The Environmental Sciences: Water GRS provides a unique forum for young doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to present their work, discuss new methods, cutting edge ideas, and pre-published data, as well as to build collaborative relationships with their peers. Experienced mentors and trainee moderators will facilitate active participation in scientific discussion to allow all attendees to be engaged participants rather than spectators.
Many early career environmental scientists will be tasked with tackling persisting water issues in their lifetime due to a growing population and a finite amount of resources. For example, environmental scientists and engineers will need to supply safe water to the public despite worsening droughts, flooding, and contamination. Furthermore, these environmental issues will involve managing water resources, and processing information at great temporal and spatial scales worldwide, all within the context of complex societal systems.The next generation of scientists should therefore aim to address these challenges with an informed approach.The 2026 Environmental Science: Water Gordon Research Seminar will highlight the work of early career scientists whose research relates to water and energy resources, sensors, and the interplay between water and other social systems.
The seminar will begin with a keynote on the human-environment interface, with session speakers presenting on themes related to resource recovery, planetary sensing and data, and water governance and affordability.Participants will have the opportunity to build connections with the keynote speaker and other early career scientists in an immersive small conference setting. We will pair up new GRC attendees to returners as a paired mentoring activity. To support the participants’ professional development, a career panel with diverse leaders in the fields of environmental science and engineering will offer important insights into navigating a unique path from the laboratory to leadership and beyond.
Application Instructions
The seminar will feature approximately 10 talks and 2 poster sessions. All attendees are expected to actively participate in the GRS, either by giving an oral presentation or presenting a poster. Therefore, all applications must include an abstract.
The seminar chair will select speakers from abstracts submitted by March 8, 2026. Those applicants who are not chosen for talks and those who apply after the deadline to be considered for an oral presentation will be expected to present a poster. In order to participate, you must submit an application by the date indicated in the Application Information section above.
Program Format
Gordon Research Seminars are 2-day meetings which take place on the Saturday and Sunday just prior to the start of the associated GRC. The GRS opens with a 1-hour introductory session on Saturday afternoon, followed by a poster session, dinner and a 2-hour session in the evening. Sunday morning begins with breakfast and is followed by another 2-hour session, a second poster session, and lunch. A final 1-hour session takes place just after lunch, and the associated GRC begins later that evening.
