Objective 1 of the International Research Infrastructure "Sib-Lab" is therefore to establish an interdisciplinary methodological pool of scientific tools to collect and analyse key environmental data of various origins (e.g. in situ, laboratory, atmospheric sampling, remote sensing) to monitor climate change and to understand and predict its consequences on the ecosystem state and function.

Objective 2 is to establish by the end of the 3-year project life-time the International Sib-Lab Environmental Information System with a distributed Earth System Science Cluster linking models and data of the Siberian and German project partners. The cluster encompasses expertise from biogeochemistry, ecology, hydrochemistry and atmospheric sciences, and it explores state-of-the-art remote sensing techniques, distributed processing and geospatial data handling and web-applications. The following model approaches will be exploited: ecosystem-biosphere-carbon model (IBP-RAS), dynamic vegetation model (MPI-BGC MDI), airborne trace gas measurements and mesoscale modelling (MPI-BGC BSY), radiative transfer modelling (WeW-FUB), ecosystem productivity including ecotone changes, fire danger rating, permafrost and palaeoclimate (IBP- and SIF-RAS), Earth observation data exploration models like radar-retrievals, radar-optical synergy and scaling models (EO-Jena). This interdisciplinary and diverse expertise of the German-Russian consortium represents in itself a unique opportunity to advance Earth system and climate-change science.

Objective 3 is the foundation of a research corporation, the non-profit organisation "Sib-Lab". Sib-Lab will act as its own independent entity and public organisation e.g. in future proposals and applications for governmental funds or donations with the goal to promote international research about Earth system and climate science topics with state-of-the-art technology and methodologies.

Overall objectives are to increase the efficiency of research through synergy between the Sib-Lab partners, to increase the international competitiveness by joining each partner´s expertise in a non-profit organisation (NPO), to exploit and disseminate joint research results, and last but not least to intensify bilateral cooperation between Germany and Russia. Overall, Sib-Lab shall establish a sustainable foundation for long-term cooperation beyond the usually temporarily limited project funding. Global Change research needs a lasting international scientific infrastructure, that we want to establish in the framework of this respective BMBF-program.