STAR 2026 Bootcamp
The Wisconsin Center for Origins Research Summer Training in Astrobiology Research (STAR) 2026 Bootcamp is designed to provide an interdisciplinary introduction to the major research areas in Astrobiology and Origins Research. This week-long bootcamp will feature lectures from leading scientists on astronomy, planetary science, chemistry, and biology – see the full list of topics below! The content will be aimed at early-stage graduate students or upper-level undergraduate students.
STAR is a crash course in everything from stars to planets to cellular processes that (may) have led to the origins of life. Lectures designed for non-experts organically transitioned into discussions ranging from clarifying to philosophical questions. Whether you care about the origins of planets or cells, this course will open your prospective on how fields across STEM are trying to understand the origins of life.
I would highly recommend the WiCOR bootcamp for students from any background. I made many new friends from different disciplines and had so much fun learning about a broad range of astrobiology topics I did not know before!
Important Details
Dates: June 1-5, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, daily
Schedule: 80 min lectures, a 60 min lunch, and two 20 min breaks
Location: University of Wisconsin-Madison Campus
Topics & Experts: See Topics and Experts below
Credit: No Credits offered
Digital Badge: Participants who complete the assessment at the conclusion of the Bootcamp can earn a STAR Bootcamp digital badge.
Fee: $225 for Non-UW-Madison Registrant, $200 for UW-Madison students/staff
Housing: On-campus rooms are available in Chadbourne Hall for $49.23*/night (single occupancy room & breakfast) *+credit card processing fee
- All guest rooms will be air conditioned with a small refrigerator, complimentary Wi-Fi, bed linens, blanket and pillow.
- Complete the registration form indicating your interest in the University Housing option for reservation information. Registrants are not required to use this housing option.
It was a great experience that introduced me to many new concepts and made me confront my own field from a variety of new lenses. The bootcamp is built to foster interdisciplinary collaboration; it sparked deep discussions about fundamental questions regarding the origins of life!
Topics**
- Interdisciplinary Collaboration
- Astronomy
- Star Formation & Astrochemistry
- Stellar Evolution
- Planet Formation
- Exoplanet Detection and Characterization
- Cosmogeochemistry and Asteroids
- Earth Science in the context of Exoplanets
- Planetary Structure
- Atmospheres
- Oceans
- Chemical Cycles on Earth
- Chemistry/Biochemistry/Biology
- Chemical Processes for Life
- Intro to Molecular and Cellular Biology
- Biological Evolution
- Prebiotic Chemistry
- Origins Research
- Origins of Life on Earth
- Origins of Life: Genetics
- Origins of Life: Metabolism
- Possibilities for Life on Other Worlds
**session names may change as we finalize the schedule
The STAR Bootcamp was a valuable experience that helped me look at astrobiology from a lens far beyond just the “Astro-” focus and opened the door for a lot of interdisciplinary discussion that will be necessary to answer the questions that arise when searching for extraterrestrial life.
Expert Presenters
alphabetical order by last name
- Zachary Adam
- Ángel F. Adames Corraliza
- Annie Bauer
- Thomas Beatty
- Juliette Becker
- David Baum
- Timothy Bertram
- Simon Gilroy
- Zoe Todd
- Richard Townsend
- Susanna Widicus Weaver
- Bennett Wilson
- Hannah Zanowski
Questions?
Email us at wicor@wisc.edu