Deadline: 19 January 2024
The Swiss Polar Institute is inviting applications for the Polar Access Fund to enable young researchers to undertake a (first) field trip to a polar region or a remote high-altitude area.
The research conducted during the field trip must be inserted into an existing overarching project (e.g. to enlarge its scope or for comparisons) and be related to the issue of climate change.
Thematic Areas
- This call is open to all disciplines interested in working in the regions mentioned below. Interdisciplinary initiatives as well as initiatives from, e.g., Social Sciences, Humanities and Economics, are also encouraged. The proposals should underline the link of their project with issues related to climate change.
Funding Information
- Funding of up to CHF 20’000.- can be granted per successfully evaluated proposal.
Field Trip
- The field trip must be part of a broader already funded research project/PhD work (overarching project). The organisation, logistics and choice of destination must be undertaken independently by the applicant. The SPI expects high standards of safety to be implemented during the field trip. Necessary means (field guide, equipment, etc.) can be included in the budget.
- The field trip can be undertaken in any polar region, Arctic or Antarctic. Field trips to remote high-altitude regions, such as the Andes or Himalaya are also eligible.
- The field trip must be completed within 18 months of the award of the grant. Exceptions can be granted if duly justified.
Eligibility Criteria
- Any doctoral student or early post-doctoral researcher (maximum 36 months after the PhD award at the time of the proposal submission) working at a Swiss public research institution is eligible to apply.
- This deadline will be handled strictly. The SPI can decide to grant exceptions and extend this period for up to 12 months for special circumstances (illness, maternity leave, etc.) if substantiated evidence is submitted. The nationality of the applicant is not an eligibility criterion.
- Applicants who have already been on field trips in polar regions will not be declared ineligible but should duly explain which trips have been completed and how the proposed field trip distinguishes itself from previous opportunities.
For more information, visit Swiss Polar Institute.
