Call for proposals "Long-term strategies for climate-resilient ecosystems and habitats in rural-peripheral regions" published

Climate-resilient ecosystems in rural areas
Up to five million euros for the establishment of a Climate Future Lab at the Lower Saxony Climate Research Center

Actionable strategies are needed to make rural areas resilient in the long term. These are to be researched and developed in the new funding call "Long-term strategies for climate-resilient ecosystems and habitats in rural-peripheral regions". A cross-location Climate Future Lab is being sought for this purpose, which is to start in summer 2026 as part of the Lower Saxony Climate Research Center. Applications for funding can be submitted immediately.

"How can we deal with the consequences of climate change outside of cities? In view of increasing extreme weather events, including here in Lower Saxony, one of the key questions for the future is how we can prepare our society and natural habitats for the new realities. The planned Climate Future Lab is intended to provide valuable long-term insights and develop concrete applications in order to maintain a viable and liveable world in the future. I look forward to receiving as many exciting applications as possible," said Falko Mohrs, Lower Saxony's Minister for Science and Culture.

Researching the effects of changing climatic conditions on local ecosystems, investigating the potential of water and carbon dioxide storage functions or addressing issues relating to socio-economic resilience and regional development strategies - the call for proposals is deliberately open and broad in terms of topics. Scientists from various disciplines such as environmental sciences, biology, social and communication sciences, engineering and many more are invited to apply with interdisciplinary project proposals, also with the participation of actors from civil society. In a Climate Future Lab for the call "Long-term strategies for climate-resilient ecosystems and habitats in rural-peripheral regions", they will network with practice partners, discuss current research questions via , generate ideas for research projects and develop solutions for a safer and fairer climate future.

Consortia consisting of at least three scientists from three different universities, colleges or research institutions in Lower Saxony are eligible to apply. External partners and international universities in the consortium are also welcome. The members of the Climate Future Lab are also encouraged to acquire further cooperative, funded or commissioned research projects and third-party funding during the course of the project in order to strengthen thematic networking in the field of climate change research and possible climate impacts in the state of Lower Saxony.

The Climate Future Lab is being funded with up to five million euros from the zukunft.niedersachsen program of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture and the Volkswagen Foundation. The program is intended to specifically promote research and teaching in Lower Saxony in the three key areas of digitality, transformation and cutting-edge research. The funding period for the Climate Future Lab is six years, subject to a positive interim evaluation. The application deadline is November 03, 2025.

Kick-off event for interested applicants

The ZKfN office is offering an online event on July 2, 2024 from 12 - 1 p.m. to kick off the application phase. Interested scientists are cordially invited to participate. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about the call for proposals and network with other scientists in order to promote the formation of consortia. Free registration is possible via a registration form on the ZKfN website.

About zukunft.niedersachsen

zukunft.niedersachsen (formerly "Niedersächsisches Vorab") is a science funding program of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture and the Volkswagen Foundation. The majority of zukunft.niedersachsen's funding comes from the equivalent value of the annual dividend on a nominal 30.2 million VW trust shares held by the state of Lower Saxony, which are subject to the profit transfer claim to the Volkswagen Foundation. According to the statutes, the funds are to be allocated to scientific institutions in the state of Lower Saxony. To this end, the state government usually submits proposals for the use of funds to the Foundation's Board of Trustees in the summer and fall. In the 2024 reporting year, 618.7 million euros were available for zukunft.niedersachsen due to special income. Further information on "zukunft.niedersachsen" can be found here.

The call for proposals for the Climate Future Lab can be found on the zukunft.niedersachsen website at: https://zukunft.niedersachsen.de/foerderangebot/climate-future-labs/