Projekte

Die Projekte des Helmholtz-Forums Erde und Umwelt nehmen übergreifende Fragen von besonderer gesellschaftlicher Relevanz in den Blick und arbeiten über die Grenzen der einzelnen Themenfelder im Programm "Changing Earth – Sustaining our Future" hinweg.

Forschende aus dem Forschungsbereich Erde und Umwelt können einmal pro Jahr neue Projekte einbringen und damit auf aktuelle gesellschaftliche Entwicklungen reagieren. Die Projekte des Helmholtz-Forums Erde und Umwelt bestehen aus Beiträgen von mehreren Helmholtz-Zentren und sind auf eine Laufzeit von etwa zwölf Monaten ausgelegt. Leitlinien sind dabei die Orientierung an konkreten Zielen und an den Ziel- und Interaktionsgruppen, denen die Synthese-Ergebnisse dienen sollen.

Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment Call Timeline

Call for Proposals: Projekte 2026*2027

The Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment welcomes applications for new Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment Projects. From December 2025 until end of February 2026, interested researchers within the Helmholtz Research Field Earth & Environment can submit their proposals. The proposal template can be downloaded here. Please submit the proposal via e-mail to Marie Heidenreich: marie.heidenreich@gfz.de.

About the Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment

The Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment (former SynCom) connects 7 Centres and 9 Topics for a higher societal impact. It fosters the program ‘Changing Earth – Sustaining our Future’ through cross-Centre and cross-Topic networking activities.

Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment Projects

Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment Projects advance the Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment's goal of linking the seven Helmholtz E&E Centres and providing society with relevant knowledge from the Research Field Earth & Environment on key future issues. They are designed to build bridges across disciplines and to synthesize and communicate research results to clearly defined interaction groups. Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment Projects can include partners and stakeholders from outside the scientific community.

An exceptional feature of the Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment is its unique science-policy network which connects participants with key stakeholders and decision-makers. The Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment offers distraction-free environments for productive exchanges and targeted interactions with stakeholders in politics, society, and industry, thereby enhancing societal and scientific impact. 

The call is open for projects with several participants comprising at least two Topics and two Helmholtz Centres. Any researcher within the Helmholtz Research Field Earth & Environment can apply. The average duration of a project is approx. twelve months. Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment Projects have an allocated budget for workshops and other events. There is no funding for personnel and travel expenses. Supported Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment activities could include, but are not limited to, research synthesis paper, synthesis workshops, mapping of expertise, joint research funding proposal, stakeholder meetings, policy briefs, fact sheets, science-policy dialogues, and parliamentary events. For further information, please see the proposal template. The Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment Office and the Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment Anchor Persons offer guidance on the application process and evaluation.

Selection criteria

For further information, please see the proposal template. The Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment Office and the Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment Anchor Persons offer guidance on the application process and evaluation.

After submission, the Program Board will recommend project proposals based on these evaluation criteria:

  • Integrative in terms of disciplines, Topics, and Centres. 
  • In the frame of the research program ‘Changing Earth – Sustaining our Future’
  • Novelty in terms of timeliness/societal demand and/or filling gaps in the Research Field Earth & Environment
  • Feasibility considering timeline and limited funds from the SynCom budget

Selection process

The Management Board will proceed to decide on three (or more) Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment Projects in its meeting on April 23, 2026. At least one representative from each Project proposal is expected to present their goals at the next General Assembly of the Research Field at the beginning of 2027 in Bremen. The Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment Projects are expected to start after the summer break 2026 with a kick-off meeting.

Submission

Im Rahmen der Projektrunde 2024*2025 wurden als neue Projekte des Helmholtz-Forums Erde und Umwelt (vormals SynCom) ausgewählt:

SPHERE: Synthese von Kunststoffen

CuLiWell: Kupfer- und Lithiumvorkommen in Geothermiebohrungen in Deutschland

Zu viel und doch nicht genug Wasser: Smart Management in Zeiten hydrologischer Extreme

Im Rahmen der Projektrunde 2023*2024 wurden folgende Projekte des Helmholtz-Forums Erde und Umwelt (vormals SynCom) ausgewählt: Indikatoren für die EU-Chemikalienpolitik, Großdemonstratoren für die Kohlendioxidentfernung (CDR) und Entwicklung operationaler Biodiversitätsziele

Die drei Pilotprojekte aus der ersten Runde sind Städte im KlimawandelDigitale Zwillinge und Frühwarnung vor Naturgefahren.

FAQ: Projekte des Helmholtz-Forums Erde und Umwelt