A number of special lunches will be held during the conference, for delegates to discuss specific community issues and to provide networking opportunities. Delegates can sign up to attend any of the lunches during the on site registration process.

Careers lunch (Monday 12:30-13:30 A25)

PhD student or postdoc? Wondering about the next step in your career?

This session will give you advice on how to get on in academia and in the wider economy. We will have a speaker from industry, looking to employ PhD graduates; an early career researcher will discuss how to pursue a career in academia, and an outreach specialist will talk about the growing opportunities in public engagement. Come along to find out where your career might take you, and what you need to do to make your ambition a reality.

Diversity lunch (Tuesday 12:30-13:30 A25)

The RAS is committed to tackling diversity issues. This session, run by Clare McLoughlin (RAS) & Dr June McCombie (University of Nottingham), will examine how the society is working with other groups to encourage people of all backgrounds to pursue study and careers in astronomy, space science and geophysics. Come along to join in the debate and discuss these issues with other delegates and our distinguished speakers.

Education Lunch (Wednesday 12:30-13:30 C33)

A lunch for anyone involved or interested in Astronomy and Physics education in the UK. At the lunch Charlie Barclay of Marlborough college will be giving a talk about the changes to the new GCSE curriculum. This will also include an overview of how the entire GCSE grading system will be changing. Come along to join in the discussion about changes to the GCSE curriculum and how you might adapt any workshops you deliver to meet the new needs of schools.

UK Solar Physics (Wednesday 12:30-13:30 A25)