Following the second call for proposals launched in 2025, two SPI Flagship Initiatives have been selected for funding. These Swiss-led multi-annual programmes will combine an interdisciplinary approach and cutting-edge science. They aim to investigate critical changes in the Arctic and Antarctic regions and to bring better understanding of the far-reaching implications these two regions have for the global climate.
Dr Hendrik Huwald (EPFL) and Prof. Franziska Aemisegger (University of Bern) will lead the project DOMINO – Dynamic changes in air-snow-ice-ocean interactions with global warming: An observational programme in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean supported by multi-scale modelling. The project will be embedded in the Antarctica InSync international programme. Prof. Shinichi Sunagawa (ETH Zurich) will lead ARKTIS: Arctic Research and Knowledge Transfer Initiative Switzerland that will participate in two year-round campaigns aboard the Tara Polar Station, a drifting polar observatory. These projects include eight different Swiss institutions in total and will also involve international partnerships.
Their work will start in 2026, for a period of 4 years for ARKTIS and 5 years for DOMINO. The funding provided by SPI will focus on field campaigns (logistics, safety, etc.), data management, outreach, and programme coordination, thus providing temporary infrastructure for these two Swiss-led polar research programmes.
We congratulate the two consortia for their inspiring programmes and invite all interested parties for a launch event to be held in March 2026. Stay tuned!
- For more information on both projects, please consult the SPI Flagship Initiatives webpage.
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