The Ecological Forecasting Initiative (EFI) is an international grassroots consortium aimed at building and supporting an interdisciplinary community of practice around near-term (daily to decadal) ecological forecasts. Hosted by the Canadian Chapter of EFI, the EFI2026 Conference will assemble local, regional, national, and global leaders from the mathematical sciences, environmental sciences, epidemiology, data sciences, one health, and related disciplines to advance the state of ecological forecasting. Individuals are invited from academia, government agencies, industry, and the non-profit sectors to come together in person to share cutting-edge research and applications in ecological forecasting broadly. The conference will explore key research themes such as mathematical and statistical techniques for quantifying and partitioning uncertainty, forecasting across spatio-temporal scales, designing forecasts that inform real-world decisions, and effective teaching for ecological forecasting.

Keynote Speakers

• Dr. Caroline Colijn, Simon Fraser University
• Dr. James Clark, Duke University

Main Objectives

The main objective of the EFI2026 conference is to continue to grow the global Ecological Forecasting Initiative community, as well as elevate the visibility of the Canadian EFI and connections within Canada by catalyzing new initiatives, outputs, and partnerships. Cutting-edge ecological research will be shared through keynote addresses, short research presentations, poster sessions, working groups, workshops, and networking opportunities.

Additional Details

Key Dates (subject to change if needed):

• December 8, 2025: Abstract, travel scholarships, and visa request submissions open. Determine if you need a visa to enter Canada using the following tool from Immigration Canada: https://www.ircc.canada.ca/english/visit/visas.asp
• January 23, 2026: Proposals for workshops (https://bit.ly/efi2026-workshops) and working groups (https://bit.ly/efi2026-workinggroups) close
• March 2, 2026: Registration opens
• April 15, 2026: Abstract and travel scholarship applications close
• May 1, 2026: Accepted contributions and travel scholarships announced
• May 29, 2026: Early bird registration closes
• July 1, 2026: Full registration closes

Important Links

• Abstracts for talks and poster presentations to take place on August 5-7 can be submitted at: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8592450/EFI-2026-Abstract
• Proposals for Working Group activities that will take place on August 4 can be submitted at: https://bit.ly/efi2026-workinggroups
• Proposals for Workshops that will take place on August 5-7 can be submitted at: https://bit.ly/efi2026-workshops
• Travel scholarship applications can be submitted at: https://bit.ly/efi2026-travel-scholarship
• Additional details, a handbook with travel recommendations, and updates are available at: https://bit.ly/efi2026

Sponsoring Partners

• Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada
• Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto
• Ocean Tracking Network, Dalhousie University
• Centre for Ecosystem Management, University of Guelph
• One Health Institute, University of Guelph
• ApexRMS
• Ecological Forecasting Initiative