Beacon Satellite Symposium 2025: Event Information and AGATA Scholarship Opportunity

The Beacon Satellite Symposium, organized by INGV, ICTP, Boston College and University of Warmia and Mazury in the framework of the International Union of Radio Science (URSI) Commission G activities, will gather leading researchers and experts in ionospheric science from around the world. The symposia provide a key platform for ionospheric scientists to meet, collaborate, and advance our understanding of ionospheric physics and its effects on radio propagation.

For further details about the symposium, including abstract submission guidelines and session descriptions, please visit the BSS website: https://bss2025.ingv.it/

AGATA Travel Grant for Early Career Researchers

SCAR’s Scientific Research Programme AGATA (Antarctic Geospace and ATmosphere reseArch) is offering travel grants to support Early Career Researchers (ECRs) and graduate students whose work aligns with AGATA’s scientific goals. The AGATA scholarship will support up to 2–3 participants to attend the Beacon Satellite Symposium 2025 and the Pre-Symposium Workshop (3–14 November 2025, Rome).

The grant can fully or partially cover travel, accommodation, and participation fees. Eligible applicants must submit an abstract to Session 4: “Effects of the polar (high latitude) atmosphere on satellite signals” and apply for the Pre-Symposium Workshop by 15 June 2025.

Full application details and required documentation can be found in the official announcement or by contacting [email protected] and [email protected].

Pre-Event Workshop & Call for Abstracts

We invite you to submit your abstracts for presentation at the symposium before June 15, 2025.

We are also organizing a workshop in the week preceding the BSS, focused on “The Use of GNSS Data for Ionospheric Monitoring and Modelling.” This workshop will provide PhD students and Early Career Scientists with lectures from top-level experts in the field. There is no registration fee for the workshop.

Application deadline for abstract submission and workshop: June 15, 2025.

A limited number of grants are available to support selected participants in attending both this workshop and the Beacon Satellite Symposium 2025, with priority given to participants from developing countries. Details about the workshop can be found on the dedicated ICTP webpage: https://indico.ictp.it/event/10919

We look forward to your contributions and to welcoming you to Rome!

Best regards, Claudio Cesaroni on behalf of the BSS and Workshop organizers

Session 4: Effects of the polar (high-latitude) atmosphere on satellite signals

Deadline for abstracts submission: June 15, 2025.
More details: https://bss2025.ingv.it/

The chairs are:

Lucilla Alfonsi (INGV, Italy)
Wojciech J. Miloch (Norway, UiO)

This session invites contributions on satellite signals-based research and applications in high-latitude atmospheric regions. Topics of interest include the study of ionospheric irregularities, scintillation, and total electron content (TEC) gradients, all of which have significant impacts on satellite performance in these areas. We also welcome papers about ionized and neutral atmosphere coupling based on combination of in situ satellite, GNSS data and supported by ground-based measurements. Data collection efforts, development of data sets, modeling and processing techniques, and exploitation of infrastructures supporting high-latitude investigations are also of great interest.

Additionally, papers contrasting the ionospheric behavior at high and low latitudes, as well as interhemispheric comparisons, are encouraged.

We also seek contributions that highlight the implications of high-latitude research on a range of applications, including GNSS positioning, space weather forecasting, solid Earth and cryosphere studies, and remote sensing. Papers exploring these connections and their broader impact are welcome.

Session 7: Data Science (Advanced Statistical and Machine Learning Techniques) Applied to Ionospheric Studies

Deadline for abstracts submission: June 15, 2025.
More details: https://bss2025.ingv.it/

The chairs are:

Jade Morton (Univ. of Colorado, US)
Claudio Cesaroni (INGV)
Maria Graciela Molina (FACET-UNT, Argentina)

The ionosphere’s impact on radio propagation is well-established, but accurately modeling these phenomena remains a challenge due to their complexity, many unknown aspects, and the incomplete understanding of ionospheric processes. Over the past few decades, advanced statistical and machine learning techniques have found widespread application across scientific fields, offering powerful tools to address complex physical scenarios that require more flexible and sophisticated modeling. Key advancements include uncovering correlations between diverse data sets and enabling computationally efficient predictions.

The application of these techniques to geosciences has evolved from a “proof of concept” phase to one where real-world research and operational applications are now possible. This session aims to showcase the current and next phase of applying advanced statistical and machine learning methods to ionospheric studies. Presentations will focus on using these techniques for ionospheric characterization, nowcasting and forecasting, and understanding their effects on radio propagation.

We invite contributions that explore the full spectrum of data science applied to the ionosphere, from data collection and management to analysis and communication. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, efficient data management, correlation analysis between various ionospheric phenomena, prediction and forecasting of critical ionospheric variables using data-driven models, establishing causal relationships between ionospheric data and other phenomena, and comparing observed versus model-generated ionospheric data. We particularly encourage innovative ideas on how data science and machine learning can reshape the future of ionospheric research.