TESS Science Conference III

July 29 - August 2, 2024, MIT / Cambridge, USA

• February 12: Open abstract submission, requests for financial support, and proposals for parallel sessions
• March 13: Open registration
• March 15: Proposals for parallel sessions deadline
• March 29: Requests for financial support deadline
• April 12: Talks and posters abstract submission deadline
• May 1: Early Registration deadline
• May 23: Announcement of the full program, block schedule, and detailed block schedule
• June 14: Regular registration deadline
• July 29: The first day of the conference

Most rooms in the BU Residency Hallshave now been booked. Please see the bolded instructions below to inquire about possible remaining availability. The BU Residency Halls are located at 10 Buick Street, which is approximately a 30 minute walking distance from the conference venue, or a 5 minute drive. All apartments have single-occupancy rooms that are air-conditioned, furnished and equipped with kitchen facilities and bathrooms. Beds come made with linen and bath towels, and basic amenities. Optionally, there are nearby restaurants, grocery stores and cafés.

Availability at 10 Buick Street is limited. Please email confreg@bu.edu to inquire about availability and the next steps to make a reservation.

BU dorms: Booking deadline: July 24, 2024 at 5:00PM EDT

Hyatt Regency Cambridge Hotel

We reserved a block of rooms in the Hyatt Regency Cambridge hotel, located about 15 minutes on foot from the conference venue. There is complementary to-and-from Kendall Square shuttle service, see here for details. The single/double room rate is 285 USD per night (+tax).

For booking a room at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge hotel see: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/BOSRC/G-TESS

Hyatt hotel: Booking deadline: July 7, 2024

MIT Residence Hall Accommodation

A limited number of sleeping rooms (dormitory-style) have been arranged on the MIT campus for registered TESS Science Conference III participants. These rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis and may sell out before the deadline. Early reservations are strongly encouraged. The traditional residence hall is air-conditioned and has shared bathroom facilities on each floor. Rooms with private baths are not available. The nightly rates are 84 USD or 168 USD depending on whether the double-occupancy room is shared or occupied by one person. There is an option to either request a specific person as a roommate or to be assigned a random roommate. For specific roommate requests, both people have to request each other.

To request accommodation in the MIT residence halls, click here.

MIT Residence Hall Accomodation: Request deadline: July 2, 2024

Other hotels and Accommodations

Several other hotels are available in walking distance and can be found with any search engine or travel agency. More affordable options should also be available via websites such as Airbnb (We do not endorse any particular option. Links are provided as example only).

Transportation from Logan Airport

Logan Airport (IATA-code: BOS) is served by a large number of US and international airlines. Direct flights are offered to most major US and European airports. Several smaller airports exist in the Greater Boston area, but connecting from there to Boston is usually less convenient.

The easiest way to get to MIT campus is by public transportation, see MBTA.

From the airport to Boston/Cambridge: Take the Silver Line SL1 bus, located right outside the Terminal. Travel starting with the Silver Line from the airport is free, a measure introduced to reduce congestion at the airport terminals. Stay on the bus to the final stop (South Station).

To the BU Residency Hall: Transfer to the Red Line (inbound to Alewife) and depart at Park Street (2 stops). Change to the Green Line train "B" going outbound to Boston College. The Green line stop Saint Paul Street (9 stops) is a one minute walk to the hall.

To Hyatt Regency Cambridge Hotel: Transfer to the Red Line (inbound to Alewife) and depart at Kendall Square (4 stops). Kendall Square is about 25 minutes walk from the hotel.

Both the MBTA and Google Maps offer a journey planner that has up-to-date timetables for all train and bus services in Boston.

Tickets for the MBTA come in the form of a CharlieTicket (one time use) or a CharlieCard (can be recharged and reused). Prices are 1.70 USD per bus ride (one way) and 2.40 USD per subway ride (one way). The subway is called the "T". For more information see mbta.com/fares.

A taxi from the airport costs about $35-45 USD (15-20% tips are expected in the US). Taxis prefer cash, but also accept all major credit cards.

App Ride/Transportation Network Companies, like Uber and Lyft, operate in Boston and Cambridge, and will service (pick-up and drop-off) the Boston Logan Airport. The fees are typically ~$25-35 USD for single rides but can fluctuate due to the demand at the time. The option to automatically share a ride with other Uber/Lyft users will significantly reduce the price. In order to access these rides, you must install the app on your phone and have access to the internet. Creating an account through the app and registering your credit/debt card or PayPal/Google Pay is required for service since the drivers will not take cash or credit.

Getting around in the city

To the Conference Venue: The closest MBTA stop to Kresge Auditorium is the 84 Massachusetts Ave stop on the #1 bus line. Kresge is also a 15 minute walk from the Central Square Red line station. Depending on where you are staying, you may find it convenient to walk or bike.

In recent years, cycling has also become a lot more popular and many new bike lanes have been marked to increase safety, see Google maps for a map of bike routes. In particular, there is a very nice bike path along the Charles river. We want to point out a company that provides bicycles:

• BLUEbikes offers a bike share service for $10 per day. You can keep a BLUEbike for 2 hrs at a time, during a 24 hr period. Each additional 30 minutes will incur an extra charge of $2.50. There are two BLUEbikes docks/Hubways around the corner of the BU residency halls, one in the corner of Washington St/Amherst St, and a three around the MIT campus. Please note that the bikes are not lightweight. To sign up to the service and unlock a bike, use the BLUEBikes mobile app
to become a member. However, you may also buy a pass directly from the hubs.

International visitors whose country does not participate in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program may request a letter confirming their registration and abstract submission to support their Visa application. The request should be sent to tsc3@mit.edu and include the visitor full name, abstract title, affiliation, and complete address. For more information about visitors Visa please see here.

Temporary MIT gym access - For temporary access to MIT recreation center (gym, pool, etc.) see here.

Parking - It is strongly recommended to arrive at MIT campus by public transportation or by taxi/uber/lyft. If you must arrive by car and need parking please contact A vi Shporer at shporer@mit.edu.