The Russian-German Otto Schmidt Laboratory for Polar and Marine Research (OSL)
announces the continuation of the OSL Fellowship Program in 2008/09, funded by the
German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF). The OSL manages this program,
which pairs master students, graduated research assistants, and postdoctoral fellows
with experienced collaborating scientists from Russia and Germany to work on wellfocused
tasks of mutual interest. The objective of this program is to support young
scientists and students in polar research, in particular through close cooperation with
ongoing bilateral projects.
The OSL fellowship program "Dynamics of Northern Eurasian Environments" is
scientifically motivated by the rapidity and extent of climate change in the Arctic. Now
the Arctic is experiencing some of the most rapid climate and environmental changes on
earth. Over the next 100 years, climate change is expected to accelerate, contributing to
major physical, ecological, and social changes. Changes in Arctic climate will also affect
the rest of the world through global warming and rising sea level.
Terms of Fellowship
Eligible research foci within the scope of the fellowship program „Dynamics of Northern
Eurasian Environments" are:
• Recent and Long-term Changes in the Eurasian North
• Biological Response to Changing Environmental Forcing
• Processes in Permafrost
• Effect of Climate Change on Human Activity
BMBF research grants are offered annually on a competitive basis. The Russian-
German Scientific Advisory Board of the OSL assesses the proposals according to the
OSL standard evaluation form and decides which proposals will be approved. Decisions
are taken exclusively on the basis of the scientific significance of the proposed studies.
Preference is given to interdisciplinary Russian research teams whose work will be
carried out in close cooperation with German partner institutions. OSL fellowships are
intended for individuals and research teams (principle investigator and up to two fellows
from either the same or different Russian research centers) that need the scientific
resources and the infrastructure of the OSL (analytical laboratory, OSL sample and data
archive, computer center etc.) to carry out their proposed research. Candidates should
clearly indicate the necessity of the OSL for the realization of the proposed research and
state a detailed working program they plan to carry out at the OSL in Saint Petersburg
and at German partner institutions. Research projects will be granted for 12 months.
Part of the period may be spent at partner institutes in Germany if this is essential for
academic reasons. Research areas are oceanography, marine chemistry, biology,
sedimentology, paleontology, paleoceanography, geophysics, numerical modelling as
well as interdisciplinary studies. The OSL does not support field work, research
requiring security classification, and the development of products for commercial
purposes, or persons who are employed by or studying at institutes and universities
outside the Russian Federation.
How to Apply
There is no application form. Principle Investigators (PI) are requested to apply for this
program by sending:
• a cover letter stating:
о title of the proposed research project
о name, academic degree and affiliation of the principle investigator as well
as her/his proposed research team о undergraduates, master
students, graduated research assistants and
postdoctoral fellows must provide detailed information on their status
(current semester and university degree)
• summary of proposed research (not more than 200 words)
• research plan (not more than 5 pages including figures and tables) comprising:
о scientific background
о goals and objectives
о links to Russian-German projects in polar and marine research
о proposed research activities
о scientific and technical approach
о timeline and working plan incl. working periods at the OSL and visits to
German partner institutions
• Curriculum Vitae of the principle investigator, including publication list and field
experience.
All documents must be submitted:
• in English
• electronically in pdf format only.
The deadline for application is August 14, 2008
Please send your application to:
Secretariat of the Otto Schmidt Laboratory
State Research Center - Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute of Roshydromet
Bering st. 38
199397 St. Petersburg
Phone: ++7 812 352 2419
Fax: ++7 812 352 2883
E-mail: osl@otto.nw.ru
The Russian-German Otto Schmidt Laboratory for Polar and Marine Research The OSL
is a milestone in Russian-German cooperation in the field of Arctic research. In the OSL
fellowship program 165 scientists from 16 research institutions and universities in Kazan,
Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Tiksi, and Yakutsk have participated since 2000. The OSL,
named after the Russian polar researcher Otto Yulievich Schmidt (1891-1956), provides
a basis for coordination and further development of the research projects carried out
within the framework of the Bilateral Agreement on Cooperation in Polar and Marine
Research between the Russian Federation and the Federal Republic of Germany. The
OSL at the State Research Center - Arctic and Antarctic Research
Institute of Roshydromet (AARI) in Saint Petersburg is equipped with a state-of-the-art
standard laboratory for polar and marine research and an international library
(www.otto.nw.ru). The Alfred-Wegener-Institut fur Polar und Meeresforschung (AWI), the
Leibniz-Institut fur Meereswissenschaften IFM-GEOMAR and the State Research Center
- Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute of Roshydromet are jointly responsible for
program coordination. The OSL is funded by the German and Russian Ministries for
Education and Sciences, AARI, AWI and IFM-GEOMAR.