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Dear Member of the Swiss polar and high-altitude science community,
Here are the latest SPI news and upcoming activities. We wish you a good read!
The SPI Team
Latest SPI news |
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Aiming to maximise the sustainability of its activities and take steps towards reducing the carbon footprint of polar and high-altitude science, the SPI has launched a survey to gather the views of the Swiss polar and high-altitude research community. The answers will feed discussions within the SPI Science and Technology Advisory Board and contribute to the shaping of forthcoming SPI activities. Collected anonymously, answers will be aggregated, and a summary will be published in early 2024.
The completion of the survey only takes 10-15 minutes. Many thanks for your time and contributions! |
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The first edition of the Swiss Polar Class Festival will take place in Sion (VS) on 2 December. Destined to families and all who are curious about polar regions, the festival features activities for all ages. In partnership with EPFL Valais-Wallis, Energypolis Campus and the Canton of Valais, the event is organised by Swiss Polar Institute’s outreach programme which mission is to raise awareness on the importance of scientific research and polar and high-altitude regions in understanding climate change. We look forward to welcoming you in Alpole! |
 Illustration credit: © Swiss Polar Class, all rights reserved |
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Our projects webpage is now optimised with links to publications and datasets. Each project can now display hyperlink lists of publications and datasets with direct access. |
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Swiss Polar Day – Thank you |
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We wish to thank all participants and speakers for the vibrant exchange during the latest edition of the Swiss Polar Day. The highlights, photos and presentations are accessible on the event page. We look forward to next year! |
 Photo credt: © Swiss Polar Institute, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 |
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 Calls for proposals |
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Aiming to intensify collaboration and networking between Swiss and Australian polar and high-altitude science communities, the 2nd call for proposals for the Mertz Fellowship is closing soon. It is dedicated to PhD students and ECRs (maximum 5 years after the PhD award at the time of the proposal submission) based in Switzerland or Australia. The fellowship supports their active involvement in polar and high-altitude research through short-term exchange visits and joint projects.
The deadline for submission is 31 October 2023, 11:00pm (CET). |
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A joint initiative of the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia and the Swiss Polar Institute, PolARTS opens a space for new collaborative and explorative practices between the arts and science and supports the processes of transdisciplinary cooperation. For more information about the call, the criteria and the conditions, please visit the dedicated webpage.
An online info-event will kick-start this year’s edition on 16 November and provide all the necessary information. |
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Polar Access Fund – Call opens mid-November |
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With early-career researchers in mind, the Polar Access Fund aims to facilitate a (first) field trip to a polar region or a remote high-altitude area. The research conducted during the field trip must be inserted into an existing overarching project (e.g. to enlarge its scope or for comparisons) and be related to the issue of climate change. The call will be launched mid-November and will stay open for two months. |
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Field & Summer Schools for ECRs – Application always open |
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SPI contributes to the cost related to the participation in field schools and training programmes to enable students and early-career scientists affiliated to a Swiss academic or research institution to acquire specialised experience and knowledge. |
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 GRIMM Logo © GRIMM, all rights reserved In collaboration with GRIMM, two different courses are available:
Health and safety training for fieldwork
22-23 March 2024
A two-day course addressing the needs of scientific groups for first aid in the field focuses on the special conditions encountered in cold and remote regions. The course offers an overview of existing medical support solutions in polar and remote high-altitude environments including an introduction to telemedicine services, customised field medical kits, as well as basic first aid practices. |
 Training course for glaciated terrain © 2023 Samuel Owen, all rights reserved Training course for glaciated terrain
13-15 June 2024
This training course addresses the needs of scientific groups working in glaciated terrain. They provide an introduction to basic technical skills for fieldwork on glaciers. The three-day course is training-oriented and takes place outdoors – bivouacking included. Teaching will be provided in an alpine environment in the canton of Valais at high altitude. |
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The Swiss Polar Institute and the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia co-organise an online info event in view of participating in the PolARTS call for proposals 2023 (currently open). This event serves to provide information on the goal of the call and the procedure. It is also an opportunity for artists and scientists to meet potential tandem partners. |
 Photo credit: © Jean-Vincent Simonet, all rights reserved |
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This year’s Prix de Quervain was awarded to Marin Kneib for his PhD Contribution of ice cliffs to the melt of debris-covered glaciers in High Mountain Asia at ETH Zurich / WSL. The Prix de Quervain for Polar and High-Altitude Research is attributed to early-career scientists for outstanding achievements in their MA or PhD thesis, or other research projects. The Swiss Committee on Polar and High Altitude Research awards the prize together with the Swiss Commission of the High Altitude Research Station Jungfraujoch and the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research. |
 Picture credit: Alfred de Quervain. © ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv / Public Domain |
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Part of the SPI’s outreach programme and destined to all who are curious about polar regions, the festival features activities for all ages: Treasure hunt – Expedition game – Science exhibition – Creative workshops – Drawing workshop – Student area – Screenings of polar films – Arctic art exhibition – Polar library – Icy Cordial Bar – Tales from the cold (in French only) – Live conference from Antarctica (in French only).
Free of charge, registration mandatory. |
 Illustration credit: © Swiss Polar Class, all rights reserved |
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News from our network |
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A research collective of female PhD students and APECS members from Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Australia, and the UK are working together on a review article on this topic as part of a collaboration between the journal PLOS Climate with members of APECS. Their article will identify recent developments and critical points of action in this area and propose strategies to improve the experiences of women in polar fieldwork. Your taking part would help gather empirical evidence on the polar fieldwork experience of researchers who identify as women.
Filling in the survey takes about 5 to 15 minutes and will be completely anonymous. Thank you in advance! |
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Antarctic wildlife at heightened risk of avian flu outbreaks |
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SCAR, the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP), the Committee for Environment Protection (CEP) and the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) are concerned about the heightened risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in Antarctica in the 2023/24 season and the devastating impacts it could have on the region’s unique wildlife. A new paper published by the SCAR Antarctic Wildlife Health Network (AWHN) explains that heightened risk. The AWHN has provided extensive guidelines and recommendations for enhanced biosecurity, surveillance and monitoring for the scientific and tourism community. |
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As an inaugural Mertz Fellow, Dr Amy Macfarlane will spend three months working with Australian Antarctic Division sea-ice scientist Dr Petra Heil examining the reflective properties of snow-covered sea ice.
Read the article by the Australian Antarctic Division: |
 Photo credit: © Simon Payne/Australian Antarctic Division |
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Science and sailing to collect environmental data |
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The Swiss Polar Institute is collaborating with offshore sailing team Oliver Heer Ocean Racing to collect environmental data during both the training and racing phases of the Vendée Globe challenge between 2023 and 2025. The sailing team is set to compete in the upcoming edition of the Transat Jaques Vabre (TJV) starting on Sunday 29 October. Onboard, the team carries water sampling equipment provided by the Swiss Polar Institute which will be used to capture information on various metrics, such as salinity, temperature and dissolved CO2 concentrations from remote locations along the race route. |
 Picture credit: © Hartas Productions, all rights reserved |
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Outreach |
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 Photo credit: © Annabel Payne, all rights reserved |
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To stay-up-to-date with the latest news about the Flagship Initiatives, their dedicated websites, GreenFjord and PAMIR, offer a host of information about the projects, their latest updates and social media feeds.
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