The website of the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) has published the call for proposals 2022 of the National Antarctic Research Programme which carries out research aimed at deepening knowledge in Antarctica and at gaining a better understanding of the interaction and connection processes between the various compartments of the Earth system: cryosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere and lithosphere.
With a budget of 6.44 million euro, the call is open to Italian universities, special higher education institutions, national public research bodies and institutions supervised by the State, and other research organizations meeting the requirements of Commission Regulation (EC) no. 800/2008. Applications must be submitted by 4 May 2022 via the MUR’s Gea platform.
Research proposals should focus on six thematic areas: Life in Antarctica; Antarctic geology; The Antarctic ice system and sea level; Defining the global impact of the Antarctic atmosphere and Southern Ocean; the Universe above Antarctica and Space Weather; Man in Antarctica: adaptation and impact.
The call is structured around the following five lines of action:
- Marine surveys in the Southern Ocean on the Italian vessel Laura Bassi. This line of action has a budget of 1.5 million euro. Programmes must last no more than 2 years, involve at least 3 eligible subjects, between 3 and 6 research units, with costs between 150,000 and 350,000 euro;
- Research projects at Mario Zucchelli Station. This line of action has a budget of 2.5 million euro. Programmes must last no more than 2 years, involve at least 3 eligible subjects, between 3 and 6 research units, with costs between 200,000 and 400,000 euro;
- Collection and dissemination of data from existing permanent observatories. This line of action has a budget of 1 million euro. Projects must last between 2 and 4 years, involve up to 6 research units in the case of both individual and joint proposals, with costs between 30,000 and 150,000 euro.
- Collection and dissemination of data from newly established permanent observatories. This line of action has a budget of 500,000 euro. Projects must last between 2 and 4 years; the proposals must be joint, involve at least 2 eligible subjects and between 2 and 6 research units, with costs between 30,000 and 150,000 euro.
- Research projects to be carried out at fixed and mobile platforms of other countries. This line has a budget of 940 thousand euro. Projects must last no more than 2 years, involve costs between 50,000 and 150,000 euro, be joint projects between at least 2 eligible subjects and involve between 2 and 6 research units.
The proposals will be evaluated by the Italian National Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research which may involve international experts, also organized in panels.
Fonte: MUR
