not be responsible for technical support for remote access (unless the organizer has ordered and agreed in advance to pay for support) 
• The AAS is not responsible monitoring such sessions for proper behavior, including adherence to the AAS Meeting Code of Conduct. Session organizers are responsible for insuring that all participants in their splinter session adhere to the AAS Meeting Code of Conduct.
• Splinters will be listed in the online program and platform but zoom links will not. 
• Session organizers must distribute the participation link to their perspective virtual attendees. AAS will not provide meeting attendee lists with email addresses to the organizers

Town Hall Reminders

Town Halls are intended for federal agencies and national observatories to present policy information and to solicit feedback from their user communities. Missions and facilities (current and future) that wish to focus on science capabilities and results should select one of the other session categories to propose to (Special Session, Splinter Meeting, Workshop, or Exhibit).

• Scheduled in response to proposals from AAS Full Members
• Held at winter and summer meetings
• One hour and are typically held from 12:45 pm to 1:45 pm, or 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
• Scheduled on any of the four meeting days
• Other events may be scheduled in parallel
• Town Hall organizers will automatically be assigned as their Session Chairs unless we are advised otherwise.
• Each Town Hall will have the standard A/V equipment: LCD projector, screen, laptop (dual operating systems), microphone, and podium.

Workshop Reminders:

An AAS Workshop is a focused meeting, typically with a small group of invited participants, usually on an educational, programmatic or career topic. Workshops are typically collaborative and interactive. Examples include tutorials on use of astronomical software, and tools related to scheduling and data analysis for observatories and missions. Formal Working Group meetings for observatories and missions are usually scheduled as Workshops.

• Scheduled in response to proposals from AAS Full Members.
• Workshops are considered part of the main AAS Meeting, and are not free-standing. Participants must register for the current meeting.
• Held on Saturday and/or Sunday at both winter and summer meetings. Topics for sessions in the main AAS Meeting should be proposed for one of the other session types.
• Have a length of a half-day, full-day, or two full-days.
• Scheduled in parallel with other workshops.
• A summary of the meeting topic and content must be submitted.
• The Workshop organizer must complete the online form in full, and provide information to assist AAS staff in scheduling and logistics.
• Individual speaker abstracts are not published for Workshops.
• Costs associated with the administration fee, catering and equipment rental are the responsibility of the Workshop organizer. The fees will be invoiced by the AAS once the meeting closes and is audited.

All Workshops will appear on the AAS meeting registration form, with a minimum registration fee of $35. If you do not wish your Workshop to be included on the registration form, please request a Splinter Meeting instead. Any registration fees collected towards your workshop will be applied to your balance (Logistics support staff, webinar licenses, etc.).

Logistical Staff support & admin fee $550 per day

Organizers are responsible for all costs associated with the Workshop including, but not necessarily limited to, the Logistical Staff Support & admin Fee ($550 per day), A/V Fee ($50), and all applicable taxes and service charges. The virtual platform and admin fee may be collected prior to the meeting. All other charges will be billed by the AAS to the organizer or sponsor following the meeting.

Special Session Reminders:

Special Sessions are for current observatories, missions and facilities to discuss scientific results and plans, and for discussion of education and state-of-the-profession topics. There is no required format, and they may feature multiple speakers, a panel discussion, or other presentation formats. Town-Hall type events should not be proposed as Special Sessions.

• Scheduled in response to proposals from AAS Full Members
• Held at both the winter and summer meetings
• Have a length of 90 minutes
• Scheduled in parallel with the mid-morning and mid-afternoon contributed sessions
• They may be scheduled on any of the four meeting days

Additional Notes

• Special session organizers will automatically be assigned as their Session Chairs unless we are advised otherwise.
• Special session speakers will be sent a link to submit an abstract to the special session. This link will allow the abstract to be directly submitted to the special session.
• Special session organizers will receive the Session Building link a few days before the Session Building deadline, so please be prepared to complete this process within the few days that are allocated.
• Each special session will have the standard A/V equipment: LCD projector, screen, laptop (dual operating systems), microphone, and podium. Please see Standard Speaker Ready and Audio Visual Information for more details