Led by Ireland’s Marine Institute, the AQUARIUS project has launched its first funding call, offering a total of €8.1 million to support scientific projects to access diverse world-class research infrastructures.
Open until 20 January 2025, the call offers access to a diverse portfolio of European research infrastructures, including research vessels, mobile and fixed marine observation platforms, aircraft, drones, satellites, experimental research facilities, river and basin supersites, and sophisticated data service infrastructures. The extensive geographic and cross-domain scope is possible due to the AQUARIUS network of 45 partners from across 18 countries.
“AQUARIUS is a landmark project which will support research projects which integrate multiple infrastructures and addresses critical challenges facing our marine and freshwater environments,” said Aodhan Fitzgerald of the Marine Institute and AQUARIUS project coordinator. “Addressing these challenges requires a holistic approach, and the Marine Institute is delighted to be at the forefront of enabling this through the AQUARIUS project.”
By creating an interconnected network and facilitating access, AQUARIUS contributes to the ambition of the European Research Area to create a single, borderless market for research, innovation and technology across the EU, and enable scientists from less well-equipped countries to access state-of-the-art infrastructure services.
Key Features of AQUARIUS:
- Funding: €8.1 million funding available through two Transnational Access Calls.
- Scope: Open to research and innovation projects that align with the goals of the EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030, across the Mission’s Lighthouse regions: The Atlantic-Arctic, Baltic and North Sea, Danube and Black Sea, and Mediterranean Sea.
- Training Opportunities: Upcoming programs for early-career scientists, including marine internships and floating universities.
- Open Science Commitment: Emphasis on robust data management and open access to scientific data to enhance transparency and collaboration within the research community.
AQUARIUS will deliver a more visible, integrated and coordinated European research infrastructure landscape, enabling the multidisciplinary research and innovation needed to protect and sustainably manage our highly connected ocean, coastal and fresh-water ecosystems.
“This is a unique opportunity for scientists from academia, industry or citizen science organisations to take their research to the next level,” said Anneli Strobel of the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany and leader of AQUARIUS Work Package 3. “We invite researchers to take advantage of this unique opportunity to apply for the variety of state of the art infrastructures with financial support from the EU.”
The AQUARIUS Project is funded under the EU’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme.
For more information about the AQUARIUS funding calls, its comprehensive online research infrastructure catalogue and upcoming training opportunities, visit www.aquarius-ri.eu.
