ABC/J Competence Centres

Funding objectives

Geoverbund ABC/J promotes cross-locational research projects in geosciences and geography and sets strategic and methodological research foci that contribute to the profiling and visibility of its members and the entire ABC/J research region. Further objectives of the network encompass to promote early career scientists, to initiate and develop joint research infrastructures and to ease access to these. Established in 2009, the cooperation efficiently pools and interconnects the expertise in geoscientific research and education gained at these institutions over several decades. As a mediator between science, politics, and society, Geoverbund ABC/J’s declared aim is to increase the visibility of the ABC/J region as a nationally and internationally renowned research region in the field of geosciences.

Against this background, the Geoverbund ABC/J will promote the establishment of further ABC/J competence centres in the coming years, following the example of the two already established ABC/J competence centres HPSC TerrSys and CPEX-LAB.

ABC/J competence centres bundle expertise on a specific research topic - across locations and detached from institutional structures. The Geoverbund ABC/J offers the appropriate framework for the establishment of these thematic centres and, due to its experience in the coordination of cross-location and interdisciplinary collaborative projects, provides added value for the partners in the Geoverbund ABC/J.
The thematically focused and coordinated research within the ABC/J competence centres interconnects complementary research expertise and existing research infrastructures, thereby activating synergies and increasing further the visibility of the ABC/J research region through profile building. In addition, the ABC/J competence centres, e.g. within the framework of structured doctoral programmes and summer schools, play an important role in the training and further education of young scientists under the umbrella of Geoverbund ABC/J.

Funded ABC/J Competence Centres

1. HPSC-TerrSys

   Through the HPSC TerrSys, Geoverbund ABC/J offers direct access to the high-performance supercomputers of Forschungszentrum Jülich. Together with the associated Simulation and Data Laboratory (SimDataLab TerrSys) and in close cooperation with the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), HPSC TerrSys provides the geoscientists of the ABC/J region with scientific and technical support for their research activities by means of its supercomputers.

2. CPEX-LAB

   The CPEX-LAB brings together cloud and precipitation-related expertise from the fields of meteorology, remote sensing, applied mathematics, engineering and computer science. The focus is on scientific and technical challenges in observing and understanding clouds and precipitation.

   By coordinating research activities, the CPEX-LAB contributes to improved predictions (e.g. warning of extreme precipitation and wind gusts, energy meteorological parameters for the use of renewable energies).

3. HyCo-Geo

   The "Water" Competence Center (HyCoGeo) is intended to bundle the expertise of the Geoverbund into knowledge and insights into the dynamics of the hydrosphere, which will change significantly in the coming years.

   The main objectives include the pooling and networking of expertise, the promotion of young scientists and the acquisition of new research projects. In addition to teaching and research cooperations, summer schools, virtual labs and "living labs" are to be held at three rivers in the region for young scientists during the funding period.

   Cooperations with regional practice partners, such as water associations, are to bring together science and practice. Further cooperations with international organizations should open up the possibility of international networking.

4. IGSC⁴ⁱ

   The envisaged IGSC⁴ⁱ aims to become a platform for isotope researchers and users to realize and explore the full application potential offered by the wide range of available facilities.The IGSC⁴ⁱ aims to be an incubator for research ideas with a focus on isotopic approaches to address big science questions and seeks to provide the organizational infrastructure for the successful design and submission of coordinated research proposals.