UHasselt and UAntwerp secure major funding for climate change research

The Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) has awarded 3.7 million euro to AnaEE-Flanders, a research consortium led by the universities UHasselt and UAntwerpen. This funding will ensure the long-term operation of their climate research facilities, and enable AnaEE-Flanders to join AnaEE-ERIC, a pan-European research infrastructure.

AnaEE-Flanders has conducted extensive studies on the effects of climate change and pollution. "Our research looks at the impacts on agriculture, heathlands, orchards, grasslands, lakes and rivers," explains Prof. Dr Nadia Soudzilovskaia, director of the consortium from the Centre for Environmental Sciences at UHasselt. "We also develop mitigation and adaptation strategies to secure the ecosystem services provided by nature."

The new units will expand our long-term research capacity and enable faster responses to urgent scientific questions

This year, UHasselt will install a new set of eight Rapid Assessment Unit (RAU) Ecotrons in Maasmechelen. "These climate-controlled domes allow us to expose ecosystems for weeks or months to environmental changes such as nitrogen deposition, climate change and soil amendments," says Prof Dr François Rineau (UHasselt). "The new units will expand our long-term research capacity and enable faster responses to urgent scientific questions."

In addition, UAntwerp will expand its FATI system, which simulates climatic extremes in outdoor environments, and upgrade its Ecotron and aquatic Mesodrome facilities.

The FWO funding also paves the way for AnaEE-Flanders to join AnaEE-ERIC, a pan-European research infrastructure that studies the impact of environmental change on ecosystems. This collaboration strengthens the consortium's position as a key player in European climate research.

The Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) is a Flemish agency dedicated to advancing groundbreaking fundamental scientific research across all disciplines within the universities of the Flemish Community. It also fosters collaborations between Flemish universities and other research institutions.

The FWO provides funding to outstanding and promising researchers, as well as research projects, following rigorous inter-university competition and evaluation by both national and international experts. The primary criterion for funding is the exceptional quality of the researcher and the proposal, regardless of the scientific discipline, host institution, gender, political affiliation, or religious belief.

#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND


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