#sagan2026
The 2026 Sagan Summer Workshop will focus on "Exoplanets with Roman Surveys: Microlensing and Transits." Timed to prepare for the launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope no later than May 2027, this workshop will concentrate on the exoplanet science from the Roman Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey (GBTDS). The GBTDS, one of the three Core Community Surveys that Roman will perform, will discover thousands of planets towards the Galactic bulge through both the microlensing and transit detection techniques. The workshop will cover the methodologies, opportunities, and expected results from the surveys, including synergies with other ground- and space-based observations. We will also cover additional science that the GBTDS is expected to yield, as well as the exoplanet science expected from the Roman coronagraph.
The workshop will be hybrid, with both in-person and remote attendance. The Sagan Summer Workshops are aimed at advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs; however, we welcome attendees at all career stages. There is no registration fee for these workshops.
This website will be updated as more information becomes available.
There is no registration fee to attend the workshop either in-person or remotely. Register using this form.
For remote attendees, we will stream the workshop sessions live, and there will be a Slack channel available for questions during the live talks, and so that the conversation can continue after the talks are finished. All talks will be available on our YouTube channel after the workshop.
Following the workshop, all attendees will have the opportunity to request a letter of attendance.
Limited travel support is available for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs. See the application submission form. The amount of travel support that we can offer is limited to local costs (hotel and per diem) only. We cannot provide airfare, and applicants are encouraged to seek other sources to augment any travel funds NExScI can provide. See the travel guidelines; Further information will be provided to the successful applicants.
Note that if you are awarded travel support from NExScI, you must agree to participate in the hands-on session group projects, which include informal presentations at the Workshop on Friday, July 24. We also strongly encourage all those receiving travel support to submit a poster and/or POP presentation as a part of their participation in the workshop.
Each application must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation that should be submitted using this form. The letter should include a short statement about how the student will benefit from attending the workshop and an indication of financial need, including other possible sources of funding.
The travel support deadline is March 5, 2026.
The hotel reservation deadline is June 22, 2026.
An optional, half-day PROfessional Tools and Opportunities (PROTO) Workshop will be held on Sunday, July 19, 2026, preceding the Sagan Summer Workshop. See more information.
You can register for both the Sagan Summer and PROTO Workshops using registration form.
Join our email list! Or contact us at Sagan_Workshop@ipac.caltech.edu.
View presentations from previous summer workshops on the Sagan Summer Workshop YouTube Channel.
Image credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/B. Tafreshi, NASA, Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Illustrations and Canva AI
(last updated February 3rd, 2026 11:37:29)
The NASA Exoplanet Science Institute is operated by the California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under the Exoplanet Exploration Program.
