AOS 2026

Planning is underway for AOS 2026!

Over three days of discussion, we develop recommendations and strategies for advancing Arctic observing through improved coordination, communication, and cooperation. 

There are four ways to get your ideas and perspectives into the summit agenda: 

1. Propose a session

Got a topic to share with the observing community? Want input on a big question? Propose a session! 

Sessions are 2 or 4 hour blocks on the AOS agenda, meant to be primarily discussion with minimal (<30 minutes) presentations. There are usually 2–3 concurrent sessions, with participation ranging from 15–50 people depending on interest. Session proposals include a title, contact info for chairs (additional people can be added/changed later), a brief description, and 1–3 goals for the session. 

We are particularly interested in session proposals related to technology, evaluating the effectiveness of observing systems, links to global observing systems, and Indigenous-led efforts. 

Use this form to propose a session by October 5.

 *Note – AOS sessions are different from ASSW business and community meetings. If it is not an open meeting related to Arctic Observing, use this IASC form by September 30 rather than the AOS session submission. 

2. Submit a white paper or short statement

Short statements (≤3 pages) and white papers (4–20 pages) are the primary way that new perspectives and ideas get circulated in the AOS community. These statements are due January 23 and will be posted to the AOS website and assigned a DOI. White papers and short statements should be emailed as a pdf document to alice.c.bradley@williams.edu. Leave 4 cm/1.5 inch top margins so we can add the AOS header to the document before publishing (see our Google Docs template).  

All statements are reviewed for relevance to the AOS prior to posting, but they are not peer-reviewed in the traditional sense. We encourage authors to submit their white papers to a journal (e.g., Arctic) following the summit.  

3. Participate in a working group or session

Crafting the agenda for AOS sessions and working groups happens in the months before the summit itself. If you are interested in participating in a working group or session on one of the following topics, please let us know and we can connect you with session chairs:

• Indigenous-led observing systems
• Community and Indigenous engagement
• Utility and benefits of observing efforts
• Benefit assessment frameworks
• SAON’s Arctic ROADS implementation
• Data sharing and management
• Technology (including drones and/or AI and software)
• Career development in Arctic Observing

4. Present a poster

A call for posters related to Arctic Observing will go out closer to the summit, with a deadline for abstract submissions of late January, 2026.