Overview

This workshop will provide an opportunity to bring together the Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) community that has matured and expanded over the past three years of the research coordination network. There will be opportunities to present and discuss DAS science and technology. Participants will also have the opportunity to contribute short, 1-2 page white papers outlining their own vision of where DAS-enabled science should head and what is needed to get there. Following the conclusion of the workshop, a report will be developed that provides a vision for the future of DAS-enabled science – based on presentations, discussions, and contributed white papers. A draft of the report will be circulated to the community for comment before being finalized and published to the workshop website. The final report will be delivered to NSF and also circulated to AGU members and federal agencies. 

This workshop will be held in-person with a virtual component, limited to a broadcast of main presentations and sessions only. All participants, in-person and virtual, must register using this form. There is no registration fee and an optional application for travel support is included. Late registration will be accommodated as space permits.

The travel support application deadline is April 10th. The deadline for in-person registration is May 22nd.

Venue

The workshop will be held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, Wisconsin, at Weeks Hall in Room 140 at 1215 W. Dayton Street.

Code of Conduct

All workshop participants will be required to adhere to the EarthScope Code of Conduct.

Contacts

RCN Co-PIs:

• Herbert Wang, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Scott Tyler, University of Nevada, Reno
• Robert Woodward, EarthScope Consortium
• Kasey Aderhold, EarthScope Consortium

Workshop:

• Krystin Poitra, EarthScope Consortium, Meeting Planner
• Judy Donato, EarthScope Consortium, Controller
• Michelle Szabo, Geoscience Department – University of Wisconsin-Madison, Academic Department Manager

• Registration Opens – March 20th
• Travel Support Applications Due – April 10th
• Travel Support Decisions Sent – April 17th
• Hotel Block Closes – May 22nd
• In-Person Registration Closes – May 22nd (virtual registration will remain open until capacity is reached)
• White Papers Due – June 5th
• Workshop – June 13th (all day) – June 14th (morning)
• Writing Team – June 14th (afternoon) – June 15th (morning)
• Report Draft Posted – TBD
• Report Feedback Due – TBD
• Final Report Posted – TBD

Agenda

A program for 1.5 days (June 13th 8am-5pm and June 14th 8am-12pm) is under development and will feature presentations on the latest science and technical advancements in distributed acoustic sensing. If you would like to be considered for an oral presentation or would like to bring a poster, please indicate this on your registration. More details will be posted here when finalized.

Topics will include:

• Science (including the full range of the DAS RCN working groups)
• Technology (instrumentation, emplacement, geometry)
• Data (standards/format, metadata, storage, transfer, processing)
• Community (training, resources, knowledge-base)

White Papers

Participants will also have the opportunity to contribute short, 1-2 page white papers outlining their own vision of where DAS-enabled science should head and what is needed to get there. More details will be posted here and sent to registered participants when finalized.

Writing Team

The report writing team will meet in-person on June 14th 2-5pm and June 15th 8am-12pm and virtually as needed. If you are interested in serving on this team, please indicate this on your registration.

Hotel

A block is reserved for this meeting at the Hyatt Place Madison/Downtown (333 W Washington Avenue, 1.1 miles from the campus meeting venue). Rates are King single bed rooms for $175/night + 15.5% sales tax and double Queen rooms for $185/night + 15.5% sales tax. Note: EarthScope-supported participants will only be reimbursed for lodging at this hotel at the group rate for nights of June 12th-June 14th (check in on the 12th, check out on the 15th) unless otherwise approved. Overnight parking is $15/night. 

Guests can make reservations by clicking this link or by calling the phone number 1-888 HYATT HP (1-888-492-8847) (Hyatt Place) and asking for the group code G-EART. If guests try to make reservations outside of the block, the rate will come up as unavailable. Hotel reservations must be made by May 22nd. Space is limited and lodging in the Madison area is booking up quickly for this time of year.

Airports

This area is served by two nearby airports and one more distant international airport:

• Dane County Regional Airport – MSN (5 miles from venue) – https://www.msnairport.com/
• General Mitchell International Airport – MKE (84 miles from venue) – https://www.mitchellairport.com/
• O’Hare International Airport – ORD (132 miles from venue) – https://www.flychicago.com/ohare/home/pages/default.aspx

Ground Transportation

Regional bus service is available:

• from General Mitchell International airport via BadgerBus (https://badgerbus.com/)
• from O’Hare airport to Madison via CoachUSA (https://www.coachusa.com/airport-transportation/van-galder).

Note: Rental cars are not reimbursable under our travel support policy.

Application

Participants who are interested in receiving travel support through the RCN will need to apply through the registration form by April 10th. The RCN co-PIs will review applications and decisions will be sent by April 17th. Priority will go to students, early career researchers, underrepresented minorities in the geosciences, and RCN steering committee members and working group leads.

Reimbursement Policy

If selected for travel support, reimbursement of travel expenses (airfare/ground transportation/per diem) to the maximum as awarded to you will require being compliant with NSF policies, EarthScope travel policies, and supplying proper documentation. A specific DAS RCN Workshop reimbursement form will be sent to you to fill out and return with updated instructions.

Itemized receipts are required for out-of-pocket expenses as well as proper documentation. Specific instructions sent to selected participants will include:

• Airfare receipts should show the itinerary, itemization of cost, and class of airfare (NOTE: if using a foreign-flag air carrier, proper justification will be needed otherwise the expense may not be covered.)
• Mileage, if applicable, should be supported by a Google map showing the starting and ending location.
  • If driving more than 500 miles one direction:
    • A printout of a comparison, economy class airfare for the applicable dates of travel between the the nearest commercial airport serving the origin and destination cities is required.
    • Reimbursement will not exceed the lesser of the cost of per-mile reimbursement plus tolls or the comparison airfare plus transfer costs to and from the airport.
  • Gas purchases are not allowed as this is covered by mileage.
  • Any other transportation expenses, such as taxi cab/Uber/Lyft (to/from airport/hotel), parking, and tolls are allowable.  Receipts should include dates, amounts, and other relevant information.
• Rental cars are not reimbursable under this provided support.
• No other expenses are covered outside of transportation, lodging, and per diem.

Covered hotel nights will be directly billed to EarthScope; a credit card is required at booking and check-in for any additional charges to the room bill. Unless otherwise approved, only nights of June 12th-June 14th will be covered and directly billed to EarthScope for the group rate at the Hyatt Place Madison/Downtown. Participants are responsible for any other charges incurred to their room at check out.

Per diem will be calculated for you based on your travel dates, not to exceed June 12th to June 15th and not including provided meals.

We will be following the local health orders for University of Wisconsin-Madison. As of March 17, 2023, the recommendations are:

• Everyone is “strongly encouraged to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, and to seek their annual flu vaccine.” 
• “Wearing a high-quality face mask is a simple and effective way to help prevent upper respiratory viral infections, including COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).”
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend a minimum of five days of isolation for anyone with COVID-19, followed by five additional days of masking around other people and when in public. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is encouraged to notify their close contacts.

Masks and COVID-19 tests will be available at the workshop registration table.

As part of the registration process, participants will be asked to commit to not attending workshop events if they test positive or develop symptoms during or within 5 days of the start of the workshop, or as otherwise recommended by local health orders. Dane County also maintains a COVID dashboard displaying public health data.