Many of you were able to attend the 2017 SERDP & ESTCP Symposium in Washington last November.  We had 950 attendees for the Plenary Session, two days of technical sessions, short courses, and posters.  I really enjoyed interacting with our many investigators and their students over the course of the Symposium.  It may sound a little self-serving, but it felt to me like we had never skipped a beat with the Symposium.  All of us here at SERDP & ESTCP thank the speakers, poster presenters, and course instructors for their help.

We have received approval to host the 2018 SERDP and ESTCP Symposium from November 27 – 29, 2018 at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Planning for the 2018 Symposium has begun and this year’s meeting is shaping up to be an excellent event.   As in years’ past, the 2018 Symposium will be centered on technical sessions that span the wide spectrum of SERDP and ESTCP’s investments.  While the agenda is still being finalized, attendees can look forward to sessions focused on topics such as contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, unexploded ordnance in the underwater environment, management of wildfires on DoD lands, maintenance of DoD weapons systems, and energy storage.  The technical sessions will be complimented by two poster sessions that highlight SERDP and ESTCP funded efforts along with the relevant work of others in the community.  As in previous years, we plan to offer a number of short courses that provide attendees the opportunity to dive deeper into different topics and earn continuing education credits.

The Symposium attracts members of the end-user and research communities along with Department of Defense leadership and regulators. As such, there will be many opportunities for networking and collaboration. We also understand that students are the future of research, and encourage their attendance.  As in the past, a reduced rate will be offered for students. Whether you work for the DoD, the military services, industry, or academia, we believe that everyone can benefit from the interactions offered by the 2018 SERDP and ESTCP Symposium. 

We encourage you to visit the Symposium website to learn more about this event.  Please check back regularly as updates will be made as we finalize the program.  We hope to see many of you there!