IGCP projects

The International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) promotes collaborative projects with a special emphasis on the benefit to society, capacity-building, and the advancement and sharing of knowledge between scientists with an emphasis on North-South and South-South cooperation.
Last update:23 April 2025

The programme operates by providing seed funding grants donated by UNESCO, IUGS, and extra-budgetary sources. IGCP projects primarily deal with geosciences on global issues related to five themes: Earth resources, Global change, Geohazards, Hydrogeology, and Geodynamics.

Each project has an average lifespan of five years and its progress is assessed annually through a rigorous peer-review process conducted by the IGCP Council following the evaluation reports from members of the Scientific Board during the first half of February.

IGCP projects bring together thousands of Earth scientists from around the world and allows them to benefit from the cooperative spirit generated under the umbrella of UNESCO, with the support of , the from the Republic of Korea and the National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO.

See here for details of the current call for new IGCP projects. 

Geoscience research

can help us use natural resources responsibly and sustainably

Sol de Manana geothermal area in the Altiplano, Bolivia

Earth resources

sustaining our society

Knowledge on natural resources - including minerals, hydrocarbons, geothermal energy, and water - and their management is at the frontline of the struggle for more sustainable and equitable development. The environmentally responsible exploitation of these resources is a challenge for geoscience research. The progress of technological development is equally bound to this premise.

Ice and dust, sediments and fossils

provide a record of past climate change and the evolution of life

Fossil of a Tabulata, commonly known as tabulate corals, Silurian period

Global change and the evolution of life

evidence from the geological record

Changes in the Earth's climate and of life on Earth are preserved in the geologic record. Ice and dust records, terrestrial and ocean sediments, and sequences of fossil plant and animal assemblages all tell the story of our Planet which holds important lessons about present-day environmental challenges and the ways to mitigate and manage environmental damage.

Understanding geohazards

to mitigate risks and protect people

Eruption of Cumbre Vieja volcano, La Palma in the Canary Islands, 2021

Geohazards

mitigating risks

Geohazards include earthquakes, volcanic activity, landslides, tsunamis, floods, meteorite impacts and the health hazards of geologic materials, and can range from local events such as a rock slide or coastal erosion to events that threaten humankind such as a supervolcano or meteorite impact. Earth scientists undertake research to better understand these hazards and contribute to risk management policies related to social and technical issues associated with geohazards as well as disaster mitigation.

Hydrogeology,

studying, understanding, and managing groundwater systems

Karst system in Frasassi, Italy

Hydrogeology

geoscience of the water cycle

Life on Earth depends on water, and its sustainable use is crucial for continued human activities. Earth’s water cycle involves studying, understanding, and managing groundwater systems, hydrogeology, as well as sources, contamination and vulnerability of water systems.

Geodynamic,

deep Earth processes

Þingvellir, the only place in the world where the Mid-Atlantic Rift is above sea-level, dividing the the North American tectonic plate and the Eurasian plate, Iceland

Geodynamics

control our environment

Our habitable environment at the Earth's surface is linked and controlled by processes occurring deep within the Earth. Earth scientists use, inter alia, geophysical techniques to study deep Earth processes ranging from changes in the Earth's magnetic field to plate tectonics to understand better the Earth as a dynamic planet. Those processes are also relevant to natural resource exploration, distribution and management of groundwater resources and the study and mitigation of natural hazards such as earthquakes.

Geoheritage for sustainable development

Special theme - 2020

UNESCO’s mandate acknowledges the research on geological heritage as an important instrument for the holistic approach to sustainable development of UNESCO Member States. The call for proposals under the Geoheritage for Sustainable Development Special Topic will support projects focusing on the protection of geological formations which are essential to:

  • keeping the memory of the evolution of the earth;
  • learning from evolving processes to solve emerging problems and
  • the success of a future sustainable development of local communities, in particular in terms of resource management, renewable energies, energy efficiency, farming, land use and peatland management.

The call for Geoheritage for Sustainable Development will provide seed funding to projects applying best practices and to projects contributing to the strengthening and empowering of local communities to ensure that the geological importance of an area can be preserved and promoted for science, education and culture.

How to apply

The International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) currently supports 33 projects, each assessed through a peer-review process with a lifespan of up to five years.

IGCP projects must focus on high-quality scientific research that is of international importance and societal relevance. They should demonstrate interdisciplinary cooperation and constitute international participation, including scientists in developing countries.

In line with UNESCO and IUGS priorities, the IGCP is shifting its approach to funding larger-scale projects by region, starting with Africa. These priorities emphasise expanding geoscience research, capacity-building and knowledge-sharing across the continent.

Successful projects may receive up to USD 50,000 for an initial one-year period, with the possibility of renewal for up to four years. Continued funding beyond year one will be determined annually by the IGCP Council, based on satisfactory progress and fund availability.

Additional resources are usually required to fully implement project research goals, and scientists are strongly encouraged to secure external funding.

Call for IGCP Expressions of Interest – open. See more information here.