Understanding climate systems requires knowledge of climatic effects on C cycling and greenhouse gas dynamics in coupled land-water-atmospheric systems, and in-turn, how these feedback into the climate system. A major knowledge gap is to what extent C released from permafrost soils is transported, processed and emitted as CO2 and CH4 in inland waters vs. exported to downstream costal and ocean waters. Lakes and streams at high latitudes release significant amounts of CO2 and CH4 to the atmosphere. These fluxes are largely controlled by climate dependent factors (temperature, wind, precipitation) and hydrological flowpaths to water bodies, either directly or via its regulation of the terrestrial production and export of C6,7. Of particular importance is the organic C released from thawing permafrost which could largely be metabolized leading to increased CO2 and CH4 emissions. C emission from lakes and streams in areas of discontinuous permafrost has been shown to be comparable to terrestrial atmospheric C exchange and to exceed downstream C export, implying an important role of inland waters in the C cycle. Despite these advances in our understanding of C fluxes in lakes and streams there is a fundamental knowledge gap of climate impact on C transport and cycling in inland waters at high latitudes, and especially when attempting to extrapolate and predict large scale patterns and future trends. This is particularly true for the vast areas of boreal and arctic Russia/Siberia. This project proposes a comparative study of lake-stream networks across a climate gradient (boreal-arctic) in western Siberia (Fig. 2) covering a large range of permafrost conditions (absence-sporadic-discontinuous-continuous). The project includes (1) field surveys of CO2 and CH4 concentrations in approximately 50 lakes and 50 streams, and a more (2) detailed quantification of annual lateral and vertical C fluxes in selected catchments. Methods include a combination of manual and continuous measurements of dissolved organic and inorganic C, CO2, CH4 and gas transfer velocity (k) using chamber and logger techniques. Isotopic tracer (2H, 18O) sampling and modelling will allow hydrological transit times in each catchment and aquatic network to be estimated, and stream flow to be separated into different geographic sources of flow contribution within catchments16,17. Bioassay experiments18 will be used to assess temperature dependency in degradation rates, and in total bioavailability, of river DOC across the gradient. Additional measurements include depth, pH, nutrients, water temperature, wind, and discharge for each region. Most of the equipment needed is already available in the group. The project will have access to established field sites, digital maps of the region and to laboratory facilities at Tomsk State University, Russia. The C footprint of the project will be minimized as far as possible by following the guidelines provided by JPI Climate website for travel, meetings, office and infrastructure. For this project it is of particular importance to minimize travel by virtual meetings, by having local staff for sampling, by planning meetings to minimize travel distances and to enable use of night trains.

Previously pristine, the Western Central Africa and Western Siberian Lowlands are now increasingly impacted by accelerated global changes with the predictable degradation of soil and groundwater systems, which could lead to potentially huge emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and to vast carbon (C) and nutrient exports from land to oceans. Both regions are characterized by mosaics of open (savanna/tundra) and forest vegetation, that show climate-induced, fire-mediated dynamics suggesting tipping points between contrasted vegetation types. Moreover, two soil classes, podzols and anthrosols, prone to C sequestration but fragile, are common to both regions but little-recognized: their impact on C storage, export and emissions need to be better studied. VULCAR-FATE embraces 1) an approach using multi-satellite data calibrated and validated by ground measurements, and contrasted with information from local knowledge, to monitor the water balance, land use/cover changes and C sequestration by vegetation biomass, and to constrain numerical models of geological processes and water flow, and 2) a hydrological continuum approach taking advantage of existing research stations to quantify and model the export of dissolved and/or particulate organic and inorganic C and other nutrients, and subsequently C sequestration and GHG emissions. The stake of the combined local and regional approaches is to predict the ecosystem's state for the next 30-100 years and to develop in cooperation with local stakeholders a set of recommendations on mitigation of the negative climate-induced and globalization effects. Our interdisciplinary public-private partnership (research organisations, businesses, governmental agencies, NGOs and communities) will join forces and intelligence to design scenarios, decision support data/tools and sustainable management options, and will implement capacity building activities for young scientists, land managers and decision makers. Our transdisciplinary work will thus inform management decisions and policies, and benefit other ANR and EU-ERC projects.

The main objective of the proposed CORONA II project is to enhance the safety of nuclear installations through further improvement of the training capabilities aimed at building up the necessary personnel competencies. Specific objective of the proposed CORONA II project is to proceed with the development of state-of-the-art regional training center for VVER competence (which will be called CORONA Academy), whose pilot implementation through CORONA project (2011-2014) proved to be viable solution for supporting transnational mobility and lifelong learning amongst VVER operating countries. The project aims at continuation of the European cooperation and support in the area for preservation and further development of expertise in the nuclear field by improvement of higher education and training. This objective will be realized through networking between universities, research organisations, regulatory bodies, industry and any other organisations involved in the application of nuclear science, ionising radiation and nuclear safety. The proposed CORONA Academy will maintain the nuclear expertise by gathering the existing and generating new knowledge in the VVER area. It will bring together the most experienced trainers in the different aspects of the area within EU and abroad, thus overcoming the mobility challenge that stands ahead the nuclear education and training community. The selected form of the CORONA Academy, together with the online availability of the training opportunities will allow trainees from different locations to access the needed knowledge on demand. The available set of courses will cover the whole range of training of VVER specialists from the university until reaching high professional skills and competences in the area.