Welcome to this final Arctic Office Bulletin of 2021. Despite the very significant challenges of this year that have faced everyone we are enormously grateful for your active engagement and support in helping us to develop the UK’s Arctic research community, create new opportunities and build international links. Thank you. We wish you a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and a peaceful start to 2022.
If you have an event that you would like us to promote here or via the NERC Arctic Office website, www.arctic.ac.uk please let us know. We’re always glad to hear from you. If you haven’t received this Bulletin direct, you can sign up to our mailing list on the website’s home page. For all previous bulletins, please visit the Arctic Office bulletins page.
UK Arctic Science Conference
The postponed UK Arctic Science Conference will take place 11 to 13 April 2022, hosted by Durham University. The conference will include oral and poster presentations over three days (the conference will run from Monday afternoon to Wednesday lunchtime) and organisers welcome contributions on any aspect of Arctic science. If you would like to propose a session, please contact Prof Bob Baxter (robert.baxter@durham.ac.uk) by Monday 10th January at the latest. For further details, including registration and abstract submission, please see the conference webpage here (however please note some sections are still under development and will be completed by the end of this month): https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/biosciences/research/conferences/. Durham are working towards an in-person conference, but of course will keep that under review as we start the new year. In the meantime, please note the following important dates:
- Call for ideas for sessions closes on 10th January 2022
- Call for abstracts opens Monday 17th January 2022
- Abstract submission closes on Monday 28th February 2022
- Registration and accommodation closes on 1st April 2022
If you have any questions at all, please contact Prof Bob Baxter in the first instance – robert.baxter@durham.ac.uk
NERC Arctic Station Day – save the date
The next NERC Arctic Station event will be held online on Thursday 10th February from 1000 to 1200. If you are a current user of the NERC station in Ny-Ålesund, or if you are considering applying to use the station in the future or just interested in finding out more about the Station, then we strongly recommend attending this event, which will aim to inform on the Station, including presentations on all the new science kit that has been recently purchased, along with information on recent changes in Ny-Ålesund and how to apply to access the station.
You can register via this Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nerc-arctic-research-station-event-tickets-227734759797. The agenda will be available early in the new year so please watch this space and keep an eye on the Arctic Office website (www.arctic.ac.uk) for further updates. We look forward to welcoming many of you to this event!
Arctic Science Summit Week 2024 – hosting details
The United Kingdom will be hosting the combined Arctic Science Summit Week and Arctic Observing Summit in Spring 2024. The host has not been chosen and we expect there to be strong interest from across the UK’s Arctic community. We will be releasing the bidding information, background links and further details in week commencing 10 January. We expect that there will be a three month window for universities and other institutions to bring together and submit their applications, with a decision on the successful bidder shortly afterwards. Potential applicants are actively encouraged to consider attending – in person or online – the ASSW 2022 and AOS events being held in Tromsø from 26 March. Further details: https://www.assw.info/
Changing Arctic Ocean End of Programme Events
The Changing Arctic Ocean End of Programme event was split into two meetings: an online science meeting on the 30th November, followed by a hybrid policy meeting on the 2nd December. The online science meeting, held using Zoom, consisted of 5 sessions and 2 poster sessions, with over 100 people participating throughout the day. It was fantastic to hear from all the projects, and we are pleased to announce that the recording from this meeting, along with the programme and some of the posters is now available on the CAO website here: https://www.changing-arctic-ocean.ac.uk/science-outputs/events/cao-end-of-programme-events/ . This was followed by a hybrid event at the Royal Society in London and online. About 50 people participated in person and online with representatives from the projects and also Defra and FCDO. Holly Jenkins introduced the CAO summary report, along with a short film about the CAO. Both of these are now on the website here: https://www.changing-arctic-ocean.ac.uk/science-outputs/events/cao-end-of-programme-events/ . It is also worth noting that a full list of published papers (currently being updated with new papers) from the CAO can be found here: https://www.changing-arctic-ocean.ac.uk/science-outputs/publications/ . There are 186 to date and this continues to grow!
Canada-Inuit Nunangat-United Kingdom Arctic Research Programme 2021-25
Thank you to all the UK-based research teams who have joined with colleagues across Canada and Inuit Nunangat to submit applications to the CINUK programme. 42 full applications were received and are now in the process of being assessed by expert external panels covering academic and community reviews. All is on track so far to inform applicants of the outcomes in February 2022. As the application/assessment phases are completed all the programme partners will be working together to develop the ongoing management, coordination and communications activities. In the meantime we are looking for additional good opportunities to promote the new approaches taken in developing and implementing this programme – please let us know as you come across these.
Russia
Creating opportunities for new connections and partnerships between researchers in the United Kingdom and Russia has been an important priority. The difficulties of travel, fieldwork and meeting face to face at conferences has meant that we have of course focused online for these events. Together with the Science and Innovation Network at the British Embassy in Moscow we held a very well-attended session with Prof Terry Callaghan and colleagues on the new Ambio Special Issue on Siberian Environmental Change on 16 November. And then supported a dedicated meeting of UK-based and Russian researchers at a special event on marine science cooperation during the Congress of the World Association of Marine Stations on 19 November. As always, our collective focus is on practical opportunities for joint work, and there were lots of good ideas from these events – and the others this autumn – for us to take forward in 2022.
UKAAP Steering Committee Membership
The United Kingdom Arctic and Antarctic Partnership (UKAAP) was established in 2014 as a community-led initiative to bring together researchers across a full range of disciplines who are interested in the polar regions. Although not a funding body it is tasked with ensuring that there is a strong and collective voice for polar research and encourages new engagement. The Partnership is supported by a Steering Committee (SC) which relies on its voluntary membership for all its activity and engagement. Members generally serve a three year term, with the option of a second term. There are two meetings a year (either in-person where possible or online using Zoom) and a small number of other ad hoc requests.
As per the UKAAP SC terms of reference, the Committee looks to refresh its membership by up to 1/3 each year. A call is now out for applications to appoint new members – if you would like to nominate yourself or someone else, please complete the application form on the UKAAP website and send to the UKAAP Secretary at nalm@bas.ac.uk by 28th February. UKAAP SC especially welcome applications from the underrepresented polar research community, including women, people who identify as trans and/or non-binary, people from Indigenous, Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, people who identify as having disabilities, and people from LGBTQIA+ groups. Applications will be reviewed by the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Committee with the aim of informing applicants of the outcome by early April.