Status Conference Research Vessels
No earlier than two years after completion of the cruise, the chief scientists of cruises conducted with the research vessels ALKOR, ELISABETH MANN BORGESE, HEINCKE, METEOR, MARIA S. MERIAN, POLARSTERN and SONNE receive a request from the GPF Office to report on the scientific utilisation of the cruise. This is done by giving a presentation at the biennial Status Conference, for which an extended abstract must also be submitted. The template provided for the extended abstract should be used to document the scientific results obtained on the cruise and demonstrate how these have been published or otherwise made available.
The Status Conference is an integral part of the joint process for allocating ship time on the German research vessels. It is usually hosted every two years by a marine research institution in Germany, with the support of the GPF Office and Project Management Jülich on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The Status Conference Research Vessels is a national networking event that enhances the public visibility of German marine research; for this reason it is designed as an appealing event with a public-facing profile.
The next Status Conference is due to take place on 4–5 March 2026 at GEOMAR in Kiel. For information on the conference and details of how to register, see the (externer Link).
The Status Conference Research Vessels 2024 was held on 5–6 March 2024 at the University of Bremen.
The chief scientists presented the key scientific results of their respective cruises and there was a programme of supplementary events. The reports were supplemented with thematic posters highlighting interim results obtained from the individual cruises.
For further information, see the (externer Link). The contributions were compiled in a (externer Link).
The Status Conference Research Vessels 2022 was held online on 22–23 February 2022. It was originally to take place as an in-person event at the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment at the University of Oldenburg, but this was not possible due to the pandemic. The contributions were compiled in a (externer Link).
Originally planned for 24–25 March 2020 at ICBM Oldenburg, the Status Conference Research Vessels 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The contributions were compiled in a (externer Link).