INTERACT News and Highlights

INTERACT Newsletter Winter 2025

INTERACT Advent Calendar 2025 ☃️

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INTERACT Advent Calendar

INTERACT Announces Results of First Access Call for Early-Career Researchers

We are pleased to announce the successful completion of the scientific and logistic evaluation for INTERACT’s pilot Access Call dedicated to Early-Career Researchers (ECRs). Out of 26 eligible proposals, 8 were recommended for funding, with 2 research projects granted access for the 2026 field season. The pilot call is one of INTERACT’s key efforts to provide free access to world-class research stations. INTERACT aims to expand its access funding pool in the coming years as the financial structure is tested and the long-term funding strategy continues to develop.

Save the Date! INTERACT General Assembly and Station Manager Forum 2026

We are pleased to announce that the next INTERACT General Assembly will be held online on 14–15 April 2026, while the Station Manager Forum will take place in person in Bologna on 20 April 2026, kindly hosted by the INTERACT member CNR (Italian National Council of Research).

INTERACT at Arctic PASSION Symposium and General Assembly in Potsdam, Germany

Arctic PASSION held its final General Assembly on 1–2 October 2025 in Potsdam, Germany. Preceding this meeting, an open Arctic PASSION Symposium took place, featuring scientific talks, poster presentations, panel discussions, and expo sessions. INTERACT is involved in Arctic PASSION in Work Package 1, improving the terrestrial monitoring in the Arctic.

INTERACT at Arctic Six Annual Meeting 2025

INTERACT joined the Annual Meeting of Arctic Six, presenting its main aims and geographical coverage, the international collaboration for capacity building, its access and mobility programmes, and the tools, publications and outreach we developed. During the meeting, Arctic Six launched the new Arctic Six Fellowship program.

POLARIN Launches New GIS Platform for Polar Research Planning

POLARIN has officially launched its Geographic Information System (GIS) platform, created to streamline the planning and coordination of polar research activities. Based on integration from INTERACT GIS, POLARIN GIS is an online tool that allows institutions to share detailed information about polar research infrastructure, research data and their surrounding environments, utilising standardised metadata.

POLARIN launched its 2nd Transnational Access Call

POLARIN launched its second Transnational Access Call for 2025, open from 1 September to 30 October 2025. The submitted proposals are currently undergoing scientific and logistic evaluation, with funding decisions expected to be announced in late Spring 2026.

AQUARIUS opened the 2nd call for Marine and Freshwater Infrastructure Access

AQUARIUS opened its second Transnational Access (TA) Call, offering free access to world-class marine and freshwater research infrastructures. The call was open from 2 September until 28 October.

Uapishka Research Station

The result of several years of scientific collaboration, the Uapishka Research Station has published its first research report on the Socioecological Monitoring Program (PSSE in French), providing an integrated overview of the knowledge of the surrounding territory. This flagship document highlights the growing scientific development of our region, the contribution of the Uapishka Station and its research partners, and the crucial role of the PSSE in decision-making, conservation, and sustainable management of the territory. An English version is currently being translated. Here is the link to the French document.

Sudurnes Science and Learning Center

New research focus at the Sudurnes Science and Learning Center! This summer a new staff member, Dr. Anna Selbmann, joined the Sudurnes Science and Learning Center. Her research focusses on whales and bioacoustics and she will start exploring whale occurrence around the Reykjanes peninsula in the upcoming year. Besides the deployment of a hydrophone for passive acoustic monitoring, regular visual surveys and a citizen science project to involve the local community in reporting whale sightings, are planned.

Kluane Lake Research Station

The Kluane Lake Research Station (KLRS) concluded the 2025 season in early October. Guests included researchers, students, teachers, Yukon and BC First Nations, government scientists, artists, and community members. The station hosted 1469 overnight users and 100 daytrip users. Additionally, 140 community members visited KLRS during community events throughout the summer. Weekly community nights included talks from researchers and local Indigenous artists and interpreters. Throughout May to September, long-term studies were continued, and new research was conducted. Topics included glacier dynamics, hydro-glaciology, surficial geology dating, earthquake-induced landslides, wind erosion, boreal forest ecology, subarctic phenology, vegetation mapping, climatology, upper atmosphere astronomy, and hydroponics.

Arctic Station “Dirigibile Italia”

As winter settles over the Arctic, the CNR Dirigibile Italia station enters its annual semi-dormant phase. Harsh weather and extended darkness slow most field operations, leaving only the essential monitoring activities running — those crucial instruments that continue to track atmospheric, cryospheric, and environmental conditions despite the extreme cold. Yet while the station grows quieter, its management team remains anything but idle. Throughout these months, they focus on strategic planning, maintenance scheduling, and coordinating upcoming research campaigns for 2026. This quieter season becomes an opportunity to refine priorities and ensure the station is fully prepared for the demanding months ahead.