The 2013 Gordon Research Conference on Radiation and Climate will present cutting-edge research on outstanding issues in understanding the interactions of radiation, clouds, and the climate system. The Conference will feature a broad range of topics, including grand challenges in radiation and climate; interactions between radiation, convection, and large-scale dynamics; radiation and the earth’s surface; novel observations for model interpretation; and challenges in remote sensing. The invited speakers will present the most important recent advances and future challenges in these areas. The Conference will bring together a collection of leading investigators who are at the forefront of their field, and will provide opportunities for scientists, especially junior scientists and graduate students, to present their work in poster format and exchange ideas with leaders in the field. The collegial atmosphere of this Conference, with programmed discussion sessions as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, provides an avenue for scientists from different disciplines to brainstorm and promotes cross-disciplinary collaborations in the various research areas represented. Graduate students and early-career scientists will also have the opportunity to present their work at a special Gordon Research Seminar held immediately before the GRC.