Organised by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in the framework of the Dust Doctoral Network (@Dust-DN), the 2nd European Workshop on Atmospheric Dust will take place at KIT in Karlsruhe, Germany, from 21 to 23 April 2027.
The workshop will bring together researchers at all career stages, practitioners and stakeholders working on atmospheric mineral dust. It will provide a forum for exchanging recent scientific advances, methods and perspectives, strengthening links across disciplines, and developing collaborations within and beyond the Dust-DN network.
Key topics:
Dust microphysical properties and atmospheric processes
Dust emissions, source regions and mineralogy
Transport, ageing and atmospheric processing
In-situ, ground-based, airborne and satellite observations
Regional and global dust modelling and forecasting
Optical properties and radiative effects
Dust-climate interactions
Impacts on health, aviation, energy and society
Abstract submission opens on 2 November 2026. Registration fees, invited speakers, the scientific programme and practical information will follow as arrangements are confirmed.
We are delighted to welcome Dr Pavla Dagsson-Waldhauserová from the Agricultural University of Iceland as a new member of the EARLICOST Management Committee (MC), representing Iceland!
Pavla brings extensive expertise in high-latitude dust, atmospheric aerosols, dust storms, and atmosphere–cryosphere interactions, with research spanning polar and subpolar environments, including Iceland and Antarctica.
Her expertise offers valuable opportunities to strengthen scientific collaboration on aerosol processes, atmospheric observations, and their implications for air quality and climate.
We look forward to expanding our network, fostering knowledge exchange, and building new connections with the Icelandic research community!
Working Group 3 (WG3) has spent its first year tackling one of EARLICOST’s most outward-facing challenges: how to better integrate and interact with industry and end-users. Structured around three subgroups: Satellite Community Engagement (WG3a), Modelling Community Engagement (WG3b), and Industry Engagement (WG3c)
For this year, WG3 has focused on mapping stakeholder needs and laying the groundwork for lasting dialogue between the lidar research community and those who use its data.
Identifying the Core Challenges:
WG3’s activities are framed around a central question: How can the lidar community better integrate and interact with industry and end-users?
The group identified several current limitations standing in the way. There is no common platform for interaction between the lidar community, industry, and end-users, and communication of lidar system needs and emerging technologies to industry remains limited. Dedicated forums for knowledge exchange and collaboration are lacking, and awareness among end-users of lidar capabilities and atmospheric profiling products is often insufficient. Guidance on the correct use of lidar data is also limited across key application areas, including satellite calibration and validation (Cal/Val), model verification and data assimilation, early warning systems, aviation safety, air quality monitoring, and climate projections.
Approach for Engagement:
To address these gaps, WG3 has outlined a clear set of calls to action. These include establishing a Task Force with industry representatives, customers, and scientific advisors; organising forums for direct communication with industry and end-users; and promoting knowledge transfer from EARLICOST research into the lidar technology market. The group also aims to support the optimisation of lidar data quality while reducing costs for end-users, gather industry feedback to guide technological innovation, and engage end-users to identify better communication pathways. Further priorities include improving operational protocols for atmospheric modelling and satellite applications, and strengthening collaboration to maximise the impact and uptake of EARLICOST’s outcomes.
This work follows a twofold approach: engaging industry to drive innovative new hardware and software, and engaging end-users to maximise the practical use of lidar measurements.
In practice, this means establishing dedicated task forces and forums for continuous dialogue throughout the project, facilitating knowledge transfer on lidar technology needs and best-practice guidelines, and promoting the uptake of EARLICOST outcomes across satellite applications, modelling, aviation, air quality, and climate services.
Major Activities of Year 1:
WG3’s first year began with a kick-off virtual meeting on 22 July 2026, followed by a survey to gauge expressions of interest across the group’s subgroups. The group has also been developing end-user and industry hubs, in coordination with WG4.
Results Emerged from the Survey:
The subgroup interest survey drew 51 respondents, with 51% expressing interest in satellite engagement, 24% in modelling engagement, and 25% in industry engagement. Among the 27 respondents from the modelling community, air quality forecasting emerged as the leading application area at 29%, followed by model evaluation at 33%, data assimilation at 13%, climate modelling at 11%, and other applications specified separately at 14%.
Within the satellite community, EarthCARE was by far the most widely used mission, cited by 77% of respondents, followed by EUMETSAT (33%), CALIPSO (31%), Aeolus (28%), and other missions specified separately (24%).
Among industry respondents, lidar was the most commonly supported instrument, with 46% of companies providing related products or software, followed by weather stations (13%), spectrometers (9%), sun photometers (5%), radar (4%), and other instruments (23%).
Moving forward to Year 2:
WG3’s roadmap extends across the full lifetime of EARLICOST, with a series of deliverables planned through 2029. During the next reporting period, WG3 will focus on engaging both industrial stakeholders and potential end-users to better understand their technological and operational needs. Two workshops will be organized with industrial users to identify emerging technological requirements and define actions to support innovation, followed by a report and guidelines addressing hardware and software evolution needs. In parallel, two workshops will bring together potential end-users from sectors including satellite applications, modelling, forecasting, aviation, and health; these stakeholders will also be engaged through the SESAR innovation days in December 2026, providing an additional opportunity to validate the identified requirements, exchange with the wider aviation innovation community, and disseminate the outcomes of WG3 activities. The outcomes of these activities will inform a report on the accuracy, uncertainty, and spatiotemporal resolution requirements of different user communities, as well as the development of practical guidelines for satellite and modelling end-users.
As part of its commitment to supporting research, mobility and collaboration across the participating countries, EARLICOST awarded 38 grants in 2026: 9 Young Researcher and Innovator (YRI) Conference Grants, 4 Inclusiveness Target Country (ITC) Conference Grants, 1 Dissemination Conference (DC) Grant, 1 Virtual Network Support (VNS) Grant, 21 Virtual Mobility (VM) Grants, and 2 Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs). These grants support a wide range of scientific, networking, and knowledge-exchange activities. While some activities are still ongoing, several grantees have already presented their research at major international events, including:
The ACTRIS Science Conference in Oslo (20–23 April 2026)
The EarthCARE 2026 Science and Validation Workshop in Oxford (8–12 June 2026)
The 32nd International Laser Radar Conference (ILRC32) in Hiroshima, Japan (5–10 July 2026)
Contributions and Activities
The following highlights showcase selected research contributions and activities supported by EARLICOST grants across atmospheric science, remote sensing, and lidar technologies. They illustrate results achieved so far, while several other grant-supported activities are still ongoing.
The contributions span five main scientific themes:
Spaceborne/Cloud-Aerosol studies: – Anastasia Pantazi (National Observatory of Athens, Greece) presented “Assessing Aerosol and Cloud features over the Mediterranean using CALIPSO, CloudSat and EarthCARE”. – Franco Marenco (The Cyprus Institute, Cyprus) presented “Quantifying atmospheric aerosols using EarthCARE”. – Gabriela Ciocan (National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Romania) presented “A multi-station analysis of cloud modification by successive Canadian wildfire smoke intrusions over Europe“. – Stefan Nicolae (National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Romania) presented “A preliminary end-to-end ATLID validation chain using ACTRIS-EARLINET data“
Dust Study/Modelling: – Anna Gialitaki (National Observatory of Athens, Greece) presented “Reproducing Dust Spectral Backscatter Using Simple Shape Mixtures”. – Alexandra Tsekeri (National Observatory of Athens, Greece) presented “Saharan Dust PLDR, Using Realistic Shapes, Sizes and Refractive Indices”. – Avinash Yadav (University of Hertfordshire, UK) presented “Chemical Characterization of Dust with Spectroscopic Lidar”. – Christodoulos Biskas (Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece) presented “Evaluated MAPIR v5 dust retrievals using EARLINET Lidars”. -Zuhir Bona (The Cyprus Institute, Cyprus) completed an STSM on “Improved dust retrievals with ground-based and spaceborne lidar“.
Fluorescence and Raman lidar: – Giovanni Giuliano (ISMAR-CNR, Italy) presented ”Spectrometric fluorescence and Raman lidar at ARTE site for advanced tropospheric studies”, contributing to discussions on harmonising fluorescence retrieval algorithms within EARLICOST sub-working group 1B. – Sol Fernández-Carvelo (University of Granada, Spain) presented “GENERALIFE, combining dual-fluorescence Raman lidar with remote-sensing and in situ data for aerosol typing”.
Water Vapour: – Victor Naval-Hernández (University of Granada, Spain) presented “Progress towards operational tropospheric water vapour monitoring with the dual-field Raman lidar ALHAMBRA”. – Marco Di Paolantonio (ISMAR-CNR) presented “Preliminary results from the Lidar-based Atmospheric Measurement at Pianosa (LAMP) field campaign”.
Synergy and smoke: – Athina Savva (Eratosthenes Centre, Cyprus) compared GRASP aerosol retrievals with and without volume depolarization ratio, using PollyXT lidar and AERONET sun-photometer data in Limassol. – Maria Poutli (Eratosthenes Centre, Cyprus) presented “PollyXT optical characterization of long-range smoke transported from North America over the Eastern Mediterranean”, and also completed an STSM on “Lidar and complementary techniques for wildfire smoke”.
These activities demonstrate how EARLICOST grants contribute to scientific exchange, methodological development and international collaboration. From advancing lidar retrieval techniques to supporting coordinated observations and knowledge sharing, the results achieved so far highlight the value of the Action’s grant opportunities. As further activities are completed, they will create additional opportunities for collaboration across the atmospheric science and lidar communities.
WG1 aims to advance and harmonise innovative lidar sensing technologies, improve data quality and uncertainty characterisation, and move towards common products, procedures and best practices across the EARLICOST community. Its activities focus on three main areas: High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL), Fluorescence Lidar and Thermodynamic Profiling.
During its first year, Working Group 1 (WG1) has focused on creating scientific and technical hubs where expertise on innovative lidar techniques and technologies can be shared across the EARLICOST community. From launching community surveys to coordinating activities with initiatives such as ACTRIS, WG1 has established the basis for more focused and coordinated technical work in Year 2.
WG1 Participation:
WG1 has attracted strong interest from the outset, with 91 participants expressing interest in the group’s activities. Notably, 27 of these participants—30% of the total—are Young Researchers, reflecting EARLICOST’s strong commitment to capacity building among early-career scientists. Of the full participant pool, 22 individuals are exclusively engaged with WG1, signalling a critical mass with a high level of dedicated commitment, while the group’s open, interdisciplinary structure allows members to contribute across multiple working groups simultaneously.
This diversity of engagement has been supported by the COST grant programme. Over the course of the year, WG1 activities benefited from five Young Researcher and Innovator Conference grants, three Inclusiveness Target Countries Conference grants, one Dissemination Grant, and one Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM)—concrete evidence of how the network is translating its inclusiveness goals into real opportunities for participants.
Sharing Expertise and Coordination:
WG1’s first year of activity has been structured around a series of key meetings designed to build momentum and consensus. The group’s introductory meeting, held on 21 January 2026, marked the formal start of WG1 activities, with participants working to finalise the composition of sub-working groups and identify priority topics and planned activities.
This was followed by a 1.5-day focused WG1 online meeting on 25–26 March 2026, which served to consolidate the findings of the group’s technical survey and align priorities across the community, while also launching hands-on technical activities among members.
Coordinating with ACTRIS
Recognising the value of avoiding duplication of effort, WG1 has worked closely with the ACTRIS research infrastructure to align activities.
Using the EARLINET – COST survey on lidar systems, algorithms and techniques as a common basis, the two networks agreed on joint priorities including harmonised setups, intercomparisons and best-practice recommendations.
Mapping the Community’s Capabilities: Deliverable 1.1
Central to WG1’s first-year progress is Deliverable 1.1, a survey designed to provide an initial overview of the current capabilities and priorities of the EARLICOST WG1 community across three key technology areas: High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL), Fluorescence Lidar, and Thermodynamic Profiling. The survey examined system configurations, data analysis algorithms, available software, and broader community needs.
The results revealed a community rich in diversity but in need of greater coordination. Systems across the network are heterogeneous, with varying levels of maturity and configuration. Data processing remains fragmented, relying heavily on institution-specific algorithms and software, while gaps in calibration, uncertainty estimation, and quality assurance/quality control point to a clear need for alignment.
At the same time, the survey highlighted a shared opportunity: the potential to build common repositories, benchmarks, and intercomparison exercises. Taken together, Deliverable 1.1 provides the essential baseline needed to support coordinated harmonisation across the network in the years ahead.
From Athens 2026 to Year Two:
The Athens General Assembly marked an important transition for WG1, moving from mapping the community and identifying common needs towards defining concrete technical activities for Year 2.
Each sub-working group has defined clear goals: WG1a (HSRL) will review and compare system configurations and technologies, discuss retrieval algorithms, exchange on software infrastructure, and identify priority community needs.
WG1b (Fluorescence Lidar) will advance calibration methodologies, select intercomparison “golden cases” such as biomass burning events, progress the fluorescence database of aerosol properties, and establish the first technical action groups.
WG1c (Thermodynamic Profiling) will compare water vapour and temperature calibration methods, identify key error sources, and define concrete next steps for harmonising retrieval approaches and data formats.
These efforts reflect the broader arc of WG1’s journey: Year 1 has been about building the community and mapping its capabilities; the Athens meeting will be the moment to identify shared priorities and agree on concrete actions; and Year 2 will see the launch of coordinated technical activities that turn this first year’s insights into lasting, network-wide impact.
Working Group 2 (WG2) has spent its first year building the scientific and organisational foundations needed to pursue the full potential of lidar data, both on its own and in combination with other atmospheric sensors. Focusing on aerosol microphysical retrievals and cross-instrument synergies, WG2’s early activities reflect a clear ambition: to improve how lidar products are exploited, made representative, and harmonised across the network.
A Structure Built for Synergy:
We have organized the WG2 into three complementary subgroups, each addressing a distinct segment of the data treatment puzzle.
WG2a: Focuses on microphysical retrievals and algorithms.
WG2b: Explores the synergy between lidar and Automatic Lidar and Ceilometer (ALC) networks, with an emphasis on 4D representativeness.
WG2c: Investigates the synergy between lidar and radar, targeting aerosol–cloud interaction (ACI).
Together, these subgroups form the backbone of WG2’s central objective: increasing the exploitation of lidar products in microphysical retrievals and multi-sensor synergies including sun photometers.
Research and Coordination Objectives:
On the microphysical retrievals side, WG2 is working to identify the current state-of-the-art algorithms and the differences between them, while developing a common description of the underlying challenge of nonsphericity. The group aims in defining quality control parameters that will determine whether lidar data are suitable for standard microphysical retrievals within operational networks.
On multi-sensor synergies, WG2’s efforts are twofold. For lidar/ALC synergy, the group is currently, reviewing state-of-the-art methods for layer identification—including AI-based techniques—and investigating how 4D representativeness through co-located measurements can be achieved
For lidar/cloud radar synergy, WG2 is identifying cloud-relevant aerosol products (aerosol typing, microphysics, CCN, INP) near clouds, using collocated lidar (fluorescence, HSRL, Raman) and cloud radar measurements. This work will feed into an open-access dataset of collocated aerosol, cloud, and water-vapour observations, intended to deeper explore the potential of the synergistic retrievals but also to support modelling studies under EU and ESA projects including CERTAINTY, CleanCloud, and AirSense.
Beyond the research itself, WG2 has set a clear capacity-building pursuit: fostering knowledge exchange and a joint research agenda with algorithm developers to support the integration of microphysical retrievals into operational networks, and bridging traditionally separate disciplines within atmospheric science to achieve genuine synergy breakthroughs.
First-Year Activities and Deliverable 2.1:
WG2 activities during Year 1 have centred on two parallel efforts by all three sub-WGs. The first is a survey of existing algorithms, the most useful synergies, and available datasets, which will feed directly into Deliverable 2.1: a report covering existing algorithms, the most valuable synergies, datasets from networks and field campaigns, and emerging synergy approaches.
The second is the development of a database (as described above) of multisensor synergy campaigns, built around clear selection criteria including geographical coverage, campaign duration, and the availability of synergistic datasets.
Connecting with ACTRIS:
As with WG1, WG2 has also identified strong potential for collaboration with ACTRIS working groups closely aligned with EARLICOST’s goals.
This mapping already shows promising connections. On the EARLICOST side, WG1 and WG2 subgroups are led by a range of specialists: HSRL (M. Wirth, D. Bortoli), Fluorescence (B. Gast), Profiling of water vapour and temperature (D. Suma), Microphysical retrievals (G. Ciocan, Z. Bona), Synergy Lidar/ALC (A. Geiss, A. del Águila), and Synergy Lidar/Radar (J.A. Bravo and M. Sicard).
On the ACTRIS side, relevant expertise spans bioaerosols (Qiaoyun Hu and Xiaoxia Shang for ARS; Heike Wex, Julia Burkart and Fiona Tummon for in-situ), lidar developments including multi-field-of-view, fluorescence, and water vapour techniques (Cristofer Jimenez and Kalliopi Voudouri), and aerosol–cloud interaction (Patric Seifert, with further contributors to be confirmed).
This shared expertise underpins WG2’s broader ambition of creating scientific and technical hubs where knowledge of innovative lidar-based science can be exchanged freely.
Looking Ahead for Year 2:
WG2’s next steps centre on deepening engagement with key infrastructure communities, including EARLINET, CloudNet, and E-PROFILE, and on preparing and and on developing and circulating targeted surveys to identified users and domain experts, covering existing algorithms, available datasets, and synergy approaches across the subgroups.With these foundations in place, the group is looking forward to productive discussions in the period ahead as it works toward its first substantive deliverables.
To support this progress, WG2 has access to a full suite of networking and mobility tools, including Inclusiveness Target Country conference grants (ITCG), Meetings (M), Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSM), Training Schools (TN), Virtual Mobility (VM), Virtual Networking Support (VNS), and Workshops (W) resources designed to ensure that WG2’s ambitions for data treatment and synergy can be realised by a genuinely connected, pan-European community.
Working Group 4 (WG4) is the engine behind EARLICOST’s communication, dissemination, and valorisation efforts, ensuring that the network’s scientific advances reach a broad range of audiences, raising awareness, fostering engagement and collaboration and supporting the uptake and valorization of EARLICOST’s results. With a clear strategic framework in place, WG4’s first year has focused on building the infrastructure, messaging strategy, and community engagement needed to maximise the network’s impact across Europe and beyond.
WG4’s outreach strategy is anchored around six key objectives designed to create impactful science communication: sharing scientific advances and technological progress; exchanging knowledge across research, industry, and user communities; growing visibility across Europe and internationally through harmonised lidar methods; fostering stakeholder uptake of interdisciplinary science; opening participation to ensure gender balance, inclusiveness of target countries, and strong engagement from young researchers; and continuously assessing and improving communication impact through measurable indicators.
These objectives are delivered through three interconnected pillars:
Communication is about connecting—sharing timely, accessible information with all stakeholders.
Dissemination is about sharing—publishing and presenting scientific results.
Valorisation is about embedding—ensuring the long-term uptake of methodologies, datasets, and technological advances.
Together, these pillars trace a clear path from activity to lasting impact: communicate, disseminate, valorise, and ultimately create impact.
Engaging and Reaching Target Audiences:
WG4 strategy adopts tailored approaches to four distinct audience groups:
For policymakers and institutional bodies, the focus is on executive summaries, policy-relevant highlights, and participation in meetings with WMO, ACTRIS, and ESA.
For the general public, the strategy centres on social media campaigns, infographics, short video content such as reels, press releases, and public-facing webinars.
For the academic and research community, WG4 is prioritising open-access scientific publications, conference presentations, workshops, a dedicated Special Issue, training schools, and harmonisation reports.
For end-users and industry, the group is developing technical briefs, operational guidelines, and stakeholder workshops in close coordination with WG3’s activities and pilot applications.
Present Contributions and Deliverables:
On the communication front, WG4 has established EARLICOST’s core communication infrastructure, including the official website and dedicated digital and social media channels. To better understand where community members want to contribute, the group ran an Expression of Interest (EOI) survey asking which activity groups participants would most like to join.
Scientific dissemination, covering publications, conferences, and related activities, drew the strongest interest (76.9%), followed by digital communication (website, social media, and newsletter) (46.2%). Outreach and education, including webinars and training schools, and visual communications, such as infographics and promotional material, each attracted (38.5%) interest, followed by industry and user engagement (30.8%) and valorisation and impact activities, including success stories and use cases (15.4%). These results provide a useful indication of where member engagement is currently strongest and where further participation could be encouraged. On the deliverables side, WG4 has already completed two key milestones: D4.1, the Action Website, and D4.2, the Communication, Dissemination and Valorisation Plan. Two further deliverables are now ongoing and will be produced annually: D4.3 -Annual Report on Dissemination and Outreach Activities and Achievements, and D4.4 – Annual Report on Scientific Publications.
Digital Communication and Reach
EARLICOST’s digital communication presence has grown steadily during its first year. Since its February 2026 launch, the website has attracted more than 8,900 unique visitors and over 42,000 page views, while LinkedIn generated more than 15,000 impressions between April and September.
The launch of EARLICOST’s Instagram account in July 2026 further expanded the Action’s visual communication, providing a more dynamic channel for sharing scientific topics, meeting highlights, opportunities, and success stories with both the EARLICOST community and wider audiences. In its first months, 16 posts generated 461 interactions, including likes, reposts, and shares, establishing a promising baseline for the channel’s continued growth. Facebook has further complemented this multi-channel approach, extending the visibility of EARLICOST activities and news to broader audiences.
Across the different platforms, some of the strongest engagement was recorded around major EARLICOST activities, particularly international conferences, grantee success stories, and the Joint EARLINET & EARLICOST Meeting in Athens, highlighting the value of timely, event-driven communication.
During the Meeting
The Joint EARLINET & EARLICOST Meeting in Athens provided an important opportunity for WG4 members to meet in person and strengthen connections not only within the group, but also with colleagues from the other EARLICOST Working Groups. Bringing together 138 EARLICOST members, both onsite and online, the meeting offered the opportunity to present to the wider community what had been achieved during Year 1 and to introduce WG4’s priorities and planned activities for Year 2.
The dedicated WG4 splinter session created valuable space for more focused discussion among group members. Meeting face-to-face but also with the WG4 members that joined online allowed the team to move beyond reporting on completed activities and discuss concrete ideas, priorities and new actions for the coming period, while also considering how WG4 can work more closely with the other Working Groups.
An interactive discussion game helped structure this process. Dr. Joelle Buxmann (WG4 Leader), Dr. Lucia Mona ( WG4 Co-leader), Ioanna Mavropoulou (Science Communicator), and Dr. Hugo Ricketts (University of Manchester) participated on-site, while WG4 members, including Fouz Siddiqui, Dr. Adolfo Comerón, and others, joined online as the group worked together to prioritise the goals that will shape WG4’s future direction. Special thanks to Dr. Laura Busato (Head of Science Communication at SISSA Media Lab) for moderating the activity! The game brought real clarity to our goals, with the order of the flashcards reflecting the group’s agreed priorities.
On the following day, the discussion was broadened to the whole EARLICOST community through an interactive Slido session. Participants were invited to share their views on EARLICOST’s identity, added value, target audiences, communication priorities and internal collaboration. Responses strongly emphasised collaboration, networking, knowledge exchange and shared expertise as central characteristics of the Action. The Slido results also provided useful guidance for future communication activities. When asked where greater communication effort is needed, participants ranked the modelling community first, followed by space agencies and atmospheric researchers, air-quality authorities and citizens. Participants also suggested practical ways to strengthen communication between the Working Groups, including regular activity summaries and updates, shared documents and platforms, joint sessions and meetings, and stronger coordination between WG representatives.
Together, the WG4 splinter discussions, the prioritisation exercise and the community-wide Slido consultation provided valuable input for shaping WG4’s next steps. They also reinforced an important principle for Year 2: EARLICOST communication should not only disseminate the Action’s activities and results, but also create opportunities for the community to contribute to how communication, outreach and engagement develop.
Future Direction
WG4’s near-term priorities are focused on strengthening the network’s outward-facing presence. The first EARLICOST Newsletter is targeted for publication by the end of September 2026, with proposed content including meeting highlights, WG updates, grant news, and broader community updates. Alongside this, the group is coordinating more closely with the growing pool of members who have expressed interest in WG4, working to align efforts across the network’s various communication channels, including the website, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. A key open discussion point for the group going forward is identifying the core messages and topics that will most effectively increase engagement and visibility for EARLICOST across all its platforms. The aim for Year 2 is therefore not simply to increase EARLICOST’s visibility, but to turn communication into a stronger tool for participation, knowledge exchange, stakeholder engagement and valorisation across the network.
EARLICOST participated in the 32nd International Laser Radar Conference (ILRC32), held from 5 -10 July 2026 in Hiroshima, Japan. Organized by the Laser Radar Society of Japan (LRSJ) under the auspices of the International Coordination Group on Laser Atmospheric Studies (ICLAS), ILRC32 brought together the international lidar community to exchange the latest advances in atmospheric remote sensing and Earth observation.
The conference featured cutting-edge research on lidar studies of clouds, aerosols, and their interactions; advances in lidar techniques and methodologies; ground-based lidars and networking; coherent and incoherent wind lidar technologies; greenhouse and trace gas monitoring; lidar observations in the stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere; signal processing and AI/ML techniques for lidar data analysis; and model validation and data assimilation using lidar observations.
Supporting the next generation of atmospheric lidar scientists
Through its Young Researcher and Innovator (YRI) Conference Grant, EARLICOST supported the participation of several early-career researchers at ILRC32, enabling them to present their work, engage with the international lidar community, and build connections that extend well beyond the conference itself.
Avinash Yadav (PhD, University of Hertfordshire, UK) presented a poster on “Chemical Characterisation of Atmospheric Dust with Spectroscopic Lidar” — work that presents the first atmospheric detection of mineral-specific Raman signatures from Saharan dust using the LITES lidar facility at the University of Hertfordshire. The poster was awarded the Best Poster Prize at ILRC32.
“Winning the Best Poster Award was a great honour and a validation of the significance of my work.” — Avinash Yadav
Anastasia Pantazi (PhD, IAASARS/NOA, Greece) presented research on “Assessing Aerosol and Cloud Geometrical Features and Types over the Mediterranean: Insights from CALIPSO, CLOUDSAT and EarthCARE Missions”, demonstrating how EARLICOST is pioneering the combination of data from different satellite missions.
“This was my first time participating in ILRC. EARLICOST, so far, has helped me create a collaborative network of researchers with similar scientific interests.” — Anastasia Pantazi
Maria Poutli (PhD, Eratosthenes CoE/CUT, Cyprus) presented “Long-range smoke transport from North America: Optical characterization of smoke layers over the Eastern Mediterranean by means of PollyXT lidar”, focusing on wildfire smoke events detected by the PollyXT Raman lidar in Limassol, Cyprus, during 2020–2025.
“The most valuable part of attending was the opportunity to explore the diverse applications of lidar technology, learn about new methodologies and research approaches.” — Maria Poutli
Víctor Manuel Naval Hernández (PhD, University of Granada, Spain) presented “Towards Operational Monitoring of Tropospheric Water Vapour with the Dual-Field Raman Lidar ALHAMBRA”, aiming to obtain an improved characterisation of the distribution of water vapour in the atmosphere with high vertical and temporal resolution.
“I had the opportunity not only to attend the ILRC but also to visit an incredible country like Japan. The trip also gave me the opportunity to build new friendships and open the door to future collaborations.” — Víctor Manuel Naval Hernández
Dr. Marco Di Paolantonio (Post-doc, ISMAR-CNR, Italy) presented “Preliminary results from the Lidar-based Atmospheric Measurement at Pianosa (LAMP) field campaign”, focusing on the characterisation of marine-influenced atmospheric conditions in the Central Mediterranean using the MARCO Raman lidar system.
“Spending time together, during coffee breaks, poster sessions, or even outside the official conference schedule, allows you to build connections that simply cannot be created through email exchanges alone.” — Dr. Marco Di Paolantonio
Athina Savva (PhD, Eratosthenes CoE/CUT, Cyprus) presented research on “Assessing the Impact of Volume Depolarization Ratio on GRASP Aerosol Retrievals: A comparative study using PollyXT Raman Lidar and Sun-photometer Data in Limassol, Cyprus.”
“As this was my first time attending ILRC, it was an excellent introduction to the international lidar research community.” — Athina Savva
Christodoulos Biskas (PhD, AUTh, Greece) delivered an oral presentation at the conference.
“EARLICOST, through ILRC32, has really helped me connect with other scientists, exchange ideas, discuss research topics, and shape my own thinking.” — Christodoulos Biskas
Giovanni Giuliano (Post-doc, ISMAR-CNR, Italy) also presented at the conference, with a particular focus on engaging with the fluorescence lidar research community.
“The most rewarding aspect of the conference was engaging with fluorescence lidar researchers to discuss current challenges, emerging developments and future research directions.” — Giovanni Giuliano
Beyond the science
ILRC32 was not only a scientific milestone — it was also an opportunity to experience Japan. Participants visited the iconic Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island, explored the city of Hiroshima, and found time to build the kinds of friendships that conferences at their best make possible.
By supporting young researchers and innovators, EARLICOST contributes to the development of the next generation of atmospheric lidar experts, ensuring that early-career scientists can engage with the global research community and carry the field forward.
The Joint EARLINET General Assembly and EARLICOST Working Group and Management Committee Live Meeting took place from 8 to 11 September 2026 at the Penteli premises of the National Observatory of Athens, Greece. Bringing together 138 participants from 26 countries, both in person and online, the meeting marked a milestone for both communities: four days of scientific exchange, collaboration, and community building at the heart of European atmospheric lidar research.
A community comes together
The opening day provided an opportunity to present the Action’s progress and activities across its four Working Groups, while strengthening connections between the EARLICOST and EARLINET communities. The day also included the EARLINET General Assembly, bringing together members of the network to discuss its ongoing activities and priorities. The programme concluded with a visit to the NOA Penteli atmospheric instrumentation site, where participants had a closer look at the observational infrastructure supporting atmospheric research in Greece.
Over the following days, the programme moved from science and research collaboration to industry engagement, dissemination, exploitation, and priorities for the next year of EARLICOST. Day 2 opened with four plenary talks, followed by a dedicated session featuring EARLICOST grantees and their three-minute flash talks, a morning focused on new research, shared expertise, and the experiences made possible through EARLICOST support.
Day 3 brought the research and industry communities together, creating space to explore shared needs, potential synergies, and opportunities for future collaboration. Communication and outreach were also part of the conversation: how can EARLICOST science be made more visible, accessible, and useful beyond the immediate research community?
The day concluded with dedicated Working Group sessions, turning discussions into ideas and priorities for the next stages of the Action.
Looking ahead to Year 2
The final day brought the four Working Groups back together to reflect on progress during the Action’s first year and define their vision and priorities for Year 2. The Management Committee meeting broadened the discussion, covering lessons learned, the Action’s current state, grant activities, opportunities, and the network’s future coordination.
As EARLICOST Chair Dr. Eleni Marinou reflected during the meeting:
“As the EARLICOST community comes together in Athens for the EARLINET GA & EARLICOST WG & MC Live Meeting, these four days are dedicated to science, collaboration, and shaping the next steps of the Action.”
A growing and inclusive community
The meeting was also a remarkable example of the inclusivity that EARLICOST advocates for: Working Group members were able to bring their families along and remain fully engaged throughout the event, demonstrating that advancing a research career and caring for family need not be a choice.
The highlights from the meeting extended well beyond the conference room. A dedicated EARLICOST Meeting Highlights social media series captured some of the stories from the week, including the participation of Dust-DN (Doctoral Network on Atmospheric Dust) researchers, and the contributions of Working Group 1 leader Dr. Francisco Navas-Guzmán and researcher Arlett Díaz-Zurita, who also found time to visit the Acropolis between sessions.
The discussions throughout these four days reinforced what lies at the heart of EARLICOST: a growing community connecting expertise and people across Europe and beyond to advance atmospheric research. The first year has built the foundations. Now the community looks ahead to what comes next.
When we organised the first AGORA Summer School, our main ambition was quite simple: to create a place where young researchers could learn advanced techniques for atmospheric observation, gain practical experience with scientific instrumentation and meet colleagues working in the same field. After three editions, I feel that AGORA is becoming something more.
The third edition of the AGORA International Doctoral Summer School was held in Granada in June 2026, bringing together 24 early-career researchers from 15 countries. For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of this edition was seeing how the school has progressively developed an identity of its own: an international space where scientific training, hands-on experience and, increasingly, the creation of new research connections come together.
The objective of AGORA is to provide advanced training in atmospheric characterisation through complementary observational approaches, combining in-situ measurements, active and passive remote sensing, advanced instrumentation and data analysis. But we have always wanted the school to go beyond a traditional series of lectures. We want participants to understand how different techniques can complement each other, to experience the instruments themselves and, perhaps most importantly, to learn from researchers with different scientific backgrounds and from each other.
This year, we designed the programme around that philosophy. The school was organised in three stages: an online introductory phase, an intensive face-to-face week in Granada and a final period devoted to collaborative research projects. During the face-to-face week, participants combined lectures from international experts with hands-on activities involving atmospheric instrumentation and measurement techniques. The programme covered a broader range of topics than in previous editions, including aerosol optical and microphysical properties, lidar and photometry, in situ methods, spectroscopy, bioaerosols, radar–lidar synergies, ceilometers and fluorescence-based techniques.
A visit to the Sierra Nevada atmospheric station provided an opportunity to connect the concepts discussed during the course with observations in a real high-mountain environment.
This diversification of the scientific programme reflects the evolution of AGORA itself. The first edition was organised within the framework of Atmo-ACCESS, while the second was organised entirely by the University of Granada. With the third edition, we wanted to take another step forward, both scientifically and internationally.
The international dimension has been particularly important to me. We received 38 applications for 24 available places, and the selected participants represented 15 countries. Previous editions had already included researchers from outside Europe, but this year we were especially pleased to receive a strong response from South America. This is personally meaningful to me because of my long-standing scientific and personal connection with the region. Seeing researchers from Europe, South America, Asia and North America working together in Granada made me feel that AGORA is beginning to fulfil a role that goes beyond its original European context.
The COST Action EARLICOST and AERIS, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Staff Exchanges project, were fundamental in making this evolution possible. Their contribution went far beyond financial support. They helped us to broaden our perspective when defining the scientific content of the school, strengthened its international dimension and helped connect AGORA with researchers and institutions both within and beyond Europe. Together with the support of the University of Granada and our sponsors, they provided the main financial support for this edition. More importantly, they helped create an environment in which international exchange was not an additional element of the school, but one of its central features.
Perhaps the most important outcomes of AGORA, however, cannot be measured in the number of lectures or certificates. They can be seen in the relationships that develop between people.
At the beginning of the school, participants from different countries naturally tended to interact within smaller groups. As the programme progressed, these interactions became increasingly intense, particularly during the collaborative research projects, where participants had to combine their different scientific experiences and approaches to address a common problem. The interaction also extended between students and lecturers. Some possibilities for future PhD co-supervision and short research stays have already emerged, while some participants have continued communicating after the school and are considering collaborative work related to one of their doctoral theses.
For me, this is one of the clearest signs that AGORA is achieving something beyond its formal objectives. A successful training school should not only leave participants with new knowledge; it should also leave them with new questions, new colleagues and new possibilities for collaboration.
Organising AGORA has also been a learning experience for me. I have learned how to work with people from different cultural traditions and scientific backgrounds, but also how to communicate across different professional languages. Bringing together physics, biology, atmospheric science, education and administration requires moving between very different ways of thinking and working. I have also learned that a hybrid format, when carefully designed, can enhance rather than weaken the learning experience. Combining online activities with an intensive face-to-face week and subsequent collaborative work allowed the school to extend beyond the traditional classroom.
There have certainly been challenges behind the scenes. Coordinating several funding sources (including EARLICOST, AERIS, University of Granada resources and support from sponsors) with different administrative and reporting requirements has been demanding. But seeing the results makes the effort worthwhile.
Looking ahead, our ambition is for AGORA to become a reference training school in atmospheric observation at an international level, reaching well beyond Europe. I would particularly like to see it continue strengthening connections between Europe and South America while remaining open to researchers from other regions of the world.
Ultimately, I hope that participants leave Granada with more than new scientific knowledge. I hope they leave with new collaborators, new ideas and the feeling that they are part of a wider international scientific community. If AGORA can continue to build those connections, I believe its most valuable contribution may be not only the training it provides, but the scientific community that grows around it.
