The first S3PARK Workshop (Synergy between Spacecraft observations and Simulations of Particle Acceleration, Reconnection, and Kinetic processes in turbulent plasmas) will be held from Monday 14 to Friday 18 September 2026 at Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne. The last day is not part of the general programme, as it will be devoted to hands-on training for early-career researchers and to specialist group discussions. For the latter, two rooms will be available upon request on a first-come, first-served basis.
The S3PARK Workshop 2026 will be the first in what is intended to be a biennial series held in Newcastle, establishing Northumbria University as a hub for the UK and international community working on numerical modelling in support of space and heliospheric missions. It will bring together world-leading experts in numerical modelling, spacecraft mission/instrument PIs, and early-career scientists working on turbulent space plasmas. It has three main goals which, together, aim at maximising the scientific return of current and upcoming space missions and advancing our understanding of space plasma processes:
- to S³PARK an increasingly synergistic and cohesive community of plasma modellers and observational experts by exploiting numerical simulations to interpret spacecraft data and inform the design of future missions
- to S³PARK a more cohesive modelling community in which experts in similar, different, and complementary numerical codes can share data, compare results, and build/foster collaborations
- to S³PARK a new generation of early-career researchers with combined expertise spanning both spacecraft observations and state-of-the-art numerical modelling.
The workshop will feature keynote talks by mission and instrument PIs, and by world-leading experts in spacecraft measurements and in numerical modelling using a range of complementary methods. Ample time will be devoted to round-table discussions on key scientific themes and on community-building, alongside dedicated lectures and hands-on sessions for early-career scientists.
The deadlines for requests of financial support for ECRs, abstract submission, registration, and payments can be found below in the specific section.
We strongly encourage graduate students and early-career postdocs to participate and engage with the experts. Thanks to financial support from the Royal Society and the Royal Astronomical Society, their registration fee will be fully covered. We also expect to offer funding to support some PhD candidates and ECRs with travel and accommodation costs; further details will be available soon.
While abstracts are not required for participation, preference will be given to those who submit one, as places will be limited to 30 attendees (excluding keynote speakers and lecturers).
If you have any questions or specific requests please contact the Scientific Organising Committed at the shared email address s3park2026@northumbria.ac.uk or the lead organizer Luca Franci at luca.franci@northumbria.ac.uk.
Registration
Registration is now open (deadline 4 September 2026)
Abstract Submission
Abstract submission is now open (deadline 4 September 2026)
Payment
The payment form will be available shortly
Workshop dates
Monday 14 - Friday 18 September 2026
Friday 18 will be completed devoted to hands-on training for ECRs.
On this day, rooms will also be available for group discussions if attendees want to stay to chat and collaborate.
Deadlines
27 August 2026 - Deadline for requesting financial support for ECRs (but we suggest requesting it as early as possible, as support is limited)
28 August 2026 - ECR applicants will be informed if their request for financial support has been accepted
31 August 2026 - Deadline for booking discounted hotel accommodation (further info will be communicated shortly)
4 September 2026 - Registration, Abstract Submissions, and Payments close
Important: all deadlines are intended at 23:59 BST (British Summer Time), which is UTC+1
Please note that all the costs below are tentative and the exact values will be confirmed shortly.
Registration fee
This is expected to be free for all early-career attendees (to be confirmed based on the number of registered attendees).
Registration is mandatory for everyone for arranging catering and social activities and the maximum number of attendees is limited to 40.
1day registration fee: £35 (TBC)
2day registration fee: £70 (TBC)
4day fee (full workshop Monday to Thursday): £134 (TBC)
5day fee (full workshop + hands-on/discussions on Friday): £168 (TBC)
Social activities
Social dinner on Tuesday evening: £40 (TBC)
Half-day excursion to Hadrian's wall: £48 (TBC) - This includes transport from/to university by couch and guided tour at Vindolanda
2-hour private Tyne cruise: £28 (TBC)
Information on how to reach Newcastle and Northumbria University will be added shortly.
IMPORTANT: We have secured a 25% discount for LNER train tickets, which can be accessed at this link:
25% Off LNER fares in partnership with Newcastle Gateshead Initiative | LNER
If you want to use this please contact us at s3park2026@northumbria.ac.uk to receive the discount code.
Please not that the discount is not valid on Saturdays, so it won't cover your return ticket if you are attending the whole week and going back on the Saturday.
Detailed conditions:
The discount applies to a single or return trip for individual bookings or group bookings of up to 9 people to Newcastle. Return trip must be booked in the same transaction as the outward journey.
Discount is for 25% and is available on First Class and Standard LNER Advance fares only and valid on LNER Services.
You can only access the discount if you are an attendee of an event associated with Newcastle Gateshead Initiative and have received your unique code.
Valid on services from Sunday to Friday (excludes Saturday travel). Please check your desired travel dates are open for booking.
Your tickets will be valid on the booked date(s) and train(s) only.
Sorry, you can’t use this discount in conjunction with any other offers, discounts or Railcards.
If promotional fares do not appear, please change your search criteria.
The usual Advance terms and conditions apply.
Monday
The first day of the workshop will be held in the Great Hall in the Sutherland Building (postcode NE1 8ST, number 27 on the campus map), which is a Grade II listed building home to the University's School of Architecture.
Venue Access:
There is a step-free entrance to the side of the building and there is lift access to all floors. An accessibility guide for the building can be found on our AccessAble pages.
Tuesday - Friday
The following days of the workshop will be held in Rooms 401-403 in the City Campus East 1 (CCE1) Building (postcode NE2 1XA, number 5 on the campus map).
You are free to book your preferred accommodation for your stay. However, please bear in mind that if you are requesting financial support, the maximum reimbursable amount for accommodation is £600.
Please also note that the workshop coincides with UK Space Weather Week, also taking place in Newcastle that week, so hotel availability will be lower than usual — we strongly recommend booking as early as possible.
Newcastle has a wide range of accommodation options to suit all budgets, including Four Points by Sheraton, Premier Inn, Travelodge, ibis, and easyHotel at the budget end, as well as a variety of mid-range and higher-end options.
We have also secured special discounted room rates at two hotels — Motel One and Leonardo Hotel — which you can book directly at the following link: Hotel booking
Please note that these discounted rates are available from Monday 14 September only, as the Great North Run 2026 takes place on Sunday 13 September and we were unfortunately unable to secure discounts for that weekend.
To secure your booking, you will need to provide a credit or debit card as a guarantee. No payment will be taken at the point of booking — payment is due upon arrival or departure. If you need to pay in advance using a company or institutional card, please contact the hotel directly to arrange pre-payment. We recommend reviewing the cancellation and payment policy for your chosen hotel before booking.
For any queries about accommodation or assistance with booking, please contact the NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau on 0191 440 5757 or at conventionbureau@experiencenee.co.uk.
We look forward to welcoming you to Newcastle!
The preliminary workshop programme is available to download here
Financial support to cover the costs of the registration fee, accommodation, and travel for a limited number of early-career researchers will be available thanks to our sponsors. Priority will be given to current or incoming PhD students and postdoctoral researchers within 3 years from their PhD.
A request for financial support should be indicated explicitly when filling the registration form.
The deadline for requesting financial support is 27 August 2026. However, please keep in mind that this will be limited so you may want to submit your request as soon as possible.
We will do our best to communicate the outcome of the request the following day, on 28 August 2026
We are planning several social activities across the whole week to foster informal discussions and networking.Further details will be communicated shortly.
Monday 14
17: 35 – 19:00
Drinks reception with poster session
Tuesday 15
From 19:00
Social dinner (location TBD, expected cost ~£40 TBC)
Wednesday 16
From 13:00
Hadrian’s Wall Half Day Guided Tour including coach travel from/to University (in negotiations, expected cost ~£48 TBC)
Thursday 17
18:00 - 20:00
2h private cruise on the Tyne river (in negotiations, expected cost ~£28 TBC or more if we get to include drinks and/or canapes)
The full list of attendees will be published once the registration deadline has passed.
Confirmed keynote speakers and lecturers
Stuart Bale
Julia Stawarz
Stephanie Yardley
Zubair Shaikh
Pranab Deka
Lorenzo Matteini
Petr Hellinger
Emanuele Papini
Luca Franci
Maria Elena Innocenti
Kevin Schoeffler
Confirmed invited speakers
Laura Vuorinen
Jeffersson Agudelo Rueda
George Miloshevich
Simon Lautenbach
Pietro Dazzi
Emanuel Jeß
Hao Ran
Xiangyu Wu
We acknowledge financial support from The Royal Society and The Royal Astronomical Society.
Scientific Organising Committee
Chair: Luca Franci - chair (Northumbria University, UK)
Deputy Chair: Emanuele Papini (Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology - INAF, Italy)
Stephanie Yardley (Northumbria University, UK),
Pranab Deka (KU Leuven, Belgium)
Zubair Shaikh (University of Texas at Dallas, USA)
Robert Wicks, (Northumbria University, UK)
Domenico Trotta (European Space Astronomy Centre ESAC, Spain)
Silvio Cerri (Université Côte d’Azur, France)
George Miloshevic (KU Leuven)
Ahmad Lalti, (Northumbria University, UK)
Jeffersson Agudelo Rueda (Northumbria University, UK)
Julia Stawarz, (Northumbria University, UK)
Local Organising Committee
Luca Franci
Jeffersson Agudelo Rueda
Pranab Deka
Zubair Shaikh
Paulina Quijia Pilapaña
Jack Parker
Devesh Dhole
Eilidh Hall
A code of conduct for the workshop will soon be available here: S3PARK Workshop Code of Conduct
During the registration process, attendees will be asked to adhere to the code of conduct of the conference.
For any enquiries about the workshop, please contact the shared SOC email address s3park2026@northumbria.ac.uk or the lead organizer Dr Luca Franci luca.franci@northumbria.ac.uk.
Page last updated 03/08/26
