We are pleased to host the 2016 UK Antarctic Science Conference at UEA. We welcome everyone working on Antarctic or Southern Ocean science, including techniques such as in situ measurements, numerical models, laboratory experiments or remote sensing. We encourage abstracts from all science disciplines, including cryosphere, earth, atmosphere, marine, climate and life sciences. Students and Early Career Researchers (ECRs) registering to attend the 2016 Antarctic Science Conference are also invited to a special UKPN event on Monday 4th – Tuesday 5th July 2016. The event is free of charge to Students & ECRs attending the main Conference and will include an evening Drinks Reception on the evening of Monday 4th July, refreshments on both days and lunch on Tuesday 5th July. (Refreshments and lunches during the main Conference and a BBQ dinner on Wednesday 6th are also included in main Conference registration). The aim of the UKPN event is to enable Students and ECRs to network, forge collaborations, discuss their research and exchange ideas in a relaxed and friendly environment before the main conference. We will also run two sessions (Monday pm and Tuesday am) which are likely to focus on 1) Networking and Overcoming ‘The Fear’ at Conferences; and 2) Outreach: Hands-on demos of simple, effective experiments you can take into schools.