A happy New Year and welcome to our first EU-PolarNet 2 newsletter in 2024.
Towards the end of 2023, we finalised one of our key project deliverables, namely concrete research priorities to progress in polar research in the coming years.
We are now entering the final year of the EU-PolarNet 2 project working towards presenting our results at various events. We are organising a session at ASSW2024 and the Arctic Circle Forum in Berlin, are one of the co-organisers of the EU Polar Science Week held in Copenhagen in September '24 and will organise a Town Hall event in Brussels towards the end of the year. In addition, we are now preparing to transfer our legacy into the European Polar Coordination Office (EPCO), so that it can begin its work from the end of 2024.
Stay tuned for more news on the results of the EU-PolarNet project later this year.
News
EU-PolarNet 2 at Arctic Circle 2023
EU-PolarNet 2 organised a networking event of Arctic science funders and operators at the Arctic Circle Assembly 2023. The session was an excellent opportunity for Arctic science funders, operators, researchers, and other stakeholders to network and learn about the most recent developments from the EU-PolarNet 2 with a specific emphasis on research optimisation and funding.
The short presentations at the beginning of the session on EU-PolarNet 2, the EPB, ICARP IV and various polar funding institutions initiated a wide-ranging discussion with the aim of jointly implementing large-scale initiatives that effectively address the most pressing research questions of the international polar research community within the framework of ICARP IV, the European Polar Board Strategy 2023 - 2027 and the integrated polar research programme EU-PolarNet 2.
EC-ESA Science workshop in November in Frascati, Italy
The EC-ESA Science Workshop took place in Frascati, Italy, from 22 - 24 November 2023. With the aim of strengthening the collaboration between ESA and the EC funded polar projects under the joint RTD-EOP Earth System Science initiative, this workshop was a great networking and collaboration opportunity for polar scientists. Representatives from more than 15 Cluster members took part in the workshop and presented their work in relation to earth observation. During the workshop, a number of key scientific challenges and research needs were identified, as well as the main scientific priorities for joint research and future project funding by ESA and the European Commission.
The results of the discussions will feed into future ESA funding programmes, which will also explicitly include funding for joint scientific consortia.
Read more about the event.
EU-PolarNet 2 research prioritisation
In June 2023, representatives of EU-PolarNet 2 and a group of Polar Exerts from a broad variety of polar research disciplines met in San Servolo (Venice) to elaborate the future research priorities for European polar research. The prioritisation was based on the European Polar Research Programme, the current scientific state of the art, as well as future research needs collected from the EU Polar Cluster and the EU-PolarNet 2 Polar Experts.
The specific topics and the research prioritisation methodology are published as an EU-PolarNet 2 deliverable on the project website.
In parallel to the research prioritisation workshop, EU-PolarNet 2 conducted 2 professional interviews with the participating scientific experts. In these interviews, they provide more background on their prioritised research topics based on their scientific expertise. Watch the expert interviews on our YouTube channel.
Webinar: International cooperation on research on human health and well-being in the Arctic
This EU-PolarNet 2 webinar, organised by AMAP and EU-PolarNet 2, took place in September 2023. A total of 102 persons attended the webinar This webinar dealt with the effects of climate change on the environment and the increasing challenges in terms of the health, well-being and food security of people living in the Arctic, especially indigenous peoples. Watch this interesting webinar on our YouTube channel.
New activities at the Catalyst platform
Have you visited the Catalyst Platform yet? It is one of the main cooperation tools developed by EU-PolarNet 2 that shall improve the information flow within the European Polar community. The Catalyst platform collects all news and events from EU-PolarNet, the European Polar Board and the EU Polar Cluster. It thus provides an excellent overview of all information about the European polar research community in one place! Check out the recently published events and news ranging from the Polar Symposium 2024 to the Arctic Science Summit Week 2024. More information here.
EU Polar Cluster News
EU Polar Cluster booth at the Arctic Circle Assembly 2024.
After a great success last year, the EU Polar Cluster once again organised a booth at the Arctic Circle Assembly 2023 in Reykjavík, Iceland. This time, the extra-large stand had a prominent location and was organised and managed by members of EU-PolarNet 2 and the European Polar Board. Behind the booth we had set up a video screen with a Cluster video and a Cluster slide-show, as well as numerous materials from the Cluster members to disseminate information.
We had many high-level visitors at our booth, many good conversations with EU Polar Cluster members and many other visitors. Many thanks to all visitors to the booth for their interest in the European polar research community!
Next year at ASSW2024, the EU Polar Cluster will once again hold a community meeting. The meeting entitled "EU Polar Cluster: Coordination and networking for Polar cooperation projects" is scheduled for Tuesday 26 March 2024 from 10:30 - 12:30 UK time.
EU Polar Cluster newsletter
The EU Polar Cluster also publishes its own regular newsletters. Read the latest edition of the EU Polar Cluster and sign up to the Cluster newsletter here.
Parner highlights on polar research
Permafrost: Innovative atlas reveals perilous realities on permafrost thaw
The European funded Horizon 2020 “NUNATARYUK”-project, led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, seeks to answer pressing questions about the role of permafrost thaw in the global climate system, and the consequences for ecosystems, the economy, and the people living in these regions. The culmination of this endeavour is the "Arctic Permafrost Atlas," launched in October 2023. Find out more.
Pre-opening of the new Sermilik Research Station
Thanks to a generous private sponsorship, the Sermilik Station in East Greenland is being brought up to a modern standard by the University of Graz (Austria). In future, the station will be operated in cooperation between the Universities of Copenhagen (Denmark) and Graz and will provide space for around 25 - 30 researchers. Basic laboratory facilities will support the researchers in their work. In the long term, the possibility of winter access is also envisaged. Find out more.
10th anniversary of the Austrian Polar Research Institute (APRI)
In November 2023, the Austrian Polar Research Institute (APRI) celebrated its 10th anniversary. These celebrations coincided with the opening of an Arctic exhibition at Austria's largest museum, the Natural History Museum in Vienna. In addition to participation in relevant international polar research organizations (IASC, SCAR, EPB), outreach has become an important component of the APRI and brings polar research to the outside world. More information here.
From changing Polar regions to policy responses
A policy briefing, From changing Polar regions to policy responses – Strengthening EU and global climate preparedness, will take place on 24th January 2024 (Wednesday), at 14:15 – 16:00 CET at the European Parliament & online. The main goal is to showcase the latest findings of OCEAN:ICE and Arctic PASSION on how changes in the polar regions impact European climate, infrastructure and livelihoods. Find out more.
SO-CHIC Webinar: Upper ocean ventilation pathways
The next SO-CHIC Webinar: Upper ocean ventilation pathways (Work package 2) will take place on 12th January 2024 at 15:00 CET (14:00 GMT) online. The SO-CHIC project is a European Union Horizon 2020-funded project exploring the processes influencing heat and carbon exchange between the Southern Ocean and the atmosphere. Find out more.
The Portuguese polar campaign 2022-23 finished successfully
The Portuguese polar campaign 2022-23, managed by the Polar Portuguese Program (PROPOLAR), finished successfully. Both the Arctic and Antarctic projects were developed in the areas of atmospheric, biological, cryosphere, environmental, biological and Earth sciences, all related to the impacts of climate change. These projects were coordinated by scientists from 7 national public research centres. Find out more.
Ice Memory in the Arctic
The Ice Memory project collect ices cores from glaciers all over the world to archive them in Antarctica to preserve them as a memory of the past. In March-April 2023 an international team lead by ISP-CNR of Italy, and involving scientists from the French CNRS, Norwegian NPI, the ISAC-CNR of Italy and Universities of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and the Perugia, was able to drill three deep ice cores on the Holtedahlfonna glacier in Svalbard as part of the SENTINEL project. Find out more.
37th Spanish Antarctic research campaign
The RV Hesperides left its naval base and will be supporting the opening of the Spanish Antarctic bases at 27th of December when the 37th Spanish Antarctic research campaign will begin. This season involve 30 scientific projects to be carried out at the bases located at Livingston Island (BAE Juan Carlos I and the International Byers Peninsula Camp) and Deception Island (BAE Gabriel de Castilla) mobilizing 240 people, including scientific staff, crew and technical personnel. Find out more.
The Netherlands Polar Programme and International cooperation
The Netherlands Polar Programme has special cooperation schemes with both AWI and BAS. On 16 November, the NPP and AWI hosted a workshop to chart possible joint Dutch-German projects. The NPP will open a call-for-proposals on Arctic research in collaboration with AWI. Find out more.
The new fact sheets on a changing Barents Sea
The extensive Norwegian research project The Nansen Legacy provides a new and more holistic understanding of the seasonally ice-covered Barents Sea region, and how important climate drivers and human footprints impacts the ocean environment and the ecosystem. The project approaches its end, and a series of illustrated fact sheets communicates key findings on a wide range of topics. Find out more.
Successful first edition of the Swiss Polar Class Festival
On 2 December in Sion, about 600 visitors braved the first snow to explore the complex beauty of the cryosphere and the polar regions through various engaging activities including an exhibition of circumpolar art, an interactive science area, a polar explorer treasure hunt and live conferences from Antarctica. Find out more.
MoU signed between SPI and IPEV
On 9 November 2023 in Paris, the Swiss Polar Institute (SPI) and the French Polar Institute (IPEV) formalised their collaboration in polar and high-altitude science. The MoU opens a new chapter in this long-term partnership between France and Switzerland, two neighbouring countries that share not only a border, but also the Alps and glaciers threatened by climate change. The signing parties were respectively represented by Yan Ropert-Coudert, Director, IPEV and Danièle Rod, Executive Director, SPI, who also underlined the urgency and necessity of a united front to face climate change. Find out more.
Interdisciplinary Polar Studies Modular Meeting in Svalbard (IPS-2023)
The IPS-2023 conference was held in Longyearbyen at UNIS and consisted from two-day plenary sessions and field workshops in the Isfjorden region and the Hornsund Fjord area (30 August – 4 September 2023). The main goals were (1) strengthening an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to research of polar environment for better understanding of environmental changes under accelerated warming of the Arctic and (2) encouraging of the new generation of scientists for creative involvement in the 5th International Polar Year 2032/2033 and active participation in the IASC ICARP IV process. Find out more.
The CRIOS project research teams deployed modern monitoring instruments in Svalbard
In late August and September of 2023, essential activities were accomplished within the Cryosphere Integrated Observatory Network in Svalbard (CRIOS) project granted by the EEA funding scheme for basic research. Teams from Poland and Norway installed monitoring devices for studies of permafrost, snow cover, ablation of glaciers, and automatic meteorological stations in the thoroughly planned locations. This new system creates a harmonized observation network complementing the existing SIOS (Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System). Find out more.
The "Warsaw Format Meeting" of the Antarctic Council's Observer States
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Poland hosted the Arctic Council’s Observer States meeting with the Norwegian Arctic Council (AC) Presidency representative in Warsaw on 28 September 2023. The Warsaw Format Meeting formula was initiated in 2010 by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as a forum to discuss and exchange views between the AC Observer States and the EU with the AC Presidency State represented by the Chair of the Council's Senior Officials. Find out more.
Applications now open for the Climate and anthropogenic changes in the Arctic Scholarships!
The CONFAP Italy Mobility Program provide full funding on a competitive basis for PhD and Postdoctoral researchers based in Brazil, who wish to perform a 1-year mobility period at the University of Bologna. Application deadline is 11 March 2024. Check the Mobility Confap Italy Program webpage for the call and application details. Find out more.