The iC3 Polar Research Hub has succeeded in attracting a resident science journalist for the second year running. German reporter Tim Kalvelage will come to Tromsø and embed with the iC3 team for several weeks in early 2025.

His aim is to learn more about the microbiome of glaciers and subglacial environments.

Tim will accompany iC3 researchers in the field to document their work and report on new discoveries in this rapidly evolving field.

Photo: Tim Kalvelage on the job (credit: Tim Kalvelage)

 Tim has a PhD in in biogeochemistry. He is both a writer and photographer and has extensive polar fieldwork experience. For a full profile, see his personal website.

What’s happening in the ice? 

Biogeochemical processes within and beneath polar ice sheets and glaciers are a key theme in iC3’s work.

Several projects affiliated to iC3 are currently exploring how these dynamics will affect agriculture, fisheries, human health and future climate change trajectories. This work involves a combination of terrestrial research in mainland Norway, Svalbard, Greenland, and Antarctica, multiple cruises in Arctic waters and the Southern Ocean, and sample analysis in iC3’s POLAR Magic laboratory.

Tim Kavelage’s visit is supported by the European Union’s FRONTIERS Science Journalism in Residency Programme. He developed his winning grant proposal in close collaboration with iC3 scientists. 

Grant winners receive generous funding that covers all of their costs.

Call for applications 2025 

The FRONTIERS programme will launch its next call for applications in early 2025.

Till Bruckner, iC3’s communications manager, said:

“We strongly encourage science journalists interested in reporting on the Arctic or Antarctica to contact us now.” 

“iC3 will support selected candidates during the grant writing process, and will facilitate their full integration into the team as soon as they arrive in Tromsø.”

Embedding with the iC3 team 

Last year, journalist Jacopo Pasotti won a FRONTIERS grant in collaboration with iC3 to look at the role of the polar regions in the global carbon cycle. During his three months in Tromsø, he fully embedded with the centre. 

Jacopo accompanied researchers on field trips, participated in the iC3 Field School, sat in on seminars, and conducted dozens of interviews. In his spare time, he joined colleagues for rock climbing trips in the surrounding mountains.

Jacopo’s conclusion: “Three months is not enough!”