Welcome to the June 2023 NERC Arctic Office Bulletin. If you have an event that you would like us to promote, 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.
Reminder: UK Arctic Science Conference – deadline to submit abstracts has been extended to 16 June!
The next UK Arctic Science conference will be hosted by the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge on 11 to 13 September 2023. The in-person event will be hosted at the BAS Aurora Innovation Centre in Cambridge. The conference will be hosted in a simple hybrid format over Zoom, and we will be looking for best practice to maximise online participation.
The deadline for abstracts has been extended to Friday 16 June 2023. Details are on the conference website: https://www.bas.ac.uk/event/uk-arctic-science-conference-2023/
The deadline for registration is 25 August 2023. The Local Organising Committee look forward to seeing you there! If you have a question, please contact us at arctic@bas.ac.uk
Reminder: NERC Arctic Access Scheme – call for applications for 2023/2024 season now open
The Natural Environment Research Council have made available up to £30,000 in financial year 2023-24 to support access to the NERC Arctic Research Station in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. The Scheme is designed to support the access, travel, logistics, subsistence and accommodation and other related costs incurred by teams using this NERC facility.
The funding is available for the 2023-24 financial year. This means that all eligible costs must be incurred and processed before 31 March 2024. It is possible to apply to use this Access Scheme to work at the NERC Arctic Research Station at any time before the end of March 2024. It may still be possible to support work in autumn 2023 but you should contact Iain Rudkin (iadk@bas.ac.uk) urgently if you are interested in this opportunity and by 16 June if you plan on visiting in the Autumn of this year. Full details are available on the NERC Arctic Office website.
Arctic Station VR Portal
We are very excited to announce the launch of the NERC Arctic Research Station VR portal which has been developed by the BAS Creative Services Team and Hi-Impact. This virtual tour will show you what life on the NERC Arctic Station is like, showing you inside the Station and around Ny-Ålesund. Explore the Station and surrounding area by clicking on the icons and selecting the videos and photos from the menu to see some of the science in action and to learn more about the international community! The portal can be accessed here: https://www.arctic.ac.uk/uk-arctic-research-station/station-facilities-and-equipment/virtual-tour-of-arctic-station/
IASC Working Group reports from ASSW 2023
The UK’s representatives in the Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social and Human and Terrestrial Working Groups have produced short summaries of the discussions and decisions at this year’s Arctic Science Summit Week in Vienna. The reports are available here: https://www.arctic.ac.uk/resources/reports-and-publications/ Details of all the UK representatives are available here: https://www.arctic.ac.uk/resources/arctic-organisations/ .
Arctic Science Summit Week 2024
Next year’s meeting – which will also include the Arctic Observing Summit – will be hosted by the University of Edinburgh from 21-29 March. We are expecting a busy and exciting conference, with excellent opportunities for hosting business and community meetings, a Science Day at Dynamic Earth, civic receptions, conference dinner and much else besides. The call for sessions is now open and we strongly encourage those thinking of putting forward sessions to submit their proposals early. Link: https://www.assw.info/news/assw-2024-call-for-business-and-community-meetings
4th International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP)
This is a decadal Arctic research planning process organised from 2022 until 2026 by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) in cooperation with many partners worldwide for the fourth time since 1995. ICARP IV is a community-wide undertaking engaging Arctic researchers, Indigenous Peoples, policy makers, residents and stakeholders from around the world to discuss the state of Arctic science and the place the Arctic occupies in global affairs and Earth systems. The process considers the most urgent knowledge gaps and research priorities for the next decade (until 2035), and explores avenues to address and implement these research needs. ICARP is now in the consultation and community input phase. More information on ICARP IV and opportunities to get involved can be found here: https://icarp.iasc.info/
‘UK and the Polar Environment’ – Parliamentary Select Committee
The Environmental Audit Committee is in the evidence-gathering phase of its Inquiry exploring three broad aspects: the moral imperative to protect the delicate Arctic environment, the ramifications of the exploitation of the Arctic for its resources, and the UK’s leadership role in Arctic science. The Committee’s report and recommendation to Government is expected in the autumn. The next in-person evidence session will take place on 12 June, with contributions from Dr Jenny Turton (Senior Adviser at Arctic Frontiers); Professor Andrew Shepherd (Head of Geography and Environmental Sciences at Northumbria University, and Director at Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling); Dr James Lea (Reader, Geography and Planning at University of Liverpool); Professor Geraint Tarling (BAS); Dr Anna Jones (Director of Science, BAS); Dr Iain Williams (Director of Strategic Partnerships, NERC) and Henry Burgess, the Head of the NERC Arctic Office. Link to the online session: https://committees.parliament.uk/event/18602/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/ Previous evidence session and all the written evidence which has been submitted is now also available online: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/650/environmental-audit-subcommittee-on-polar-research/publications/
UK-Japan Arctic Research Bursary Scheme 2024-25
The NERC Arctic Office and the Science and Innovation Network team in the British Embassy Tokyo are working together to deliver a new bursary scheme to build new partnerships in cutting-edge Arctic science between researchers in the United Kingdom and Japan.
Funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in the UK the new scheme will be focused on innovative partnering projects in technology testing or technology development for use in the marine and Arctic environments.
As the breadth and depth of dramatic environmental change in the Arctic continues to grow, the need for better observational systems becomes ever more important. The recent G7 Science and Technology Ministers’ Communique makes clear the importance of Arctic and polar research in general to the United Kingdom, Japan and all the G7 countries.
This new scheme will provide a total of around £300,000 for a number of partnerships in 2024-25. With a wide remit the scheme will offer significant potential for researchers to put forward innovative, focused proposals on Arctic observation, innovation and technology, contributing to the enhancement of the integrated observation network across the Arctic. It will develop connections at the researcher level, strengthen links between research centres and promote longer-term links on larger-scale initiatives. Although the focus will be on the Arctic, read-across to Antarctic science, especially with dual-purpose technology and innovative approaches, will be welcome.
Applications will be sought via an openly accessible public call after the summer, with a series of events and workshops to promote the scheme, identify opportunities and partners, and provide support.
Further information and a timetable of the call, workshop and networking opportunities, and application deadlines will be available shortly. Please sign-up to the Arctic Office Bulletin here to ensure you receive the latest information on this and other opportunities. If you have any questions or comments in the meantime please contact arctic@bas.ac.uk
Upcoming events
UK Arctic Science Conference 2023 Abstract submission deadline: 16 June 2023
UK Arctic Science Conference 2023: 11 – 13 September 2023, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge
Arctic Circle Assembly 2023: 19 – 22 October 2023. The 2022 Arctic Circle Assembly will be held in Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre, Reykjavík, Iceland.
ASSW 2024: 21 – 29 March 2024
Interested in writing a blog?
The NERC Arctic Office website hosts a blog section and we would very much welcome offers from within the UK Arctic research community to contribute to this blog with guest authors drawing on their research, visits or conferences or other interesting developments. If you are interested, please get in contact – arctic@bas.ac.uk – we look forward to hearing from you!