The Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center’s 2026 Summer Science Symposium will take place August 3-6 in Minneapolis, hosted by the University of Minnesota, institutional host of the MW CASC consortium. 

Quick links: Registration | Agenda | Directions & Lodging | Early Career Researcher Programming 

Celebrating Five Years of the MW CASC 

The Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center was launched in 2021 as a partnership-driven effort to help fish, wildlife, water, land, and people across the Midwest adapt to a changing climate.

Five years later, we are proud of the regional, cross-institutional community we are building together. With a portfolio of more than 50 climate adaptation research projects, MW CASC researchers are working hand-in-hand with management professionals to provide the science needed to steward Midwest resources and communities. 

This year’s Science Symposium will place a special emphasis on success stories from our first five years, highlighting real-world impact of research through NGO, federal, state and Tribal partnerships.

What to Expect 

We’ll use our time together to showcase adaptation science and strengthen research collaboration across our community. Our sessions will highlight Midwest CASC-funded research, address our science priorities, and demonstrate our core values in action. 

The Summer Science Symposium will begin with optional workshops on transdisciplinarity and research coproduction on Monday and Tuesday. All attendees are encouraged to gather for a welcome presentation on Tuesday evening. Wednesday will be a full day of conference sessions and activities. Thursday will be a half day of sessions, followed by an optional off-site field trip. Find additional details on our agenda page. 

Who’s Invited

The Summer Science Symposium is open to the entire MW CASC community, including researchers on funded projects, current and prospective partners, and students, faculty, and staff at consortium member institutions. We hope to see you there! 

There is no registration fee for the Summer Science Symposium. If travel costs are a barrier to your participation, or you have other questions about the event, please reach out to MW CASC Program Manager Elissa Welch ([email protected]).