Priority Programme “Atmospheric and Earth System Research with the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO)” (SPP 1294)
In 2007, the Senate of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) established the Priority Programme “Atmospheric and Earth System Research with the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO)” (SPP 1294). The present call invites proposals for projects (with a duration of up to three years) starting in 2026 (“HALO 2026”). An earlier start of funding is not possible.
HALO plays a key role in atmospheric research in Germany. It is a state-of-the-art airborne platform specifically equipped with modern in situ and remote sensing instruments. HALO enables cutting-edge Earth System science and allows innovative atmospheric and geophysical measurements with an impressive high ceiling altitude of up to 15 km and a spatial endurance of about 10,000 km. It may carry an instrumental payload of up to 3 tons and can be used to study processes within the troposphere and lower stratosphere. HALO-based research is supposed to help understand the interaction of processes within the Earth system and human activities, which are highly relevant for society. For satellite missions, HALO provides unique possibilities to combine and validate space-borne data with measurements of the atmosphere that were performed in situ and near the ground.
HALO enables Earth System research on a high international level. Main foci of the scientific investigations are:
- sources, properties and processing of aerosol particles
- formation, evolution and radiative effects of clouds and precipitation
- transport and dynamics in the troposphere and lower stratosphere
- transport and transformation of chemical composition
- atmospheric coupling processes
Proposals must be written in English and submitted to the DFG between 16 December 2024 and 3 January 2025 (for technical reasons, an earlier submission is not possible; technical support is only available until 20 December). The proposals should primarily refer to an upcoming mission, while it is also possible to submit proposals that utilise data from previous missions. Funds can be provided for the development of high-tech sensors and instruments which will be used mission-specifically. Instruments to be permanently installed aboard HALO cannot be funded.
Please indicate in the abstract of your proposal the related HALO mission(s), if applicable. Please note that proposals can only be submitted via elan, the DFG’s electronic proposal processing system. To enter a new project within the existing Priority Programme, go to Proposal Submission – New Project/Draft Proposal – Priority Programmes and select “SPP 1294/11” from the current list of calls. Applicants who already receive funding can submit a proposal for the renewal of an existing project under Proposal Submission – Proposal Overview/Renewal Proposal. Your current funded project(s) will be displayed.
When preparing your proposal, please review the programme guidelines (DFG form 50.05, section B) and follow the proposal preparation instructions (DFG form 54.01). These forms can either be downloaded from our website or accessed through the elan portal.
Applicants must be registered in elan prior to submitting a proposal to the DFG. If you have not yet registered, please note that you must do so by 2 December 2024 to submit a proposal under this call; registration requests received after this time cannot be considered. You will normally receive confirmation of your registration by the next working day. Note that you will be asked to select the appropriate Priority Programme call during both the registration and the proposal process.
Further Information
More information on the Infrastructure Priority Programme is available at:
Website for information about the research aircraft HALO:
The elan system can be accessed at:
DFG forms 50.05 and 54.01 can be downloaded at:
For scientific enquiries, please contact the Priority Programme coordinators:
- Professor Dr. Manfred Wendisch, Universität Leipzig, Fakultät für Physik und Erdsystemwissenschaften, Leipziger Institut für Meteorologie, Stephanstraße 3, 04103 Leipzig, phone +49 341 97-32851, m.wendisch@uni-leipzig.d
- Professor Dr. Joachim Curtius, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Fachbereich Geowissenschaften/Geographie, Institut für Atmosphäre und Umwelt, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438 Frankfurt/Main, phone +49 69 798-40258, curtius@iau.uni-frankfurt.d
Questions on the DFG proposal process can be directed to:
Programme contact:
- Dr. Tim Haarmann, phone +49 228 885-2328, tim.haarmann@dfg.d
Administrative contact:
- Pia Schmidgen, phone +49 228 885-2034, pia.schmidgen@dfg.d