29th Meeting of the NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG)
July 11–13, 2023
Washington, D.C./Virtual
The 29th Meeting of the NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group is scheduled for July 11–13, 2023.
This meeting is one of the bi-yearly meetings of the Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG), which addresses the community's concerns and gathers reports on small-body missions, planetary defense, observing campaigns, and related topics from project leaders and NASA Headquarters. In addition, opportunities for early career researchers, such as talks, networking, and job searches, also exist. Finally, informal scientific and technical discussions around small bodies occur among the participants.
Registration
Registration fees are not being collected for this meeting, but registration is required. Registration for in-person attendance will be available through July 3, 2023, and will reopen onsite depending on space availability. Virtual attendance will be available through July 13, 2023.
Important: The meeting space is limited to 100 in-person attendees. Those who wait to register onsite run the risk of being asked to attend virtually.
Early-Career Opportunities
Invited Early-Career Speakers: We plan to select two early-career researchers to give invited 15-minute presentations (including Q&A). Interested undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and other early-career scientists (within five years of terminal degree) should submit a letter and a two-page Curriculum Vitae (CV) to Stephanie Jarmak ([email protected]) and Lori Feaga ([email protected]) via email by May 12, 2023, 5:00 p.m. EDT.
Applications will be evaluated based on relevance to the purposes of SBAG, how the applicant plans to contribute to the meeting, and the extent to which the opportunity will advance the applicant's career. Superior applications often give specific examples of how the applicant plans to contribute to the meeting, how the opportunity will advance the applicant's career, and reference specific aspects of the meeting agenda relevant to the applicant's research and goals.
Lightning Talks: We will provide time on the agenda for early-career researchers and engineers attending the meeting to introduce themselves and their research to the community. The presentations will be approximately 3 minutes, with the exact length dependent on the number of presenters. If you want to give a lightning talk, please email Stephanie Jarmak ([email protected]) and Lori Feaga ([email protected]) by May 12, 2023, 5:00 p.m. EDT. Attach a single slide, in PDF format, with your name, affiliation, slide title, and one or two figures that highlight your research. We encourage presenters from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. Priority will be given to those who have not given a lightning talk at a past SBAG meeting.
Meeting Mentor: Interested early-career members of the small body's community will be paired with an SBAG meeting mentor to help broaden the networks of early-career researchers and engineers. The SBAG steering committee will pair interested early-career researchers with someone who has attended several SBAG meetings. Pairs are expected to have a 30-minute virtual or in-person conservation before SBAG 29 to meet each other and discuss how the early-career individual can get the most out of the SBAG meeting. The SBAG meeting mentor will be available to the early-career individual throughout the meeting to answer questions, give feedback on a presentation if given, and provide general support. Pairs would have a 30-minute debrief session following the meeting.
Travel and Participation Support: We will offer travel and participation stipends to support early-career attendees for the meeting. The travel grant is available for U.S. and international attendees. It can also apply to virtual attendees if a good case is made to defray costs associated with attending the meeting virtually (e.g., dependent care). Stipends will be paid after the conclusion of the meeting. For more information regarding early-career opportunities, please contact Stephanie Jarmak ([email protected]).
Application deadline: May 12, 2023
Logistics
Meeting Location
The University of Arizona in Washington, D.C. is located at 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20004. In-person attendees must bring a government-issued ID (e.g., driver’s license, passport) to ensure access to the meeting venue.
The venue is easily accessible via the D.C. Metro on the Blue, Orange, Red, and Silver Lines. For timetables, maps, and information visit the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority.
- Taxis and rideshare options are readily available throughout Washington, D.C. and will be easy to access when departing the venue.
- Limited street parking is available in the blocks surrounding the venue. If you cannot find a metered spot, the following local parking garages are recommended:
Hotel Information
Attendees are responsible for making their own travel arrangements and hotel reservations. Room blocks are available at the hotels listed below.
AC Hotels Marriott
1.1 miles from the meeting venue
Reservation deadline: June 21, 2023
Reservation link
Hyatt Place Washington D.C./U.S. Capitol
2 miles from the meeting venue
Reservation deadline: July 3, 2023
Reservation link
Transportation
The closest airport is Ronald Reagan Washington National (D.C.A., 3.2 miles from the meeting venue).
COVID-19 Protocols
Currently, Washington, D.C., has no COVID-19 mandates in place. Masks are optional but highly encouraged. Hand sanitizer and masks will be available at the meeting. Please check this website regularly for updates.
Reporting Positive Cases
Attendees who receive a positive test result during the meeting are not allowed to enter the meeting venue and must immediately quarantine. These attendees are encouraged to share positive test results with a USRA/LPI HR representative: [email protected]. For contact tracing purposes, a list of close contacts without masking will be requested. All information will be considered HR confidential.
Additional Resources
- World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Pandemic
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Center (CDC) Travel Guidelines
- CDC COVID Data Tracker
- CDC Coronavirus Self-Checker
Contacts
For information regarding early-career opportunities:
Lori Feaga (SBAG Chair)
University of Maryland
Email: [email protected]
Stephanie Jarmak (Early-Career Secretary)
Southwest Research Institute
Email: [email protected]
For information regarding all other meeting details:
Tiffany Sumpter
USRA/Lunar and Planetary Institute
Email: [email protected]