By Aleksandra Pawlik.

The role of software in research is now on the agenda at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting - thanks to our Fellows. The prestigious meeting, which with over 20,000 attendees is one of the world's largest conferences, will hold a Town Hall that will allow "anybody who uses software in their research to join a discussion about the role software plays in research innovation".

Kayla Iacovino, Allen Pope, Melody Sandells and Robin Wilson are the four Fellows who put together the successful AGU proposal (and, by the way, applications for our 2014 Fellows closes on 27 September 2013). They worked on the proposal for the AGU during the Collaborations Workshop 2013, and their trip to the AGU will be paid for by their Fellowship travel bursary.

The Town Hall, which is open to all AGU attendees, will look into the role of software in research, with a view on learning about the tools that can help researchers, identifying areas in which new tools would be useful, and on best practices for sharing software.

The Town Hall will be of interest to researchers who are only just entering the world of software development, and advanced users too. One of the aims is to discuss the limitations and roles of the software developer in research. If time permits, the participants may be asked about the software that they use and develop. The results of this survey will be helpful to anyone who deals with project funding, or designs software training for researchers. Anecdotes can be persuasive in the campaign to recognise software's role in research, but it's the statistics that get people to listen.

A short report will be released after the Town Hall, which focus on the hot topics identified at the meeting. This report will share the outcomes of the Town Hall with the research community (keep an eye on this website for news). 

If you would like to join the Fellowship 2014, apply now!