Infrastructure Priority Programme “Atmospheric and Earth System Research with the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO)” (SPP 1294)
The German Research Foundation's SPP 1294 funds research using the HALO aircraft to advance understanding of atmospheric and Earth system processes through airborne scientific studies and instrumentation.
Funder: German Research Foundation
Due Dates: November 13, 2026 (elan portal registration for first-time applicants) | November 27, 2026 (proposal submission)
Funding Amounts: Projects may be funded for up to three years; typical DFG project budgets vary, with support for personnel, equipment, travel, and mission-specific instrumentation.
Summary: Supports innovative atmospheric and Earth system research projects utilizing the HALO aircraft platform, focusing on aerosols, clouds, atmospheric dynamics, and chemical processes.
Key Information: Registration in the elan portal is required by November 13, 2026 for new applicants; projects must be linked to HALO missions.
Description
The Infrastructure Priority Programme "Atmospheric and Earth System Research with the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO)" (SPP 1294), funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), aims to advance scientific understanding of atmospheric and Earth system processes by supporting research that leverages the unique capabilities of the HALO aircraft. HALO is a state-of-the-art airborne platform equipped with advanced in situ and remote sensing instruments, enabling high-impact studies of aerosol particles, cloud formation, atmospheric dynamics, chemical composition, and coupling processes in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. The program encourages integration of airborne and satellite data and supports both development of mission-specific scientific instrumentation and research projects based on HALO’s data.
