The nature of Dark Matter has been one of the major scientific issues for decades. Although a vast amount of astrophysical evidence points at its existence, so far a hypothetical Dark Matter particle has eluded its detection. In recent years the field of Dark Matter research has dramatically broadened its scope from the cosmological and astrophysical realms to encompass a myriad of dedicated experiments, also connecting to particle astrophysics, accelerator physics and the development of new detection techniques. The many possibilites of Dark Matter physics, including alternatives to its existence, have fueled an intense activity in theoretical models and phenomenology. Perhaps the only certainty we have until now about Dark Matter is that is has become an imminently interdisciplinary field, involving large sectors of theoretical and experimental physics, astronomy and cosmology, and instrumentation and data analysis.

The Rio de Janeiro state hosts a significant number of universities and research institutions, which carry out research potentially connected to Dark Matter, and indeed, this field of research has been emerging in the region. However, due to the interdisciplinary nature of the field and the diversity of the institutions, that has been very little interaction among the scientists interested in this field. This has motivated the organization of a workshop where students and researchers in the region interested in Dark Matter could have an overview of the research currently being carried out in this field, discuss potential collaborations, and plan new avenues for research. To that end, we have invited researchers from Rio de Janeiro and abroad to deliver short talks on their field and talk about their current research.

The meeting was initially planned as a small workshop with in person attendance, thus naturally restricted to participants from the Rio de Janeiro area and a few invited participants from other regions. However, the first edition was abruptly canceled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the lessons learned during that period is how to hold hybrid meetings, which enables a broader participation. Therefore, we are holding the First Rio Dark Matter Meeting with in person and remote participation.