Infrastructure Area – Antarctic Research with Comparative Investigations in Arctic Ice Areas (SPP 1158)
Funds interdisciplinary research projects to advance understanding of Antarctica and Arctic ice regions, focusing on climate dynamics, environmental change, and polar system processes.
Funder: German Research Foundation
Due Dates: August 9, 2026 (Coordination workshop registration) | October 26, 2026 (elan registration) | November 2, 2026 (Full proposal submission)
Funding Amounts: Funding period up to 3 years per project; typical DFG Priority Programme support for personnel, travel, equipment, and infrastructure costs.
Summary: Supports interdisciplinary research projects advancing understanding of Antarctica and Arctic ice areas, with a focus on global climate and polar processes.
Key Information: Participation in a mandatory coordination workshop and prior registration in the elan portal are required before proposal submission.
Description
This programme funds interdisciplinary research projects that enhance the understanding of polar regions, focusing on Antarctica and comparative Arctic ice studies. The initiative is part of the DFG Priority Programme 1158 and aims to clarify Antarctica’s role in the Earth system by supporting projects addressing climate system dynamics, environmental change, connectivity in polar systems, and polar processes and mechanisms. Researchers at German universities and research institutions gain access to Antarctic research infrastructure and participate in international polar research collaborations. Projects are expected to address one or more of the over 60 specific research questions outlined by the programme, especially those related to the recent geological history of Antarctica (not older than about 34 million years).
