2027 Simons Collaboration on Extreme Electrodynamics of Compact Sources Annual Meeting

Conference

Speakers

  • Mitch Begelman University of Colorado
  • Katerina Chatziioannou California Institute of Technology
  • Ke Fang University of Wisconsin
  • Gianluca Gregori Oxford University
  • Victoria Kaspi McGill University
  • Eliot Quataert Princeton University
  • Bart Ripperda Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics
  • Lorenzo Sironi Columbia University

When

  • – ET

  • – ET

Where

Gerald D. Fischbach Auditorium

160 5th Ave

New York, NY 10010, United States

Meeting Goals

Organized by Roger Blandford (Stanford University), the Simons Collaboration on Extreme Electrodynamics of Compact Sources, SCEECS, has had another successful year, making much research progress addressing a rapidly evolving suite of observational discoveries that challenge our understanding of classical and quantum electrodynamics.

The goals of the annual meeting to be held in New York on February 25-26, 2027, to be followed by a satellite meeting on February 26-27, 2027, include:

  • Giving the Co-Is who have not spoken at earlier meetings plus the new PI who will join the collaboration in 2027 an opportunity to describe their research program.
  • Encouraging our postdocs and students to present their research through posters, presentations at the satellite meeting and informal discussions.
  • Hearing from many colleagues outside the collaboration of additional recent developments in the larger field of high energy plasma astrophysics.
  • Socializing our new research themes.
  • Optimizing the informal interaction during the main meeting.
  • Revisiting our education and outreach program.
  • Exploring new ways to interface with other Simons Collaborations.
Agenda

Thursday, February 25, 2027

8:30 AM
Check-in & Breakfast
9:30 AM PROGRAM | TBA
10:30 AM Break & Poster Session
11:00 AM PROGRAM | TBA
12:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM PROGRAM | TBA
2:00 PM Break & Poster Session
2:30 PM PROGRAM | TBA
3:30 PM Break & Poster Session
4:00 PM PROGRAM | TBA
5:00 PM Day One Concludes

Friday, February 26, 2027

8:30 AM Check-in & Breakfast
9:30 AM PROGRAM | TBA
10:30 AM Break & Poster Session  
11:00 AM PROGRAM | TBA
12:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM PROGRAM | TBA
2:00 PM Meeting Concludes
Participation & Funding

Participation in the meeting falls into the following four categories. An individual’s participation category is communicated via their letter of invitation.

The Simons Foundation will never ask for credit card information or require payment for registration to our events.

Group A – PIs, Speakers & Organizers

Individuals in Group A receive travel and hotel coordination within the following parameters:

Travel

Economy Class: For flights that are three hours or less to your destination, the maximum allowable class of service is Economy class.

Premium Economy Class: For flights where the total air travel time (excluding connection time) is more than three hours and less than seven hours per segment to your destination, the maximum allowable class of service is premium economy.

Business Class: When traveling internationally (or to Hawaii/Alaska) travelers are permitted to travel in Business Class on those segments that are seven hours or more. If the routing is over budget, a premium economy or mixed-class ticket will be booked.

Hotel

Up to 3 nights at the conference hotel, arriving on Wednesday, February 24, 2027 and departing on Saturday, February 27, 2027.

Group B – Funded Participants

Individuals in Group B receive travel and hotel coordination within the following parameters:

Travel

Economy class travel will be booked regardless of flight length.

Hotel

Up to 3 nights at the conference hotel, arriving on Wednesday, February 24, 2027 and departing on Saturday, February 27, 2027.

Group C – Unfunded Participants

Individuals in Group C will not receive financial support but are encouraged to enjoy all conference-hosted meals.

Group D – Remote Participants

Individuals in Group D will participate in the meeting remotely.

Travel & Hotel

Air & Rail

For funded individuals, the foundation will arrange and pay for round-trip travel from their home city to the conference city. All travel and hotel arrangements must be booked through the Simons Foundation’s preferred travel agency.

Travel Deviations

The following travel specifications are considered deviations and will only be accommodated if the cost is less than or equal to the amount the Simons Foundation would pay for a standard round-trip ticket from your home city to the conference city:

• Preferred airline
• Preferred travel class
• Specific flights/flight times
• Travel dates outside those associated with the conference
• Arriving or departing from an airport other than your home city or conference city airports, i.e. multi-segment or triangle trips.

All deviations must be reviewed and approved by the Simons Foundation and, if the cost is more than what would normally be paid, a reimbursement quote must be obtained through the foundation’s travel agency before proceeding to booking and paying for travel out of pocket. All reimbursements for travel booked directly will be paid after the conclusion of the meeting.

Changes After Ticketing

All costs related to changes made to ticketed travel are to be paid for by the participant and are not reimbursable. Please contact the foundation’s travel agency for further assistance.

Personal & Rental Cars

Personal car and rental trips over 250 miles each way require prior approval from the Simons Foundation via email.

Rental cars must be pre-approved by the Simons Foundation.

The Hote Seville offers valet parking. Please note there are no in-and-out privileges when using the hotel’s garage, therefore it is encouraged that participants walk or take public transportation to the Simons Foundation.

Hotel

Funded individuals who require hotel accommodations are hosted by the foundation for a maximum of up to 3 nights at the conference hotel, arriving on Wednesday, February 24, 2027, and departing on Saturday, February 27, 2027.

Any additional nights are at the attendee’s own expense. To arrange accommodations, please register at the link included in your invitation.

Hotel Seville
22 E 29th St
New York, NY 10016
hotelseville.com

Access driving directions via Google Maps.

Reimbursement

Overview

In-person participants will be reimbursed for meals and local expenses including ground transportation. Expenses should be submitted through the foundation’s online expense reimbursement platform after the meeting’s conclusion.

Expenses accrued because of meetings not directly related to the Simons Foundation-hosted meeting (a satellite meeting or meeting held at another institution, for example) will not be reimbursed by the Simons Foundation and should be paid by other sources.
Below are key reimbursement takeaways; a full policy will be provided with the final logistics email circulated approximately 2 weeks prior to the meeting’s start.

Meals

The daily meal limit is $125; itemized receipts are required for expenses over $24 USD. The foundation DOES NOT provide a meal per diem and only reimburses actual meal expenses up the following amounts.

  • Breakfast $20
  • Lunch $30
  • Dinner $75

Allowable Meal Expenses

  • Meals taken on travel days (when you traveled by air or train).
  • Meals not provided on a meeting day, dinner on Friday for example.
  • Group dinners consisting of fellow meeting participants paid by a single person will be reimbursed up to $75 per person and the amount will count towards the $125 daily meal limit.

Unallowable Expenses

  • Meals taken outside those provided by the foundation (breakfast, lunch, breaks and/or dinner).
  • Meals taken on days not associated with Simons Foundation-coordinated events.
  • Minibar expenses.
  • Meal expenses for a non-foundation guest.
  • Ubers, Lyfts, taxis, etc., taken to and from restaurants in Manhattan.
    • Accommodations will be made for those with mobility restrictions.

Ground Transportation

Please use reputable transportation providers (i.e. Uber, Lyft or NYC Taxi). Charges resulting from taxi scams, fraudulent activity, or unauthorized transactions are not reimbursable. DO NOT accept rides from individuals who approach you in the airport. This will result in being charged an excessive fare, which is a scam.
Transportation to/from satellite meetings are not reimbursable.

Attendance & Building Protocols

Attendance

In-person participants and speakers are expected to attend all meeting days. Participants receiving hotel and travel support wishing to arrive on meeting days which conclude at 2:00 PM will be asked to attend remotely.

Entry & Building Access

Upon arrival, guests will be required to show their photo ID to enter the Simons Foundation and Flatiron Institute buildings. After checking-in at the meeting reception desk, guests will be able to show their meeting name badge to re-enter the building. If you forget your name badge, you will need to provide your photo ID.

The Simons Foundation and Flatiron Institute buildings are not considered “open campuses” and meeting participants will only have access to the spaces in which the meeting will take place. All other areas are off limits without prior approval.
If you require a private space to conduct a phone call or remote meeting, please contact your meeting manager at least 48-hours ahead of time so that they may book a space for you within the foundation’s room reservation system.

Guests & Children

Meeting participants are required to give 24-hour advance notice of any guests meeting them at the Simons Foundation either before or after the meeting. Outside guests are discouraged from joining meeting activities, including meals.
With the exception of Simons Foundation and Flatiron Institute staff, ad hoc meeting participants who did not receive a meeting invitation directly from the Simons Foundation are not permitted.

Children under the age of 18 are not permitted to attend meetings at the Simons Foundation. Furthermore, the Simons Foundation does not provide childcare facilities or support of any kind. Special accommodations will be made for nursing parents.

Contacts

Meeting & Policy Questions

Christina Darras
Events Manager
[email protected]

Travel & Hotel Support

FCM Travel Meetings & Events
[email protected]
Hours: M-F, 8:30 am–5:00 pm ET
+1-877-300-7108

More Events

October 15–16, 2026

Speakers

Ofer Aharony, Aleksey Cherman, Gabriel Cuomo SISSA, Davide Gaiotto, Jaume Gomis, + 3 more