Swiss Polar Institute

Planning your field activities in spite of COVID
2021-03-03 10:30 - 12:00 (Europe/Zurich)
The SPI and Prof. Blaise Genton co-organise an event dedicated to the planification of field campaigns and expeditions in times of COVID-19. It will be the occasion to share knowledge about personal experience and learn how to carefully manage health plans for fieldwork.
Registration: closed.
Considering that places are limited, a priority has been given to people with planned field activities and on a first come, first served basis.

SPI Flagship Initiatives information event #2
2021-02-26 14:00 - 15:00 (Europe/Zurich)
During this 1 hr online information event the SPI will present its new funding instrument, the SPI Flagship Initiatives. Participants will have the opportunity to ask specific questions regarding the programme and the application procedure.
SPI Flagship Initiatives will be multi-annual programmes combining science and technology projects from different disciplines and different groups / institutions in Switzerland around a polar focus region. The funding will be focused on field campaigns (logistics, safety, etc.), data management, outreach, and programme coordination, thus providing temporary infrastructure for a Swiss-led polar research programme. The first call for proposals will open on 1 February 2021, for more information see webpage.
In order to allow everyone interested to participate, the information even will be held twice, on 19 February and on 26 February (this event).
If you are interested in participating, we kindly ask you to register.

SPI Flagship Initiatives information event #1
2021-02-19 10:00 - 11:00 (Europe/Zurich)
During this 1 hr online information event the SPI will present its new funding instrument, the SPI Flagship Initiatives. Participants will have the opportunity to ask specific questions regarding the programme and the application procedure.
SPI Flagship Initiatives will be multi-annual programmes combining science and technology projects from different disciplines and different groups / institutions in Switzerland around a polar focus region. The funding will be focused on field campaigns (logistics, safety, etc.), data management, outreach, and programme coordination, thus providing temporary infrastructure for a Swiss-led polar research programme. The first call for proposals will open on 1 February 2021, for more information see webpage.
In order to allow everyone interested to participate, the information even will be held twice, on 19 February (this event) and again on 26 February.
If you are interested in participating, we kindly ask you to register.

One year in the Arctic - MOSAiC polar expedition
2021-02-11 13:15 - 14:15 (Europe/Zurich)
As part of the seminar series Science after Noon:
The MOSAiC expedition took place in 2019-2020 with the goal of gaining fundamental knowledge for a better understanding of global climate change.
Speakers:

Prof. Thomas Frölicher

Head of the Ocean Modeling Group, Department of Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern and lead author of the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate

Prof. Gabriela Schaepman-Strub

Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Zurich, member of the Swiss Commission for Polar and Altitude Research SKPH

Prof. Julia Schmale

Extreme Environments Research Laboratory, EPFL, head of the MOSAiC atmosphere team on section 3 and the Swiss MOSAiC aerosol project (MBRACE), Representation of Switzerland in the MOSAiC Steering Committee, member of the SKPH

Dr. Martin Schneebeli

Head of the Snow and Permafrost Research Unit, WSL – Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF and collaboration in the Data and Sea Ice project groups at MOSAiC, Member of the SKPH
The event will be held in German.
Access via Zoom: Registration via info@akademien-schweiz.ch
Information about the live stream on youtube

NACS Meeting
2020-11-23 10:00 - 17:30 (Europe/London)
After successful meetings in St-Gallen, Zurich and Neuchâtel, the Network Arctic Collections Switzerland (NACS) invites all interested institutions and persons to this year’s event.
The NACS meeting will take place on Monday 23 November 2020 and online, due to the sanitary situation. The meeting offers insights into the history of Arctic collections in various Swiss museums and reflections on different Arctic topics (see programme below). As always, there will be opportunities for interdisciplinary exchanges between participating institutions and individuals.
You can participate with the following Zoom link:
https://zoom.us/j/93609123716?pwd=[REDACTED]
Password: [REDACTED]
Programme of the event
09:45 Zoom call opens
10:00 Welcome and Introduction Martha Cerny, Museum Cerny
10:15 50 Jahre Eiskerntiefbohrungen in Grönland – Eine Zeitreise durch die (Klima-)Geschichte Prof. Hubertus Fischer, University of Bern
11:00 CITES-related Issues in the Arctic Bruno Mainini, Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (BLV)
11:45 Vor Engel und Haller – Wie die Arktis in die Schweiz fand Martin Schultz, Museum Cerny
12:15 Break
14:15 Swiss Arctic Collectors – A Comparative Overview Florian Gredig, NONAM, Zürich
14:45 «They come and ask: Where is your home?» Art Museum of the North – Issues of Language, Land and Power in Exhibition-Making Selma Green, Konstmuseet I Norr, Kiruna, Sweden
15:30 Artist’s Talk via ZOOM with the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative, Kinngait, Nunavut, Canada
16:15 Closing of the presentations
16:30 Closing of the meeting

Polar Access Fund – Data management in the field
2020-11-20
Every year, SPI organises events targeting the needs of the early-career grantees of the funding instrument Polar Access Fund. This year, the grantees will join us Friday 20 November 2020, online, for an afternoon dedicated to the data management in the field. All stages of data management will be covered, from preparation for fieldwork to management upon return.
If you are not a PAF grantee but still interested in attending the workshop, we invite you to contact the SPI Secretariat. The number of external places is limited.
Here is the schedule of the workshop:
14:00 – 14:10 Welcome and opening of the event
Danièle Rod, Swiss Polar Institute and Isabelle Wolff, BNP Paribas
14:10 – 14:15 SPI news and aims of the event
14:15 – 14:45 Round of introductions (3 min each)
14:45 – 14:50 Coffee break
14:50 – 17:25 “Data management in the field” – 4 modules
Jen Thomas, Data manager, Swiss Polar Institute

Introduction to data management
Preparation before you go

Coffee break

Data collection in the field
When you’re back

17:25 – 17:30 Closing and end of the event

Swiss Polar Day 2.0
2020-10-16 15:00 - 17:00 (Europe/London) | University of Zurich, KOH-B-10, Zurich, Switzerland
The Swiss Polar Institute invites you to participate in its next event.
The Swiss Polar Day is the annual networking event for the Swiss polar and high-altitude research community. Please book the date in your diary for the Swiss Polar Day 2.0 on 16 October 2020 from 15:00 – 17:00 at the University of Zurich, room KOH-B-10, to exchange with experts and catch up with news and colleagues. The event will also be made available online.

Download the event poster:

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Programme

14:30 – 15:00
Welcome coffee and registration

15:00 – 15:15
Opening and welcome by Danièle Rod and Gabriela Schaepman-Strub (SPI)
Homage to Konrad Steffen by Atsumu Ohmura (ETHZ)
Welcome speech by Michael Schaepman (University of Zurich)

15:15 – 15:35
News from the Swiss Polar Institute by Gabriela Schaepman-Strub and Danièle Rod

15:35 – 16:05
Keynote speech by Nicolas Gruber (ETHZ) on the “Variability of the Southern Ocean carbon sink”

16:05 – 16:35
The MOSAiC expedition from personal perspectives
Julia Schmale (EPFL) and Martin Schneebeli (WSL-SLF) on their projects and experience on board

16:35 – 16:55
Open forum and Q&A session
New projects, ideas, future projects …

16:55 – 17:00
Closing

17:00 – 18:00
Networking drink

Please note that the places are limited due to social distancing: first come, first served.
The registrations are now closed. Thank you for your interest in the Swiss Polar Day 2.0!

Nicolas Gruber’s presentation
Julia Schmale and Martin Schneebeli’s presentation
Andreas Vieli’s presentation
Swiss Polar Institute’s presentation

Swiss Polar Institute Lunch Briefing
2020-10-05 12:15 - 13:15 (Europe/London) | UNIL campus, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
SPI organises a briefing at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) to present its activities and polar research opportunities for Master’s students and researchers from all career stages.
The event will take place in room 1612, Géopolis Building. This presentation will be in “co-modal”, to allow participation from the people who can be in person on the campus, but also for Master’s students and reserchers to join online. The event is open to all members of the Swiss polar scientific community.
To follow the event live and online : rec.unil.ch/lti/l125f642160b3idyluao/
Co-organised with the UNIL’s Faculty of Geosciences and Environment.

Polar Social Sciences & Humanities: Spotlight on Swiss Research
2020-02-18 10:00 - 16:15 (Europe/London) | Swiss Academy of Human and Social Sciences, Laupenstrasse 7, Bern, Switzerland
Aims of the workshop Provide a forum for exchange for the Swiss SSH community active in polar regions, create a new dynamic for joint projects or interdisciplinary collaborations, find out about possible unmet needs and potential support
Programme
10:00 – 10:30 Welcome & Coffee
10:30 – 10:55 Introduction by Yvon Csonka and SPI
10:55 – 11:15 Round of introductions
11:15 – 12:15 Prof. Peter Schweitzer, Head of the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Vienna and Director of the Austrian Polar Research Institute on “How to Foster Arctic Social Science in a Non-Arctic Country”
12:15 – 13:15 Lunch break
13:15 – 15:30 Inputs on current research topics and projects by the Swiss research community and new collaboration avenues
15:30 – 15:45 Word from the FDFA, Grégoire Hauser, towards a Swiss polar policy
15:45 – 16:15 Wrap-up by Yvon Csonka and SPI
16:15 Networking drink
RSVP at secretariat@swisspolar.ch.

Night Polaire
2020-02-13 18:00 - 22:00 (Europe/London) | Musée de la Main, Rue du Bugnon 21, Lausanne, Switzerland
The Musée de la Main organises a special event on polar regions with inputs on different topics such as the role of polar regions on the global climate, the growing fascination with these regions attracting more and more adventure seeking travellers or northern lights.
Contributions from Samuel Jaccard, Professor of paleo-oceanography and marine biogeochemistry, and Danièle Rod, SPI Executive Director.

Arts meet Polar Science – networking & discussions
2019-12-05 14:00 - 19:00 (Europe/London) | Cabaret Voltaire, Spiegelgasse 1, Zurich, Switzerland
Pro Helvetia and the SPI have jointly launched a pilot project named PolARTS.
PolARTS will support three tandems consisting of a polar scientist and an arts practitioner in order to offer a new platform for the interplay between art and science. More information on the programme can be found here.
Polar scientists who are in search of a tandem partner are invited to take part in the networking event Arts meet Polar Science – Networking & Discussions at Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich on 5 December 2019. The speed meeting will be complemented with a presentation of the PolARTS programme and interventions from experts of science and art collaborations.

Please register quickly at secretariat@swisspolar.ch. Numbers are limited – first come, first served!

Polar Access Fund Event
2019-11-29 12:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | BNP Paribas (Suisse), Place de Hollande 2, Geneva, Switzerland
Speed meeting event for BNP Paribas’ collaborators with the Polar Access Fund grantees, followed by a workshop and the unveiling of a thematic exhibition on polar field trips.
Co-organised by BNP Paribas Foundation Switzerland.

Round table Swiss – AWI collaboration
2019-11-06 09:30 - 12:00 (Europe/London) | EPFL campus, Lausanne, Switzerland
Round table and exchange between EPFL/Swiss researchers and AWI Director Antje Boetius, about Swiss – AWI collaboration and future common opportunities

Too close for comfort? Embedded science journalism in extreme environments
2019-07-03 15:30 - 17:00 (Europe/London) | SwissTech Convention Center, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
Poles, oceans, pandemics: Science reporters are inevitably attracted by extreme environments. But reporting under such circumstances involves special relationships and risks between scientists, physicians, agencies, and journalists. Working in places that are dangerous or difficult to access often means science reporters must depend on sources for travel, accommodation, food, and security.
Meanwhile, when they’re close to their sources 24-7, journalists will inevitably learn much more about the science and the way it is done – including mistakes made and problems overcome – than they would in a regular, scheduled interview. What are the ethical risks and rules that should guide work in such circumstances?

Scienziati alpini fra i ghiacci polari – Svizzera e Italia protagoniste nella ricerca polare
2019-06-05 | Swiss Embassy, Ambasciata di Svizzera Via Barnaba Oriani 61, Rome, Italy
Event at the Swiss Embassy in Rome about polar and high alpine research synergies with the participation of Carmine Bustelli, Minister for the Arctic, Leonardo Langone, Director of the Italian Polar Institute, and Stefano Aliani, researcher and ACE participant.

Swiss Polar Day 2019
2019-04-23 | University of Bern, Schanzeneckstrasse 1, Bern, Switzerland
The Swiss Polar Day gathers the Swiss scientific community around international keynote speakers active in the Arctic, Antarctic and high-altitude regions. It will also be the opportunity to debate and give inputs on SPI’s activities and future priorities.
The one-day conference is open to all active or aspiring members of the Swiss academic community interested or experienced in polar regions. Students, young scientists and experienced researchers from all fields are warmly invited to network and contribute to the debate!
Programme
9:00 – 9:30 Welcome coffee and registration
9:30 – 10:00 Welcoming words and opening speeches by Prof. Konrad Steffen, Prof. Gabriela Schaepman, Prof. Silvio Decurtins
10:00 – 10:30 GLACE presentation by Prof. Samuel Jaccard, Dr. Claudia Frey, Dr. Magdalene Adamczyk
10:30 – 11:30 Keynote 1: Searching for the Oldest Ice – Beyond EPICA by Prof. Hubertus Fischer, University of Bern
11:30 – 12:00 Coffee break
12:00 – 13:00 Keynote 2: Plastic is forever… and everywhere, too – a perspective on Polar Oceans by Prof. Stefano Aliani, CNR Institute of Marine Science, Lerici, Italy
13:00 – 13:10 APECS Switzerland
13:10 – 14:30 Standing lunch
14:30 – 15:00 Presentation of the Swiss Polar science plan by Prof. Konrad Steffen, Prof. Gabriela Schaepman, Prof. Heini Wernli
15:00 – 17:00 Parallel sessions on the following themes:

Workshop 1: Cryosphere through time (Room A 003 /plenary), Organisation and moderation by Prof. Hubertus Fischer and Prof. Daniel Farinotti
Workshop 2: The carbon, nitrogen, water cycle nexus (Room A 022), organisation and moderation by Prof. Heini Wernli and Prof. Samuel Jaccard
Workshop 3: Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (Room A-126), Organisation by Prof. Gabriela Schaepman and Prof. Niklaus Zimmermann
Workshop 4: Technology in extreme environments (Room A-122), organisation by Prof. Konrad Steffen and Prof. Fabian Walter

17:00 – 17:30 Closing session by Prof. Konrad Steffen and Danièle Rod
17:30 – 18:00 Networking drink

SPI Information Event
2019-03-21 13:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | WSL, Davos, Switzerland
Information event on SPI activities and calls for proposals, dedicated to SLF and WSL
researchers.

GlobalArctic workshop
2019-02-19 13:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | EPFL campus, Lausanne, Switzerland
Workshop presenting the GlobalArctic programme and associated training opportunities to interested researchers.

Workshop on social sciences and humanities in Polar regions
2019-02-18 | Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, Rue des Terreaux 14, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
SPI is organising a workshop on social sciences and humanities (SSH) interested in polar regions. The objectives are to identify and discuss opportunities, needs and structural barriers for Swiss researchers from (SSH) interested in polar regions. This will be a great opportunity to better understand the place of these fields in the Swiss polar research landscape and to see if the SPI activities meet their particular needs.
We look forward to your active participation in order to highlight the importance of social sciences and humanities, and the Swiss competences in this field in order to ensure their inclusion in SPI planning for the period 2020-2025.
Programme:
13:30 – 14:00 Welcome coffee
14:00 – 14:45 Introduction by Danièle Rod, Yvon Csonka and Basil Fahrlaender

Goals and agenda of the afternoon
The Swiss Polar Institute and its funding instruments
Introduction of the participants

14:45 – 15:30 The new role of social sciences and humanities research in Polar research, presentation by Yvon Csonka and discussion
15:30 – 15:45 Social Sciences at Davos: Report from POLAR2018, presentation by Ksenia Tatarchenko and discussion
15:45 – 17:00 How to enhance the field within the Swiss landscape? Discussion led by Yvon Csonka

What are the structural barriers? (Funding, critical mass, junior vs senior,…)
Research priorities at the international and Swiss levels
Are the funding instruments of the SPI adapted to the specific needs of the community?
Representation of the Swiss community within dedicated international bodies (IASC, Arctic Council Working Groups, APECS, …)
First step towards the creation of a network?

17:00 – 17:30 Follow-ups and wrap-up
17:30 – 18:30 Networking drink
