Rapid temperature rise, devastating floods and parched fields: what sounds like something out of a sci-fi thriller has long since become reality. At the University of Graz, researchers are intensively engaged with climate change and developing solutions to tackle one of the greatest challenges of our century. Since 2014, 23 early-career researchers from nine countries have been working on climate change strategies in a dedicated doctoral programme. The University of Graz is now expanding the international programme, which the Austrian Science Fund FWF is supporting for a further four years with around 2.9 million euros.

"Research on climate change creates important solutions for the future. In this now-extended doctoral programme, young researchers are making an essential contribution to that," emphasises Rector Christa Neuper. The successful doctoral programme (DK) "Klimawandel" will be able to advertise more than 20 positions for doctoral candidates again from March 2018 and will also be expanded to include the topic of environmental law.
The early-career researchers will focus primarily on two questions, as Univ.-Prof. Dr. Lukas Meyer, spokesperson for the doctoral programme, explains: "First, what scientifically sound, efficient and ethically justifiable strategies for transitioning to a low-emission, climate-compatible economy and society can be developed? And second, how do people cope with the uncertainties and risks associated with climatic changes, particularly extreme weather events?"

In addition to the 23 doctoral candidates already in post who are currently completing their work, a further 24 are planned from autumn onwards. Twelve positions are funded by the FWF, eight by the University of Graz. "Four more are to be funded through additional third-party funding," Meyer says with confidence. The State of Styria has already taken on the costs of one doctoral position in the programme.
In total, more than four million euros will flow into strengthening the research field at the University of Graz. Thanks to its interdisciplinary orientation, disciplines across five faculties are collaborating in the programme: humanities, natural sciences, law, economics and social sciences, as well as environmental, regional and educational sciences.

The doctoral theses address numerous aspects of climate change from the perspectives of different academic disciplines. For example, early-career researchers from systems science, geophysics and meteorology, and plant sciences are collaborating around the phenomenon of early apple blossom. Further projects will also tackle pressing questions: what factors must companies consider when implementing promising environmentally friendly business strategies? Or what responsibility must those who cause climate change take on?

This text by Andreas Schweiger was first published on the <link https: on.uni-graz.at de detail article uni-graz-baut-forschungen-zum-klimawandel-aus external-link-new-window internal link in current>University of Graz website.

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