Public discourses reflecting our long-standing struggle with climate change and its ramifications are growing. The declining biodiversity, deviating temperatures resulting in the melting of polar ice caps and rising sea levels are amongst the already visible consequences. Climate change is proving itself to be a dynamic threat to the habitat of humans and animals alike.

Adapting to the changing climate, accompanied by storms and catastrophes, society is faced with an array of new challenges: How can early warning systems be developed, improved and implemented to detect extreme weather conditions? How will we approach the expected surge of climate refugees in the future? How can we ensure a functioning global food production and supply? Finally, how is the health sector adapting to the new risks associated with hotter temperatures in order to care for vulnerable groups of elderly persons?

The central query of this year’s “Forum Junge Spitzenforscher” is focused on which possibilities are feasible to slow down or even stop climate change. With application-oriented strategies, concepts, and approaches from the world of science, the Forum aims to raise awareness of an existential urgency. Within the framework of the research idea competition, climate change is to be understood as an interdisciplinary subject matter. The competition offers researchers the opportunity to present unique, practice-oriented research results and present possible solutions from their work.

The event is organized in cooperation with the universities of the Berlin University Alliance: Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and with the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.