The Horizon Europe GRAIL doctoral network was recently granted

Expanding our understanding of thunderclouds and associated high-energy radiation

Understanding the processes behind atmospheric and environmental phenomena on our planet is crucial to our efforts to combat climate change, mitigate environmental damage and better monitor such phenomena. Thunderstorms have been observed to emit radiation ranging from X-rays and gamma rays to visible light and long-lasting gamma-ray glows, which are among the most energetic natural processes on our planet. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the Gamma Rays in the Atmosphere for Investigation and Learning (GRAIL) project aims to expand our understanding of high-energy emissions from thunderclouds as well as their impact on environments, humans and technology. To achieve this, the project will combine state-of-the-art technology and research while also training 15 early career scientists (ECS) to become experts in this field.

The participants of GRAIL are Denmark (4 ECS, coordinator of the network), Spain (5 ECS), Norway (2 ECS), France (2 ECS) and Armenia (2 ECS). GRAIL also counts with a number of partners in The Netherlands, USA, Serbia, Italy, France, Norway and Spain.

GRAIL grant agreement was signed 8 July 2025. The start date is 1 February 2026 and will end by 31 January 2030. GRAIL was funded by an EU contribution of 4.661.282,88 euros.