11/10/2014
We are delighted to announce that the Rotman Institute of Philosophy will host its second annual conference, Knowledge and Models in Climate Science, on Oct. 24-26, 2014. The conference will bring together researchers to discuss the use of models in understanding the climate from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Models and computer simulations are essential not only for understanding the factors determining climate processes, but also for evaluating how changes in climate will affect ecosystems and human societies. Recent gains in modeling precision and realism have allowed climate researchers to address both questions more confidently, yet there are many remaining sources of uncertainty. Participants in the conference will explore different approaches to modeling in order to gain a better understanding of the nature, strengths and limitations of the knowledge it produces, and build a better understanding of the means by which these uncertainties can be managed.
In addition to 10 invited plenary speakers, the conference will include a small number of short papers and / or poster presentations. We invite abstracts on research related to the conference theme, from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, for these papers or posters. The abstracts should be 500 words or less, in .pdf, .rtf, or .doc format, and must be submitted by August 15, 2014 to the following email address: [email protected]. The abstract should indicate a preference for a poster or short talk, although we cannot guarantee that this preference will be honored. The organizers will make the final decision regarding the form of these presentations based on the disciplinary mix of the contributors and the overall conference schedule. Decisions regarding the abstracts will be reached by Sept. 1, 2014.
Contingent upon the success of grant applications, there will be limited funds available to support the travel expenses of successful applicants. Preference in awarding travel funding will be giving to graduate students and junior scholars.
The confirmed plenary speakers for the conference include:
Gregor Betz (Karlsruher Institute for Technology) Judith Curry (Georgia Institute of Technology) Paul Edwards (University of Michigan) James Fleming (Colby College) Reto Knutti (ETH Zurich) Rob Lempert (Pardee RAND Graduate School) Linda Mearns (National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)) Wendy Parker (Durham University) Gavin Schmidt (National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)) Eric Winsberg (The University of South Florida) Charlotte Werndl (University of Salzburg)
Please contact the conference organizers with specific questions at [email protected].
