Unlocking a safe operating space for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean

The funding program “Unlocking a safe operating space for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean” is aimed at transnational consortia consisting of companies, (higher) education institutions, research organizations, non-profit and public entities with expertise in polar and marine research, cryosphere dynamics, as well as climate and ocean modeling. The goal is to reduce uncertainties concerning future changes of the Antarctic cryosphere and the Southern Ocean. To this end, monitoring and observational indicators are to be further developed, complex interactions between ice, ocean, and atmosphere researched, and ecological vulnerabilities analyzed. In close coordination with European data infrastructures (e.g., Copernicus, EMODnet) and international initiatives, data will be made FAIR available. Up to 100% of eligible costs – including personnel expenses, material and travel costs, as well as subcontracting services – can be requested within 36-month projects with a total funding amount of €22 million.

Submission of project proposals under the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-CLIMATE-04 is possible until 23.09.2027 (single-stage). Evaluation criteria are excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation. With a 100% funding rate, the program offers optimal conditions for research consortia developing evidence-based policy recommendations for environmental and climate protection, thereby strengthening Europe’s leadership in polar, ocean, and climate science. Interested consortia can find all details on submission requirements, supporting documents, and evaluation criteria in the Horizon Europe Work Programme as well as in the online manual of the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.