The third edition of the AGORA International Doctoral Summer School on Atmospheric Characterization using In-situ and Remote Sensing Techniques has been successfully completed in Granada, Spain. Co-organized by the Doctoral School of Sciences, Technologies and Engineering of the University of Granada, the MSCA-SE project AERIS and the Cost Action EARLICOST, the school brought together early-career researchers, doctoral students and atmospheric science experts for an intensive training programme combining remote and on-site activities.

Participants received advanced training in atmospheric observations and remote sensing techniques through lectures, hands-on sessions and scientific projects covering topics such as lidar remote sensing, atmospheric spectroscopy, radar calibration, air quality monitoring, sun-photometry, bioaerosol observations and more.

A highlight of the programme was the field visit to the Sierra Nevada atmospheric station, providing participants with direct exposure to advanced atmospheric research infrastructure and measurement techniques.

Bringing together lecturers and researchers from leading ACTRIS facilities and institutions across Europe and beyond, the school fostered scientific exchange, collaboration and capacity building for the next generation of atmospheric scientists.

Congratulations to the organisers, lecturers and participants for the successful implementation of this outstanding training school!

For more information you can visit the school’s website: https://atmosphere.ugr.es/about/presentation/agora/training

The EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop 2026 was successfully held in Oxford,UK on 8–12 June 2026. The workshop provided an open forum for the science community to present and discuss EarthCARE science topics and results, fostering international collaboration in the scientific exploitation of EarthCARE and growing its user community.  Several members of the EARLICOST network actively participated in the workshop, reflecting the network’s contribution to the development of new EarthCARE products and the validation activities supporting the mission.

The workshop focused on a broad range of scientific and validation priorities, including:

• Synergies with past, present, and future satellite missions, as well as ground-based and airborne observations
• Applications for Earth System Models, mesoscale atmospheric models, atmospheric composition models, Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) and cloud models. 
• Novel scientific use cases and applications for EarthCARE within and beyond the cloud, precipitation, aerosol and radiation interaction domain
• Insights into climate process studies and trend assessments, and contributions to essential climate variables (ECVs) 
• Innovative information technologies (including AI) in the exploitation and evolution of EarthCARE’s observations
• Supporting a new, diverse generation of remote sensing atmospheric scientists to explore EarthCARE and associated observations in the future
• Quantitative inter-comparisons and statistical assessments of EarthCARE product quality
• Evaluation of validation achievements and identification of areas for further improvement

The EARLICOST network serves as an important platform for advancing EarthCARE science and fostering collaboration across the atmospheric research community. 

More information on the workshop can be found on the following webpage: https://www.earthcare-science-validation-2026.org/

EARLICOST is pleased to highlight a recent publication in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques:

“Hybrid methodology for optimised water vapour mixing ratio profiles from Raman lidar measurements”

Water vapour is one of the most important constituents of the Earth’s atmosphere, playing a crucial role in atmospheric thermodynamics, cloud formation, radiative processes, and climate variability. Accurate and continuous observations are essential for improving our understanding of atmospheric processes and future climate projections.

The study presents a hybrid methodology for retrieving high-quality water vapour mixing ratio profiles from Raman lidar measurements. The proposed approach combines Raman lidar observations with GNSS-derived precipitable water vapour data and numerical weather prediction and reanalysis data.

Applied to 14 years of measurements (2009–2022) from the EARLINET/ACTRIS Granada station, the methodology significantly expanded the available calibration dataset, increasing it from only 31 radiosonde-based calibration cases to more than 2,000 calibration values. This enabled the development of a comprehensive long-term database of water vapour mixing ratio profiles.

The work demonstrates the importance of advanced lidar methodologies for atmospheric monitoring, climate research, and the development of long-term observational datasets.

We congratulate Arlett Díaz-Zurita and all co-authors on this valuable contribution to the atmospheric remote sensing community.

Publication: 

Díaz-Zurita, A., Pérez-Ramírez, D., Whiteman, D. N., Rodríguez-Navarro, O., Naval-Hernández, V. M., Muñiz-Rosado, J., Fernández-Carvelo, S., Abril-Gago, J., del Águila, A., Ortiz-Amezcua, P., Bravo-Aranda, J. A., Granados-Muñoz, M. J., Guerrero-Rascado, J. L., Antón, M., Vaquero-Martínez, J., Foyo-Moreno, I., Benavent-Oltra, J. A., Alados-Arboledas, L., and Navas-Guzmán, F.: Hybrid methodology for optimised water vapour mixing ratio profiles from Raman lidar measurements, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 3169–3192, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-3169-2026 , 2026.

📖 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-3169-2026

We are honored to announce the upcoming 3rd edition of the AGORA International Doctoral Summer School on characterization of atmospheric aerosol using in-situ and remote sensing techniques, organized in the framework of the ATMO-ACCESS project.

When: 1–19 June 2026

Where:  Andalusian Inter-University Institute for Earth System Research (IISTA-CEAMA), Granada, Spain

Format: Hybrid

This edition is co-organized by the Doctoral School of Sciences, Technologies and Engineering of the University of Granada, the MSCA-SE project AERIS and the COST Action EARLICOST.

The lectures provide fundamental knowledge in novel, advanced techniques for measuring atmospheric properties, covering in situ, remote sensing, and laboratory-based instruments. This hybrid training school will be held face-to-face at the Andalusian Global ObseRvatory of the Atmosphere (AGORA) in Granada (Spain), including a visit to the Sierra Nevada station and hands-on training for some novel instruments. 

Target audience: The training school is intended mainly for researchers and technicians from the atmospheric field (such as advanced master students, doctoral students, early-career scientists, or technicians).

Further information is available on the official AGORA Training School webpage.

We are pleased to announce the upcoming Joint EARLINET & EARLICOST Meeting, which will take place in Athens, Greece, from 8 to 11 September 2026.

The event will bring together the EARLINET community and the EARLICOST COST Action Working Groups for scientific discussions, coordination activities, collaborative sessions and networking across the atmospheric remote sensing community.

Venue

National Observatory of Athens (NOA)
Kronou 7B, Penteli, Greece

Preliminary Agenda

Tuesday, 8 September 2026
09:00 – 10:00 | EARLICOST Core Group Meeting
10:30 – 12:30 | EARLICOST WG Meeting (all WGs)
13:30 – 17:00 | EARLINET Community Meeting

Wednesday, 9 September 2026
09:00 – 17:00 |EARLICOST WG Meetings

Thursday, 10 September 2026
09:30 – 12:30 | EARLICOST WG3 Meeting with Industry
14:30 – 17:00 | EARLICOST WG Meetings

Friday, 11 September 2026
09:00 – 12:00 | EARLICOST WG Meetings (all groups)
13:00 – 15:00 | EARLICOST Management Committee (MC) Meeting

Further information regarding the registration  and the detailed agenda will be shared in due course.

We look forward to welcoming you to Athens!

Useful Links

EARLINET Network:
 🔗 https://www.earlinet.org/index.php?id=105

We are pleased to share two open Postdoctoral Research Fellowship positions within the RAM-DUST project (“Atmospheric Transport of Aerosols to the Madeira Region: Dynamic Characterization, Integrated Modeling, and Environmental and Economic Impacts”), co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Madeira Regional Programme 2021–2027 (MADEIRA 2030).

 Research Areas:

• Atmospheric Remote Sensing
• Numerical Atmospheric Modelling

The fellowships are open to applicants holding a PhD in Meteorology, Physics, Environmental Sciences, Earth and Space Sciences, Geophysical Sciences, or related scientific fields.

Applications are open until 25 May 2026.

Fellowship duration: Initial duration of 12 months, renewable up to 24 months.

More information:

Atmospheric Remote Sensing Fellowship:
PT: https://www.uma.pt/sobre/servicos-administrativos/unidade-de-recursos-humanos-urh/bolsas/266053
EN:  https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/433465

Atmospheric Modelling Fellowship:
PT: https://www.uma.pt/sobre/servicos-administrativos/unidade-de-recursos-humanos-urh/bolsas/266054
EN: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/433467

EARLICOST is pleased to announce the launch of its Dissemination Conference Grants (DCG) Call for 2026.

The call aims to support EARLICOST Action participants in presenting their work at high-level international conferences, enhancing the visibility of both the individual researchers and the Action within the wider scientific community.

Dissemination Conference Grants are designed to:

• support oral presentations at conferences organised by third parties
• promote EARLICOST results to relevant stakeholders and end-users
• strengthen networking and collaboration within the atmospheric science community

Key Information:

• Call opening: April 2026
• Deadline: Open until available capacity is filled
• Evaluation: Monthly, starting 6 May 2026
• Eligible conferences: Must take place before 1 October 2026

Who can apply?

Applicants must:

• be EARLICOST Action participants
• be corresponding authors of an accepted oral presentation
• present work aligned with the objectives and deliverables of EARLICOST
• ensure proper acknowledgment of the COST Action in all dissemination materials

Financial Support:

The grant provides a fixed financial contribution to support participation costs:

• up to €2500 for in-person conferences
• up to €500 for virtual conferences

The final amount is determined based on the application and evaluation outcome.

How to apply?

Interested applicants are invited to:

1. Submit their application via the e-COST platform
2. Upload all required supporting documents, including:
   • accepted abstract
   • conference acceptance letter
3. Complete the additional application form

Applicants are strongly encouraged to carefully review the COST funding rules and guidelines before applying.

After the conference 

Grant recipients are required to submit:

• a scientific report
• supporting documentation (programme, presentation, attendance certificate)
• communication material (e.g. short video or presentation) highlighting their experience and outcomes

These materials will contribute to showcasing the impact and visibility of EARLICOST activities across its communication channels.For full details and application instructions, please consult the official call document.

EARLICOST COST Action is offering funding opportunities to support networking, collaboration, and knowledge exchange.

Available Grants:

• Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) Grants – Funded research visits to partner institutions to develop new skills, access unique facilities, and strengthen international collaboration.
• Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC) Conference Grants – Support for Young Researchers and Innovators from ITC/NNC countries to attend high-level conferences.
• Young Researcher and Innovator (YRI) Conference Grants – Funding to present your work at a high-level conference and expand your professional network.

How to Apply:  

1. Read the funding rules here:
   • Annotated Rules: https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2025/11/COST-094-21-Annotated-Rules-for-COST-Actions-Level-C-V3.0-25-IX-2025.pdf
   • Grant Awarding Guide: https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2025/01/COST-Grant-Awarding-user-guide.pdf
2. Register or log in to your e-COST profile: https://e-services.cost.eu/ 
3. Submit your application via Grant Applications.
4. Check the following document with the open calls, including additional information and application process for each grant:  https://bit.ly/earlicost_open_calls 

EARLICOST is structured around four complementary Working Groups (WGs) that drive the scientific, technical, and societal impact of the Action. Together, they advance lidar technologies, strengthen data exploitation, engage stakeholders, and ensure effective dissemination of results.

WG1 – Sensing Technology

WG1 focuses on advancing innovative lidar technologies, including High Spectral Resolution Lidars (HSRL), Fluorescence Lidars, and Thermodynamic Profiling Systems. The group works toward the optimisation, harmonisation, and standardisation of methodologies, algorithms, and calibration procedures, while fostering strong collaboration between researchers, users, and industry.

Learn more about WG1: https://earlicost.eu/wg1/

WG2 – Data Treatment and Synergies

WG2 enhances lidar data exploitation by improving retrieval techniques and strengthening synergies with complementary observing systems, such as ceilometers, cloud radars, and satellite datasets. The group develops scalable, synergistic approaches to improve aerosol characterization, spatiotemporal representativeness, and Aerosol–Cloud Interaction studies.

Learn more about WG2: https://earlicost.eu/wg2/

WG3 – Users’ and Stakeholders’ Engagement

WG3 bridges scientific innovation with operational needs by fostering sustained interaction with industry partners and end users. It supports the transfer of technological advances to the market and develops guidelines to improve the use of lidar products in satellite applications, modelling, forecasting, aviation safety, and air quality monitoring.

Learn more about WG3: https://earlicost.eu/wg3/

WG4 – Dissemination and Outreach

WG4 coordinates the communication and outreach activities of the Action, ensuring that EARLICOST results reach the scientific community, industry, policymakers, and the public. It also supports collaboration with European and international science and technology initiatives.

Learn more about WG4: https://earlicost.eu/wg4/

EARLICOST is an open and collaborative COST Action that welcomes researchers, innovators, industry representatives, and end users who wish to contribute to advancing atmospheric lidar technologies and atmospheric profiling science. At this early stage of the Action, we encourage interested participants from COST Member Countries and beyond to join the network and actively engage in its activities.

1. Read the Action Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

Before applying, interested participants are encouraged to consult the official Action description (MoU), which outlines the scientific objectives, structure, and implementation framework of EARLICOST:

Action MoU:
https://e-services.cost.eu/files/domain_files/CA/Action_CA24135/mou/CA24135-e.pdf

2. Inform the Action Chair

Prospective participants are invited to express their interest by contacting the Action Chair:
Dr. Eleni Marinou (elmarinou@noa.gr)

3. Apply to Join a Working Group

Participation in EARLICOST activities primarily occurs through its Working Groups. Interested experts may apply directly via the COST e-services platform:

Apply to join a Working Group:
https://e-services.cost.eu/action/CA24135/working-groups/apply

The Action currently includes four Working Groups focusing on sensing technologies, data synergies, stakeholder engagement, and dissemination.

Management Committee members are officially nominated by the COST National Coordinators (CNCs) of each participating country. For further information on CNCs and nomination procedures, please consult:

COST National Coordinators:
https://www.cost.eu/about/who-is-who/#tabs+Name:National%20Coordinators

Upcoming Grant Opportunities:

EARLICOST will soon open calls for:

• Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs)
• Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC) Conference Grants
• Young Researcher and Innovator (YRI) Conference Grants

These funding instruments support networking, collaboration, and scientific exchange within the Action framework. Detailed information and application guidelines will be published on the EARLICOST website and digital platforms.

We invite you to join EARLICOST and contribute to strengthening Europe’s atmospheric lidar community.

For further information, please visit the “Join Us” section of our website or contact the Action Chair.