What is GCSM?
The General Circulation Student Meeting will be a 3-day student-led conference, hosting Michael P. Byrne (St. Andrews, UK), Nicole Feldl (UC Santa Cruz, U.S.) and Timothy Merlis (Princeton, U.S.). The conference will take place at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg between September 1st-3rd 2026.
The focus of the conference will be the atmosphere and its dynamics. Specific topics that will be discussed are land-ocean contrast effects, climate and circulation feedbacks, and idealized climate experiments. The conference will include lectures by the invited guests, a student-moderated discussion panel and student poster sessions, as well as socializing events.
Who can apply to GCSM?
MSc students and PhD candidates who are interested in large-scale atmospheric circulation are encouraged to apply. We are also happy to welcome applications from related fields (e.g. oceanography, land-atmosphere interactions, small-scale processes, ...), as we believe that this will be enriching for all GCSM participants. Presenting a poster is not a requirement for participating, but some basic knowledge of the climate system is recommended to fully benefit from the lectures and scientific discussions.
How to apply to GCSM?
We ask the participants to submit about ½ written page in the form of a motivation letter. To present a poster, we require to submit a 500 word abstract, in addition to the motivation letter. The deadline for the application is July 14th 2026.
For applicants coming from northern Germany, financial aid is available to cover the costs of travel and accommodation, to a limited extent. Applicants should state the need for financial aid in their motivation letter, including an estimate of the costs. Each case will be considered individually. For applicants coming from outside northern Germany, funding is unfortunately not available.
The application and participation in the conference is free of charge. In case of participation withdrawal within two weeks from the event, a penalty fee of 50 euros will be imposed.