Deadline: 30 October 2025
POLARIN is an international network of polar research infrastructures and their services including: Arctic and Antarctic research stations, research vessels and icebreakers operating at both poles, observatories, data infrastructures and ice and sediment core repositories. POLARIN provides integrated, challenge-driven, and combined transnational access to its infrastructures to facilitate interdisciplinary research on complex processes. Challenge-driven access calls allow either in person or remote multi-platform access.
Types of access and topics
- In-person access means free of charge, transnational (or cross-border) access to research infrastructures or installations for selected user groups. The access includes the use of the infrastructures, and the logistical, technological and scientific support and the specific training for researchers using the infrastructure.
- Remote Access is a form of Transnational Access in which the user(s) do not visit the infrastructure/installation physically themselves; instead, the users are either provided with reference materials or samples, get access to a high-performance computing facility, or receive the data from the study that the staff of the infrastructure/installation has conducted according to their research plan and protocol.
It is possible to combine in-person and Remote Access, meaning that users physically visit the station and set up the required field experiments/monitoring, after which study continues by using Remote Access.
Proposals must contribute to addressing at least one of the following key research priorities in the polar regions:
- Sea Ice and Polar Oceans in the Climate System
- Polar Ice Sheets, Glaciers and Sea Level
- Terrestrial Carbon Cycle and Permafrost
- Polar Ecosystems and Biodiversity
- Atmosphere dynamics and chemistry
- Paleoclimate Processes and Variability
- Humans, societies and global changes
Eligibility
The user group leader, and at least the 80% of the users must work in countries other than the country(ies) were the legal entity operating the requested infrastructure is based (when the infrastructure is composed of several research facilities, operated by different legal entities, this condition must apply to each facility), except when access is provided by an International organisation, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), an ERIC or similar legal entities with international membership.
User teams with more than four users must include researchers from at least two different countries. Access to users not working in an European Union Member State or Horizon Europe associated country is limited to 20% of the total units of access provided by the project.
Funding
Regarding in-person access, POLARIN will cover:
- The use of the infrastructure (for a limited number of users), subsistence (meals and accommodation) and other standard costs associated to the use of the infrastructure, such as the logistical, technological and scientific support, and the specific training that is usually provided to external researchers using the infrastructure;
- Travel expenses of the selected users or user groups, and transport of equipment/samples to and from the RIs to the institutes of origin up to the granted amount.
As for Remote access, POLARIN covers the use of the infrastructure and logistics costs (freight, shipping) up to the granted amount.
The following costs are not eligible: salary costs, equipment manufacture, insurance costs, repair and rental of (scientific) equipment, consumables, sub-contracting and assistance, publication costs and overheads.
Duration
The maximum duration of granted access at a infrastructure is limited to the units of access offered in POLARIN and must in any case be less than three months. Details on how to calculate the budget and units of access can be found at the Guidelines for Applicants.
How to apply
Applications are done through a dedicated platform. Before apply, it is advisable to contact the infrastructure’s operator to consult if your proposal is feasible to be conducted.
Supporting material
POLARIN held an info session webinar: the recording and presentation are available here.
Detailed information about the infrastructures and their conditions for access can be found on the POLARIN website.
Additional information is available here.