News

CORDEX is looking for an experienced website design and development partner to help us create a new website for our global climate research community.

We want to create a modern, accessible and easy-to-navigate website that showcases CORDEX’s work, improves access to information and resources, and provides a strong platform for our community into the future.

If you are interested in working with us, read the full opportunity in the linked Statement of Work and Invitation to Tender documents below. Applications must be submitted by email to the CORDEX IPO no later than 2nd December 2026.

Please get in touch if you have any queries: cordex-ipo [at] esa [dot] int

Following a large number of enquiries, we can provide the following clarifications about this opportunity.

To meet the contracting and data-hosting requirements for this procurement, all interested parties must be based in an ESA Member State. The successful supplier must also ensure that the CORDEX website is hosted within an ESA Member State and that all associated website data is stored within an ESA Member State.

CORDEX ITT website

CORDEX_Website_Redesign_Statement_of_Work

WCRP brand guidelines

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our friend and colleague Grigory “Grisha” Nikulin. Grisha was a highly respected scientist, a valued colleague, and a friend to many of us. He brought knowledge and experience to scientific fields such as regional climate modelling, climate analysis, and the interaction between climate science and stakeholder interaction. He played a central role in CORDEX, contributing significantly to the design, planning, and implementation of regional climate modelling experiments. He will be sorely missed by many, including those in the WCRP community.

Our colleagues at SMHI have created an online book of condolences. We invite you to contribute.

We’re delighted to welcome two new members to the CORDEX International Project Office (IPO) team.

Please join us in welcoming Dr Natalie Corgannon, who joins as Programme Manager, and Julia Arantes, who joins as Administrator and Secretary.

The CORDEX IPO is operated by HE Space Operations Ltd on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA) and supports the coordination and delivery of activities across the global CORDEX community and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP).

As Programme Manager, Natalie will play a key role in supporting the coordination and implementation of CORDEX activities, helping to strengthen engagement across our international network and contribute to the delivery of the programme’s objectives.

As Administrator and Secretary, Julia will provide essential operational, administrative, and governance support to the IPO, helping to ensure the smooth running of the office and effective coordination across CORDEX structures and activities.

The establishment of the IPO marks an exciting new chapter for CORDEX and its contribution to WCRP, and we’re thrilled to have Natalie and Julia on board as we work to support and strengthen our international community.

Natalie and Julia join CORDEX Director Dr Rachel McInnes in the growing IPO team, based at ESA ECSAT in the UK.

Welcome to the team, Natalie and Julia.

The International Project Office for WCRP’s Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) will be hosted by ESA’s ECSAT facility in the UK, from 1 July 2026. CORDEX provides high‑resolution, locally-relevant climate information by downscaling global climate model projections, and its data has been utilised across a number of IPCC Assessment Report cycles in its role supporting the CORDEX Scientific Advisory Team (CORDEX-SAT). The Project Office coordinates participating scientists, methods and data to support climate research, the assessment of future climate impacts, identify vulnerabilities and support adaptation policy and action.

New incoming director

The CORDEX International Project Office will be led by newly appointed Director, Dr Rachel McInnes, who brings over 15 years of experience in climate science, modelling and climate services, most recently at the UK Met Office. The University of Cape Town, as co-host, will provide science communication and administrative support.

“We are delighted to welcome Rachel as the new Director of the CORDEX International Project Office. This is an important role for CORDEX, and we look forward to working closely with her as we support the community and guide CORDEX into the future,” say CORDEX-SAT co-chairs, Melissa Bukovsky, José Manuel Gutierrez, and Silvina Solman.

The decision brings together the coordination of WCRP global and regional modelling efforts physically together in one location, alongside ESA’s Earth observation and climate expertise.

Since 2022, ESA has served as host to the project office of the WCRP’s Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP), which coordinates the global projections underpinning IPCC assessment of the global climate. ECSAT is also the home to the team managing ESA’s Climate Change Initiative – a significant research and development effort focussed on generating a suite of satellite retrieval algorithms and climate data records that detail the evolution of key aspects of the climate system over recent decades.

About Dr Rachel McInnes

Dr Rachel McInnes has been appointed Director of the CORDEX International Project Office. She brings more than 15 years of leadership in climate science, regional climate modelling and applied climate services from her career at the UK Met Office. She has led multidisciplinary international teams and is widely recognised for her expertise in climate modelling, environmental science and science–policy engagement. Rachel holds a PhD in astrophysics, is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, and an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Exeter.

Susanne Mecklenburg, head of ESA’s Climate and Long-term Action division, explains, “hosting both WCRP project offices reflect Europe’s strong support for coordinated global efforts to advance climate modelling. It creates a unique environment to strengthen the use of satellite observations in model development.”

The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) invites applications for the position of Programme Manager for the International Project Office for Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX-IPO), to be hosted jointly by the European Space Agency (ESA) and University of Cape Town (UCT).

CORDEX goals are:

• To better understand relevant regional/local climate phenomena, their variability and changes, through downscaling.
• To evaluate and improve regional climate downscaling models and techniques
• To produce coordinated sets of regional downscaled projections worldwide
• To foster communication and knowledge exchange with users of regional climate information

The Programme Manager you will be responsible for supporting coordination, planning, development, and implementation of the activities of CORDEX and leading on implementation of operations of the IPO as well as facilitating active CORDEX IPO liaison between the climate observations and modelling communities.

To know more about the position and to apply, see the details available in the call. Application closing date: May 30, 2026