Call for Applications: Join the Net-Zero Winter School 2025
The participants of the Summer School in front of the Algenhaus in Hamburg Wilhelmsburg. Photo: Hereon / Cicilia Steffi Lukman
The Net-Zero Network, a follow-on to the Net-Zero-2050 project, Cluster I of the Helmholtz Climate Initiative, is pleased to announce the Net-Zero Winter School 2025 as part of a series of Net-Zero Summer and Winter Schools for early-career scientists as well as graduate and postgraduate candidates within the Helmholtz Association.
About the Net-Zero Winter School
Join us this November and deepen your understanding of different approaches on the path to a net-zero Germany.
When: 24-28 November 2025
Where: In and around Hamburg
Who: For PhDs and Postdocs within the Helmholtz Association
Language: English
Aim
The objective of the Winter School is to create a community of young scholars from a broad range of disciplines (climate and environmental sciences, economy, energy, political science) where participants will learn about systemic approaches to climate resilience and a net-zero future technologies, practices, and approaches that remove CO2 from the atmosphere. During the five days, participants will also work on a task incl. a presentation at the end. The Winter School offers a unique opportunity for early-career researchers to work together and share experiences on different aspects of research while maintaining a systemic and multidisciplinary approach. The broad scope of net-zero will be addressed by expert-led lectures and excursions together with group activities, discussions, and networking opportunities, fostering collaboration among participants. Participants will receive a certificate of participation.
Program
Lecture topics include:
• Systemic approach to net-zero
• Building-integrated photovoltaics
• Materials technology for green hydrogen generation and storage
• Membrane processes for CO2 separation
• Future carbon sources
• Legal aspects of sustainable development (tentative title)
• Insights into industry: the practical implementation of net-zero approaches (tentative title)
• Intercultural teamwork
Excursions:
• Geesthacht: Hereon laboratories for CO2 separation, hydrogen and marine carbon cycling
• Hamburg Bergedorf: HAW Hamburg Technologiezentrum Energie Campus (TEC), Direct Air Capture facility
• Hamburg Moorburg: Hamburg Green Hydrogen Hub
The detailed agenda will follow soon.
Location
The main venue is the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS), Chilehaus, Fischertwiete 1, 20095 Hamburg. Additionally, excursions around the city of Hamburg will offer insights into the research and implementation of CO2 reduction or CO2 avoidance options.
Costs
Costs will be covered except for the hotel costs and the travel costs to, from and around Hamburg.
Accommodation
Rooms can be booked until 13 October 2025 at a hotel in Hamburg close to GERICS. More information will be provided to successful applicants.
Application
Applicants are kindly requested to register here and provide contact details and some further information. The application deadline is 15 July 2025.
Note: Participation is currently open to Helmholtz researchers only.
Information on the last Net-Zero Summer School in 2024 can be found here: article and video.
The Net-Zero Summer and Winter Schools are products of the Net-Zero Network, a follow-on to the Net-Zero-2050 project, Cluster I of the Helmholtz Climate Initiative. Net-Zero-2050 focused on the topic of CO2 neutrality with the key question: How do we restructure the energy system and how do we deal with emissions that are hard to avoid? For more information, please visit the project website.