Science Communication and Policy in Arctic and Permafrost Research

PYRN and Geo.X workshop – part of the 16th DACH Permafrost Conference

Geo.X invites all interested researchers from the network to join the early career scientists workshop at the 16th DACH Permafrost Conference on science communication and policy.

The link between science and politics can feel like a black box — many young researchers wonder what truly happens to their findings once they leave the lab. This workshop will explore how scientific insights inform political decisions, and where they sometimes get lost along the way. Thematizing Permafrost Research, we’ll shed light on how research shapes (and is shaped by) policy. Together with Volker Rachold from the Arctic Office and Mathias Ullrich from the Umweltbundesamt, we’ll examine how research feeds into decision-making on both the German and global stages — from the EU to the UNFCCC.

The second part of the workshop will focus on outreach – all of us are creating scientific outputs which are interesting to the greater public, but how to communicate them and why is it important? Josefine Lenz, AWI’s permafrost outreach expert, has developed a variety of outreach formats throughout her career. Together with her, we will run a hands-on session on how to communicate your science most effectively.

The workshop will conclude with the Conference Ice-Breaker, which is open to all workshop participants from Geo.X.

When: 21 January 2026, 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm (Ice-Breaker until 9:00 pm)
Where: HVHS am Seddiner See (https://maps.app.goo.gl/uwGJSt7VuqPYhdAo7)
How to get there: From Seddin train station (RE7), you can walk (2.4 km), take bus 646 or 643 (every 30 minutes), or use the provided shuttle (details will be shared shortly before the workshop).
Good to know: Coffee, tea, cake, and small snacks will be provided.

Registration deadline for researchers from Geo.X institutions: 17 December 2025, places are limited.