ISP's research activities take place, mainly though not exclusively, in Antarctica and the Arctic, where snow and ice are the dominant aspect of the landscape. These regions, more than others, are affected by climate change. Understanding the history of our planet, and how human activities, from the origins of the first civilizations to the present day, have influenced ecosystems, by interacting and modifying the delicate balances that govern the earth's climate system, is the challenge we face. The history enclosed and preserved in ice and, going even further back in time, in sediments, even in times before the appearance of man, is an important topic addressed by ISP researchers.

Mute witnesses of these changes are the polar biological communities: on them the anthropic impact can be devastating. It is essential to improve our knowledge of their current state, to understand their evolution, with a view to future research missions in space. In fact, some polar habitats represent important terrestrial laboratories for astrobiological studies.

All these activities, and many others, are deepened in the thematic areas that characterize the institute.