Polar Program

The International Polar Year 2007-2008 was a significant milestone in the growing participation of the national scientific community in the field of polar research. The importance of studying the polar regions is based on the variety of information made possible, regarding the global climate system and its changes and paleoenvironmental reconstructions, as well as the knowledge provided in multiple fields such as oceanography, ecology, microbiology, glaciology and space. Thus, in addition to the potential that the polar region holds within itself, the specificity of its characteristics lends itself to analogies that are fundamental for understanding and predicting the dynamics of other environments and planets.

Portuguese scientists have been developing their activities in the polar regions, benefiting from the collaboration of countries with establishments in these areas. The autonomy of the national scientific community dedicated to polar research and the good continuity of the work undertaken have shown that it needs its own logistical structure to ensure the sustainability and consolidation of the activity carried out there. Following the assessment carried out by the national scientific community on the needs inherent in the evolution of polar research, the obligations arising from Portugal's accession to the Antarctic Treaty in January 2010, the specificity of the logistical infrastructures involved, particularly technological ones, and the strong international nature of the partnerships and entities in which Portuguese participation is integrated, the creation of the FCT Polar Program in December 2011 responds to the need for an institutional support and monitoring base for national research in the polar regions.

The Polar Program has two scientific advisors: Professor Gonçalo Vieira (University of Lisbon) and Dr. José Xavier (University of Coimbra), who work closely with the FCT on the various initiatives in the polar area.

Objectives of the Polar Program

• Organize dissemination and communication actions on Portuguese polar research in Antarctica and the Arctic.
• Propose and coordinate logistical support measures for Portuguese polar research.
• To establish the necessary practices for the correct application by researchers from national institutions, in order to comply with the standards for research in Antarctica arising from the signing of the Antarctic Treaty and the Madrid Protocol (Environmental Protection in Antarctica).
• Propose actions to strengthen international collaborations and protocols in the area of polar sciences.
• To act as a link between the FCT and the national scientific community interested in polar themes.
• Ensure liaison between the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote polar science and the correct inclusion of national scientists in international protocols.
• Ensure that the Portuguese scientific community is represented in the main international scientific and polar science management organizations, such as the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the European Polar Board (EPB), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Program (COMNAP).
• Supporting the Scientific Council for Natural and Environmental Sciences and the FCT Board of Directors on polar science issues.
• Organize the national polar database, forwarding it to the Antarctic Master Directory, as suggested by SCAR and COMNAP within the framework of the Antarctic Treaty Advisory System.
• Propose and boost partnerships between research institutions and industry in order to promote technology transfer and the economic valorization of knowledge.