Call for proposal 2027 - Mackenzie Delta (PAP-27); Northwest Passage

General context

The PAP-27 expeditions (Polarstern–Amundsen Partnership 2027) are a joint initiative supported by the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine research (AWI) and Amundsen Science, developed under the broader Arctic Pulse umbrella initiative, which aims to strengthen coordination, integration, and international alignment of Arctic research activities in the lead-up to International Polar Year (IPY) 2032-33. At its core, PAP-27 will investigate the physical, biogeochemical, ecological, and societal connectivity between the Beaufort Sea, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and adjacent coastal systems through coordinated international research platforms and Indigenous partnerships.

Complementing the offshore activities of the RV Polarstern and the CCGS Amundsen, the research sailboat Forel will operate in the coastal areas and shelf of the Mackenzie Delta, where none of the above icebreakers can operate due to shallow waters. The Mackenzie River Delta, located in northwestern Canada (Northwest Territories, NWT), is one of the largest Arctic deltas and plays a major role in exchanges between terrestrial, fluvial, marine, and atmospheric environments. This added capability will provide researchers with the opportunity to study this coastal zone characterized by intense exchanges between terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

The present call concerns the Mackenzie River Delta region, while a second call focuses on the Lancaster Sound (Nunavut, NU).

For more details, please visit the Forel website.

Application deadline: September 1, 2026, 12:00 p.m. (CET)