Dynamic Radio Sky Conference 2026

August 24-28, 2026
Room 0100, Lorne M. Trottier Building, McGill University
3630 University St, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C6

Registration Deadline is June 24, 2026
This conference will be fully hybrid.

Please send a message to drs2026.contact@physics.mcgill.ca to be added to the mailing list!

Visa Support Letter

Please fill out this google form to request a Visa support letter.

Code of Conduct

La version française suit.
The organisers of Dynamic Radio Sky 2026 are committed to providing a safe, harassment-free environment so that all attendees can enjoy and benefit from their experience.


The following code applies to all conference events, including but not limited to: talks, discussion sessions, tutorials, meals, and social events. The code also applies to any and all forms of interaction, whether verbal or written, on any platform, including Slack, Zoom, and social media. By registering for this event, all attendees agree to adhere to the following guidelines:

BEHAVE IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER, INCLUDING:
Treating others with dignity, courtesy, respect, politeness, and consideration. Being respectful of others’ right to express their views, even if you disagree. Managing conflict with others in a respectful way rather than in a confrontational way.

THE ORGANISERS WILL NOT CONDONE UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOUR, INCLUDING:
Profanity, abuse, shouting, aggression, violent language, or inappropriate physical contact directed at an individual or individuals.
Humiliating, degrading, demeaning, belittling, insulting, frightening, harassing, or intimidating another person.
Making sexist, racist, or exclusionary comments or jokes.
Using sexual or sexist language or imagery.
All communication, whether it be in person or electronically, should be kept appropriate and respectful for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds and identities.
Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down attendees.

WE WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY HARASSMENT OR DISCRIMINATION BASED ON:

  • Gender
  • Gender identity and expression
  • Age
  • Career stage
  • Sexual orientation
  • Disability
  • Physical appearance
  • Body size
  • Racialization
  • Ethnicity
  • Nationality
  • Language (spoken or written)
  • Religion
  • Educational background
  • Civil status
  • Political conviction
Harassment and discrimination include deliberate intimidation, bullying, stalking, following, photography or audio/video recording without consent, sustained disruption of talks or other events, and unwelcome sexual attention. Note that harassment intended in a joking manner is still harassment.
All individuals are expected to respect the values outlined in this Statement regardless of the influence presented by alcohol and/or drug use. Those engaging in inappropriate behaviour may be asked to leave events by relevant event organisers (without refund of any registration or admission fee) or reported to law enforcement at the discretion of the organisers.
If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact an organiser immediately. Organisers will be identifiable by designations on their name tags.
This document borrows heavily from the Dunlap Institute’s code of conduct.

CODE DE CONDUITE
Les organisateurs de Dynamic Radio Sky 2026 s'engagent à offrir un environnement sûr et exempt de harcèlement afin que tous les participants puissent profiter pleinement de leur expérience. Le code de conduite suivant s'applique à tous les événements de la conférence, y compris, mais sans s'y limiter: les présentations, les séances de discussion, les tutoriels, les repas et les événements sociaux. Ce code s'applique également à toutes les formes d'interaction, qu'elles soient verbales ou écrites, sur toutes les plateformes, y compris Slack, Zoom, et les médias sociaux.
En s'inscrivant à cet événement, tous les participants acceptent de respecter les directives suivantes:

ADOPTER UN COMPORTEMENT PROFESSIONNEL, INCLUANT:
Traiter les autres avec dignité, courtoisie, respect, politesse et considération. Respecter le droit des autres d'exprimer leurs opinions, même si vous n'êtes pas d'accord.
Gérer les conflits avec respect, plutôt que de manière conflictuelle.

LES ORGANISATEURS NE TOLÉRERONT AUCUN COMPORTEMENT NON PROFESSIONNEL, Y COMPRIS :
Profanités, abus, cris, agressivité, langage violent ou contact physique inapproprié dirigé contre une ou plusieurs personnes.
Humilier, dégrader, rabaisser, insulter, effrayer, harceler ou intimider une autre personne.
Faire des commentaires ou des blagues sexistes, racistes ou discriminatoires. Utiliser un langage ou des images à caractère sexuel ou sexiste.
Toutes les communications, qu'elles soient en personne ou électroniques, doivent rester appropriées et respectueuses, convenant à un public professionnel composé de personnes issues de divers horizons et identités.
Être bienveillant envers les autres. Ne pas insulter ou rabaisser les participants.

NOUS NE TOLÉRONS AUCUNE FORME DE DISCRIMINATION OU DE HARCÈLEMENT FONDÉS SUR :
  • Le sexe
  • L’identité ou l’expression de genre
  • L’âge
  • L’orientation sexuelle
  • Un handicap
  • L’apparence physique
  • Le poids ou la taille du corps
  • La racialisation
  • L’ethnicité
  • La nationalité
  • La langue (parlée ou écrite)
  • La religion
  • L’éducation
  • L’état civil
  • Les convictions politiques
Le terme “harcèlement” renvoie à toute conduite hostile ou non désirée, qui porte atteinte à la dignité ou à l’intégrité psychologique ou physique du membre de la communauté et qui le place dans un environnement néfaste, et qui est liée aux critères susmentionnés. Le terme “discrimination” désigne tout acte, toute conduite ou toute décision qui entraîne l’exclusion ou la préférence d’une personne ou d’un groupe fondé sur ces qualités interdites par loi. Le harcèlement et la discrimination comprennent l’intimidation délibérée, les moqueries, le “stalking”, la filature, la photographie ou l’enregistrement audio-vidéo sans consentement, la perturbation soutenue des conférences ou autres événements, ou une attention sexuelle non désirée. Notez que le harcèlement dont l’intention est la plaisanterie reste du harcèlement.
Toutes les personnes sont tenues de respecter les valeurs énoncées dans cette déclaration, quelles que soient les influences liées à la consommation d’alcool et/ou de drogues. Les personnes adoptant un comportement inapproprié peuvent être invitées à quitter les événements par les organisateurs concernés (sans remboursement des frais d’inscription ou d’admission) ou signalées aux forces de l’ordre à la discrétion des organisateurs.
Si vous êtes victime de harcèlement, si vous constatez qu'une autre personne est harcelée, ou si vous avez toutes autres préoccupations, veuillez contacter immédiatement un organisateur. Les organisateurs seront identifiables grâce aux désignations figurant sur leurs badges nominatifs.
Ce document s'inspire largement du code de conduite de l'Institut Dunlap.

Land Acknowledgement

Montreal and McGill University is situated on un-ceded lands, located closest to the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation. The university is on land that has long served as a site of meetings and exchange among Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabeg nations. We acknowledge and thank the Indigenous peoples whose presence marks this territory on which peoples of the world now gather to study, work and collaborate. Many sites of the telescope facilities that we will discuss in this conference are located on un-ceded lands. We invite all attendees to learn about the indigenous groups whose land was stolen to build the telescopes that we now use in our work. For a map of Indigenous communities across Canada and further educational resources, please visit whose.land.

Montréal et l’Université McGill sont situés sur des terres non cédées, au plus près de la nation Kanien’kehá:ka. L’Université McGill est située sur un territoire qui a longtemps servi de lieu de recontre et d’échanges entre les peuples autochtones notamment les Hausenosaunee et les Anishinaabeg. Nous reconnaissons et remercions les peuples autochtones qui ont enrichi de leur présence ce territoire sur lequel des peuples du monde entier se rassemblent aujourd’hui pour étudier, travailler et collaborer. De nombreux sites des installations télescopiques dont nous discuterons lors de cette conférence sont situés sur des terres non cédées. Nous invitons tous les participants à s’informer sur les groupes autochtones dont les terres ont été volées pour construire les télescopes que nous utilisons aujourd’hui dans notre travail. Pour accéder à une carte des communautés autochtones à travers le Canada et à des ressources éducatives supplémentaires, veuillez visiter whose.land.

For Presenters

Contributed talks will be 12 minutes with 3 minutes for questions.
For posters, the maximum size is A0.

Abstract Submission (Closes 31 March 2026)

    Abstract Rubric:
  • Originality of science
  • Clarity and structure of the abstract (including title, background, aims/objectives, methodology/study design, results, conclusion), language, ease of understanding to someone outside the specific field
  • Relevance to the conference

Registration (Now Open!)

Registration fee is $150 CAD for in person and $30 CAD for online
Please fill out the following form to register.


The registration of participation is binding. No refunds will be issued for the online-participation registration Refunds for in-person registration can be requested up until the start date of the conference and will be issued at the discretion of the organizing committee in some cases of unforseen circumstances which prevent participation in the conference. In-person registration includes access to the online/remote participation aspect of the conference, which we will consider the resolution of most unexpected barriers to in-person participation (i.e. visa issues). The participation fees are owed one week before the conference. Participation is not guaranteed until full payment of the registration fee is received. The conference program may be subject to changes. Payments will be refunded if the conference will be cancelled by the organizer. In that case, the organizer will have no further liability to the client. Registrations remain valid if the conference has to be postponed. By registering for the event, you agree to abide by the Code of Conduct (https://drs2026.github.io/).

Logistics

Travelling to Montreal

There is only one airport in Montréal, the Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. Getting to/from downtown from the airport is relatively straightforward. The 747 bus leaves directly from the airport and brings you to downtown. You can purchase a ticket (11.25 CAD, see here) at the metro kiosk in the airport, and the bus runs every ~10 to 20 minutes. You may need to take the metro, or Uber, from the downtown station to your hotel, but it will be considerably cheaper than taking a taxi/Uber from the airport. In general, Montréal is a very safe city (#1 in North America), with clean and reliable public transporation that is relatively easy to use. Taxis and Uber are also safe and are easy choices to get you directly to your hotel. For flights departing from YUL, we suggest you leave at least two hours for travel time, even if just travelling to the United States. Security times can strongly vary from ~10 minutes to close to an hour.

How to find us

The conference will take place in the auditorium (Room 0100) of the Lorne M. Trottier Building (3630 Rue University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B3) on McGill University Campus. There are multipe entrances to the building, one on University Street, accross from Prince Arthur Street, one is up the stairs on the south side of the building, and another on the oposite side from University street. Registration will take place on the mezzanine, there will be signs with directions.

Note: The Lorne M. Trottier Building is different than the Trottier Space Institute (which looks like a house).

Accommodations

Select hotels in Montreal are offering preferential rates to conference attendees. Attendees are responsible for their lodging during the conference. Booking and reservations are the full responsibility of guests, please pay attention to cancellation policies! Prices are in Canadian Dollars.

Sens Hotel (1808 Sherbrooke St W) Aug 23 - 28

  • Classic, 1 Queen $219.00 +tax per room, per night
  • Deluxe, 1 King $229.00 +tax per room, per night
  • Deluxe, 2 Double Beds $249.00 +tax per room, per night
  • Junior Suite, 1 King $269.00 +tax per room, per night
Breakfast: 25$+tax+services
Booking method: email reservations@sensmtlversailles.com, mention booking code DRH23S

Chateau Versailles (1659 Sherbrooke St W) Aug 23 - 28

  • Deluxe, 1 Queen Bed $199.00 +tax per room, per night
  • Deluxe, 1 King Bed $209.00 +tax per room, per night
  • Fireplace Suite, 1 Queen / King Bed $229.00 +tax per room, per night
Breakfast included
Booking method: email reservations@sensmtlversailles.com, mention booking code DRH23B

Mariott Residence (2045 Peel st) Aug 24 - 28

  • Standard Room with 1 Queen bed $289.00 +tax per room, per night
  • Standard Room with 1 King bed $299.00 +tax per room, per night
  • Standard Room with 2 double beds $319.00 +tax per room, per night
Booking method: Discount Reservation Link

Hotel Europa (1240 rue Drummond) Aug 24 - 28

  • 1 Queen bed: $239.00 +tax per room, per night
  • 2 Queen bed: $259.00 +tax per room, per night
Booking method: Discount Reservation Link

Delta Hotel (475 President-Kennedy Avenue) Aug 23 - 27

  • Standard room (single or double): $250.00 +tax per room, per night
Booking method: Discount Reservation Link

Montreal Recommendations

Copied with permission from the FRB 2025 website.

Coffee Shops

  • Leaves Cafe (Downtown) -- Great vegan cafe in close proximity to downtown
  • Nocturne Cafe (Plateau) -- Popular cafe with reasonable prices
  • Le Club Cafe (Plateau) -- Cafe strongly associated with a cycling club
  • Cafe Reine Garcon (Plateau) -- Great breakfast sandwhiches
  • Le Saint Louis Cafe (Plateau) -- Incredible croissants and breakfast sandwiches
  • Cafe Olympico (Mile End) -- Not close to downtown, but a Montréal classic

Bagels

Montreal is famous for its bagels, and there are two classic bagel joints: Saint Viateur and Fairmont. We strongly recommend visiting at least one of the two during your stay. NOTE that unlike US bagel shops, they do not provide ready-made bagels, but loose bagels and sides of Philadelphia cream cheese.

Vegan/Vegetarian

  • Momo (or Komomo for takeout) Sushi (Plateau) -- Phenomenal vegan sushi; takeout or eat-in
  • Ohana Sushie (Plateau) -- Phenomenal vegan sushi; Can get takeout and sit on Mont-royal street in summer
  • Aux Vivres (Plateau / Mile End) -- Huge portions and delicious vegan food of all varieties
  • Lola Rosa (Milton Park) -- Smaller menu than Aux Vivres but located in close proximity to McGill

Dinner Restaurants

  • Schwartz's Deli (Plateau) -- Montreal staple for smoked meat, but expect a long line during peak hours
  • Dosa Point -- Fabulous dosa restaurant
  • The parks in Montreal are beautiful and vibrant during the summer! For large groups, ordering takeout and sitting in the park(s) e.g., Jean-Mance, Laurier, Parc Lafontaine, or along the canal are great options.

Bakeries & Icecream

  • Kem Coba (Mile End)-- Famous Montreal ice cream shop with weekly changing soft serve flavors. Expect a long line!
  • Ripples (Plateau)
  • Unicone (Plateau) -- Weekly changing soft serve flavors and creative hard ice cream flavors.
  • Cremerie Bo Bec (Mile End) -- Fantastic vanilla soft serve next to a large park
  • Guillaume Bakery (Mile End) -- Fantastic bakery with breads and foccacia
  • Kouign Amann (Plateau) -- Fantastic bakery with Kouign amann, & other French treats (This website writer's personal fave).

Activity Recommendations

Skyline view of Montréal from Mont Royal (Kondiaronk Belvedere)

One of the best lookout points in the city is located a short (but steep) walk from McGill. From "this remote corner":

"... One popular, heart-pumping option to reach the Mount Royal lookout is to walk up the mountain from downtown Montreal. To do this, make your way to the Peel Steps, which are up on a hill above McGill University. (On foot, it’s about 15 minutes from the Peel metro station to the Peel Steps. You can also transfer to bus 107 to take you right to the base of the steps.) The stairs take you up into the park, where they eventually meet the Grand Staircase of Mount Royal where it intersects with the Olmsted Trail. The Grand Staircase leads you all the way up to the Mount Royal Chalet and Belvédère Kondiaronk.

There is also a path called Le Serpentin that, as you might have guessed, snakes its way back and forth up the same hill as the stairs, intersecting the steps at four different points. The path starts a few minutes west of the Peel Steps on Avenue des Pins. It meets up with the Olmsted Trail a few minutes south of the Grand Staircase. (You’ll want to turn right on the Olmsted Trail to take the stairs the rest of the way.) Alternatively, you can turn left on the Olmsted Trail and follow it all the way to Mount Royal’s famous Lac aux Castors (Beaver Lake). Here you’ll find (mostly) tourists going for a paddle and (mostly) locals relaxing at picnic tables or on the grassy hillside overlooking the lake. To continue to the lookout point, follow the Olmsted Trail past the sculpture garden and parking lot on your left. The main path then turns right to lead you to the chalet. (It makes a large loop – several, actually – around the mountain.) This route is considerably longer than taking the stairs straight up (count on an additional 40-45 minutes to reach the lookout), but it’s a nice walk in good weather."

Markets

There are several great public markets in Montréal, two of the most famous are Atwater and Jean Talon market, which both include many vendors selling fruits, vegetables, and more!

Old Port of Montreal

Montreal’s historic waterfront neighborhood, right by the St. Lawrence River. You can rent pedal boats, bicycles, or quadricycles, walk along the Lachine Canal, ride the Ferris wheel, or just admire the historic architecture.

Participants List

Invited Speakers:

Science Speakers

Jean Somalwar
Dillon Dong
Kate Alexander
Bryan Gaensler
Rob Fender
Ryan Mckinven
Nicole Lloyd-Ronning
Adelle Goodwin
Anna Ho

Telescope Panel

Paul Scholz
Joe Bright
Poonam Chandra
Mark Gurwell
Alice Curtin
Gregg Hallinan

Organizing Committees:

SOC

Lauren Rhodes (McGill, chair)
Dougal Dobie (Sydney)
Feng Qiu (Adam) Dong (York)
James Leung (Toronto)
Ben Margalit (Minnesota)
Genevieve Schroeder (Cornell)
Itai Sfaradi (Berkeley)
Kaitlyn Shin (Caltech)
Alex Tetarenko (Lethbridge)

LOC

Lauren Rhodes (chair)
Amanda Cook
Alice Curtin
Eesha Das Gupta
Hannah Dykaar
Max Fine
Naman Jain
Affan Khadir
Kyle McGregor
Max Mutombo
Nicole Mulyk
Sachin Pradeep
Vishwangi Shah

Program

Please see below for the full conferenece schedule, as well as titles and abstracts for accepted talks and posters.

Contact Us

For general inquiries, please reach out to drs2026.contact@physics.mcgill.ca