Infrastructure Priority Programme “Atmospheric and Earth System Research with the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO)” (SPP 1294)
This DFG grant funds research using the HALO aircraft to advance atmospheric and Earth system science through innovative airborne measurements and instrument development.
Funder: German Research Foundation
Due Dates: November 13, 2026 (elan portal registration) | November 27, 2026 (full proposal submission)
Funding Amounts: Project duration up to 3 years; typical DFG funding covers personnel, equipment, and mission-specific costs—no fixed maximum stated.
Summary: Supports advanced Earth system and atmospheric research projects utilizing the HALO aircraft for innovative scientific investigations.
Description
This funding opportunity from the German Research Foundation (DFG) supports innovative projects in atmospheric and Earth system research that make use of the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO). HALO is a state-of-the-art airborne platform equipped with advanced in situ and remote sensing instruments, enabling pioneering research into aerosols, cloud formation, atmospheric dynamics, chemical transport, and coupling processes within the troposphere and lower stratosphere. The program aims to deepen the scientific understanding of interactions between natural processes and human activities, as well as to facilitate the validation of satellite data using unique airborne measurements. Funding is available for scientific projects, including the development of high-tech, mission-specific sensors and instruments (but not for permanent installations on HALO).
