APECS News

The Ponant Explorations Group is pleased to announce an open call for scientific projects onboard the polar exploration vessel Le Commandant Charcot (LCC) in the Baltic Sea in November and December 2026. This project call is specifically for early career-led research projects and facilitated by the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS). Scientists from any discipline are encouraged to apply and applicants may apply for both available cruises. The scientific berths are offered free of charge, although travel and shipping expenses to the port of departure/arrival are at the participant’s cost.

Join us for an APECS get-together during the upcoming EGU General Assembly in Vienna! Organized by APECS Germany and the APECS Executive Committee, we would like to invite you to our splinter meeting for networking, sharing experiences, presenting activities and much more. The meeting will be an open space for National Committees and Project Groups to present their activities, but also for any APECS member and those interested in becoming one and alumni, for meeting each other, asking questions and generally exchanging ideas and getting inspired!

We will meet on Monday 4 May 10:45-12:30 in Room 2.97 (SPM177). Don’t miss out on this opportunity for meeting fellow polar enthusiasts on the first day of the EGU!

APECS Italy and ECOP Italy, the Italian nodes of ECOP and APECS, joined forces at the Arctic Circle Rome Forum - Polar Dialogue (3-4 March 2026) with a joint booth dedicated to early-career polar and ocean professionals. Through conversations, networking and outreach materials, the initiative called "Bridging New Ocean and Polar Generations" created a space for dialogue across communities working at the intersection of polar and ocean science, supporting collaboration and inter generational exchange. The initiative has also been officially endorsed as a Decade Activity, recognizing its contribution to connecting early-career communities and strengthening collaboration across polar and ocean research. 

Photo: Giacomo Traversa

On 30 March 2026, Uruguay participated in the virtual panel "Latin America and Antarctica: History and Politics between the Second World War and the Antarctic Treaty (1945–1959)".

This high-level academic meeting was organised by the Centre for Latin American Studies at the Ohio State University (OSU). The event was co-sponsored by the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Centre (OSU), Native Antarcticans, the University of Chile, and the University of São Paulo. Furthermore, it featured the strategic collaboration of the national committees of APECS (Association of Polar Early Career Scientists) from Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay.

Are you preparing for fieldwork in the Arctic or Antarctic? Whether you're headed to land-based stations or embarking on polar research vessels, planning is key to a successful and safe research campaign. Join us on 9 April, 13-15 GMT and 16 April, 13-15 GMT for a two-part series of POLARIN fieldwork planning webinars to learn more about how to navigate logistics challenges, understand risk assessment and field safety, implement ethical and sustainable research practices, and plan effective data management from the start. 

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) are looking for an early career scientist to join the SOOS Weddell Sea and Dronning Maud Land Regional Working Group (WSDML RWG)

The 2025 edition of the "Antarctic Education Workshops" was executed by the Outreach Unit of the Faculty of Sciences. This initiative featured the participation of members from APECS Uruguay and students from the University of the Republic. These workshops aim to build a bridge between high-level scientific research and the school community, reaffirming Uruguay's commitment as a consultative member of the Antarctic Treaty.

APECS had a strong presence at this year's Arctic Frontiers conference, held 2-6 February in Tromsø, Norway. APECS was visible through its partnership with the Arctic Frontiers Student Forum, speaking engagements of APECS members (related to their own areas of expertise), and sessions where APECS Executive Director Sarah Strand represented the organization.