AQUARIUS is a Horizon Europe-funded project with the aim to provide access to a comprehensive and diverse suite of integrated research infrastructures to address challenges and explore opportunities for the long-term sustainability of our marine and freshwater ecosystems.
A Word from our Coordinator, Aodhán Fitzgerald
This newsletter marks the end of the first year of the AQUARIUS project. I am delighted to say that it has been an extremely productive year in which we have met all our milestones and delivered on all our planned activities.
As we enter the second year of AQUARIUS, and fresh from our recent (and first in-person) General Assembly in Helsinki, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners and my colleagues for their hard work and collaborative spirit.
Some first-year highlights included the development and launch of the online research infrastructure catalogue; the identification of data gaps and scientific challenges in Mission Lighthouse areas to inform the design of our first Transnational Access Funding Call; the development of the AQUARIUS Data Management Plan to implement our Open Data strategy; our series of sea-basin brokerage events to promote our first Call and engage with the community and, of course, the successful design and launch of our first Transnational Access Funding Call. All of these activities have been supported by our partner-wide communication, dissemination and outreach activities.
We had an excellent response to our first Funding Call and would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the wider scientific community. Scientific evaluation of the eligible proposals is ongoing and we expect to announce the first tranche of successful projects by May 2025.
Looking ahead to year two, work will continue at the same pace, with a focus now on designing our next Funding Call (opening 2 September 2025). Work is also ongoing on training and data management, with some exciting updates coming soon.
Finally, we will continue to engage with our key communities – both online and in-person, with a range of outreach and networking events planned. So please stay tuned to our social media and website for further updates and help us spread the word about this important project.
With best wishes,
Aodhán Fitzgerald
Research Vessels Operations Manager
Marine Institute
Marking the end of the first year of the AQUARIUS project, partners recently gathered in Helsinki, Finland for the first in-person General Assembly meeting, to reflect on the significant progress and achievements of the past year and discuss upcoming plans and opportunities. With some partners meeting for the first time, while others were delighted to reconnect, all partners welcomed this important opportunity to come together and drive the project forward.
A special thanks to our local host partner, Syke, for the very warm welcome and excellent organization, which included a fantastic tour of the R.V. Aranda.
The first of two Transnational Access Funding Calls, the “Regional Lighthouse Access Call”, closed on January 20th, 2025. A total of 17 project proposals passed initial eligibility checks. These proposals spanned all the Mission Lighthouse Areas, a variety of scientific disciplines and represented a good mixture of research infrastructure types, with 26 of our 57 research infrastructures selected.
The next phase involves a rigorous scientific evaluation process conducted by external, independent experts under the oversight of the AQUARIUS Scientific Expert Panel (SEP) to ensure that the selected proposals align with the highest scientific standards and contribute meaningfully to the objectives of AQUARIUS. Find out more on the project proposal review, evaluation and selection procedure on the website, and stay tuned for updates on our social media!
Training is an important aspect of AQUARIUS, and we are excited to announce the launch of two incredible opportunities for early-career scientists and technicians!
The AQUARIUS internships for early career scientists, technicians, PhD students, MSc students and post-docs working in marine and freshwater sciences are open for applications. This is an opportunity to join and learn from international scientific teams utilising AQUARIUS research infrastructures to advance their marine and freshwater research. Applications are open from 1 February 2024 to 1 February 2027.
Ship time and access to research infrastructures are financed by AQUARIUS, with travel and subsistence costs reimbursed up to a specified limit.
The PLOCAN Glider School is a leading training programme in marine glider technology held annually by the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN). It is aimed at university students in marine-maritime and technological fields as well as technicians and professionals in the sector. The school provides hands-on training, equipping participants with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for working with unmanned ocean vehicles such as gliders.
Each annual edition of the PLOCAN Glider School accepts only 15 students selected through a merit-based process in accordance with quality certification criteria. Applications are open from 1 February 2024 to 30 April 2027.
The cost of the Glider School is reimbursed by AQUARIUS, with travel and subsistence costs reimbursed up to a specified limit.
Our AQUARIUS infographic now includes the locations of the headquarters of the 16 data centres who will help guide data management for the selected Transnational Access Projects, ensuring that access to all new data and data products is FAIR (Findable Accessible Interoperable and Reusable). Details on these data centres are being added to the AQUARIUS Research Infrastructure Catalogue. Stay tuned for updates!
Find out more about AQUARIUS News and Events! In March, come and see our posters at the VLIZ Marine Science Day in Bruges and at the Mission Ocean Forum in Brussels, Belgium, or find us at our joint AQUARIUS-POLARIN booth at the EGU General Assembly in Vienna, Austria, in April.
To see where the AQUARIUS partners have been sharing the news and where they will be heading next, visit our News Page and stay tuned to our social media for updates!
As the project progresses, reports, publications and other project resources become publicly available. To find out more about the next transnational access funding call, open data, data flows, and our communication and dissemination plan, visit our Project Resources page.
Thank you for reading our first newsletter. If you have any comments of suggestion, please contact us at hello @aquarius-ri.eu.
If you have enjoyed learning about the AQUARIUS project, please help us spread the word and share the subscription link with your networks.
