20th Symposium on Societal Applications: Policy, Research and Practice

Abstract Information

Abstracts are closed! The deadline was 29 August 2024 at 11:59 PM ET

Abstract Fee and Author Instructions
All presenters must also register for the meeting.

The 20th Symposium on Societal Applications: Policy, Research, and Practice is sponsored by the American Meteorological Society and organized by the AMS Board on Societal Impacts.

The Symposium on Societal Applications: Policy, Research, and Practice is celebrating our 20th year with several special sessions and events. We want to look back at the past 20 years of accomplishments within the community and envision the next 10 years. We are inviting papers for the following special sessions:

  • Weather and Society: Pioneering Work - A review of accomplishments by some key individuals, organizations, and agencies that laid the foundation for today's weather-climate-society community.
  • Weather and Society: Advances in the Field - A look back at major advances including major findings, developing theory, growing capacities and collaborations, and the application of societal impacts within the weather enterprise.
  • A Decade of Discovery: Reflecting on 10 Years of Social Science Research Transitions - Lightning talk presentations that reflect on the past decade’s achievements in transitioning social science research into operational settings.

Call for Papers

Papers for this conference are solicited on the following topics and sessions:

  • Using Knowledge and Understandings based on Current Faith-based Knowledge Systems to Promote Environmental Sustainability and Community Resilience to Climate Change 
  • Beyond Boundaries: Remote Sensing in Highlighting and Bridging Gaps for Environmental Justice
  • Climate Science for Practitioners: How are Climate Services being Used to Increase Community Resilience?
  • Enhancing Climate Resilience at NASA Centers: A Partnership Between the Earth Science Division and the Office of Strategic Infrastructure
  • From Data to Decisions: Producing Actionable and Accessible Earth Information Systems
  • Navigating Complexity: Knowledge Modeling and Graphs in the Weather, Climate, and Social Sciences
  • The High Impact Weather Project: Results of 10 Years of International Research to Make Warnings More Effective
  • The World Needs Scientists Engaged in Advocacy and Activism – Here’s Where to Start.
  • Societal Impacts of Major Weather Events over the Last Ten Years
  • Risk Communication in the Weather Forecast and Warning Process
  • Strategies and Opportunities for Sharing Social Science Data
  • Weather-Ready Nation: Measuring Progress and Value across the Enterprise
  • Inclusive Risk Communication: Understanding the Communities We Serve
  • Other Topics on Societal Applications
  • Weather and Society Poster Presentations 
  • Climate and Society Poster Presentations 

Joint Sessions

  • Oral History in the Geosciences: Why it Matters, How It is Done, and What We Can Learn (Joint session with the 23rd History Symposium)
  • Advances in Communicating the Risk of Drought and Cascading Hazards (Joint session with the 39th Conference on Hydrology)
  • Community Engagement in Climate Research, Policy, and Practice (Joint session with the 29th Conference of Applied Climatology and the 16th Conference on Environment and Health) 
  • Full STEAM Ahead: Representation in the Geosciences and Social Sciences (Joint session with the Sixth Symposium on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)
  • Reward Structures for Engaged Research and Applications: Barriers, Enablers, and Smart Practices (Joint session with the Sixth Symposium on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the 15th Conference on Transition of Research to Operations)
  • From Helicopter Science to Meaningful Partnerships - Avoiding Scientific Neo-Colonialist Practices in International Collaborations (Joint session with the Sixth Symposium on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)
  • Numbers to People: Connecting Numerical Weather Predictions and Societal Applications (Joint session with the 33rd Conference on Weather Analysis and Forecasting/29th Conference on Numerical Weather Prediction)
  • Impacts of Hydrometeorological Extremes on Marginalized Communities (Joint session with the 39th Conference on Hydrology)
  • Forecast to Action: Delivering Actional Public Health Guidance for Extreme Weather Events (Joint session with the 33rd Conference on Weather Analysis and Forecasting/29th Conference on Numerical Weather Prediction)
  • Risk Communication in the Weather Forecast and Warning Process (Joint session with the 33rd Conference on Weather Analysis and Forecasting/29th Conference on Numerical Weather Prediction)

Student Award Opportunities

Student Presentation Awards

Members of the Symposium for Societal Applications encourage students to submit their posters and oral presentations for consideration for awards granted by the Symposium for Societal Applications. A total of six awards will be distributed for oral presentations with monetary awards of up to $125. We especially encourage topics that speak to the goals of the Symposium and connect with the overall conference theme.

A subcommittee will evaluate presentations and recommend winners based on criteria that include (1) Quality of the research being conducted (e.g. research design, methods, reporting of results); (2) Relevance of research to the Symposium and conference theme; (3) Quality of oral or poster presentation design (e.g. clear slides, understandable graphics, readability of text); and (4) Communication skills (e.g. engaging the audience, pacing of presentation, ability to answer Q&As).

To be eligible for the presentation awards, you must be a full-time undergraduate or graduate student enrolled at a university at the time of abstract submission, and you also must be the lead author, personally presenting the work. Submitters should indicate their eligibility for student awards when submitting their abstracts. Award recipients will be informed of the committee's decision by mid February 2025.


Student Presenter Travel Allowance

Program chairs organizing the Symposium for Societal Applications will also be granting three travel allowances ($195 each) for students or early career professionals. Interested applicants should submit a one-page statement describing 1) how attending the 2025 AMS conference would benefit their academic or professional career and 2) how their academic or professional career activities support the mission of the Board on Societal Impacts (BSI), which sponsors the Societal Applications Symposium. The BSI mission is described here. Applications are due via email to Austin Harris ([email protected]) Michael Michaud ([email protected]), Kathleen Moloney ([email protected]), and Stephen Strader ([email protected]) by Friday, 1 November 2024. Please use the following subject line on your application “AMS 105th Annual Meeting - Student Presenter Travel Allowance Application”.

Deadline for applications: 1 November 2024

Recipients will be notified on or before: 15 November 2024

Conference Contacts

For additional information please contact the program co-chairs: Austin Harris ([email protected]), Michael Michaud ([email protected]), Stephen Strader ([email protected]), Kathleen Moloney ([email protected]).