Global Climate Action

ICTP and the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) announce an exciting opportunity for early-career climate scientists in the global South to be involved with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its next major climate assessment report.

A call for applications for chapter scientists is now open, providing a pathway for early-career researchers from developing countries and countries in transition to be involved with a major international effort to assess climate change, its impacts, and future risks. IPCC Assessment Reports compile the work of thousands of climate scientists with the aim to inform policymakers of the latest climate change research.

Generous funding from the global charitable foundation Wellcome will provide chapter scientists with a stipend, as well as equipment and IT support. They will also receive support for travel and subsistence for their participation in lead author and other IPCC meetings. Successful applicants will need to demonstrate that they can commit for a minimum of 48 months from November 2025. ICTP and IAP are coordinating the initiative; both organisations have extensive track records for supporting sustainable science in the global South.

Climate change disproportionately affects developing countries; at the same time, scientists from those regions of the world are underrepresented in global climate research. "Scientists from the global South have been cited less in climate scientific literature; this new Wellcome-supported initiative is an effort to improve the situation," explained Fred Kucharski, a climate scientist in ICTP's Earth System Physics section and head of the Centre's External Activities Unit.

Another important component of the programme is capacity building through career development. "It is expected that some of the chapter scientists could become lead authors in future IPCC assessment reports," said Kucharski. IPCC lead authors are climate experts nominated by governments and observer organisations to work on IPCC reports.

More details about the call for applications can be found here, including a link to the online application. The deadline for applications is 18 October 2025.