The operators of the large and medium-sized German research vessels have jointly established a procedure which offers the opportunity to exchange the applications for ship time for individual ships. This procedure provides a comparable standard as to the reviews for all ships and thus helps optimizing operation.
Proposals for the use of research vessels POLARSTERN and HEINCKE can only be submitted to the German Research Vessel Evaluation Panel (GPF) via the German Research Vessel Portal (www.portal-forschungsschiffe.de). Here you will also find all the necessary information for writing cruise proposals.
AWI-internal main-user and secondary-user applications for both vessels have to be related very closely to the POV IV programme (exception: Third party funded projects). Therefore, it is necessary to consult the scientific coordinator (polcoord@awi.de) and the AWI Board of Directors well before submitting an application.
Twice a year, you may submit proposals for all medium and large-scale research vessels: End of February and end of August each year.
For HEINCKE – season 2025:
Submission deadlines: The GPF submission system is permanently open. However, to ensure that expedition proposals are still reviewed in the summer session of the GPF, they should be submitted no later than the end of February 2024.
For POLARSTERN (main use):
TRANSIT: from 2025 (South to North) and later (only applications without significant additional need for shiptime)
Submission deadline: see deadlines HEINCKE
ARKTICA and ANTARKTICA: the long-term cruise planning for expeditions to the polar regions is largely completed by the end of 2027. Interested parties for a main cruise application beyond 2027 please contact the scientific coordinator (polcoord@awi.de).
For POLARSTERN (secondary-use):
Again, the GPF submission system is permanently open. However, to ensure that applications for ancillary use are reviewed in time, they should be submitted to the GPF at least 1.5 years before the planned expedition. Applications are currently possible from transit expedition (South-North) Nov/Dec 2024.
The submission of proposals for all medium-sized and large research vessels can be done twice a year: End of August and end of February each year.
For HEINCKE – season 2022: Submission deadlines: August 31, 2020 and February 28, 2021 - in each case until 10:00 am at the latest
For Polarstern (main user) submission deadline - August 31, 2020 closing 10:00 h
TRANSIT: 2022 (South - North) and later
ARKTICA and ANTARKTICA: the mid-term planning for expeditions into the polar regions until April 2024 is almost completed. Currently, no further main-user applications can be accepted for these areas.
For POLARSTERN (secondary-use):
Currently the submission deadlines are the same as for medium-sized ships - end of August and end of February each year with a lead-time of approx. 1.5 years. Applications are currently possible for transit (north - south) at the end of 2021.
The AWI operates marine stations on the islands of Helgoland and Sylt and makes them available to the international scientific community. National and international users can access the marine biological stations. A description of the infrastructure is published in JLSRF.
After registration or login to the portal and, if applicable, submission of an application for the use of the marine stations Helgoland and Sylt, including the associated infrastructures (Uthörn, Aade, Mya II, mesocosms, long-term data series, scientific diving, laboratories, material shipping, etc.), an assessment of technical and logistical feasibility is carried out.
Individual visiting research stays that exceed a period of 15 working days are subject to a review process. This requires the preparation of a proposal. If several people are planning a longer research stay within the framework of a such a project, only one joint proposal is required for the project. The upload into the system is done by the visiting researcher responsible for the project upon registration. All other guest researchers involved in the project do not need to upload a proposal.
Registration deadline for university courses 2024 on Helgoland and Sylt has expired. Remaining places can be requested.
Application for usage time up to max. 15 working days possible on an ongoing basis.
Applications for periods of use over 15 working days are currently open. For periods of use in 2025, the call for applications will open in March 2024.
Expeditions with the smaller vessels of the Alfred Wegener Institute require shorter periods of planning. We do, though, recommend to submit proposals in due time. Proposals for Uthörn, Mya II and Aade are sent directly to the contact persons.
The new research cutter Uthörn (Photo: Folke Mehrtens)
Mya II, Aade and Diker are operated according to the local requirements. Please contact the persons in charge.
Polar aircraft
Research in polar regions requires special equipment and logistics because the access to the research areas is very difficult due to extreme environmental conditions. The use of research aircraft is an important link between ground based and satellite investigations. Moreover, the aircraft are integrated into the international logistics co-operation DROMLAN (Dronning Maud Land Aircraft Network).
If you wish to use the polar aircraft for your research projects you have to send project applications to the scientific co-ordinator Daniel Steinhage in due time. In case that you bring your own scientific instruments you must add respective information and certificates to the application.
The planing phase for the polar aircraft comprises 2 years. Due to the required time for preparing the aircraft and primary use the planning phase begins in October and ends in September the following year. Project proposals are due on 30.11. for the period beginning October the year after next.
Ongoing: Deadline 30.11.2023 for projects for the period October 2025 until September 2026.
A summary on the application process can be downloaded here.
Distribution of costs
Generally, all users have to cover their travel costs for themselves and for the participants they dispatch on the expedition. External, non-university partner will be charged in addition further costs, such as flight hours and for example:
expenses for required certification
transport of freight belonging to the project
kerosene
The costs are calculated for each project individually. In case of shared projects the costs will be shared according to the respective share.
The decision about the amount of costs to be covered by the respective party is made by AWI based on the specifications given in the proposal. For joint porjects the contribution of each partner has to be given in the project application, and if necessary explained.
An external advisory board will evaluate the received project proposals. The technical and logistical feasibility will be checked as well. Afterwards a campaign schedule will be compiled and the AWI directorate will be asked for approval.
On expedition in Canada (Photo: R. Waltenberg)
Neumayer III Station, Kohnen station and Antarctic land expeditons
At the Neumayer Station III the AWI is performing a long-term research program comprising observations in the fields of meteorology, atmospheric chemistry and geophysics. During the polar summer from December until February Neumayer Station III, in combination with the plateau station „Kohnen“, is used as logistical base for flight operations all over Antarctica as well as field campaigns on the continental ice sheet.
The logistic requirements of such expeditions differ with regard to large-scale or short-term projects:
Short-term projects: are performed in January/February of the coming season (freight is being transported on board Polarstern), or in November/December (freight is completely being transported by aircraft).
Large-scale projects: long-time and/or early starting campaigns (November until February). In this case, freight can only be transported into Antarctica on board Polarstern. This means that transport hast o be effeccted in the previous season.
The deadline for project proposals taking place at Neumayer Station III in the summer season 2024/25 and at Kohnen Station in the summer seasin 2025/26 is: 30 June 2023
Due to the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic there may be postponements and changes in the planning process at short notice.
Projects with AWI contribution:
More information on the AWI internal application procedure can be found here.
Neumayer Station III, Ekström Ice Shelf (Photo: Alfred-Wegener-Institut / U. Cieluch)
Arctic Land Expeditions (Svalbard, Greenland, Canada, Alaska) - ARC-Land
For land expeditions to the Arctic (Svalbard, Greenland, Canada, Alaska), long-term planning is necessary, depending on the scope of the research. AWI staff please register a project in the Arctic with logistics. Each year in March, a query (Lime Survey) is conducted on the planned ARC land projects for the following year.
For AWIPEV project proposals, please go to www.awipev.eu aufrufen. If you have any questions, please contact the scientific or logistics coordinators.
