Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

Forging a path to a better normal for conferences and collaboration

Nature Astronomy volume 5, pages 213–216 (2021)Cite this article

Subjects

An Author Correction to this article was published on 26 November 2021

This article has been updated

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic forced a string of cancelled conferences, causing many organizers to shift meetings online, with mixed success. Seizing the opportunity, a group of researchers came together to rethink how the conference experience and collaboration in general can be improved in a more virtual-centric future.

Access through your institution
Buy or subscribe

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Access through your institution

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: TFOM Organising Committee photo in AltspaceVR.

Change history

References

  1. Nat. Astron. 4, 1113 (2020).

  2. Reimagining the Employee Experience (Fujitsu and Forrester, 2021); https://reprints2.forrester.com/#/assets/2/1325/RES161255/report

  3. McKie, R. Adapting to the new normal: hybrid working 2021. Pitcher Partners https://www.pitcher.com.au/adapting-to-the-new-normal-hybrid-working-2021 (2021).

  4. Moss, V. A. et al. The Future of Meetings: Outcomes and Recommendations (Zenodo, 2020); https://zenodo.org/record/4345562#.X9wYmOkzbUJ

  5. Parakala, K. Ten emerging trends shaping our new future. GHD https://www.ghd.com/en/perspectives/ten-emerging-trends-shaping-our-new-future.aspx (2021).

  6. Top 10 Emerging Technologies 2019 (World Economic Forum, 2019); http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Top_10_Emerging_Technologies_2019_Report.pdf

  7. Stevens, A. R. H. et al. Nat. Astron. 4, 843–851 (2020).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Burtscher, L. et al. Nat. Astron. 4, 823–825 (2020).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Glausiusz, J. Nature 589, 155–157 (2021).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Mega, E. R. Nature https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03000-1 (2020).

  11. Flores, N. M. Gend. Educ. 32, 137–144 (2020).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (eds Johnson, P. A. et al.) (National Academies Press, 2018).

  13. Aycock, L. M. et al. Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 15, 010121 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Fraser, H., Soanes, K., Jones, S. A., Jones, C. S. & Malishev, M. Conserv. Biol. 31, 540–546 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Abbott, A. Nature 577, 13 (2020).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. How to embrace remote work. Trello https://trello.com/en-AU/remote-work-guide (2021).

  17. Hollan, J. & Stornetta, S. Beyond being there. In Proc. SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (eds Bauersfeld, P. et al.) 119–125 (ACM, 1992).

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank P. Edwards, R. Ekers and E. Kerrison for feedback on this Comment that helped to improve its content.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Astronomy & Space Science, Epping, New South Wales, Australia

    Vanessa A. Moss

  2. Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Vanessa A. Moss

  3. CSIRO Data61, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

    Matt Adcock

  4. CSIRO Astronomy & Space Science, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia

    Aidan W. Hotan & Chenoa D. Tremblay

  5. ANU Supercomputer Facility, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

    Rika Kobayashi

  6. BEBR, Groningen, the Netherlands

    Glen A. Rees

  7. CSIRO Mineral Resources, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia

    Coralie Siégel

  8. CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

    Claire E. Trenham

Authors
  1. Vanessa A. Moss
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Matt Adcock
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Aidan W. Hotan
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rika Kobayashi
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Glen A. Rees
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Coralie Siégel
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Chenoa D. Tremblay
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Claire E. Trenham
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vanessa A. Moss.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Moss, V.A., Adcock, M., Hotan, A.W. et al. Forging a path to a better normal for conferences and collaboration. Nat Astron 5, 213–216 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01325-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01325-z

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing