Funding of projects on the topic of Digital geosystems: virtual methods and digital tools for geoscientific applications

1 Aim and purpose of funding, legal basis

1.1 Aim of funding

The utilization of underground geosystems continues to be increasingly important especially with regard to the ongoing energy transition. In future, efficient digital tools must be available for planning and environmental impact analysis, in particular for knowledge- and data-based assessment and approval procedures. This call for proposals aims to further accelerate the process of digitalization in the geosciences and to tap the potential of cooperation with information science. In addition to further methodical research (both in the geosciences and in information science), this mainly requires the development of corresponding workflows (e.g. data and model integration in the context of virtual realities) and of digital tools up to and including digital twins. This also involves extensive quality assurance for new models and software systems to be developed. Digital geosystems offer a broad range of applications in the sustainable management of the subsurface. For example, this includes the value chain of geoenergy – including geothermal energy and energy storage – as well as the upper surface as the interface of sustainable land use. So, the present funding regulations contribute to Field of Action 1: Avoiding and reducing greenhouse gases (mitigation) and Field of Action 2: Improving adaptability and risk prevention (adaptation) of the BMBF’s Research for Sustainability (FONA) strategy as well as to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 13 Climate Action. The results from funded projects must be used only in the Federal Republic of Germany or the European Economic Area (EEA) and in Switzerland.