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Favs Stay at home vacations 2020 to-do.docx report2020- FINAL.pdf Zoom burn out 24/7 online availability has also affected researchers in terms of work-life balance as Joeri Rogelj, a researcher in the Energy Program explains. “One clear limitation of virtual meetings is that truly international collaborative endeavors like the IPCC reports result in calls being scheduled from 6am until midnight for people living in Europe, and even worse hours for people living elsewhere. This can result in a deterioration of a healthy work-life balance and also create barriers to participation.” Franziska Gaupp, a researcher with the Ecosystems Services and Management Program, offers a counter balance. “We save a lot of money and time by not travelling in person. Early-career researchers or students with less travel budget can therefore attend conferences more easily. The European Geoscience Union (EGU) conference was free for everyone to attend online this year, and I think a lot of students took advantage of this.” Michaela Rossini, manager of the Library and Knowledge Resources Unit, points out that while the post-COVID virtual workplace might increase participation for some, several studies suggest that female scientists may be producing less publications as they carry a larger burden of familial responsibilities than their male counterparts do. A smaller carbon footprint - will it last? Reduced work-related travel has lessened the environmental impact from scientific meetings, but will the benefits of this be carried forward? Jens Borken-Kleefeld is a researcher with the Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases Program and sees the overnight digitalization as proof that many scientific meetings are possible remotely, while acknowledging that complete virtual working poses significant challenges for certain types of field work. He is concerned that demand for face-to-face meetings might just surge when restrictions are lifted. This will be a lost opportunity for change to more sustainable travel practices. What is clear is that in the longer term, virtual working is here to stay and we need to invest in both better technologies and group processes to make the best of this new situation. phoneVIDEOmicrophone The first virtual Young Scientists Summer Program Janet Molina-Maturano participated in the 2020 Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP), the first to be held online since the program began in 1977. “My experience has been like a rollercoaster. Initially, I experienced some confusion navigating the IIASA structure, acronyms, and platforms in a virtual setting, but IIASA colleagues were always willing to support me “digitally” on both a professional and personal level. There were some exciting moments due to the inspiring research we got to know during the virtual presentations and discussions, but also times of wishing I could get to know people at IIASA and other YSSPers in person. Overall, it has however been a really worthwhile and interesting experience. I highly recommend it!” phone userSHIELD-ALT WIFIUpload VOLUME-UP battery-three-quartersCOMMENT TtyINBOX TH-LISTIIASA Winter 2020 www.iiasa.ac.at 17OptionsWinter 2020