Funding International Arctic Science

 

                                  15 October 2022,

      Reykjavik, Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre

       

 

 

 

Funding International Arctic Science

In cooperation with the Icelandic Centre for Research (RANNÍS) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), the German Arctic Office co-organized a session on funding international Arctic science at the Arctic Circle conference in Reykjavík/Iceland on the 15 October 2022.

Three short talks were followed by a panel discussion. The session was chaired by Lindsay Arthur, Associate Scientist at the Stefansson Arctic Institute. 

Gerlis Fugmann, Executive Secretary of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) talked about IASC’s role in supporting international science. She emphasized IASC calls for crosscutting efforts, the yearly fellowship program for early career scientists and their travel funding support. 

Jon Børre Ørbæk, Special Adviser Polar Research of the Research Council of Norway gave the European perspective on the funding landscape and summarized the goals formulated within the new EU Arctic policy.

Volker Rachold, Head of the German Arctic Office reported on the lessons learnt from the past and the importance for combined international funding and coordination efforts in order to make big challenges happen, such as the expedition MOSAiC (https://mosaic-expedition.org) or the Changing Arctic Ocean program (https://www.changing-arctic-ocean.ac.uk). To jointly address “big questions” initiatives such as the International Polar Year (http://www.ipy.org), the International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (last: https://icarp.iasc.info/past-icarps/icarp-iii), the Arctic Council Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic Scientific Cooperation (https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/handle/11374/1916), and the Arctic Science Ministerials (last: https://asm3.org) are important possibilities to bring big things forward.

A panel with Henry Burgess, Head of the UK National Environment Research Council Arctic Office and President of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC)Roberta Marinelli, Director of the Office of Polar Programs at the National Science Foundation, David Hik, Chief Scientist and Executive Director Programs of Polar Knowledge Canada, Tetsuo Sueyoshi, Senior Researcher at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Egill Thor Nielsson, Senior Adviser at the Icelandic Centre for Research (RANNÍS), Gerlis Fugmann, Executive Secretary of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) were then emphasizing the need for shared funding calls and that even small-scale fundings are powerful. Already bilateral or trilateral funding can make the difference. It does not need to have one common pot, but shared funding calls. The communication of international funding needs also helps national funders to direct their calls. International calls can be a good additional to national calls. It was also mentioned that the mapping of Arctic research is essential for the general funding ground.