Regional Meetings

The AAS seeks to achieve its mission to enhance and share humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe as a diverse and inclusive astronomical community via a variety of activities, including organizing conferences. Are you planning a scientific meeting that’s regional — that is, designed to serve a specific geographic area? Even if the AAS is not organizing your meeting, you should consider seeking AAS endorsement. The AAS can help you with advertising your meeting through email to members within that geographical area, and on the AAS website — by designating your meeting as an AAS Regional Meeting. This designation will help you spread the word and improve attendance.

Definition of a Regional Meeting

A regional meeting is a scientific conference organized for the benefit of a clearly defined geographical area (e.g., Kentucky, or the Northeastern seaboard states), not a conference organized around a specific scientific topic or topics for attendees from any geographic location (such a gathering would more appropriately be considered for the AAS Topical Conference Series).

Criteria for Endorsement

The AAS Vice Presidents may opt to provide AAS endorsements for regional meetings at the request of conference organizers when the following criteria are met:

  1. The meeting is organized as a venue for presentation of results of scientific research in disciplines represented by the AAS and its Divisions.
  2. The organizing committee for the conference contains a majority representation of current AAS full members.
  3. The organizing committee for the conference is composed of members from institutions within the defined geographical region.
  4. The local organizers, not the AAS, handle all financial and logistical organizations.
  5. The conference organizers agree to abide by and publicize the AAS Ethics Statement, paying careful attention to the section entitled “Conduct Towards Others."
  6. The conference adopts and publicizes the Anti-Harassment Policy for Meetings and Activities of the American Astronomical Society and Divisions.
  7. The demographic distribution of invited speakers reflects the overall demographic distribution of the AAS membership within the region in terms of gender and ethnicity.

How to Seek Endorsement

Organizers of regional conferences seeking AAS endorsement should submit the online form providing key information on the planned meeting, and your concurrence with meeting the above criteria. For more information contact the Meetings Director or the current AAS Senior Vice President.

Upcoming Regional Meetings

TBD