Research Symposium: Human and Geographic Dimensions of Extreme Heat and Heat Risk

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Extreme heat presents a serious threat to many communities in the United States and throughout the world. Understanding and reducing heat risks is challenging due to the complex and evolving relationships among the physical, social, and behavioral dimensions of heat hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. Communicating risks of extreme heat is also challenging due to varying risk perceptions and the invisible nature of heat hazard. These challenges are further exacerbated when extreme heat combines with air pollution, damaging storms, wildfires, or floods, disrupting the infrastructure, limiting access to cooling, and altering protective behavioral responses.

The research symposium on Human and Geographic Dimensions of Extreme Heat and Heat Risk will take place at NSF NCAR, in Boulder, Colorado on June 23-24, 2025. 

The symposium will feature an engaging two-day program combining key note and paper presentations, lightning talks, poster sessions, interactive breakout group and plenary discussions around key emerging topics. Given the expansive depth and breadth of the current heat and heat risk related research, the topics to be discussed at the symposium may include, but not limited to:

• emerging geographies of heat health risks in the context of compounding hazards (e.g., air pollution, floods, droughts, wildfires);
• novel geospatial methods for understanding the spatial and temporal variation of heat across urban and rural environments;
• novel theories, frameworks, methods, and models for understanding heat risks;
• methods for measuring and modeling heat exposure across scales;
• research on heat risk perceptions, decision making, and risk communication;
• research on heat governance;  
• research on relationships between heat exposure and urban infrastructure, including energy systems, housing, and transportation;
• novel approaches in understanding heat waves or extreme heat events and their changes in the context of large weather patterns, land surface characteristics, and Earth system change;
• research on solutions to reduce urban heat island effect and increase societal resilience to urban heat.

This two-day symposium will provide an opportunity for the participants to share their research and to situate their work within broader extreme heat research funded by the NSF and other US Federal agencies. The symposium aims to highlight emerging scientific and societally relevant research questions, identify pathways for deep integration across disciplines, and build collaborations that will lead to innovative approaches to tackle complex heat-related research challenges moving forward.

There is no registration fee to attend the symposium. Limited funding is available for graduate students, postdocs, and early career faculty to attend the symposium. 

The workshop will be held in a hybrid format so remote participation is also available.

Graduate students and postdocs can also apply to participate in the post-symposium in person two-day GIS workshop focused on extreme heat and geospatial storytelling. The space for attending the GIS workshop is limited, therefore participants will be selected based on their application. All selected participants will receive travel support for attending the GIS workshop. Please see our Extreme Heat Workshop web page for details.

Important dates: 

• Registration: April 15, 2025
• Abstract submission: May 15, 2025
• Program announced: May 23, 2025

Funding: National Science Foundation (NSF BCS Award #2314912)