The motivation for this conference is the growing interest of the astrophysical community in the application of kinetic plasma methods to the problems of modern astrophysics. The intent of the meeting is therefore to review the recent progress in this field in wide range of astrophysical applications and to confront the results with observations. The main emphasis of the meeting will be on kinetic plasma methods - numerical (Particle-In-Cell and hybrid simulations) as well as analytical. However, the progress in the MHD modeling of astrophysical plasmas will also be reviewed to enable comparison with kinetic methods and stimulate discussion on what approach is the most appropriate tool to study astrophysical sources. All main topics will also be reviewed from observational perspective.