Early Career Researcher Co-Chairs Conference with the Support of RMetS Legacies Fund
The RMetS Legacies Fund supports Society members by financing scientific activities, such as expeditions, research, and conference attendance. Recent recipient, Kanzis Mattu, shares how the Legacies Fund enabled her to co-chair the 2024 RMetS Early Career and Student Conference.
Thanks to the RMetS Legacies Fund, I had the pleasure of co-chairing the 2024 Early Career and Student Conference, held at the Met Office headquarters in Exeter, from 1-3 July. This fund enabled me to travel to the conference from Glasgow and I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Society for granting me this financial assistance.
This year’s conference was a huge success after building on feedback from previous years. The event this year was spread over three days (previously the conference was held over two days) which allowed for longer networking sessions and more oral presentations. Presentations ranged from “applications” and “observations” to “atmospheric dynamics” and “AI and statistics” covering a range of topics within the weather and climate field. This conference truly is a useful and supportive environment to share, network and collaborate with other early careers researchers (ECRs) studying and working in meteorology.
As well as helping organise the event I was also honoured to serve as a panellist to share my views on the “Opportunities and Challenges of Science Communication” alongside Professor Liz Bentley (RMetS Chief Executive), Charlie Powell (ITV Weather Presenter), Kit Marie Rackley (Climate Ambassadors and Schools Climate Hub Regional Coordinator), Tristan Cann and Sylvia Hayes (Postdoctoral Researchers). My main takeaway for the audience was that the only way to move forward and progress is to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Looking back at myself a year ago when I attended this conference for the first time, I would have never imaged that I would be up on stage and talking on all three days as a session chair, panellist, and presenter. Attending this conference has allowed me to further develop my public speaking skills and improve my confidence as an ECR.
The social events allowed me to network with other students and ECRs that I otherwise wouldn’t have the chance to meet. This year we ran a pub-style quiz after the social dinner and launched the “Early Careers of Colour Network”. These events were a success in bringing delegates together and creating new connections.
Thank you to RMetS for giving me this opportunity to co-chair, share my views and my research through support from the Legacies Fund. I cannot recommend this conference enough!