Association of Polar Early Career Scientists

NAMMCO (the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission) is an intergovernmental organization providing advice based on the best available science and user knowledge for the sustainable management of marine mammals in the North Atlantic. Further information about the organisation can be found at www.nammco.no.

The votes on our September 2021 Polar Week Photo Competition are in. More than 180 people voted on the 36 amazing submissions on polar and alpine photographs. A big thank you to all the people who submitted a picture and another thank you to everyone who voted and made this photo competition happen.

We are happy to now announce the winners of our photo competition.

Congratulations to... Wilson (Wai Yin) Cheungand Pierre Coupel!

We are delighted to announce the first ever Ice Core Early Career Researchers Workshop (ICECReW) sponsored by the U.S. Drilling Program! We hope you will share this opportunity with your students, postdocs, and colleagues.

ICECReW is a professional development workshop for early career researchers. It will be held both in-person and online January 5-8, 2022 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT.

422 Ant ICON EMCR CommEngage sesh v2 Jilda Caccavo

APECS Netherlands logo small This year’s symposium is titled: “For Sustainability in the Polar Regions“

Thursday 2 December| 09.30 to 17.00
Museon | Stadhouderslaan 37 | The Hague

You are warmly invited to join the annual Polar Symposium. NPP-NWO, APECS Netherlands and the Dutch Arctic Circle (DAC) joined forces to once again present a day full of state-of-the-art polar science, relevant results, new developments and most of all networking opportunities. We will link scientific insights with the development of activities in the Arctic and governance.

Samantha Jones with her poem ‘Spring Pulse’

We received several inspiring poems dedicated to the polar regions describing harsh and icy landscapes, snow fall, polar explorers, and poems filled with worry for these vulnerable regions in the face of the changing climate. The winning poem ‘Spring Pulse’ by Samantha Jones from University of Calgary received the most votes from the judging panel consisting of APECS Art project group members. We thank all the polar poets who submitted their poems to the competition, reading them was a joy! Now enjoy the poem ‘Spring Pulse’ written by Samantha Jones.

With rising temperatures, geopolitical interests, and an increasingly active landscape of international Arctic (science) organizations, Arctic science is moving faster than ever. IASC is a network that responds to this rapidly changing environment and facilitates the collective voice of the international Arctic research community.

The IASC 2021 State of Arctic Science Report updates the first IASC State of Arctic Science Report from 2020 and presents a cohesive synthesis of international Arctic research activities and priorities, as gathered from the Arctic research community itself.

421 Mentor Award Committee APECS CanadaAS Award 2021 Do you know anyone who has made a meaningful impact on scientific research and community collaboration in the North? Do you feel like this person’s dedication should be recognized?

The Association of Early Polar Career Researchers Canada and the ArcticNet Student Association are looking to recognize a mentor who has contributed significantly over a period of several years to the mentoring and fostering of polar early career researchers in Canada.

369 INTERACT Fieldwork Communication and Navigation cover Gunhild Rosqvist

...and here comes another exciting POLAR WEEK highlight:

We're happy to announce the launch of the INTERACT Fieldwork Communication and Navigation Guidebook!

Polar Pride 2021 With the start of Polar Week, our countdown to Polar Pride Day on the 18th Novemberhas begun! With 2 months to go we would like to invite you to join the UK Polar Network, and our partners in the British Antarctic Survey and the Diversity in UK Polar Science Initiative, in celebrating this day with your organisations and institutions.

The Role of Climate Emulators in the AR6 Assessment: Online Workshop (agenda on webpage)

When: 30 September 2021
Time: 12:00 UK │13:00 CET │21:00 AEST │ 07:00 EDT USA │ 04:00 PDT USA
Duration: 90 minutes
Register for the workshop

Following the recent release of the IPCC’s AR6 Working Group (WG) I Report, CONSTRAIN and the IPCC are hosting an informative workshop to showcase how physically based climate emulators are contributing to the overall IPCC Sixth Assessment Report.

The 15th Polar Low Workshop focuses on polar lows and mesocyclones as well as mesoscale weather extremes in both hemispheres. This includes e.g. mesoscale weather phenomena such as katabatic winds, tip jets, boundary layer fronts, and cold air outbreaks in polar regions. Contributions of experimental, climatological, theoretical, modeling and remote sensing studies are welcome. The workshop is organized by the Polar Lows Working Group (PLWG) and is also part of the activities of the IASC (International Arctic Science Committee) Atmosphere Working Group. The 15th Polar Low Workshop will be hosted by the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology in Moscow.

Thank you for the amazing photos that you submitted for the International Polar Week September 2021! We received 36 submissions in total. Now it is time for YOU to vote on your favorite photo.

How to vote?

Let's celebrate APECS International Polar Week from 19-25 September 2021!For everyone who has an interest in the coldest regions of our planet, a diverse and vibrant international community that includes students, researchers, teachers, artists, and members of Indigenous nations.

The main goal of this event is to engage the global polar studies community to share knowledge, experience, and fun from different perspectives. We continue this great tradition through diverse activities such as photo contests, interviews with polar artists, researchers, and educators, participation in virtual polar games, the APECS podcast, and many more all around the world, thanks to our National Committees.

ESIP Community Fellows are graduate students and post-docs (<2 yrs since graduation) interested in bridging the gap between informatics and Earth Science. This fellowship provides fellows with a chance to work closely with professionals in an interdisciplinary, cross-sector group (ESIP collaboration area) on current Earth Science problems. Community fellows become engaged in ESIP collaboration areas, helping to document group activities on monthly virtual telecons and at ESIP’s semi-annual meetings. As fellows become more familiar with collaboration-area activities, they may choose to integrate their own research, which can result in publication and additional funding opportunities.

nsf logo NSF’s Office of Polar Programs (OPP) in the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO)and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) seek proposals for a Facilitator to manage the Polar Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (Polar STEAM) initiative.

373 Sanne Moedt APECS Denmark Seminar Series 2021

Emerging Leaders 2022 Call for Applications The Emerging Leaders program 2022 evolves around the theme of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for sustainable development. Selected speakers and mentors will present current issues of the Ocean Decade from an arctic perspective. The participants will be challenged to relate challenges outlined by the Ocean Decade to their own local and sectoral context and develop innovative ideas on how to address these through teamwork and creative thinking.

The event is planned as a physical meeting in Norway from 28 January - 3 February 2022, following national and local Covid-19 regulations.

A short description of the program and the call for applications (including application criteria). Application deadline is 1^st of November 2021.

nsf logo The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Research on Learning (DRL), the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) and the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) are accepting and reviewing proposals for research and development projects that facilitate access to polar research efforts in undergraduate education, informal science education or formal PreK-12 science or math education.

SCAR logo white background RINGS Dear APECS members,

We are seeking early career scientists to join SCAR’s new RINGS Action Group, and an APECS representative to RINGS. RINGS was established in early 2021, with the aim of developing synergies and international collaborations to map the critically undersampled bed topography around the Antarctic Ice Sheet margin using geophysics. The ultimate goal of RINGS is to obtain a reference bed topography dataset to accurately estimate the present and future contribution of Antarctica to sea level rise. RINGS works closely with SCAR’s Scientific Research Program INSTANT and many other relevant initiatives. For more information, please visit: https://www.scar.org/science/rings/about/.

We are happy to let you know that the current APECS Leadership organized some training sessions for you! These shall be interesting for everyone who is very new to APECS or who considers taking a leadership role in the future or who really wants to learn how APECS works, as we really want you to take the most out of your APECS experience and involvement. A short presentation was followed by a Question and Answer session.

9 Sept. 2021 14:00 GMT

Getting ready for the new term in APECS - An Introduction

10 Sept. 2021 13:00 GMT

Getting ready for the new term in APECS - National committees and Representatives

10 Sept. 2021 17:00 PM

Getting ready for the new term in APECS - Organizing online events and meetings in APECS

Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) is a consortium of international institutions with research infrastructure in and around Svalbard. SIOS is building an integrated observing system (https://sios-svalbard.org/ObservingSystem) for long-term measurements addressing Earth System questions.

SIOS publishes an annual State of Environmental Science in Svalbard (SESS) report(https://sios-svalbard.org/SESSreport). The first issue was released in January 2019. The report summarises the state of current knowledge of key Earth System Science parameters and analyses how these parameters influence one another. The SESS report outlines the work that has been done in the previous year within the SIOS cooperation to optimise the observing system and recommends research priorities for the following year(s).

SCAR is looking to update our educational resources page. In this section of the website we collect resources aimed at the wider public, helping fulfil SCAR's mission to communicate scientific information about the Antarctic region to the public.

We'd like to hear from the SCAR community about resources you think should be shared in this space. They might be books, films, podcasts, documentaries, artwork, or anything else you can think of.

To submit suggestions please fill in this form.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2022 William Mills Prize for Non-fiction Polar Books.

The Mills Prize was established in memory of William Mills, a polar librarian and author, and a core member of Polar Libraries Colloquy during its formative years. The prize was first awarded in 2006. Information on the winners of the Mills Prize in previous years is available on the Polar Libraries Colloquy web site.

The book prize honours the best Arctic or Antarctic nonfiction books published throughout the world. The prize consists of $500 US, certificates for the author and publisher, and the right to use the William Mills Prize logo when advertising the winning book.

The GYA membership call for 2022 is open now. Please submit your application before 15 September 2021, 18.00 (6 pm) UTC.

Application Process:Applications should be completed personally by the candidate and must be accompanied by a letter of support. We can only accept applications in English and submitted through our online form. More information on how to apply and our online application form can be found here.

The WCRP Academy Lighthouse Activity is seeking an individual or research group to conduct approximately six months of research and analysis into climate science training opportunities across the globe. The ideal candidate will have a background in climate science and experience with qualitative data analysis. A broad understanding of and interest in tertiary education, training, and professional development programs is desirable. This part-time position would suit individuals looking for flexible work which aligns with their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine (STEM) education or policy research interests or groups with a research focus on STEM education and knowledge capacity development.

Full details and the application form are available at: https://www.wcrp-climate.org/news/wcrp-news/1742-wcrp-academy-consultant

The deadline for applications is 1 November 2021.

Seeking Experts: Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research

The Polar Research Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine seeks your input for convening a workshop planning committee. This committee will organize a forum to explore how technological innovation can: advance, facilitate, and transform Antarctic research and facilitate improvements to science support logistics; can increase the reach of scientific investigations in Antarctica while reducing the logistics and environmental footprint of these operations; and can facilitate broader, more diverse participation in Antarctic research. The workshop will address specific disciplinary sciences as well as cross-cutting themes such as: autonomous sensors and platforms, communications and connectivity, transportation and logistics, and energy sources and consumption, including low power and battery developments.

I am an early-career researcher working with sea ice, remote sensing, and biodiversity informatics. A particular interest of mine is the geophysical, climatic and ecological applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence in the Arctic. Artificial intelligence has been playing an increasingly influential and useful part in Arctic research in recent years, both in the natural and social sciences aspects, especially with the rapid advances in deep learning and computer vision. Currently, to my knowledge, there does not exist a large-scale organized scientific group centered around AI in the Arctic open to all interested parties. After chatting with a few other researchers with similar interests, I realized that it is crucial to coordinate a community / working group focused on the AI-Arctic intersection so that research efforts are streamlined to some extent and there can be many more opportunities for involvement.

We welcome proposals for sessions to be held during the UArctic Congress on October 4 – 7, 2022, Moscow, Russia. Sessions can be comprised of oral and/or poster presentations, as well as panel or round table discussions. The deadline for session proposals is November 15, 2021.

The UArctic Congress 2022 is part of Russian’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council (2021-2023) with the cross-cutting priority "Responsible Governance for Sustainable Arctic" promoting collective approaches to the sustainable development of the Arctic, environmentally, socially and economically balanced, enhancing synergy and cooperation and coordination with other regional structures, as well as implementation of the Council's Strategic Plan, while respecting the rule of law.

The IASSA General Assembly voted online on June 16-19, 2021 to elect the following members to governing positions:

IASSA President (2021-2024): Grete K Hovelsrud (Nordland Research Institute and Nord University, Bodø, Norway)

Organizers invite abstracts for the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2022. This conference will convene 27 February - 4 March 2022 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Abstract submission deadline: 29 September 2021, 11:59 p.m. EDT

To submit an abstract, go to:
Abstract submission webpage

For more information, go to:
Conference homepage

The cryosphere initiative at ICIMOD is organising an online forum on permafrost from 20th to 23rd September 2021.

If your research is related to permafrost, please consider submitting an abstract. Early career researchers are especially encouraged to participate. The deadline for abstract submission is 9th September (11 am UTC).

More information about the forum is available here and the direct link to submit abstracts is here.

365 Kowalewski NSF As an Associate Professor at Worcester State University and Chair of the Department of Earth Environment & Physics, Dr. Kowalewski served on his University’s Research Advisory Board and was named the inaugural Faculty Fellow for Research (2019-2021). In this role, he increased external proposal submissions and funded projects on campus, and led the restructuring of the university grants office to better serve faculty research endeavors.

_{Photo: NSF/Raj Das}

The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) invites applications for a Fellow to amplify regional work and identify opportunities to improve IOOS’ ability to serve and engage underserved communities. This one-year position will be a telework position.

The candidate/contractor will work closely with the 11 IOOS Regional Associations (RAs) and the IOOS Office to understand and build upon existing efforts, including the development of recommendations. The position is a unique opportunity to support delivery of ocean and coastal information to diverse communities.

The open access journal Remote Sensing (IF: 4.509, ISSN 2072-4292) is pleased to announce that we have launched a new Special Issue entitled "Remote Sensing of Ocean and Sea Ice Dynamics in the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans". Dr. Kubryakov is serving as Guest Editor for this issue.

Given the depth of your expertise in this field, we would like to cordially invite you to contribute an article to the Special Issue. For more information on the issue, please visit the Special Issue website.

Banner PG Call Allison Cusick
APECS is currently finishing up its term and will start a new term on 1 October. We are now inviting all APECS members to join our activities as members of our Project Groups!

Project groups are working groups of APECS who are led by Council members. Some of the groups have been established over many years, others are newly developing. See a full list of offered Project Groups and a description below!

APECS International Polar Week from 19-25 September 2021 is a celebration for everyone who has an interest in the coldest regions of our planet, a diverse and vibrant international community that includes students, researchers, teachers, artists, and members of indigenous nations.

Arctic Circle logo general Join the Open and Democratic Dialogue at the 2021 Assembly! The 2021 Arctic Circle Assemblywill be held in the traditional way as an in-person event (in Reykjavík, Iceland) October 14-17.Follow Arctic Circle on social media to stay updated.

Secure your ticket:Due to Covid19 the registration will only be open until October 1st.

APS Logo

Advances in Polar Science (APS) is an international, open-access, quarterly journal jointly sponsored by the Polar Research Institute of China and the Chinese Society for Oceanography. Original papers are accepted from scientists of any nation, subject to peer review by at least two expert referees.

The application deadline for business and science community meetings at ASSW2022 is 30 September 2021. The entire Arctic community is encouraged to use ASSW as a venue for bringing together their organizations, collaborations, and teams. ASSW organizers provide the logistical support and your meeting attendees only have to register for ASSW2022 and show up. As ASSW 2022 will be organized as a hybrid conference, both opportunities for in-person and online meetings will be offered during the conference.

The Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) was initiated by IASC in 1999 to provide opportunities for coordination, cooperation and collaboration between the various scientific organizations involved in Arctic research and to economize on travel and time. ASSW is now an annual venue for meetings of Arctic organizations, scientific collaborations, and more.

You are invited to take part in a study I am conducting at Durham University.

This project aims to investigate if psychological resilience and well-being in both temporary (Arctic & Antarctic) and permanent (Arctic) polar populations can be explained by universal psychological constructs. Specifically, Basic Psychological Needs Theory which proposes the importance of the satisfaction of three basic needs for competence, relatedness, and autonomy. The project will examine the factors not just in terms of the individual but also the supportive factors that may exist in the person’s wider social or ecological environments and how these interact. For example, individual-level (e.g., coping, personality traits), microsystem (e.g., family, close relationships), exosystem (e.g., wider community), and macrosystem (e.g., political, societal and cultural level).

Greetings from Marine Technology Society, MTS India Section!

As you are kindly aware IEEE-OES and MTS will be hosting the next annual conference Oceans 2022 in Chennai India.

As mandated by the UN General Assembly, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO is coordinating UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) inviting the global ocean community to plan for the next ten years in ocean science and technology to deliver, together, the ocean we need for the future we want!

As a prelude to Oceans 22 and follow up of MTS Women Leadership programme, MTS India Section is organising an event, involving women engineers, technologists and scientists focusing on students for career opportunities in the marine sector. This will also be a platform to spread awareness on the IEEE and MTS activities to students' across India and globally. This is UNESCO IOC endorsed UN Decade event.

The East-West Center and the Korea Maritime Institute are pleased to announce the 11th North Pacific Arctic Conference, Science, Technology and the Path Forward for a New Arctic, which will be held October 31-November 6, 2021, virtually on Zoom.

The innovative conference provides a venue for off-the-record engagement among policymakers/practitioners and scientists/analysists regarding Arctic issues of mutual interest to leading North Pacific Arctic states (Canada, Russia and the United States) and non-Arctic States (China, Japan and South Korea).

A new episode of The IcePod is now available. The IcePod is the podcast about polar science and the people. Hosts talk to scientists who went on board Polarstern, the German research icebreaker, for the biggest research expedition in the Arctic. It is produced in collaboration with the Alfred Wegener Institute and Radio Weser.TV. The IcePod is the official podcast of the Year of Polar Prediction initiative to improve weather and sea-ice forecast in the Arctic and Antarctic.

YOPP LOGO beb4effb3c A new issue of PolarPredictNews, the official newsletter for the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP), is now available, and includes news for and from the polar prediction community.

To access the full newsletter, go to PolarPredictNews webpage.

In the 18th issue of PolarPredictNews, Amy MacFarlane presents her second collection of water color drawings from MOSAiC leg 4, which ended about a year ago. PolarPredictNews’ top story is about the various ways Zack Labe visualizes Arctic climate data to ensure environmental changes are easy to grasp.

Organizers are seeking participation in an online expert panel, in which panelists will rate the importance of different factors on possible development outcomes (e.g., accelerated resource extraction, equitable engagement and influence in shaping urban development) in the Arctic by 2050.

Organizers are interested in opinions on the factors driving human interactions with the Arctic environment. In partnership with Arctic Frontiers, a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) funded study is soliciting feedback on what could influence development patterns and wellbeing across the Arctic by 2050. Organizers are looking for participation from Arctic community, business, and research representatives. All participants that complete the panel will be eligible for a digital pass to Arctic Frontiers 2022.

The diverse and distributed nature of observing systems in polar regions presents a fundamental challenge for assessment, planning, integration, and synthesis. There is an interest in creating overviews of these systems, since this, among other things, will allow more efficient use of facilities and allow for the understanding of where gaps in observation capacities exist. There is an interest in knowing answers to questions like “Who is going where? When are they going? What will they observe? What observing equipment will they have there? Who is responsible for organizing logistics?”, etc.

The purpose of this survey is to seek to create an overview of existing sources of information on polar observing facilities, systems and activities. This will allow the definition of procedures that can access these sources and compile the information from the various sources.

Organizers of Arctic CCS: Community & Citizen Science (CCS) in the Far North announce an extended deadline for abstracts for this virtual conference. This conference will be held online 5-7 October 2021. Registration for the conference is also now open.

The EU-funded CHARTER research project is conducting a systematic map (a type of scientific review) of the evidence on long-term (centuries to millennia) variability in Arctic biodiversity. After completing the initial planning phase of the review, people with interest in the subject are now contacted to help improve the review protocol. The protocol is the formal method that will be used to find and interpret evidence.

Lisa Grosfeld credits Kerstin Rolfes small We welcome Lisa Grosfeld as our Project Officer in the APECS International Directorate! Together with Franziska and Svenja, along with Heike and Josefine, we built the APECS Office Team.

Lisa will contribute to the education and training activities in the EU Project Arctic PASSION and support the APECS Office in administrative tasks for the coming 4 years. We are happy to have you back, Lisa!

Photo by Kerstin Rolfes/AWI

Mailchimp Banner Council Call 2021 22 Ekaterina Uryupova

Do you want to get (or remain) active in APECS and be involved in the APECS leadership? The applications for APECS Council 2021-2022 are still open!

The application deadline for Project Group Leaders and National Committee/Partner Organization representatives is extended until 22 August 2021 at 23:59 GMT.The application deadline for Council leadership positions (Council Co-Chair, National Committee Coordinator, Social Media Coordinator) is 15 September 2021 at 23:59 GMT.

iassa logo We want to draw your attention to the upcoming Arctic Frontiers 2022 conference titled "Pathways" which will take place on 31 Jan-3 Feb 2022 in Tromsø, Norway. Digital participation will be possible.

We kindly invite you to submit abstracts to science sessions, several of which have a strong social sciences component relevant to the IASSA community. We tentatively plan to arrange several special issues and a book volume linked to the sessions.

The abstract submission system is open. The abstract submission deadline is 1 Sep. 2021.

Who is the survey for?

The survey is for anyone who is currently a climate scientist or those looking to become one, through formal or informal training. We want to hear from people at different stages of their careers to get a broad picture of where gaps exist so that we can help the community fill those gaps.

The book “Supply сhain operations in the Arctic: A multiple-perspective approach towards sustainable development”seeks to provide state-of-the-art research on real-life practices and applications of supply chain and operations management in the Arctic regions. Today, owing to the fact that different contextual factors of the Arctic regions are converging, the integration of supply chain activities is deemed vital for the purpose of enhancing Arctic sustainability. That said, the selected chapters will highlight aspects of sustainability within supply chain operations that take a particular value in remote areas with sparse transportation networks in the Arctic regions, either due to their theoretical contributions or because they report new empirical evidence. The chapters will also address questions about the challenges and unintended consequences of implementing sustainability principles in Arctic supply chains.

353 Rodolfo Werner Celebrating 30 Years of the Madrid Protocol October 4 marks the 30th Anniversary of Antarctic environmental protection under the Environment Protocol. To celebrate this anniversary, the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC)invites younger audiences (18-30 years old) to record a short video, serious or fun, on their vision for Antarctica 30 years from now. We encourage you to tell us why Antarctica is important to you and the world and why Antarctica inspires you, or your view of how to protect Antarctica's future.

352 Shridhar Jawak International Mentoship Award 2021 APECS is very pleased to announce our 2021 APECS International Mentorship Award– Congratulations to Dr. Shridhar D. Jawak! The mentorship awards were established in 2016 as a meaningful way to recognize the efforts of mentors within the international polar science community, and to honour those who have devoted significant time and energy towards building a supportive community for early career professionals.

We are interested in your opinions on the factors driving human interactions with the Arctic environment! In partnership with Arctic Frontiers, a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) funded study is soliciting your feedback on what could influence development patterns and wellbeing across the Arctic by 2050. We are looking for Arctic community, business, and research representatives to participate in an online expert elicitation beginning in early September 2021. All participants that complete the panel will be eligible for a digital pass to Arctic Frontiers 2022. Results will be shared for open discussion within the Arctic Frontiers community!

Please use the link below for more information and to be considered for participation:

https://answer.rand.org/arctic-delphi_1

A research team at the University of Colorado Boulder is conducting a curriculum efficacy study to examine the impacts of two new instructional modules with embedded innovative technology components—Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Interactive Environments—on student learning of polar environments.

The research team is collecting survey responses to better understand specifically how people who have been to or currently live in Greenland relate to Greenland, and we would appreciate your participation.

Survey responses are anonymous, and the survey should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete.

Survey Link: https://bit.ly/PolarPass

The deadline to complete this survey is August 30.

We are pleased to introduce the first issue of the Alpine Cryosphere Newsletter!

SIPN2 The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) Project Team announces the Call for Contributions for the 2021 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) August Report (based on May, June, and July data).

Submission Deadline: 6:00 p.m. (AKDT) Friday, 13 August 2021 (Firm)

Detailed Guidelines for Contributions

The Franco-German Research School “Perceiving Arctic Change – Climate, Society and Sustainability (PACCSS)"funded by the Franco-German University Saarbrücken, offers 12 open places for outstanding young scientists (Ph.Ds) in the topical field of Arctic studies, starting in October 2021.

The Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Bremerhaven,Germany, and the UVSQ / Université Paris Saclay, France, provide a joined and unique research environment, bridging the gap between traditional disciplines. PACCSS combines natural science, humanities and anthropology in order to understand and decipher the complex Arctic environment under change and pressure, both for indigenous people, the ecosystem as well as the climate system as key region for global climate change.

We would like to draw your attention to a new surface velocity data set from Sentinel-1 radar imagery for glaciers and ice caps outside the large ice sheets. We have processed the Sentinel-1 archive since 2014 and routinely process upcoming new data using the same intensity offset tracking algorithm and post-processing. The data is provided free of charge for non-commercial usage to registered users via a web interface with spatial query function (http://retreat.geographie.uni-erlangen.de).

nsf logo The National Science Foundation (NSF) has selected Dr. Roberta Marinelli to serve as director of the Office of Polar Programs, overseeing Arctic and Antarctic research and operational support for polar facilities.

Mailchimp Banner Council Call 2021 22 Ekaterina Uryupova

Do you want to get (or remain) active in APECS and be involved in the APECS leadership? The applications for APECS Council 2021-2022 are now open! The application deadline for Project Group Leaders and National Committee/Partner Organization representatives is 15 August 2021 at 23:59 GMT. The application deadline for Council leadership positions (Council Co-Chair, National Committee Coordinator, Social Media Coordinator) is 15 September 2021 at 23:59 GMT.

The APECS Council is the larger of the two leadership committees of APECS. Its members lead Project Groups (e.g. webinars, workshops, Polar Weeks), coordinate APECS activities, and govern the organisation.

The 2021-2022 Council term is from 1 October 2021 through 30 September 2022. In September 2021 we will offer orientation webinars for new Council members so that you are well prepared to start your term on 1 October. Note that the 2021-2022 term will be the first term during which the APECS Council will only be composed of Project Group Leaders, Council leadership positions (Council Co-Chair, National Committee Coordinator, Social Media Coordinator), and National Committee and Partner Organization representatives. As a Council 2021 - 2022 Project Group Leader you would need to be available throughout September 2021 to review applications for your Project Group.

YOUR FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT! We love data!

Are you interested in NSF Office of Polar Program (OPP) news, research, events and media? We have put together a short survey to gather information about our audience, preferred communications channels and what OPP content people are interested in receiving!

The survey should only take 5 minutes and will help us provide better, more valuable information to you and others in our science community. The survey can be accessed at https://bit.ly/3fd2nNu. Feel free to distribute this survey to those who might be interested.

SIPN2 The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) announces the release of the 2021 July Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) report. The Sea Ice Outlook, managed by the SIPN2 Project Team, provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share predictions and ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. The Outlook is not an operational forecast.

For the 2021 July report, 41 contributions were received that included pan-Arctic predictions. Of those contributions, eight also included predictions for pan-Antarctic, eight included predictions for the Alaska Region, and 14 submitted September mean sea-ice extent anomalies.

If you are interested in the impacts of climate change on high-latitude marine ecosystems, this is your opportunity to help shape the future of the Ecosystem Studies of the Subarctic and Arctic Seas (ESSAS) program.

ESSAS is a regional program under the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR) project and is inviting nominations for an Early Career Scientist (within 6 years of PhD completion, excluding any periods of leave) to join its Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) for a three-year renewable term. The SSC is responsible for the development, planning and implementation of science with the goal to "compare, quantify and predict the impact of climate variability on the productivity and sustainability of Subarctic and Arctic marine ecosystems".

350 Antarctic Environments Portal Vacancy

28th Annual West Antarctic Ice Sheet Workshop
September 20-23, 2021
The Algonkian (in-person) and Zoom (virtual)
Sterling, Virginia, U.S.A.

Abstract submission for the hybrid 2021 WAIS Workshop is due July 30. Sessions will include:

Piecing the puzzle together: Multi-disciplinary, integrative science in West Antarctica
Beyond MISI: Novel insights into Antarctic ice sheet processes
Marine ice sheet sensitivity in the Earth system
Greetings from the future: Innovations in observing and modeling techniques
WAIS in the community: Civic engagement & co-production of deliverables

The NSF Office of Polar Programs (OPP) has released its inaugural newsletter.

Each quarterly OPP Newsletter will highlight research from around the polar community, share funding opportunities and program updates, and inform the polar community of the latest happenings from around OPP and the National Science Foundation. Stay in the know by subscribing today at https://bit.ly/3gHqVhk.

349 Climate and Polar Research Travel Survey CO2 PG 2021

We are inviting you to participate in a survey "Climate and Polar research - the role of travel" that has been developed by the APECS Project Group “CO2 Reduction in Arctic Science”. We are curious about your experiences and opinions regarding sustainable research practices, particularly, concerning travel. Responses will be used to inform the creation of a pocket guide on the same topic.

Deadline for completing the survey: 31 August 2021

We are looking forward to your responses!

Thanks a lot!

nsf logo The Alan T. Waterman Award is the highest honor awarded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The award recognizes outstanding young researchers in any field of science or engineering supported by the NSF. In addition to a medal, each awardee will receive a grant of $1,000,000 over five years for scientific research or advanced study in any field of science or engineering that the NSF supports.

Nominations will be accepted from July 19 - September 20, 2021. To learn more about the award and how to submit nominations, visit https://www.nsf.gov/od/waterman/waterman.jsp.

nsf logo This announcement updates the travel protocols in Alaska for researchers receiving support through NSF’s research support contractor, Battelle Arctic Research Operators (Battelle ARO).

The Office of Polar Programs (OPP) Arctic Sciences Section is implementing reduced quarantine durations in Alaska (as described below) to mitigate risk while recognizing the removal of state-mandated travel restrictions in Alaska. If any COVID-19 cases are observed with this revised protocol, then OPP will revert to the longer quarantine times that were in use since 2020.

NSF is committed to being supportive and as responsive as possible to the needs of the research community in the face of continuing challenges posed by COVID-19. Please consult the NSF website regularly for up-to-date information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

All three USAP Antarctic Stations continue to operate safely with no indications of the virus detected. The research vessel RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer and the RV Lawrence M. Gould are both in port in Punta Arenas, Chile. Last season, USAP successfully completed critical science and operational activities through careful planning and with the support of our gateway countries.

We kindly ask you to participate in research on the role of motivation, adaptation and psychological traits helpful in working at the polar station. The study is conducted internationally; thanks to your commitment, it will be possible to compare polar explorers at polar stations in the Arctic and Antarctica.

Completing the survey may take about 15-20 minutes, and participation in it is entirely anonymous and voluntary. The survey and more information are available at this link: https://badania.paad.us.edu.pl/index.php/211684?lang=en

Organizers of Arctic CCS: Community & Citizen Science (CCS) in the Far North invite presentation abstracts for the virtual conference. This conference will be held online 5-7 October 2021.

This free, virtual conference will focus on sharing, networking, and discussing the various aspects of conducting community and citizen science research in the Arctic. This conference is in response to a growing community of Arctic researchers, Arctic communities, and Arctic visitors that are becoming more engaged in scientific research. Conference organizers recognize that although there are many resources regarding community and citizen science available online, there are few venues to build a community around issues specific to the Arctic.

*Abstract submission deadline: 16 August 2021, 5:00 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time*

SCAR logo white background As the new SCAR/INSTANT programme develops its structure, committee proposers have been encouraged to seek direction and further participation from the community.

At this stage the subcommittees have defined their targets and general plan and some of them are now asking for expression of interest in being involved as mailing list members and/or as members of the steering committee and leadership.

Some topics will be carried out in more subcommittees, but with different focus. Therefore it is possible that some scientists would be involved in more than one subcommittee. This is not a problem because the coordination within INSTANT will avoid overlap and secure complementary work.

Are global risks changing? And are they connected? Which risks matter most?
We need your expertise to help strengthen and expand a transdisciplinary understanding of global risks – a topic that is more critical than ever.

We are reaching out to you because capturing the perceptions of early career researchers with a unique take on global risks is essential to building this understanding together.

Future Earth, Sustainability in the Digital Age, and the International Science Council are launching the second annual Global Risks Scientists’ Perception survey to facilitate more pluralistic dialogue among science, business, and policy to build robust, legitimate, and sustainable solutions to global risks. The survey was designed under the guidance of a team of scientific advisors. The aim of the survey is to bring together informed perspectives from a wide range of scientific expertise to evaluate the top global risks that societies around the world need to be aware of and address.

Please participate in this invitation-only survey HERE. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes and will remain open until July 28, 2021.

The SIOS Remote Sensing Working Group would like to engage an Early Career Researcher (ECR) to serve as an observer member on the working group. The ECR would act as a SIOS ambassador and assist in distributing news about SIOS remote sensing activities in ECR and other administrative and scientific networks. The selected ECR observer is expected to also contribute scientifically to WG activities.

This opportunity provides a platform for ECRs to become involved in an international organisation and develop important organisational skills.

Hosted entirely online December 6 - 10, 2021, the ArcticNet Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting 2021 (ASM2021) is a hub for Arctic research in Canada. The ASM2021 brings together researchers from the natural, health, and social sciences to meet the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing Arctic region, shaped by climate change and modernization. This conference will push the boundaries of our collective understanding of the Arctic and strengthen our ability to address the Arctic issues of today and tomorrow.

The call for abstracts is open! - Abstract submission deadline is 29 August 2021 (at midnight EDT)

2022 GYA membership call is open until 15 September 2021 (18.00 UTC)

Applications are currently being sought from young, independent scholars who combine the highest level of research excellence with a demonstrated passion for delivering impact.

The Global Young Academy is a global organisation that places a high value on its diversity. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates. All applicants receive consideration and will not be discriminated against with regard to race, colour, ethnicity, religion, creed, sex, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disabilities, or other factors. Applications from women, minority groups, researchers in the social sciences, arts and humanities, and scholars working in government, industry, and non-governmental sectors are particularly welcome.

More information on how to apply, as well as our online application form can be found here.

The APECS International Polar Week September is coming with a wide range of activities to celebrate around the world!

IASC is always looking for new photographs for use in the IASC Bulletin, website, newsletter, calendar, and more. IASC welcomes images depicting all areas of Arctic science including scientists in the field, everyday life, animals, landscapes, and more.

For photographs, IASC depends solely on what Arctic scientists send us. That is why IASC has decided to have a permanently open photo call. No deadlines, you can sent us your pictures whenever is best for you!

If you want your picture(s) to be considered for the IASC Bulletin 2022, please make sure to submit them by 30 September.

Following Future Earth’s restructuring towards becoming a more inclusive and transformative organization which promotes sustainability science, Future Earth invites early career researchers and professionals to play an active role at the new governance structure of Future Earth. This governance structure will consist of an Assembly and a Governing Council.

The new Future Earth Assembly will encompass 10 dedicated seats for early career researchers (ECRs). These 10 early career researchers are to be selected through the Early Career Researcher Network of Networks (ECR NoN).

The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) Project Team announces the Call for Contributions for the 2021 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) July Report (based on May and June data).

Submission Deadline: 6:00 p.m. (AKDT) Monday, 12 July 2021 (Firm)

Detailed Guidelines for Contributions

The diverse and distributed nature of observing systems in polar regions presents a fundamental challenge for assessment, planning, integration, and synthesis. There is an interest in creating overviews of these systems, since this, among other things, will allow more efficient use of facilities and allow for the understanding of where gaps in observation capacities exist.

There is an interest in knowing answers to questions like “Who is goingwhere? When are they going? What will they observe? What observing equipment will they have there? Who is responsible for organizing logistics?”, etc.

Josefine Lenz Permafrost polygons excom banner web

APPLY for the APECS Executive Committee to help shape our organization over the next year and help influence the future of polar research!

The elections for the 2021-2022 APECS Executive Committee will be held in September 2021 for the term from 1 October 2021 to 30 September 2022.

Application deadline: 16 August 2021 at 23:59 GMT

The annual worldwide call for applications to the International Max Planck Research School on Earth System Modelling (IMPRS-ESM)is open. Since 2001, our structured doctoral program provides an interdisciplinary infrastructure to PhD candidates from different parts of the world, such that they can advance their academic training and complete a doctoral thesis within 3 years. The selection of PhD candidates is highly competitive and entirely based on qualification and motivation for doctoral studies in the interdisciplinary Earth system modelling. However, IMPRS-ESM also aims for a balanced composition regarding national and international candidates and with respect to gender.

Detailed information is available on the application page.

My name is Kirsty Dick, and I am currently studying for an MSc at the University of Edinburgh. For my dissertation I am exploring the potential for increased scientific support and ocean observation networks among fishing and tourism vessels in the Southern Ocean.

As part of my research, I am conducting a short online survey which aims to establish the current challenges and opportunities around increasing the scope and scale of voluntary observing and scientific support networks among commercial vessels, with a view to developing a blue print of how to expand this important contribution to Southern Ocean science.

347 Thea Schneider The Quiet A visual story about an Arctic Expedition About two years ago I was given the chance of a lifetime, which has now resulted in my photographic book »The Quiet«. Accompany me on board the Russian research vessel Akademik Fedorov on our journey into the Central Arctic Ocean, where we supported the largest Arctic expedition of our time: MOSAiC.⁠ Experience the routine of daily life and work on board, the rush of working on the sea ice at the brink of polar night, and my favourites: the quiet moments in between.

Help me get this rather different and atmospheric visual story of Arctic research out into the world by supporting the printing of »The Quiet« on Kickstarter and save yourself one of the first copies here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theaschneider/thequiet.

Author: Thea Schneider

346 Arctic Permit Systems News Release

Photos: The INTERACT Community

Doing scientific fieldwork in the Arctic often means many hours spend on getting the right permits from governments and other authorities for travels, collection and export of samples, movement of equipment etc. We all know of projects that were delayed or otherwise troubled by confusion over permits and related paperwork.

SCAR logo white background SCAR is forming an Action Group on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and the call for membership is open to the Antarctic research community, with participation invited from all career stages and disciplines.

The EDI Action Group will be tasked with broadly looking at how EDI issues can be effectively dealt with within SCAR and what practical actions are relevant for the organization. Please make sure to indicate your interest if you'd like to join the Action group.

The IASS Fellow Programme is designed to bring highly qualified people from academia, the business world, and civil society to the institute, who provide expertise, inspiration, and creative input. In return, the IASS offers fellows the opportunity to develop their ideas in an international community of world-class researchers, within the institute as well as in the wider research landscape of Potsdam and Berlin, Germany. The fellows are actively supported in their endeavours to make new connections and to develop new ideas and activities together with IASS researchers.

The call for applications for Fellowships starting in 2022 has been published on the IASS website: https://www.iass-potsdam.de/sites/default/files/2021-06/200522_Fellow-Call_for_2022.pdf.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 Central European Standard Time on 22 August 2021.

We are running a project, entitled, “Nordic Snow Network (NordSnowNet)” which aims at

(1) making existing Nordic-Arctic research and snow data from observations and models visible for the researcher, data user and education communities and
(2) supporting the snow-related research and development of applications by exchange of information and data, arranging workshops, training.

More information can be found in the webpage of the NordSnowNet.

We recently established a SnowChat Forum.Our main objective is to provide an additional tool to support researchers / scientists / experts / technician/ etc/ to communicate, connect and collaborate on the topic of SNOW.

Do you want to develop your research ideas further?

EU-PolarNet 2 offers financial support to develop applicable research projects based on the European Polar Research Programme.

The call opens July 1st, 2021.

Register now for our webinar on July 7th at 13:00 CET to learn how to apply for one of the EU-PolarNet 2 Service Contracts.

Registration link: https://awi.webex.com/awi-en/j.php

More information: https://eu-polarnet.eu/call/

IAS-HIT-eSummer School - 12-25 July 2021, Harbin, China

The theme of the 2021 Arctic Summer School of the School of environment is "POPs and CEACs in the Arctic under Climate Change". Through the study of relevant courses, students can understand the pollution characteristics and sources of POPs and CEACs in various environmental media in the Arctic, as well as the impact of Arctic environmental pollution on human and biological health in the Arctic.

Harbin Institute of technology is located in the northeast of China and has obvious geographical advantages. In February 2019, the "UArctic-HIT-Training Center" was established, which is the first UArctic regional center outside the eight Arctic countries.

Arctic Frontiers conference entitled "Pathways" will take place on 31 January - 3 February 2022. On behalf of the Arctic Frontiers Session Committees, we have great pleasure in inviting you to submit one or more abstracts to any of the following five science sessions:

Pan-Arctic Infrastructure Development
Food from the Ocean and Ocean Science for Sustainable Development – Bridging the UN Decades
Arctic Coasts in Transition
The Arctic, ocean conflicts, and pathways to sustainability
Experiences from the science-policy interface in the Arctic

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) invites abstract submissions for their Fall Meeting 2021 (AGU21). The theme of AGU21 is "Science is Society”. This meeting will take place in-person in New Orleans, Louisiana from 13-17 December 2021 and will also be available for virtual attendance.

Registration for the summer school "DEPThS: Field-based summer school on subduction forearc dynamics" (6-10 September 2021) is now open.

The course is aimed primarily at PhD students in the various fields of Earth Sciences and addresses the dynamics of subduction forearcs through a highly multidisciplinary approach, with particular emphasis on exhumation processes and the deep carbon cycle. It includes one day of classroom lectures in Milan and four days of field lessons based on geological observations along key transects across the Western Alps, one of the best-studied fossil subduction zones on Earth. Lectures will integrate petrological, tectonic, and stratigraphic evidence along the analyzed transects with the results of recent geophysical experiments on the deep tectonic structure of the Alps. Geologists, petrologists, and seismologists from University of Milano-Bicocca, ISTerre Grenoble, and University of Torino will interact all together with the students both in the classroom and in the field while hiking and discussing in front of intellectually stimulating outcrops in the breathtaking alpine landscape.

Strategies for Antarctic Ice sheet simulations and paleo data-model comparison

The INStabilities & Thresholds in ANTarctica (INSTANT) is a Scientific Research Programme of SCAR that aims to quantify the Antarctic ice sheet contribution to past and future sea-level change. This type of program has the capacity to organise workshops and other collaborative activities.

There is a need to discuss strategies of ice sheet models simulations within INSTANT and we propose a group to do so. It could be an across theme subcommittee of INSTANT but several points, especially data-model and paleo-climate, could be tagged as "Hub discussion" (platform of interactions between themes) because they really involve other communities than ice sheet modellers. This group should be also connected to the expert group ISMASS (Ice sheets mass balance and Sea level). We would like to know who is interested in getting involved in this group.

This autumn, SIOS offers an online training course on how to effectively use hyperspectral remote sensing data acquired from satellites, from airborne campaigns and from the ground, and their associated tools and software in the context of research in Svalbard. The course is intended for scientists, master/Ph.D. students and technicians with no or little experience with hyperspectral remote sensing techniques.

This training course will be conducted on fully online mode and there is no cost involved. More information is available here.

Deadline to apply for this course is 30^th June 2021.

*Deadline for nominations is 30 June 2021*

The Frederik Paulsen Arctic Academic Action Awards are awarded to action-oriented scientific initiatives to improve and reverse the dramatic effects of climate change in a concrete way.

Applicants are invited to propose solutions to improve and reverse the effects of climatic change in one or more of the following categories:

Preventing and reversing climate change through technological developments that can be accomplished through concrete and practical implementation.
Containing and mitigating climate change through concrete actions and plans.
Proposals for regulatory and policy change by way of legislation.

The organizing committee invites abstracts for the 3rd International Conference on “Polar Climate and Environmental Change in the Last Millennium.” This hybrid conference will take place 30 August -1 September 2021 online and in Toruń, Poland.

The aim of the conference is to present scientific achievements and to identify gaps in the field of the historical climatology of the polar regions based on early meteorological observations, history, dendroclimatology, paleolimnology, geophysics, geomorphology, and other sources.

Contemporaneously carried out in South Africa and Germany / 18-25 September 2021
Application deadline: 11th July 2021

Participants of the Summer School will be trained in bio- and geoscientific fieldwork sampling, applied in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Water samples will be analysed in the field or field lab with both inexpensive and simple methods such as e.g. pH- indicator paper or salinity refractometer, as well as more costly field methods, such as the application of handheld multi-parameter probes or portable spectrophotometers with analytical rapid tests. Biological field methods will include plankton hauls and benthos samples, while geo techniques will focus on surface sampling of soils and sediments and long sequences of deeper soil / sediment layers with different coring equipment.

The pandemic influenced our way to live and our way to make science. It also gave to the scientific community the biggest experimental pool ever recorded to study the impact on the natural environment of reduced human activities. Studies reported wildfires diminishing, fisheries pausing, transport and commerce shrinking; people witnessed more wildlife sighting close to inhabited areas.

Within a case study that is part of the EU H2020 project RELIANCE (www.reliance-project.eu), we are building an inventory of all existing monitoring efforts of the marine environment that have been put in place in the seas and oceans, to assess the impact (or de-impact) of the Covid-19 - related lockdowns. The activities that we are focussing on have the specific aim to assess how the marine environment was (de)impacted by the absence/reduction of anthropogenic disturbances.

With this in mind, we have prepared a very short questionnaire(7 mins) and we would be very grateful if you could fill it in and/or disseminate it through your marine sciences networks.

Many thanks indeed for your time.

339 APECS Art PEI Summer Solstice SciArt Soiree June 2021

It's Summer Solstice! The APECS Art Project Group is happy to collaborate on a special event with Polar Educators International (PEI): Join us for Summer Solstice Polar SciArt Soiree online, 20 June 7-9 pm GMT.

As you know, the United Nations have proclaimed a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (hereafter ‘Ocean Decade’). Based on the recommendations in the global implementation plan of the Ocean Decade (2021-2030), members of the Southern Ocean community set up a Task Force to develop the Southern Ocean Action Plan. This Action Plan will provide a framework for Southern Ocean stakeholders to formulate and develop concrete activities that support the Decade vision.

Coordinated by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Southern Ocean Task Force launched a series of workshops & meetings to identify key research priorities for the Southern Ocean – the first of which was held in February 2020 in San Diego (USA). The full report of this first workshop can be found here.

Are you interested in gaining experience of working with established researchers to organize and deliver a conference session on ‘Connectivity of the West Pacific and Southern Ocean’?

Integrating Climate and Ecosystem Dynamics in the Southern Ocean (ICED) and Climate Impacts on Oceanic Top Predators (CLIOTOP) (two regional programmes of Integrated Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR) are seeking ECRs to assist in organizing and delivering a proposed joint session on ‘Connectivity of the West Pacific and Southern Ocean’ at the forthcoming virtual West Pacific Symposium, November 2021. This session will be mainly predator focussed, taking into account the strong atmospheric teleconnections linking both regions. It will consider predator migration patterns and the connections/dependencies between summer/winter in different ecosystems between the west Pacific ocean through to the Southern Ocean (e.g. though to the East Antarctic and the Ross Sea regions). This session is a new approach and will contribute significantly to our understanding on the interaction between the Southern Ocean and Temperate Oceans.

If you are interested please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Friday 18th June 2021.

EGU Cryosphere The summer is fast approaching and we are all mostly thinking of how/where/when we'll take that long sunny break we all need!

The EGU Cryoblog will also be taking its break mid-summer to come back refreshed and motivated as ever! And so... we are already planning ahead for after the break and we are looking for guest authors to contribute to the blog starting on the 13th of August!!

For a bit of context: the EGU Cryosphere Division blog publishes a post every Friday to divulge scientific news and fun cryo-facts to the larger scientific community but also the general public. Most of our posts are written by guest authors who are free to write about any topic related to the Cryosphere Division.

iassa logo1 LINK: Northern Notes #55

Content:
Letter from the President
12th Arctic Ministerial IASSA Statement
ICASS X Updates
ICASS X Moderator instructions
ICASS X Presenter instructions
Opening Plenary Program
Presidential and ICASS XI bid
IASSA Council Election Corner
IASSA Awards
Outgoing IASSA Secretariat 2017-2021
Outgoing Council: 2017-2021
Publications

ArcticPASSION Logo D3 long We are happy to announce that APECS is part of a newly starting EU project: Arctic PASSION!

*** NEW DATE - the webinar will now be held on Wednesday 16th June, 13:00-14:00 UTC ***

The 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3) webinar series is designed to increase transparency of the Arctic Science Ministerial science process and to provide additional opportunities for scientists, Indigenous Peoples and Arctic research stakeholders to further engage with the science and proposed actions leading up to the Third Arctic Science Ministerial in Tokyo, Japan in May 2021. The webinar series is a joint cooperation between the ASM3 Organizers in Iceland and Japan and the European Polar Board.

309 APECS T MOSAiC Vlogs PG video blogs

We are currently offering on-site and remote internship opportunities at Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation in Greece. Undergraduate and postgraduate students can apply for an internship experience in the field of Applied Marine Conservation, with the objective of further developing their knowledge using practical work and hands-on field research and conservation projects.

Both types of internships also aim to develop leadership and role model skills for participants to gain a variety of useful key skills that are vital to a career in environmental research and conservation. Costs associated can normally be covered for by Erasmus+ fundings, universities studentships or any other equivalent programmes, but we also accept self-funded positions.

Authors announce their recently published report, Pan-Arctic Report: Gender Equality in the Arctic, is available online. The report was published in tandem with the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting held 19–20. May 2021 in Reykjavík, Iceland.

The report is a part of an international project under the Arctic Council Sustainable Development Group on Gender Equality in the Arctic (GEA). The GEA project is an international collaborative project dating back to 2013. Lead and co-leads include Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Canada, the United States, the Saami Council, and the Aleut International Association.

This report provides an overview of gender-related issues in the Arctic, including law and governance; security; gender and environment; migration and mobility; indigeneity, gender, violence, and reconciliation; and empowerment and fate control. It contributes to identifying gaps in knowledge when it comes to gender in the region and provides three recommendations specifically for the Arctic Council in addition to almost 70 policy relevant highlights.

The Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) invites applications for a training course on the use of hyperspectral remote sensing in Svalbard. This online course will take place 6-10 September 2021 via Zoom.

The goal of the course is to teach participants the basic skills needed to acquire, analyze, and visualize hyperspectral data sets derived from aircraft and satellites. The training course will cover various aspects of hyperspectral remote sensing, ranging from fundamental data parameters and processing tools, to applications and calibration/validation techniques. The course material will be delivered through a mixture of lectures and hands-on sessions from leading experts in the field. No prior knowledge is assumed.

338 Nicholas Parlato Polar Early Career Scholars Ensuring the Continuity of Intergenerational Knowledge Workshop

337 U.S. Antarctic Program USAP
USAP supports dozens of research projects and hundreds of scientists traveling to the frozen continent every year. Working out of the three year-round stations, two research vessels and numerous field sites, scientists are studying everything from astronomy to microbiology to understand the nature of life on Earth, the future of the climate and our place in the cosmos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVHe9ovnWJI

IACS logo The International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS), the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS), and the International Association of the Physical Sciences of the Oceans (IAPSO) are pleased to announce a week of online seminars, 19-23 July 2021. Registrationis FREE. Details of the programme can be found here, and an outline is given below.

The programme of invited speakers includes Early Career Scientist award recipients. From IACS, we are delighted to present our 2021 awardees David Bigelow and Giulia Mazzotti. The IACS Early Career Scientist award is a cash prize of €1000 awarded every two years to two early career scientists who have published the best scientific papers on a cryospheric subject as assessed by an ad-hoc evaluation committee. Information of the IACS ECS awardees of 2021 can be found in our newsletter.

242 Carla Tapia BaldisFreepik International Online Conference 2021 Banner
The 7th APECS International Online Conference was held on 12th of May 2021. This year’s theme was: “Polar Science: Success stories from the field and from home.” and the event ran over 10 hours to accommodate contributions from all timezones. The abstracts and session recordings of all 41 oral presentations and 11 poster presentations can be found on the Online Conference 2021 webpage. Including those of the following prize winners for each category!

9 June 2021, 09:00 - 12:30 Central European Summer Time - Online

The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) local organizing committee for the Europe and Western Asia region warmly invites you to the upcoming WCRP Climate Research Forum on "Climate research priorities for the next decade."

335 SIOS Innovation Award 2021

The SIOS Innovation Award has launched this month. The award will be granted to the best submitted proposal for an innovation in support of Earth System Science monitoring and research applicable in Svalbard and surrounding waters.

Learn how an interagency body like the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee create space for diversity & inclusion discussions.

In 2021, a coalition of organizations including The Arctic Institute, Women in Polar Sciences, and Women of the Arctic are organizing a webinar series, Breaking the Ice Ceiling, to illuminate polar research by those who identify as women and to foster discussion on systemic change in polar sciences (Indigenous, natural, and social sciences) to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In this webinar, learn from Meredith LaValley, Dr. Olivia Lee, and Liz Weinberg on how an interagency body like the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) create space for diversity and inclusion discussions and progress across the federal government.

SCAR logo white background SCAR offersthree to four fellowships for early-career researchers of up to USD $15,000 eachfor 2021. Applicants can propose partly orentirely remote fellowships to reflect the impact ofCovid-19 related travel restrictions. Otheropportunities from partners have also launched.The deadline for applications is30 June 2021. Find more information on the fellowships here: https://www.scar.org/capacity-building/fellowships-awards/.

334 Hugo Guimaro APECS SCAR Fellowships Webinar Portuguese On 20th May 2021 at 2pm UTC, under the SCAR CBET (Capacity Building, Education and Training Advisory Group) framework, APECS Portugal and APECS Brazil organized a Zoom Webinar on SCAR Fellowshipsin Portugueseand was participated by more than 20 people from Portugal and Brazil. The goals of this event were to learn more about SCAR Fellowships for Portuguese speaking Early Career Scientists and details on how to apply.

Please find here the recording of the webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj7quujCFAE.

CAFF green We are pleased to share CBMP's (Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program) third "State of the Arctic Biodiversity Report” – this time focused on the terrestrial environment – along with the 2020 updates to the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report, released in 2017. The similarity of findings across CBMP's assessments in the terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems is striking.

APECS ARICE DEARice webinar announcement APECS (www.apecs.is) and ARICE (www.arice.eu) invites for a webinar on the project DEARice (DEvelopment of snow/ice/ecosystem models using winter-to-summer ARctic observations of coupled snow, ice, and ecosystem processes) on 4 June 2021 from 8:00 – 09:30 am GMT.

This is a reminder for nominations for the EGU medals and awards, deadline 15 June 2021.

In addition to the medal & award specific for EGU's Division of Cryospheric Sciences (see below), please also note the other medals and awards for various scientific disciplines and especially also on the EGU Union level, including the

- Angela Croome Awardfor journalism

- Katia and Maurice Krafft Award for outreach and engagement

- Alexander von Humboldt Medal for research in developing regions.

A full overview is available at https://www.egu.eu/awards-medals/

iasc web IASC is happy to announce its brand new website. The new website was developed by the IASC Secretariat with IASC's partner ArcData/Arctic Portal. Enjoy exploring it!

If you want to send us feedback, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

VISIT IASC NEW WEBSITE

SCAR logo white background The 2021 SCAR Visiting Scholar scheme is open for applications from mid- to late-career stage scientists and academics (at least 5 years after completing their PhD). The scheme provides individual awards of up to USD $5000. There will be significant flexibility with regard to the timing and visits can also be entirely virtual.

The deadline for Visiting Scholar applications has been extended to Thursday 30 September 2021.

The Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) invites you to join us at the SIOS Online Conference-2021, where applications of remote sensing in Svalbard will be presented. The conference will consist of ~50 talks with 7 keynote speakers, alongside a dedicated session for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to present their work. We will also host an open session of the Remote Sensing Working Group (RSWG) meeting, where you can get involved in discussions on the working group activities.

Conference invitation on 11th June: INTERNATIONAL SOPOT YOUTH CONFERENCE, Entitled: WHERE THE WORLD IS HEADING.

More information at: http://stn.edu.pl/isyc2021

The Arctic Centre invites registration applications for their winter school. The upcoming winter school will have the theme of Our Connection with a Fast-changing Arctic, and will take place 24-29 January 2022 in Groningen, the Netherlands.

The winter school is aimed at (inter-) national civil servants and policy makers, politicians, managers, financial experts, (young) academics, and PhD students who are looking for a nuanced and wide-ranging understanding of the Arctic.

The IAPETUS DTP is currently advertising for this summer's Research Experience Placements. These funded 8-week placements offer students the opportunity to experience an active research environment.

At Durham we have a number of polar/cryosphere facing projects listed. Please pass on to any undergraduates who may be interested. The IAPETUS site at https://www.iapetus2.ac.uk/research-experience-placement-scheme-2021/ has details of all listed projects and details on eligibility.

Application deadline is Friday 28^th May 2021!

IASSA Announces Candidates for President and Council (2021-2024)

IASSA will elect a new President and Council at the online General Assembly on June 16, 2021. Electronic voting by active IASSA members (whose fees are paid through June 16, 2021) will take place between June 16 and June 19, 2021. Results will be announced at the online ICASS X Closing ceremony on June 20, 2021. A President and seven Council members will be elected.

You can find candidates' bids and biographies here.

IGS logo A gentle nudge to remind you all, the deadline for nominations for the IGS awards is coming up. The deadline is on Friday 11 June 2021.

We are looking for nominations for all our honorary awards

The Seligman Crystal
The Richardson Medal
Honorary Membership
IGS Early Career Scientist Medal

All details can be found on https://www.igsoc.org/awards/ including guides on how to nominate.

The University of the Arcticis interested in understanding the extent to which UArctic members and other universities and organizations are offering Arctic studies courses and degree programs jointly across two or more institutions. We also want to understand the barriers to and supports needed for developing and offering joint educational programs. And, finally, we want to highlight best practices in collaboratively delivering Arctic studies programs.

The survey results will be used to support UArctic's efforts to grow and strengthen offerings for our students, and will provide a baseline so we can evaluate our progress.

Call for Bids
to host the International Directorate
of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS)

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is launching an international call for bids to host the International Directorate Office for the organisation starting January 2022.

The deadline for bids is 31 May 2021.

331 Flyer APECS Mentorship Award 2021 APECS International seeks to recognize and honor the efforts of its mentors within the international polar scientific community. The APECS International Mentorship Award is designed to recognize the time and energy that mentors devote to Early Career Researchers (ECRs) each year, and their efforts to build a community of support. APECS will award a mentor who works with the ECR polar scientific community (this covers Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine areas).

330 Webinar Flyer Webinar on Science in Contemporary Greenland USA Relations 2021

APECS Denmark Logo

APECS Denmark invites to a seminar on “Tools and best practice to nurture mental health in academia”.

Date:4 June 2021 at 6:30 am GMT

GIV is an open source tool for creating high-resolution glacier velocity maps through feature tracking of optical satellite images. In particular, GIV is aimed at:

- Processing large temporal datasets (for example, all Sentinel-2 images of a particular glacier) into velocity timeseries

- Pre and post-processing imagery to improve velocity map quality, all in one workflow

- Being quick and easy to use (no coding needed, adjust all of the parameters through a user interface)

To find out more, we have a recent paper in The Cryosphere (http://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2115-2021) that discusses some examples. Links to download the source code and user interface, along with a user manual and video tutorial are available on my website.

iassa logo1 IASSA RECEIVED GRANT TO COVER ICASS X REGISTRATION FEES! MAY 16 WILL BE THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER.

ICASS ОПЛАЧИВАЕТ РЕГИСТРАЦИОННЫЙ ВЗНОС ПРИНЯТЫМ УЧАСТНИКАМ! РЕГИСТРАЦИЯ БУДЕТ ОТКРЫТА ДО 16 МАЯ.

IASSA is pleased to announce that we were able to secure funds to cover REGISTRATION for ICASS X participants, whose papers were accepted to the online program and who have registered by May 16, 2021. The funding is administered by the ARCTICenter, University of Northern Iowa through a National Science Foundation grant. Although we expect that the funds will be sufficient to cover all eligible participants, they will be distributed on the first come, first serve basis with the first priority given to Indigenous, early career and U.S. participants.

ICASS X will be held online on June 15-20, 2021.

PLEASE NOTE THAT REGISTRATION WILL BE CLOSED AFTER MAY 16. Unregistered participants will NOT be able to attend ICASS X.

Registration and abstract submission are now open for the Explaining and Predicting Earth System Change Lighthouse Activity Workshop on 'Attribution of multi-annual to decadal changes in the climate system'. The workshop will take place online, from 22-24 September 2021. The aim of this workshop is to document current research, identify challenges, and explore potential pathways towards building an operational capability to attribute multi-annual to decadal changes in the climate system on global-to-regional scales.

To learn more about the workshop and to and register and/or submit an abstract, visit the workshop website.

The deadline for abstract submission is 30 June 2021.

Kind regards

Workshop Organizing Committee

The Enhancing Fieldwork Learning project team coordinates an annual Showcase event that brings together fieldwork educators from a range to disciplines to share innovations in field teaching and learning with a particular focus on the use of technology. This Showcase event is relevant to those early in their teaching career as well as those more experienced academics looking to upskill and innovate their teaching practice in the field.

We are delighted to announce that the 11th Enhancing Fieldwork Learning Showcase will focus on the themes of Diversity, Inclusivity and Employability; “Fieldwork Skills for All”.

The Showcase Event will be held online on the 8/9^th September 2021.

The Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) was initiated by IASC in 1999 to provide opportunities for coordination, cooperation and collaboration between the various scientific organizations involved in Arctic research and to economize on travel and time. ASSW is now an annual venue for meetings of Arctic organizations, scientific collaborations, and more.

IASC is pleased to launch its new ASSW website, a unique website for all upcoming ASSWs, information on past summits, news, and much more. Take a look!

328 Ant ICON Logo Competition The SCAR Scientific Research Programme Integrated Science to Inform Antarctic and Southern Ocean Conservation (Ant-ICON) is inviting YOU to participate in a LOGO CONTEST.

Deadline: June 6th, 2021

nsf logo National Science Foundation Programs supporting Arctic Research greatly appreciate the formal and informal feedback recently provided by local and Indigenous communities and Arctic researchers.

In this letter, NSF describes some of the actions taken to support Indigenous individuals and organizations to become more engaged in NSF's funding process; to improve the relationship among the agency, NSF-funded Principal Investigators (PIs), and local and Indigenous peoples living in the Arctic; and to improve the ability for NSF-funded investigators to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge (IK) into their projects.

Read the full Dear Colleague Letter.

ZSL’s EDGE of Existence Programme is now accepting applications for 2022-2024 EDGE Fellowships from Asia & Pacific region islands.

For the first time our curated list also includes both fish and gymnosperm species, along with amphibians, birds, reptiles, mammals and sharks/rays. A full list of eligible species and Fellowship advert are attached. For more information please visit:www.edgeofexistence.org/apply-now.

© created by Carla Tapia Baldis /Freepik

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is organizing the 7th APECS International Online Conference which will be taking place on Wednesday, 12 May 2021.

Support us as volunteers and fill out this form by Friday, 7 May 2021, 18 GMT.

© created by Carla Tapia Baldis /Freepik

Registration now open!

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is organizing the 7th APECS International Online Conference which will be taking place on Wednesday, 12 May 2021. This year’s theme “Polar Science: Success Stories from the Field and from Home” aims to involve polar and alpine researchers from around the world.

The Southern Ocean UN Decade website has launched last week. The initiate sets up a framework to ensure ocean science supports countries in achieving the sustainable management of oceans and beyond.

SCAR is excited to work alongside excellent partners to develop the Southern Ocean Action Plan.

Get in touch if you are interested in joining. You can also follow @SoDecade on Twitter and subscribe to the newsletter.

The ASSW2020 Scientific Summary Report, published thanks to the support of the Northern Research Forum at the University of Akureyri and Rannís - The Icelandic Centre for Research, is now available on the IASC website (click hereto download).

The International Glaciological Society is pleased to announce that it has recently established an Honorary Award, commencing in 2021, exclusively for Early Career Scientists.

This new IGS Early Career Scientist Award will be given in recognition of significant scientific and/or community contributions to Glaciology by an ECS.

Nominations for the award will be called for every second year (in those years when nominations are not called by IGS for the Graham Cogley Award). The Award prize will include an engraved medallion, a certificate and a cash prize (500 GBP in 2021). Details of the prize, and Guidelines for nomination are available at https://www.igsoc.org/awards/.

APECS logo APECS International seeks to recognize and honor the efforts of its mentors within the international polar scientific community. The APECS International Mentorship Award is designed to recognize the time and energy that mentors devote to Early Career Researchers (ECRs) each year, and their efforts to build a community of support. APECS will award a mentor who works with the ECR polar scientific community (this covers Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine areas). APECS encourages ECRs around the world to nominate mentors who are deserving of this recognition.

325 Markus Frey Call CATCH SSC IGAC2021 As an IGAC activity, CATCH (https://www.catchscience.org) develops the next generation of multidisciplinary atmospheric chemists with a focus on cold regions of the Earth and atmosphere-cryosphere interactions. CATCH focuses on fundamental, field, and modeling research. We realize that the current situation with limited travel means that many Early Career Researchers (ECRs) have missed out on essential opportunities to build their careers by presenting their research to and getting feedback from more senior members of the scientific community over the last year.

arcuslogonotext 2018 ARCUS is pleased to announce another cycle of our Early Career Conference Funding Award to support attendance of virtual conferences. This award program aims to increase accessibility of Arctic research for early career researchers and students, especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The application period is open until 23 May 2021 for conferences occurring between 1 June – 31 December 2021.

More information and application at: https://www.arcus.org/programs/early-career-funding

Please contact Lisa Sheffield Guy, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., with any questions.

IGS logo The International Glaciological Society is currently seeking nominations for three Honorary Awards:

The Seligman Crystal (awarded to a single person or a collaborative group/team that has made exceptional scientific contributions to glaciology, defined as any snow and/or ice studies.)
The Richardson Medal(awarded to a single person or a collaborative group/team that has provided outstanding service to the International Glaciological Society and/or to the field of glaciology), and
Honorary Membership (recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of glaciology at a national or regional level.).

You might have heard of the EU-H2020 project APPLICATE on polar prediction coordinated by AWI. We are now in the midst of our final phase: with the project soon coming to an end and lots of results to finalise and consolidate, it is also time to reflect on the scope and impact of our knowledge transfer activities. With this in mind, we would like to invite you to complete our Knowledge Transfer Survey: this is meant to provide us with an idea about the impact that our knowledge transfer activities have had on the community that interacted with the APPLICATE Project. It will help us to collect useful information that will be summarised on a publication related to measuring the impact of a research project.

You can fill the survey from our website following this link: https://applicate-h2020.eu/engagement/knowledge-transfer-survey/

Addressing complex, global challenges to sustainability requires bridging disciplinary, sectoral and generational boundaries – but how does this work in practice?

The Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress 2021 (SRI2021) is excited to announce Working outside the box: Stories, approaches and tools for transdisciplinary research, an innovative panel and workshop series convened by the Transdisciplinary Training Collaboratory: Building Common Ground, led by the Earth Leadership Program!

The Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) Southern Ocean Air-Sea Fluxes (SOFLUX) Working Group is launching a series of monthly webinars intended to share flux observing activities and to provide a forum to showcase the work of early-career investigators. Times will vary depending on the time zone and scheduling preference of the speaker, and talks will be recorded:

Future Earth and the Global Young Academy (GYA) aim to elevate early career voices at the Sustainability Research & Innovation (SRI) Congress 2021 through the support of five early career champions in their contribution to the SRI2021 closing plenary. At the SRI2021 closing plenary, the early career champions will speak along with the co-chairs of the 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) Independent Group of Scientists.

The Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) Southern Ocean Air-Sea Fluxes (SOFLUX)Working Group has been in existence for 5 years, it’s time to set up a system for staggered rotation of leadership. SOOS terms of office are typically 4 years. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (SOOS), This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 15 May 2021 if you’d like to nominate someone or self-nominate to serve as SOFLUX co-chair or to serve on our steering committee:

324 APECS Denmark Seminar May 2021 Welcome to the APECS Denmark Seminar on 7 May 2021, this time on Arctic biogeochemistry and carbon cycling! Here we will get to hear not just one, but two exciting talks. Rafael Gonçalves-Araujo (Technical University of Denmark) will tell us about dissolved organic matter as a potential tracer for Arctic water masses, and Maria Lund Paulsen (Aarhus University) about the effect of glacial runoff on the coastal bacterial and phytoplankton communities.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) are looking for an early career scientist to join the SOOS Southern Ocean Air-Sea Flux Capability Working Group (SOFLUX CWG).

Announcement of the next Karthaus course on ICE SHEETS AND GLACIERS IN THE CLIMATE SYSTEM (15-24 September 2021 - Karthaus, Italy)

Sponsored by:
The Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Utrecht University
The Netherlands Earth System Science Centre &Trewitax – GlaciersAlive
The International Glaciological Society (IGS)
International Arctic Science Committee (IASC)
PROTECT (EU)
The Netherlands Polar Program (NWO-NPP)

Scope and Participation
The course is meant for Ph.D. students and provides a basic introduction to the dynamics of glaciers and ice sheets with a focus on ice-climate interactions.

Tim and I, with the support of APECS representative Lara Perez are proud to announce:

Tadaaaa.....the INSTANT LOGO CONTEST!

After this amazing kick-off and wonderful energy, we would like to trigger your artistic soul to propose a logo for INSTANT!

The idea would be to display all of them in a gallery after the deadline and ask a popular vote within the INSTANT community. The first three logos will be retained for discussion within the INSTANT Steering committee.

pyrn small After the great success of our first seminars, we would like to invite you to the next PYRN seminar! We have three young researchers presenting their work:

Anna Abramova (California State University): Quantifying Soil Contamination in Coal Mining Areas: Svalbard Archipelago
Saskia Eppinger (TU Munich): Internal behaviour of a retrogressive thaw slump on Herschel Island, Canada
Jannik Martens (Stockholm University): Patterns of circum-Arctic permafrost carbon remobilization deduced from the Circum-Arctic Sediment Carbon Database (CASCADE)

European Polar Board Logo Registration is now open for the webinar 'European Perspectives on the Arctic Science Ministerial Process', to be held 10:00-11:30 CEST on Wednesday 28th April. The webinar is organised jointly by the European Polar Board and EU-PolarNet 2.

Are you an ECR Ocean researcher? Then there is a great opportunity for you at the SRI Future Oceans’ workshop. This workshop builds a diverse and interdisciplinary network of early career ocean researchers interested in solutions that contribute to a sustainable ocean. This workshop is the start of a longer conversation that we hope will grow to include working groups that will focus on initiatives that build their networks, add productive collaborations, and impactful outcomes.

For more information: https://forms.gle/NPJyhiEVnXXY8kt7A

The National Science Foundation is moving ahead with plans to rebuild the pier at Palmer Station, its research facility on Anvers Island, Antarctica. The new pier will be more than three times larger than the current one, extending farther out from the station into deeper water to allow the mooring of larger ships. Read about the project at https://future.usap.gov/palmer-pier-replacement-construction/.

For more information: NSF Dear Colleague Letter: Impacts to Antarctic Research Support at Palmer Station due to Construction of the new Pier.

Palmer Pier Frequently Asked Questions

The Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) invites abstract submissions for their 2nd online conference. This conference will take place 8-10 June 2021.

The conference will focus on applications of Earth observation (EO), remote sensing (RS), and geoinformation (GI) in Svalbard. Researchers at all career stages, especially Early Career Researchers (ECRs), are invited to present their work to an international audience of researchers working in Svalbard and the Arctic.

321 Youth Ocean Policy Panel Webinar ASOC CIES On the very special occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, join the trilateral youth webinar on Antarctica's protection! We invite Northeast Asian youth from China, Japan, and Korea to learn about international efforts to protect the Southern Ocean under the Antarctic Treaty System. The webinar will focus on empowering youth voices on the conservation and sustainability of our Ocean.

Find more information here.

Adrian Dahood

We would like to announce the inaugural call for applications for grants from the Adrian Dahood-Fritz Memorial Fund.

USAP New Logo transparent background Terri Edillon The National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs has entered into an agreement with the Department of the Interior’s Federal Consulting Group. The agreement contracts a team of experts to assist the NSF in the creation of a U.S. Antarctic Program Sexual Assault/Harassment Prevention and Response program. Read more at: https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=302518&org=OPP.

sooslogo2c The Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) is looking for an early career researcher or professional (ECR) to help lead the SOOS-Swedish Southern Ocean Network (http://www.soos.aq/activities/national-networks/soos-swedish-polar-network). This leadership position will be in support of the two Co-Chairs of the network, Assoc. Prof Thomas Dahlgren and Assoc. Prof Sebastiaan Swart.

The successful applicant will have an understanding of observational research of the Southern Ocean and be based in Sweden. The ECR representative will assist in organising network meetings and events, be responsible for assisting network communications and reporting, and will be an important link in liaising between the Swedish Southern Ocean ECR community and SOOS. We are interested in receiving applications from any disciplines and institutions based in Sweden.

On behalf of the High North Dialogue, we invite you to take part in High North Dialogue Research Workshop: Perspectives of the young. The international multidisciplinary workshop will be held as a digital event on April 27, 2021, in conjunction with the annual High North Dialogue week.

During the recent decade, the Arctic regions, with their extremely rich yet difficult to get natural resources, have attracted a lot of attention from national states, global businesses, and international policymakers. To use the resource potential but to maintain the sensitive Arctic environment and contribute to the people living in the area, we need more knowledge about the challenges and opportunities for sustainable development in the Arctic. It is a promising area for future studies and no wonder that many young researchers worldwide look at this field with optimism and interest.

The Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2021, organized by Portugal, took place from the 19^th to 26^th of March 2021. The virtual conference gathered international and interdisciplinary researchers to discuss topics framed by the overarching theme “The Arctic: Regional Changes, Global Impacts”. This included science community and business meetings, a cultural day, and a science symposium.

As you may have seen, a number of sub-committees are proposed within the new SCAR/INSTANT scientific research program. Each of these sub-committees focusses on particular aspects of INSTANT and we are looking for wide community involvement. One proposed group - Antarctic Geological Boundary Conditions (ABC) - has the aim of better interpreting past and present geological boundary conditions and developing them as inputs to numerical models.

Submit stories for the ISC-BBC StoryWorks science series:https://council.science/current/news/bbc-science-stories/.

Deadline for submission of stories: 30 April 2021. Please consider sharing this opportunity with your members and wider networks.

Share your views on the draft Global Risk Agenda: https://council.science/survey-development-global-science-agenda-risk/.

Deadline for contributions: 5 May 2021. Please consider sharing this opportunity with your members and wider networks.

NSF recognizes the importance of including Indigenous peoples in Arctic science and research efforts.

The National Science Foundation has recently released a new series of web pages titled Arctic Community Engagement, or ACE, to share information on NSF programs, initiatives, collaborations, and other resources aiming to facilitate effective and respectful engagement with local and Indigenous peoples in Arctic research, education, and outreach activities.

Explore the pages at www.nsf.gov/ace.

For questions or additional information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Image: NSF/Colleen Strawhacker

The submission window for the special issue on the Weddell Sea and the ocean off Dronning Maud Land SOOS workshop is open.

Manuscripts can be submitted until 31 March 2022.

It is a special issue in the open access journals of Copernicus. It is an inter-journal special issue of three journals Ocean Science, Biogeosciences and The Cryosphere entitled "The Weddell Sea and the ocean off Dronning Maud Land: unique oceanographic conditions shape circumpolar and global processes – a multi-disciplinary study (OS/BG/TC inter-journal SI) "

The journal Cold Regions Science and Technology (CRST) is looking for one or two new editorial board members (i.e. scientific editors) to replace Mauro Werder.

CRST is an international journal dealing with fundamental aspects of cryospheric sciences which have applications for cold regions problems as well as engineering topics which relate to the cryosphere. Emphasis is given to the physical and mechanical aspects of ice - including glaciers and sea ice - snow and snow avalanches, ice-water systems, ice-bonded soils and permafrost.

For more information of the journal, see https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/cold-regions-science-and-technology.

319 The Mohn Prize 2022 Call for nominations

UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Academia Borealis - The Academy of Sciences and Letters of Northern Norway, and Tromsø Research Foundation welcome nominations for The International Mohn Prize for Outstanding Research Related to the Arctic (The Mohn Prize).

The John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding and the Institute of Arctic Studies at Dartmouth College invite registration for their upcoming webinar, titled Winners and Losers from Rapid Arctic Change. This webinar, presented by Frances Ulmer, Senior Fellow, Harvard Belfer Center, will take place on 20 April 2021 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. EDT.

The International Coordination Office for Polar Prediction and the Association for Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) invite the polar prediction community to share creative and artsy outcome of polar prediction research to be considered for publication in PolarPredictNews,the newsletter for the Year of Polar Prediction.

318 AGCF Workshop Poster

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) invites applications for a summer research experience for undergraduates (REU). This program will take place online between 7 June and 31 July 2021.

This REU Site program is for Online Interdisciplinary Big Data Analytics in Science and Engineering. The program will run for eight weeks in the summer. Each student will be paid for their participation and provided with opportunities to present their work at conferences.

Tentative application deadline:15 April 2021, but will remain open until filled.

SCAR logo white background SCAR will offer three to four fellowships for early-career researchers of up to USD $15,000 each for 2021. Applicants can propose partly or entirely remote fellowships to reflect the impact of Covid-19 related travel restrictions. Other opportunity from partners have also launched.
The deadline for applications is 30 June 2021.

ICASS X registration is now open. Please go the ICASS X website and register. The early bird deadline is Mai 10, 2021.

This registration will cover your participation in the online science sessions and in-person panels (attended by personal invitation only; please note that we have not yet received the final permit for an in-person attendance from the local health authorities, and at this time cannot send invitations, please stay tuned).

THANK YOU all for celebrating International March Polar Week with us from 14th to 20th of March 2021!

Thank you for joining us in the celebration of the polar and alpine regions.

During this year’s March Polar Week we kicked the week's excitement off with three keynote speakers spanning the Arctic and Antarctic research - researchers listening to melting glaciers through acoustics, understanding polar microbes through genetics, and learning about the legacy of long term monitoring projects. There were also amazing musicians and artists' work featured through the Indigenous Art Gallery, and great podcast episodes highlighted in the Polar Times Podcast. We were thrilled with all the contest submission pieces where we also heard about your own experiences through short essays, poems, and photos. Congratulations to the winners!

We are happy to announce that the Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress 2021 (SRI2021) has created a dedicated Early Career Fund which will support young professionals and students to participate in the event virtually or in-person, if the country of residence is Australia.

For more information check out our site.

All Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance
The All-Atlantic Ocean Alliance is recruiting an European Arctic Representative for the All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassadors Program. The Arctic Representative would join the ongoing term until December 2021 with the option to re-apply for the following term to continue successful collaborations where these were initiated.

All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassadors are dedicated individuals from all walks of life and backgrounds, who promote sustainable development and stewardship of the Atlantic Ocean. They are currently either in training or education programmes, or in the early stages of their profession. Within the context of the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance, Ambassadors will develop campaigns and communication strategies to reach out to local communities, students and civil society, engage decision makers as well as work with local media to conserve and protect the Atlantic Ocean for future generations. In developing online or local campaigns and events, Ambassadors will be integrated into the collaborative Atlantic pilot actions and supported by All-Atlantic research and innovation projects.

311 Lina Madaj Mental Health PG survey Dear APECS members,

It is increasingly clear that being an ECR in academia is stressful and challenging, especially with all the current uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the newly formed APECS “Mental Health Resources” project group is to create a database compiling online information, tests, tips, contacts, etc. from reputable sources on the issue of mental health (MH) and academia. APECS members and the wider community will be able to access, and contribute further to this resource through the website.

The Eastern Snow Conference will be meeting virtually on June 9 this year. Abstracts for oral and poster presentations are currently being accepted until April 30. There will also be two extended presentations and discussions on recent SnowEx work and on the development of a national snow database. We strongly encourage student researchers to submit their work for one of the available student awards. All details are available at easternsnow.org.

242 Carla Tapia BaldisFreepik International Online Conference 2021 Banner

Conference theme: Polar Science: Success Stories from the Field and from Home
Conference date: Wednesday, 12th May 2021

Abstract submission deadline extended: Wednesday, 14 April 2021

Who this conference is for: We invite polar and alpine researchers from around the world and from various academic levels to present stories related to the polar and alpine regions that happened in 2020. We hope to hear both success stories and stories of learning from failure. The ultimate goal of the project is to unite the ECR community in a collegial and learning experience organized under the 7th annual APECS Online Conference.

317 DOSI Song of the Ocean Take part in this beautiful virtual chorus performance for World Ocean Day 2021 honouring the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science. We want a truly global choir so wherever you are in the world, come together and perform#SongOfTheOcean with us.

Its all explained in detail here, a very beautiful song!

Note: The deadline was extended to 12th April so there is plenty of time for more people to join in!

nsf logo The Office of Polar Programs (OPP) offers postdoctoral research fellowships (PRF) to provide opportunities for early career scientists, including social scientists, to accomplish one or more of the following goals: expand their work across traditional disciplinary lines, develop new partnerships connecting the polar regions and/or non-polar research communities, and provide entry to researchers who have traditionally had limited access to polar research resources, sites and facilities.

We are pleased to let you know that the 26th International Symposium on Polar Sciences (ISPS2021) will be accepting abstract submissions from April 12 to May 9, 2021. The ISPS2021 is currently scheduled to be held in Incheon, the Republic of Korea from September 27 to 29, 2021.

Please note that while we look forward to holding the symposium in Incheon, we may have to move it online depending on the developments surrounding COVID-19, with a final decision to be announced in June.

With "Responding to Climate Crisis: Contributions of Polar Science and Technology” as its overarching theme, the symposium invites papers that examine:

Yamal Nenets Center of Arctic Research (Salekhard, Russia) invites candidates who would like to take part in the field works in West Siberia in June 2021 and September 2021.

The goal is to set up the temperature monitoring in the boreholes and measure active layer thickness in September, 2021. There are multiple sites nearby to Salekhard and Novy Urengoy.

nsf logo The National Science Foundation’s Convergence Accelerator is speeding research and discovery with a new funding opportunity featuring two research track topics—the Networked Blue Economy and Trust & Authenticity in Communication Systems.

NEW SPECIAL ISSUE OF ENERGIES JOURNAL (https://www.mdpi.com/si/81490) on "Climate Change, Ecosystems and Environmental Geology: Threats, Challenges and Solutions in the Arctic" welcomes submissions until 30 November 2021. Energies is an open access Q2 journal cited in WoS (IF 2.7) which offers rapid publication. Good news: reductions on the Article Processing Charges are available for selected papers!

Keywords for our Issue: permafrost, social-ecological systems in the Arctic, climate change adaptation, greenhouse gases emission reduction, infrastructure stability, gas-hydrates and alternative energies in the Arctic, waste management, environmental footprint, geohazards

NSF remains committed to being supportive and as responsive as possible to the needs of the research community in the face of challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic. The NSF website has up-to-date information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions for a broad NSF audience.

We're excited to announce that the new Cryo2Ice Coincident Data Explorer is now live and fully operational. Since July of last year, ESA's CryoSat-2 satellite and NASA's ICESat-2 are periodically aligned as part of the so-called CRYO2ICE campaign. The CRYO2ICE Coincident Data Explorer is a fast and convenient way to search for and extract those coincident orbits.

SCAR logo white background We would like your input in designing the tasks and work plan of a new subcommittee of the SCAR/INSTANT program, aiming to foster studies on improving knowledge of paleo-environmental proxies, facilitate the accessibility of paleo-proxy information needed for better interpreting paleo-records and further constrain model simulations.

We kindly ask you to fill the form by March 31st.It will take only a few minutes of your time.

We expect input from both the modelling and observation communities

Individual sessions throughout May 17 - 28, 2021 (subject to change)

The Integrating Climate and Ecosystem Dynamics in the Southern Ocean program (ICED) is pleased to announce a virtual workshop targeted at researchers with broad interests in modelling Antarctic krill and/or their ecology. These modelling projects can include, but are not limited to: the krill life cycle; food-web interactions; environmental impacts on distribution; population processes, movement and retention; or feedback processes. A diverse group of participants from every stage and area of research is strongly encouraged to apply, with special emphasis on the participation of early career researchers (ECRs).

<a href= APECS Spain Logo 2018 The first session, "Climate Change at the Poles" will be held on 23rd March 2021, at 18:30 h (GMT+1).

Join us here: https://youtu.be/yH611zOZY2o!

We want to share the release of a new short film about Iceland's glaciers: AFTER ICE.

AFTER ICE features images from the 1940s and 1980s that were painstakingly reconstructed in 3D and overlaid with current day drone footage to show how greenhouse gas emissions are causing glaciers on the south coast of Iceland to retreat by tens and sometimes hundreds of metres every year. AFTER ICE was produced by Þorvarður Árnason and Kieran Baxter, written and narrated by M Jackson.

The film is free to use and share: https://vimeo.com/504355699

The WINTER 2020/21 quarterly update of U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) activities is now available at:

https://icedrill.org/icebits/2020-winter

We are conducting an online survey to collect information on the costs of operating Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in order to guide future management and sustainable financing. The objective of this research is to produce a global overview of MPA costs and funding requirements to benefit MPA planners and managers in the future.

We would like to invite marine protected area (MPA) managers or representatives to complete this survey (10-20 minutes). We would appreciate if you could help us by distributing the questionnaire to MPA managers/representatives in your network.

316 Eric Steig Hercules Dome Ice Core Project The first community workshop and science planning meeting for the Hercules Dome ice core project will take place on May 10-11, 2021. This is both a planning meeting and an open science meeting, which will provide an opportunity to hear about some of the latest Antarctic ice core research, and to begin to develop new collaborations. The Hercules Dome project is a major investment by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), and represents a community platform for research.

Polar Week logo2 01 The votes on our March 2021 Polar Week Photo/ Poetry/ Essay Competition are in. More than 100 people voted on the 28 amazing submissions.

A big thank you to all the people who submitted a picture, poem or essay and another thank you to everyone who voted and made this photo competition happen.

We are happy to now announce the winners of our competition. Congratulations to our Photo/ Poetry/ Essay Competition winners!

We need your input on how IASC should mitigate climate change!

Acknowledging the link between anthropogenic carbon emissions and rapid changes in the Arctic, including the Arctic amplification of climate change, IASC has recently convened an Action Group on Carbon Footprint (AGCF). The remit of the AGCF is to facilitate a full organisational response to the climate crisis and to explore ways to minimise the carbon footprint of IASC-related activities themselves. As an organisation promoting research and transnational access in the Arctic, we have a duty to mitigate the impacts of our activities, as well as to lead the way.

PYRN ExCom will continue with the funding support of your activities. We should be able to offer you up to 200 EUR/year for activities like workshops or meetings organised in your country or in the frame of multiple countries. The funding application form and process remains the same as in the previous years, and you can find it here: https://pyrn.arcticportal.org/national-representatives/funding-application-form .

iassa logo IASSA is requesting applications from members to serve on the IASSA Council in 2021-2024. Any IASSA member in good standing may declare themselves up until 17:00 (5PM)applicant's local time on May 1, 2021.

Applicants are required to submit a brief statement (less than 200 words) about yourself, your motivation to sit on the Council and a photo to IASSA President This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and CC to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

These materials will be included in the Spring/Summer issue of the Northern Notes. Indigenous applicants and northern residents are especially encouraged.

Amundsen Science is organizing an online Outreach Event/Workshop in the afternoon of March 23^rd. The goal of this event is to discuss the history and good practices in field oceanography based on the 17 years of operations of the research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen, the access to this National Research Facility and the future of the ship and organization.

You can find attached the program, with embedded link to the registration. A Facebook event is also available for sharing.

I am an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba working with numerical modelling of polar regions. One of my main interests is in modelling icebergs, improving their representation and trajectory prediction in models, and assessing their impact on the physical and biogeochemical properties of the ocean. Recent interactions with fellow "icebergers" led to a discussion about the need for a channel of direct communication within the iceberg community, so we can share our work, collaborate, make sure no efforts are being duplicated, and advance iceberg science in a faster and smarter way.

If you work with or is interested in iceberg science, please fill out the form.

311 Lina Madaj Mental Health PG survey Dear APECS members,

309 APECS T MOSAiC Vlogs PG video blogs The awareness of the Arctic and its relevance to climate and ecosystems are increasing. While there is broad knowledge of Arctic science, few people have experienced Arctic environments and scientific research. Bringing the public to a journey into Arctic field research will foster a deeper appreciation for northern environments and science.

The Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) is one of the core projects of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), serving as the focal point for climate science related to the cryosphere, its variability and change, and interaction with the broader climate system.

CliC is now launching an open call for nominations for chairmanship. Self-nominations are encouraged. Please fill in the attached form and send to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. not later than April 16th.

Dr. Jennifer Mercer is serving as the acting Section Head for the Arctic Section at the US National Science Foundation. She is a program manager for Arctic Sciences and Arctic Research Support & Logistics. She also serves as Chair of the international Forum of Arctic Research Operators (FARO), and she co-leads the Atmospheres Collaboration Team for the US Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC).

Polar Week logo2 01 Thank you for the amazing photos/peoms and essays, that were submitted for the International Polar Week March 2021! We received 28 submissions in total. Now it is time for YOU to vote on your favourite photo/poem/essay.

How to vote?

247 Henrietta Hammant Flyer Polar Week March 2021 Let's celebrate the importance of the polar and the wider cryosphere! Twice a year, we celebrate Polar Week during equinox when day- and night-time are equal all around the World. During this time, we will share a series of activities through APECS international and its national committees to raise awareness of the polar and alpine areas - their indigenous people, wildlife, facts, stories, scientists, and landscapes, as well as the risks they currently face, especially due to climatic changes.

Nature Award for Driving Global Impact was launched in 2019 with the aim of championing researchers who are striving towards the achievement of one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

You will find the award’s webpages here: https://www.nature.com/collections/ccjnyjxvmp

While we have received substantial numbers of submissions, these have tended been greatly dominated by medical researchers in specific fields, whereas we are aiming to recognise and promote the work of researchers in a wider variety of fields.

The COVITA-ARCTICCOVID project at the ARCTICenter, University of Northern Iowa released the ArcticVAX Tracker, a new dashboard for real-time tracking of COVID-19 vaccinations in the Arctic.

For more information go to: https://arcticcovid.uni.edu/ or ArcticVAX dashboard.

Polar Week logo2 01 For this March Polar Week we would like to share your polar perspectives through photos, poetry and short essays!

If you are interested in participating in the competition, please fill out the Submission Form by March 11th, 23:59 GMT.

Following you can find more information on the competition categories:

Polar Photo Competition

Share your best photos of you doing work related to the polar regions, this could be a landscape photo, an in-the-office-photo, analyzing polar data, presenting polar data, anything related to polar! File size is limited to 10MB, please read the rules and regulations for permissions to share your photo.
Polar Poetry Competition

We are looking to showcase artistic, beautiful poems about the Arctic, Antarctic, and wider cryosphere – no matter what language or form they are in, (Please provide an English translation along with your work, or let us know if you are happy for APECS to translate it into English.) Share your own stories, photos and experiences through our submission competition, and share on social media using the hashtag: #PolarPoetry suggested submission lengths can be 12 - 40 lines.
Polar Essay Competition

We are looking to showcase artistic, beautiful essays about the Arctic, Antarctic, and wider cryosphere – no matter what language or form they are in (Please provide an English translation along with your work, or let us know if you are happy for APECS to translate it into English.) This challenge is to write about the theme “CHANGE” - it can be your most memorable fieldwork experience or that one niche scientific phenomenon that gets your heart racing. Write a funny piece, or an ode to your favorite fjord or an opinion essay on the Arctic Council. This challenge word limit will be 100 - 1000: You can write a short flash piece (~100) or a longer reflection (1000 max).

nsf logo The National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs (OPP)and the Education and Human Resources (EHR) Directorate request input from interested parties on the goals, values and approaches for managing the Antarctic Artist and Writers (AAW) Program and possibly expanding that program to include the Arctic.

On March 9, the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) released a draft of the Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026 for public review. The comment period will close on June 11, 2021. The draft plan addresses the most pressing Arctic research needs that require a collaborative approach and that can advance understanding of the Arctic, inform policy and planning decisions, and promote the well-being of Arctic and global communities.

We would like to tell you about our Arctic expedition project ‘Glacialis’ and our crowdfunding campaign: https://wemakeit.com/projects/expedition-glacialis

I write on behalf of the eo4alps snow consortium, an ESA project with the objective to create an online snow monitoring platform for the whole Alps.

In order to better understand the role of snow and in particular of snow water equivalent (SWE) in the decision making at various levels, we are collecting information on the state of the art of snow monitoring active in various organizations and the requirements for a new operational service.

For this reason, we would kindly ask you to fill in a short Questionnaire available at this link:

https://forms.gle/rszzeQVZGm3eriRAA

“Arctic Ecology” came out in January.

https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Arctic+Ecology-p-9781118846544

253 Morten Rasch FARO Workshop at ASSW2021

Join us for the "Workshop on International Access to Research Infrastructure in the Arctic"during the Arctic Science Summit Week 2021,organized by FARO together with ARICE, INTERACTand APECS.

PolarImpact Logo Vector V1 The Polar Impact Network is seeking to establish a mentor/mentee program that focuses on mentorship within the polar sciences and polar communities across the world, and would value your input on a survey put together by one of our volunteers.

Polar Impact’s mission is to support, connect, and highlight the stories of Black, Asian, Indigenous, people of color, and minority ethnic professionals in the polar research community. You can learn more about Polar Impact here: https://www.polarimpactnetwork.org/.

SCAR logo white background The new Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Scientific Research Programme INStabilities & Thresholds in ANTarctica (INSTANT) had its kick-off workshop between 15 and 17 February 2021. The workshop was online, based on zoom. For three days, about 150 participants from over 41 countries kept a very active discussion on the future development of this multidisciplinary program.

Please read here the full report.

Author: Lara Perez

Burgay Francois APECS Italy Advertisement February 2021 Jilda Caccavo *DEADLINE EXTENDED to MARCH 10*

APECS Italy is an association of early career polar researchers that aims to bring together those conducting polar and cryosphere research in Italy in order to organize outreach and capacity building events, and foster collaborations.
Despite organizing many successful events in recent years, the members of APECS Italy leadership have taken on new roles in their careers, and can no longer continue to lead the organization. For that reason, we are now seeking to nominate a new coordinator of APECS Italy.

Join UCIrvine, the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS), and IARPC Collaborations for a virtual Arctic Research Collaboration Workshop on Friday, 16 April from 9am-1pm AK/1-5pm ET.

To apply, go to:
https://www.arcus.org/meetings/2021/interdisciplinary-workshop

252 Julia Garcia Oteyza Ciria ECR workshop at ASSW2021

pyrn small After a great success at our last PYRN Seminar Series, the PYRN ExCom decided that it would be great to hear more about the research being conducted by our members.

We will be hosting monthly seminars from March until June, with 3 speakers at each 1 hour seminar.

251 Jonatan PieUnsplash APECS UKPN ECR Conference Conference theme: Early Career Researchers and the future of UK Polar Science

Date: 5-6th May 2021

Location: Online

Abstract deadline: Friday 19th March 2021

250 Lisa Winberg von Friesen APECS Denmark Seminar Series 2021

The International Arctic Science Committee awards the 2021 IASC Medal to Atsumu Ohmura Ph.D., Professor Emeritus at ETH Zurich (Switzerland), for outstanding achievements in understanding complex climate and glacier relationships, global energy budgets, and thermal energy flow in the Arctic; and for excellence in program building, international collaborations, and mentorship in the cryospheric sciences.

The SCAR Expert Group on Antarctic Biodiversity Informatics works with the rOpenSci project to improve R software tools for Antarctic and Southern Ocean science (see https://ropensci.org/blog/2018/11/13/antarctic/ for more information). We are in the early stages of planning a "virtual tools hack" event and would like to gauge interest from APECS members to present at this event. The format is for a short initial session in which several presenters talk about the R tools that they are using or developing, and identify areas for improvement. There is then an intersessional period of several weeks in which community members can propose tasks to work on that will help address those issues, and then finally there is a half-day "hack" in which the actual work gets done.

The first 2021 issue of PolarPredictNews, the official newsletter for the Year of Polar Prediction,is now available with lots of news and updates from and for the polar prediction community. For the Art+Science part of the newsletter, we worked with climate scientist Thomas Rackowto present his the melting sea-ice stripes, inspired by Ed Hawkins’ concept of warming stripes.

COVITA (Arctic COVID) project at the ARCTICenter, University of Northern Iowa published COVID-19 public health educational materials in Indigenous languages from the Russian Arctic.

242 Carla Tapia BaldisFreepik International Online Conference 2021 Banner

Conference theme: Polar Science: Success Stories from the Field and from Home
Conference date: Wednesday, 12th May 2021

Abstract deadline: Wednesday, 31st March 2021

Who this conference is for: We invite polar and alpine researchers from around the world and from various academic levels to present stories related to the polar and alpine regions that happened in 2020. We hope to hear both success stories and stories of learning from failure. The ultimate goal of the project is to unite the ECR community in a collegial and learning experience organized under the 7th annual APECS Online Conference.

Polar Week logo2 01 For this March Polar Week we would like to share your polar perspectives through photos, poetry and short essays!

If you are interested in participating in the competition, please fill out the Submission Form by March 11th, 23:59 GMT.

Following you can find more information on the competition categories:

Polar Photo Competition

Share your best photos of you doing work related to the polar regions, this could be a landscape photo, an in-the-office-photo, analyzing polar data, presenting polar data, anything related to polar! File size is limited to 10MB, please read the rules and regulations for permissions to share your photo.
Polar Poetry Competition

We are looking to showcase artistic, beautiful poems about the Arctic, Antarctic, and wider cryosphere – no matter what language or form they are in, (Please provide an English translation along with your work, or let us know if you are happy for APECS to translate it into English.) Share your own stories, photos and experiences through our submission competition, and share on social media using the hashtag: #PolarPoetry suggested submission lengths can be 12 - 40 lines.
Polar Essay Competition

We are looking to showcase artistic, beautiful essays about the Arctic, Antarctic, and wider cryosphere – no matter what language or form they are in (Please provide an English translation along with your work, or let us know if you are happy for APECS to translate it into English.) This challenge is to write about the theme “CHANGE” - it can be your most memorable fieldwork experience or that one niche scientific phenomenon that gets your heart racing. Write a funny piece, or an ode to your favorite fjord or an opinion essay on the Arctic Council. This challenge word limit will be 100 - 1000: You can write a short flash piece (~100) or a longer reflection (1000 max).

We are pleased to announce that the second, updated edition of the Elsevier book Snow and Ice-Related Hazards, Risks, and Disastersis now available; see:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780128171295/snow-and-ice-related-hazards-risks-and-disasters

We are very excited to announce that the first QGreenland v1.0.1 public release is now available! You can find all the details at https://qgreenland.org/.

QGreenland was inspired by Quantarctica and funded through NSF EarthCube. QGreenland is a free, open source GIS data package and data-viewing tool for Greenland. The package works with QGIS, which is also free and open source (https://www.qgis.org).The download package comes with a complete User Guide, so even folks who have never used QGIS will be guided through working with QGreenland.

We would kindly like to invite you to submit your work to the Special Issue "Progresses and Gaps on Monitoring of Snow and Its Components at the Local, Regional to Global Scale and Its Applications" we organized at the Geosciences: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/geosciences/special_issues/snow_Monitoring

"Frontiers in Earth Science" has launched a new Research Topic, "Ice Sheet Shear Margins in Warming Climate: Process and Trends".
As a leading expert in your field, we would like you to participate by submitting your research.

oggm
We are pleased to announce the release of the Open Global Glacier Model (OGGM) version 1.4. OGGM is an open source modelling framework for glaciers, targeting the simulation of large numbers of mountain glaciers.

‘Understanding the Rules of Life’ solicitation explores emergent networks, invites proposals.
Intertwined networks connect living things in profoundly complex and oftentimes unexpected ways. From individual cells and organisms to entire ecosystems and industries, the emergence of such networks is the focus of the Understanding the Rules of Life: Emergent Networks solicitation calling for research proposals from a broad range of scientific disciplines.

NOAA@NSIDC is pleased to announce the release of sea ice chart data resulting from collaboration with the U.S. National Ice Center (USNIC) called the U.S. National Ice Center Arctic and Antarctic Sea Ice Concentration and Climatologies in Gridded Format.

The Robert G. Raskin Scholarship is awarded annually to a current graduate, post-graduate student in the Earth or computer sciences who has an interest in community evolution of Earth science data systems.

175 APECS Podcast PG Logo Hi polar people! Just a reminder that Polar Times, the APECS Podcast, comes out fortnightly on Fridays. We are always looking for guest suggestions and please feel free to volunteer yourself- we welcome anyone and everyone from polar life!

You can contact our PG leaders Jack and Ryan at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. respectively!

Are you looking to bolster your skills for working on a research icebreaker? The online technical training series organized by the Arctic Research Icebreaker Consortium and the Association of Early Polar Career Scientists may be what you are looking for! Exciting training modules taught by experts looking to share their knowledge and experience await in March and April of 2021.

Franziska Pausch Kerstin Rolfes AWI We welcome Franziska Pausch as our 3^rd Project Officer in the APECS International Directorate! Together with Boris and Svenja, along with Heike and Josefine, our APECS Office Team is (for now) complete.

Franziska will contribute to the education and training activities in the EU Project ARICE and support the APECS Office in administrative tasks.

nsf logo

NSF is looking for proposals to initiate industry-university cooperative research centers to address issues in the Arctic that have interest from potential industry and other governmental partners.

For more details, see NSF Dear Colleague Letter and solicitation NSF-20-570.

APECS Canada Logo web APECS Canada, along with the ArcticNet Student Association coordinated the adjudication and virtual presentation of the 2020 APECS Canada-ASA Mentor Award. This award is presented annually at the ArcticNet ASM banquet to an individual who has contributed significantly to the fostering and mentoring of polar early career researchers in Canada. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, this award was presented virtually for the first time. This year, five excellent nomination packages were put forth by polar ECRs across the country. The award was presented to Dr. LeeAnn Fishback from the Churchill Northern Studies Centre for her work in mentoring and supporting ECRs in their scientific research around Churchill, MB as well as her commitment to education and outreach in her community.

See more here.

243 Vikram Goel Remote Sensing PG Survey
The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) Council 2020/21 are working on a project to synthesise and review the applications of Satellite Remote Sensing across the Polar sciences. Our goal is to develop a database and accompanying document that summarises key information about satellite platforms, including (but not limited to): technical characteristics, applications in Polar science, data accessibility and processing requirements.

The Swiss Polar Institute (SPI) Flagship Initiative programme, enabling ambitious Swiss-led multi-annual and multi-disciplinary research programmes in polar or remote high-altitude regions, has just been launched.

The funding will be focused on field campaigns (logistics, safety, etc.), data management, outreach, and programme coordination, thus providing temporary infrastructure for a Swiss-led polar research programme.

iasc

Framed by the overarching theme for the Science Conference “The Arctic: Regional Changes, Global Impacts”, Lisbon invites International experts on the Arctic and Indigenous Peoples to discuss the “New Arctic” and also its impacts and interactions to and with the lower latitudes at ASSW2021 Online.

ASSW2021 Registration now open

GRISO logo

Are you interested in the interaction of ice, ocean, atmosphere, marine ecosystems and communities at Greenland’s coastal margins? If so, please join us!

GRISO (GReenland Ice Sheet Ocean) is a funded, 5-year NSF AccelNet project that aims to advance research by facilitating interaction across disciplines, methodologies and existing networks.

The Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) invites applications from SIOS member institutions for a funding opportunity focused on acquiring aerial and imagery hyperspectral data over Svalbard.

Call for Bids
to host the International Directorate
of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS)

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is launching an international call for bids to host the International Directorate Office for the organisation starting January 2022.

The deadline for bids is 31 May 2021.

arcuslogonotext 2018 To continue discussions initiated at our 2020 Annual Meeting, ARCUS announces a call for nominations for members to serve on a new ad hoc committee
that will focus on building the Arctic research community’s capacity for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research.

Committee members will serve a 1-year term and will play an important role in developing the initial goals and direction of this new group’s efforts, and provide input to ARCUS’ activities around this topic.

Inspiring Girls Expeditions EUROPE is expanding and offers three expeditions in summer 2021:

Girls on Ice Austria (in german)
Girls on Ice Suisse (in frech)
Girls on Ice Schweiz (in german)

We seek 16 and 17 year old girls* for a tuition-free research expeditions to immerse in glaciology, art and mountaineering.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) are looking for an early career scientist to join the SOOS Amundsen and Bellingshausen Sector Regional Working Group (ABS RWG).

Quantarctica logo v3 nobg We are pleased to announce the release of Quantarctica’s new version which is adapted to QGIS’s latest version 3.16. Quantarctica is a collection of Antarctic geographical datasets for research, education, operation and management in Antarctica, and let you explore, import, visualize, and share Antarctica data. It is distributed with the CC-BY4.0 license and works with a multi-platform free GIS software QIGS.

https://www.npolar.no/quantarctica/

We invite European Polar research projects to take part to this online survey on on-going and planned stakeholder and rightholder engagement in European Polar Research (Arctic and Antarctic).

The survey is open until February 28^th, 2021.

nsf logo NSF recently funded 17 projects totaling $26.7 million, which will directly support 69 investigators across 21 different institutions in addition to funding students and postdoctoral scholars. These projects focus on multi-discipline research across the social, natural, and built environment including those with the potential for engagement with Arctic communities. NSF is also partnering with University of Colorado Boulder, Alaska Pacific University and University of Alaska Fairbanks on a five-year, nearly $5 million cooperative agreement for a Navigating the New Arctic Community Office.

Read more at https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/announcements/020121.jsp.

Arctic Frontiers Logo new 2013

Arctic family and friends will meet from February 1-4 2021, for the 15th edition of our annual Arctic Frontiers conference. This year under the banner of Building Bridges,we have created four thematic days that bridge both plenary and science topics

Monday 1 Feb: Wellbeing and Societal Health
Tuesday 2 Feb: Building the Future
Wednesday 3 Feb: Ocean meets Coast
Thursday 4 Feb: Business Solutions

iasc web The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) is pleased to announce the availability of registration fee support for the online Arctic Science Summit Week 2021 (19 - 26 March 2021).

Please submit your application by no later than 10 February 2021via this form:https://forms.gle/SrzgHV7KAPUL5uScA

Logo SOD WGI AR6

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), Mountain Research Initiative (MRI), PAst Global ChangES Early-Career Network (PAGES-ECN), Permafrost Young Research Network (PYRN), and Young Earth System Scientists (YESS) community successfully organized the group review of the Second Order Draft (SOD) of Working Group II (WGII) contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6^th Assessment Report (AR6) by early career scientists.

The VI APECS-Brazil Symposium will be held online between February 2 and 4, 2021 with the theme "The importance of polar science in the face of global issues".

The event aims to provide the exchange of knowledge on polar topics and connect polar researchers from all over the world. The event is aimed at all people interested in polar science.

SCAR logo white background A new publication, titled "Antarctic ecosystems in transition – life between stresses and opportunities", has been published in Biological Reviews. The study is the outcome of SCAR's 2012-2020 Scientific Research Programme "Antarctic Thresholds - Ecosystem Resilience and Adaptation" (AnT-ERA).
25 international experts, led by AnT-ERA chief officer Prof. Julian Gutt from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), analysed and compiled hundreds of articles on the Antarctic published in the past ten years. The result is a comprehensive assessment of the present and future of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean region.
Read more.

Appplications for the Antarctic Science Bursary 2021are now open.

Submission deadline is Friday 19th March, 24:00 GMT.

Antarctic Science supports the development of the careers of promising young scientists, working in any field of Antarctic science, and from any country. Grants of up to £6000 are awarded to extend the scope of an existing research project, through:

NSF logo This new NSF Dear Colleague Letter: Supporting Data and Sample Reuse in Polar Research from the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) encourages submission of proposals that leverage existing data, physical samples, and non-physical samples (e.g., films, recordings, etc.), as well as those that facilitate the reuse of existing data. In this way, OPP aims to support both the Arctic and Antarctic research communities to drive polar science forward while capitalizing on NSF's previous research investments.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) are looking for an early career scientist to join the SOOS West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc Working Group (WAPSA RWG).

We are happy to announce the publication of the APECS Strategic Plan for 2021-2025!

The Strategic Plan is a result of discussions among the APECS Leadership (Executive Committee, Council and APECS Directorate), the APECS National Committees, and extensive consultation with the wider APECS membership and polar research community.

The call for applications for the fourth cohort of the Postdoc Academy for Transformational Leadership is still open, the deadline for submissions is the 15th of Feburary.

The Postdoc Academy for Transformational Leadership is a unique program that develops the next generation of leaders in sustainability research affiliated with a European research institution.

arcuslogonotext 2018 The 15th annual NOAA Arctic Report Card was released on 8 December 2020 as part of the American Geophysical Union 2020 Fall Meeting. The Arctic Report Card, initiated in response to the need for concise and timely Arctic information, serves as a readily available resource for viewing the rapid changes that have engulfed the region. Taken as a whole, the story is unambiguous. The transformation of the Arctic to a warmer, less frozen, and biologically changed region is well underway.

Read here the full article.

The APECS International Directorate is happy to introduce two new project officers: Boris Radosavljevic is contributing to training activities in the EU project ARICE. Svenja Holste develops information material and support capacity building in the EU Project INTERACT III. Welcome, Boris and Svenja!

They seek 16 and 17 year old girls* for a tuition-free mini research expeditions to study at the elbows of glaciologists, oceanographers, artists and other professionals. Girls on Ice is the original expedition where girls study glaciers, volcanoes, and the alpine environment. They also now have Girls in Icy Fjords, Girls on Rock, Girls on Water, Girls in the Forest. Please share this with teachers or teenagers you know.

Applications must be started by Jan 22.

iasc web Arctic Science Summit Week 2021 is swiftly approaching. This is a reminder that IASC is now receiving proposals for consideration for IASC funding in 2021.

Proposals can be limited to one Working Group, relevant to all five, or anything in between. (Note: Working Groups must allocate at least 40% of their budget in cooperation with other Working Groups.) All proposals will be fully discussed and considered at the Working Group meetings at ASSW.

Please submit your proposal via this online form.

Wissenschaft im Dialog (Science in Dialogue) and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation invite young researchersfrom all over Europe to the International Summer School “Communicating Science”. Within five days they will not only acquire theoretical knowledge about methods, formats and structures in science communication but have the opportunity to apply it in workshop sessions led by practitioners. The interdisciplinary event will take place in Berlin in the end of July/beginning of August 2021. Participation is free of charge. For further information concerning application and the program see: communicating-science.eu.

Apply now!

UArctic Congress 2021 Banner 1 The UArctic Congress 2021 is organized in conjunction with the Arctic Council Ministerial meeting, May 15-18, 2021 in Reykjavik, Iceland. The tentative program outline is now available on the UArctic website.

Academic institutions are starting to recognize a mental health crisis in students. But what about faculty? Research suggests that 36% of academics have or would like to receive help for work related anxiety or depression and 80% viewed that competition has fostered mean and aggressive behavior in the workplace.

To understand how universities are responding to the needs of faculty, and what resources, practices, and policies are in place that address faculty mental health and well-being, we seek personal narratives.

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) Collaborations is launching a pilot six-month session of their new mentorship program. The program brings together small groups of researchers and other professionals to discuss career opportunities and issues, learn from and support one another, and grow together.

Call for Abstracts (deadline): 1 March 2021 (250-400 words)
Draft papers (deadline): 15 June 2021 (4500-6500 words)

The Arctic Yearbook (https://arcticyearbook.com) is calling for abstracts for its 2021 volume – the 10th anniversary edition.

The Saami Council, EU-PolarNet, Austrian Polar Research Institute, University of Groningen/Arctic Centre, Nordland Research Institute, the University of Northern Iowa/ArctiCentre, International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA), International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), and the UArctic invite insights, experiences, opinions, criticism, ideas and, best practice models in collaborative and community based participatory research which can include also aspects regarding COVID-19 conditions.

Earth Science Women’s Network Recruiting for Board and Associate Board of Directors

The Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN) is recruiting multiple volunteer leadership positions, to fill vacancies on the Board of Directors (BoD) and Associate Board of Directors (ABD). ESWN is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in the geosciences with an emphasis on creating and supporting a nurturing community, working for cultural change to eliminate barriers to a diverse scientific workforce, and empowering scientists through professional development. The primary duties of the BoD are to oversee and manage the fiscal responsibilities of the organization. The BoD also contributes to strategic planning, building partnerships, volunteer engagement, and communicating the impacts of ESWN to the broader public.

iasc web The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), have the pleasure of announcing the start of the 2021 IASC Fellowship Program. APECS very kindly coordinated the application and review process; recommendations from APECS based on the review process were delivered for final selection to the IASC Secretariats and IASC WG Chairs. Six successful early career researchers were identified from 47 applicants for the IASC Fellowships. The reviewers were impressed by the excellent quality of the applications.

The IcePod Episode Nine: Hugs, Dips in Melt Ponds, and WiFi on the Iceis now available!

To access the podcast, go to: The IcePod webpage

Juneau Icefield Research program
Applications are now open for students, staff, and faculty for the 2021 JIRP Field Season! All applications are due on January 31st. All information can be found at juneauicefield.org.

Are you planning a research cruise around Svalbard soon? Then we recommend you to try out IcySea, thanks to the financing of the Copernicus Marine Service, the registration and usage remains free for 2021: https://icysea.app/

Be Featured in New Polar STEAM Magazine Polynya!

Are you a woman working in polar sciences, research, Traditional Knowledge, Indingeous Knowledge, advocacy, or the arts?

We want to feature you! Published by The Anchorage Museum and supported by the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, Polynya is a new free magazine that aims to activate a culture shift among middle school students, with a special emphasis on girls living in the Arctic and sub-Arctic, to see women as trailblazers of Arctic traditional and western sciences. Polynya will illuminate polar research and achievements by those who identify as women and those who were designated female but self-identify differently across all races and ethnicities, with a particular focus on Indigenous scientists, knowledge holders, and artists. Published four times a year, we are working with school districts, public libraries, and afterschool programs to freely distribute the magazine in 2021 to middle school students.

The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) is moving towards a new programme structure. The new WCRP structure has been developed by the WCRP community to support the implementation of the WCRP Strategic Plan 2018 – 2028, which addresses the climate research priorities of the next decade and beyond. You can read all about the new structure and plans for the future here.

SCAR logo white background The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is pleased to announce the 2020 Fellowship awardees. This year, a total of 21 applications were received for the early-career Fellowships, which offer awards of up to US$15,000 each. Four SCAR Fellowships will be awarded in this round.

The details for each of this year's Fellows are listed on the SCAR Website.

Dear APECS members, partners and friends

Another year is coming to an end - And it has been an exceptional and challenging year for the polar community as a whole, our society and for many of us personally. 2020 has shown us how important personal and professional networks are and we are grateful and proud that APECS is able to provide the necessary virtual polar connection to many early career researchers. Nonetheless, we all hope we can work, celebrate, laugh and meet in person again very soon.

AntarcticaDayLogo The votes on our Antarctica Day 2020 Photo/Art Competition are in. More than 500 people voted on the 24 amazing submissions on Antarctic photos and art projects. A big thank you to all the people who submitted a picture/art project and another thank you to everyone who voted and made this photo/art competition happen.

iasc web For photos, IASC depends solely on what Arctic scientists send us. IASC welcomes images depicting all areas of Arctic science including scientists in the field, everyday life, animals, landscapes, and more. Please submit your new photographs no later than Monday 25 January 2021 if you want them to be considered for the bulletin. IASC is not able to pay for use, but photographers are always credited.

More information can be found here and you can submit your photo here.

pyrn small In order to take part in PYRN X-mass event below please proceed: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZB3XFCH

In coordination with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), Antarctic Science Ltd. is running a webinar to help potential applicants of 2021 Antarctic Science International Bursary. This bursary runs every year and is for up to £6000 to support PhD or early career researchers to extend the scope of an existing research project. More details here: http://www.antarcticsciencebursary.org.uk/. A great opportunity to get top-up funding for that exciting idea of yours!

Need a break from reading academic papers but still want to read about cryospheric sciences? Then have a look at the EGU Cryosphere Division blog (https://blogs.egu.eu/divisions/cr/">https://blogs.egu.eu/divisions/cr/). We post every Friday to divulge scientific news and fun cryo-facts to the larger scientific community but also the general public. Most of our posts are written by guest authors who are free to write about any topic related to the Cryosphere Division.

The Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System Knowledge Centre (SIOS-KC) and the Remote Sensing Working Group (RSWG) invite input in their survey on assessing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Svalbard science community. This survey will be used to develop a strategy for the upcoming (2021) field season in Svalbard.

Input deadline: 7 January 2021

Norwegian Polar Institute published a book “Life of the Antarctic Ice”. This book conveys rich knowledge about Antarctica’s ice sheet and ice shelves aimed at a broad readership, including high-school students. Beautiful pictures, carefully prepared maps and short summary quotes help readers to grasp the story quickly. The text is written by international experts (please see author list below) using many analogues such as “ice is like ketchup”, so it is easy to follow. Advanced readers enjoy facts presented in did-you-know boxes and deepen their understanding with supplementary information of the illustrations at the end of the book.

The journal Earth System Science Data (ESSD) (IF: 9.197, ISSN: 1866-3508) is currently running a Special Issue entitled " Extreme environment datasets for the Three Poles". Dr. David Carlson, Dr. Mike Sparrow, Dr. Xin Li, Dr. Min Feng, and Dr. Tao Che are serving as Guest Editors for this issue. We would like to invite you to submit articles for consideration and possible publication in this ESSD special issue.

nsf logo The Office of Polar Programs (OPP), Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) at the National Science Foundation, reserves several Program Director positions to be filled by Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignments (https://beta.nsf.gov/careers/rotator-programs/intergovernmental-personnel-act-ipa-assignments). These IPA positions come available periodically, and the Arctic Sciences Section is currently looking to fill openings.

The IcePod announces the release of episode eight, Snowflakes, Pee Bottles, and a Mosaic of Floes. The IcePod is the podcast about polar science and the people. Hosts talk to scientists who went on board Polarstern, the German research icebreaker, for the biggest research expedition in the Arctic, The Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC). It is produced in collaboration with the Alfred Wegener Institute and Radio Weser.TV, where the full episode with music will be played.

AntarcticaDayLogo Thank you for the amazing photos and art projects that were submitted for our Antarctica Day 2020 Photo and Art Competition! We received 24 submissions in total. Now it is time for YOU to vote on your favourite photo and art project.

How to vote?

On the occasion of International Mountain Day, Indian Polar Research Network (APECS-India) is organizing a webinar on ‘Himalayan Mountainous Regions’ on 11th December. We have three Early Career Researchers from three different domains, telling us about the various aspects of scientific research in the mountainous regions of Himalaya.

SAON The SAON Strategy and Implementation Plan was approved in 2018. As a follow-up to this, SAON has developed a Roadmap for Arctic Observing and Data Systems (ROADS).

The Roadmap has been drafted as a deliverable for the preparation of the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3) to be held 8-9 May 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

New paper in Nature Communications discusses the future of Arctic science during and after COVID-19

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19923-2

iassa logo1 According to the new IASSA by-laws there will be an election of an IASSA president for the term 2021-2024. The candidates should include a presentation of the host university, financial and institutional commitments, experience and capacity in the proposal.

No final decision yet - but hybrid format likely.

The IASC Medal is awarded in recognition of exceptional and sustained contributions to the understanding of the Arctic. A maximum of one award is made each year, assuming that there is a nominee of appropriate quality.

Deadline: 31 December 2020

We would like to make you aware of a new book about the History of the Arctic that has been published on Dec. 1st, 2020.

Please find here the link to the book: https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-6022-2

KEPLER is planning to host an Early Career Scientist Online Workshop for students and young scientists in tentatively Mid-February.

The marine environment in the Polar Regions is changing; with this comes to both challenges and opportunities. Earth Observation (EO) has a key role to play in the sustainable development of the region, and the information services provided must be flexible to respond to the changing needs and conditions. Importantly they must provide much-needed information for Arctic peoples and wider society, science, private sector and decision-makers.

The Women+Water Lecture Series is returning in a virtual format in January 2021!

The Women and Water Lecture Series will showcase research, support young professionals and provide a space for dialogue and networking. Additionally, the series will explore water-related challenges, roles of women in water, gendered water-related impacts, women researchers in water, and challenges and opportunities facing female water researchers. Women+Water will run monthly from January to April 2021.

IACS logo The International Association for Cryospheric Sciences (IACS) is soliciting nominations for the IACS 2020 Early Career Scientist (ECS) Prize. The IACS ECS Prize is a bi-annual cash prize of € 1000 awarded to two early career scientists who have published the best scientific papers on a cryospheric subject as assessed by an evaluation committee. The papers must have been published between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020.

The nomination deadline is 1 February 2021.

190 Greta Wells International Mountain Day 2020

nsf logo The National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs is holding separate office hours for Arctic and Antarctic Sciences. These sessions will cover program updates, funding opportunities, and season planning around COVID-19. Current awardees, pending proposers, and future proposers are welcome to attend.

You must register to attend these sessions.

iasc web The deadline for abstracts submission of the Arctic Science Summit Week 2021 (24-26 March 2021) has been extended to 10 December 2020.

The overarching topic of ASSW2021 is “The Arctic: Regional Change Global Impacts”. Despite the focus on the Arctic, several sessions accept contributions on the Antarctic, aiming at fostering networking and advances on research on both poles.

9th December 2020 at 15:00 (Stockholm)

Tired of cancelled fieldwork? Missing your daily procrastination fika by the coffee machine? Overloaded with Zoom calls and conferences (and currently reading this thinking, oh no, not another one?!)? Polar research has looked very different over the last year as we grapple with life under a global pandemic.

Please consider judging one or more cryosphere student presentations at this year's AGU Fall Meeting. Your participation in the outstanding student presentation award (OSPA) process provides valuable feedback to students, helps develop young scientists, and recognizes outstanding members of our community. The OSPA judging portal is now open. Below, information on how you can sign up as a judge and what the OSPA process will look like this year is provided.

There is nothing more constant than change, as Heraklit once said...

With a sad and with a laughing eye we say Goodbye to our precious project officers in the APECS International Directorate, Lisa Grosfeld and Andrea Schneider.

With a crying eye, because they have provided great support for several years and helped with lots of small and big tasks to keep the office running smoothly. Lisa and Andrea both always created a positive working environment and kept us smiling and happy even in hectic times.

Andrea has worked for the EU projects APPLICATE and INTERACT II and maintained an additional project office at the UiT The Arctic University of Norway which is now coming to an end as well. We thank UiT for their yearlong support of APECS.

We also say goodbye with a laughing eye, as we are happy for you to take on new tasks and challenges; and happy for other colleagues now working with you.

The APECS Office will miss you for sure...

andrea schneider Lisa Grosfeld cut

Antarctica Day 2020_credit_Friederike_Säring The international polar community celebrates Antarctica Day on the 1^st of December to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty. During this year, the APECS Antarctica Day Project Group (PG) has planned a series of activities for all our members and national committees to raise awareness of the importance of Antarctica in a fast changing world.

December 2, 2020, 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Contact: Geosciences Earth Sciences Communications Team, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Register at https://nsf.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_cSO1ybkkQtGUwIufBo--Tg

Normally presented as a workshop at AGU, Navigating the NSF System is a good opportunity for first-time proposers and early career scientists to gain insight into the ins and outs of the NSF grant proposal process. The webinar consists of a presentation and a live Q&A session with Directorate for Geosciences Program Officers. Participants must register in advance.

ICASS X Tenth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences:
Arctic Generations: Looking Back and Looking Forward
15-19 June 2021, Arkhangelsk, RUSSIA

Call for Abstracts
DEADLINE: December 25, 2020
Submit Abstracts at https://icass.uni.edu/

US Ice Drilling Program

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) offers an NSF-sponsored opportunity for early career scientists, postdocs, and PhD students in the U.S. to apply for travel support to the October 2021 Ice Core Young Scientists (ICYS) and International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS) Open Science meeting in Crans-Montana, Switzerland ( https://indico.psi.ch/event/6697/overview ). Applicants must be currently employed by a university or research institution within the U.S; under-represented minorities and from minority-serving institutions are especially encouraged to apply.

Viadrina Mentoring and Coaching Program for Female Postdoctoral Researchers

Who: female doctoral researchers in the final stage of their PhD, postdoctoral researchers, female heads of junior research groups and female junior professors

Duration: 12 month

POTSDAM SUMMER SCHOOL 2021
Water: Our Global Common Good - The Hydrosphere across Land and Sea

from August 09 until August 18, 2021 in Potsdam, Germany

This is just a reminder that the deadline for applications for this year's AGU Cryosphere Flash Freeze Competition is Wednesday, November 25. Please email applications (1 pg. letter of intent and 2 pg CV) to Ryan W. Webb (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Call for Applications:
2021 Arctic Advanced Manufacturing Innovator Program

The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) has announced a call for applications for its 2021 Arctic Innovator Program. The Arctic Advanced Manufacturing Innovator Program supports early career innovators with fresh ideas and innovative approaches to address fundamental hard technology manufacturing challenges. Hard technology is defined as physical devices.

Call for researchers/experts to join the INTERACT Expert Pool of scientists

INTERACT -The International Network for Research and Monitoring in the Arctic- is seeking experts from various fields of research from natural sciences to human dimension to join an international pool of experts to help with the scientific evaluation of the INTERACT Transnational Access applications. Currently, experts are especially needed on topics such as land-based and air-borne contaminants and pollutants, genetics, geomorphology, microplastics, One Health and soil science. However, scientists from other fields of research are also warmly invited to join the INTERACT Expert Pool.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS)in cooperation with the International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA) is pleased to announce the availability of travel support for the 10th International Congress for Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS X) (15 - 19 June 2021, Arkhangelsk, Russia).

The University of Maine is seeking outstanding applicants for a new graduate training program focused on fostering systems perspectives to address the challenges of complex socio-environmental changes in the Arctic. This program is designed to provide the next generation of Arctic system scientists with new competencies and skills to advance understanding of the new Arctic and support improved outcomes in the Arctic and beyond.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) announces the availability of a new hub of webpages featuring information about each of Arctic research projects that have been supported through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) program. Explore the site to learn more about NNA project activities, team members, and field site locations. The site also includes information about the newest round of 2020 NNA grantees.

YESS In the past year, the Young Earth System Scientists (YESS) have developed a new Strategic Action Plan and have been working to understand and support Early Career Researchers (ECRs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. They will also be involved in the upcoming American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, including in a session entitled “Moving Beyond the Standard: A Transdisciplinary Virtual Event for Early-Career Scientists." Discover more here.

MSc(Res) Polar and Alpine Change Programme
Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, UK

The LVIS L1A Geotagged Images, Version 1 data set is now available at the NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC). This data set contains geotagged images collected from 21 May 2019 through 08 August 2019 over the United States, Western Canada, and Central America. The images were taken by two NASA Digital Mapping Cameras which were mounted alongside the Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS), an airborne lidar scanning laser altimeter. The data were collected as part of either the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission or NASA’s Terrestrial Ecology Program campaign, the Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE).

NSF The National Science Foundation has released an updated solicitation for Navigating the New Arctic (NNA). Navigating the New Arctic is part of NSF's "Big Ideas," 10 bold, long-term research and process ideas that identify areas for future investment at the frontiers of science and engineering. The Big Ideas represent unique opportunities to position our Nation at the cutting edge of global science and engineering leadership by bringing together diverse disciplinary perspectives to support convergence research. As such, even though proposals must be submitted to the Directorate for Geosciences when responding to this solicitation, once received, the proposals will be managed by a cross-Directorate team of NSF Program Directors.

pyrn logo Dear PYRN members! Let me invite you next summer in Yakutsk (Russia) for taking part in 6th Forum for Young Permafrost Scientists commemorating 100th birthday of Evgeny M. Katasonov and Nina P. Anisimova, June 29 –July 13, 2021. The Forum for Young Permafrost Scientists (FYPS 2021) will include 1) Current Challenges and Future Prospects for Geocryology, a conference held from June 29 to July 2, 2021, and 2) Cryo-Deserts 2021, a field workshop from July 3 to 13, 2021. Please consider the 1st circular & see everyone in Yakutsk!

For the seventh episode of The IcePod, we met with Robert Hausen who works as a forecaster for the German Weather Service (DWD) and joined leg 3 of the MOSAiC expedition. Since Robert was a kid, he always waited for the snow to fall and grew up wondering about all kinds of weather phenomena. And this is where he ended up: Polarstern. MOSAiC has been his first Arctic cruise while Robert usually sails the Antarctic seas. This actually qualified him to take part in the coldest leg that MOSAiC could offer its participants.

IASC The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC)is now soliciting applications to be the next Secretaries for our:Atmosphere Working Group,Social and Human Working Group,Terrestrial Working Group.Being an IASC Working Group Secretary provides a unique experience to support and gain insight into international and interdisciplinary science cooperation. We hope that applicants will see this as a unique professional development opportunity. Duties for the Working Group Secretary include preparation and secretarial support for the Working Group meetings, tracking of activities’ deliverables, and communication with the Working Group and the central Secretariat during the year.The last day to apply is 6 December 2020.

The Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge offers a nine-month Masters Course in Polar Studies. It is a well established course and offers teaching, training and supervision in either the Polar Physical Sciences or the Polar Social Sciences/ Humanities although students may attend lectures from both strands. There is a short video introducing the course available from here, further information about our Masters Programme can be found here. We are running a live Q&A session on Friday 13th November at 13:00 (GMT). Please register here.

APECS logo APECS is looking for a new Project Officer for the APECS International Directorate Office based at the Research Centre of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Potsdam, Germany!

Application deadline is 7 December 2020.

iasc web apecs logo web The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) are excited to announce the IASC Fellowship Program 2021.

The IASC Fellowship Program is meant to engage early career scientists in the work of the IASC Working Groups (WGs): Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social & Human, and Terrestrial. This year, we will offer 6 IASC fellowships.

Read the full announcment here!

The APECS-Brazil is helping to advertise the call for papers of the "Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (AABC)" - Special volume on Antarctic Research. The title and authors of the manuscript should be sent by November 2020, and the deadline for paper submission is March, 31 2021. This is a great opportunity for us, early in our career, to publish our work - and because the call is open to all countries we thought would be interesting to be published also in the APECS International social media.

Find further information can be found here.

We are a team of biologists, research technicians and a professionnal photographer who are committed to document the fragile environment of the Arctic. We are planning an expedition to the Labrador Sea and Baffin Bay starting in May 2021. EXPEDITION GLACIALIS will monitor the marine mammals and wildlife visually, acoustically and with a thermal camera. We will collect micro-plastic samples and other relevant parameters as well. Our intention is to do open science in collaboration with institutions, universities and communities. We have several partners with a strong interest in collecting and sharing data in these regions and are currently are looking for specific partners related to physico-chemical parameters that we could collect. Find out more here.

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) supports communication and collaboration across all areas of Arctic research. In addition to collaboration teams that implement the Arctic Research Plan, we have a number of self-forming teams. These teams are spaces for IARPC Collaborations members to organize around topics they find important. We at IARPC encourage all Arctic researchers and community members to join IARPC Collaborations and check out our self-forming teams.

SCAR logo 2018 white background The deadline for Visiting Scholar applications has been extended to 25 November. In recognition of the current travel restrictions as there will be significant flexibility with regard to the timing of completion of the visits. We also welcome applications that are planned to be completed virtually. Full details and how to apply on SCAR`s Visiting Scholar Scheme page.

For a special Issue of the Polar Record journal, Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge University Press, papers on the topic of Arctic Science Diplomacy in the Rapidly Changing World: From Regional to Global Scales are welcomed. We invite research papers from scientists and experts in this field. For more information please visit the journal website.

The Journal of Marine Science and Engineering invites manuscript submissions for a special issue titled, The Ice-Ocean Boundary. Editors welcome contributions from a broad range of theoretical, modeling, field, and laboratory research into processes that affect this boundary region. Submissions are welcomed until 31 March 2021.

The World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) has opened the call-for-data for the observation period 2018/19. We are compiling standardized data on glacier front variations, glaciological mass balances (at point and glacier-wide level) as well as glacier changes in area, thickness, and volume from geodetic surveys. Furthermore, we are interested in special events such as related to glacier surges, avalanches, or lake outburst floods. For more information, data submission guidelines and forms please check our website. Data submission deadline is December 1, 2020.

The EGU General Assembly 2021, traditionally held each spring in Vienna, Austria, will take place entirely online. In its place, EGU will host vEGU21: Gather Online (#vEGU21), a completely virtual event that will take place from 19–30 April and bring together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. With this call for abstracts, all scientific sessions are open to receive your contribution. The deadline for abstract submission is 13 January 2021, 13:00 CET. You are kindly invited to find a session for your abstract here.

unnamed The Antarctic Environments Portal provides ready access to high-level summary information on Antarctic issues, based on the best available scientific knowledge. SCAR’s primary aim in hosting the Portal is to fulfil its remit of providing objective and independent scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty System on issues of science and conservation affecting the management of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. We are excited to have launched a ‘new look’ Portal website which has been redesigned to make it easier for users to find the information they want and to access additional resources. The Portal’s Information Summaries have also been designed to make them more user-friendly.

Josefine Lenz 2018 As of 1 Nov, Dr. Josefine Lenz is APECS’ new Executive Director. Josefine has been an APECS Project Officer and was involved in various APECS leadership roles during the last years. Her science background is in permafrost research. “It is an honor and at the same time quite a challenge to follow in Gerlis` footsteps, that`s for sure. But with another great leadership team just starting its term, we will certainly steer APECS through another exciting and fun year filled with enthusiasm for polar research.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS http://www.soos.aq) are looking for an early career scientist to join the SOOS Southern Ocean Weddell Sea and Dronning Maud Land Sector Regional Working Group (WS-DML RWG http://www.soos.aq/activities/rwg/sois).

The University of Alaska Fairbanks offers a free online course on 'Remote Sensing of Wildfires'starting 2 November 2020. Learn how satellite imagery and the science of remote sensing allows us to detect wildfires, help manage their spread, and guide ecological restoration. It's a self-paced 4-week course and the content is tailored for a broad audience (high school to University students).

Course Link: https://www.edx.org/course/remote-sensing-of-wildfires

102 Vural Deniz Pixabay Polar Week September 2020 Thank you for joining us in putting the polar and alpine regions into the spotlight. We were overjoyed about your own stories, photos and experiences shared with us using the hashtags: #PolarWeek, #ScientistsWhoSelfie, #PolarWeekPhoto, #PolarWeekArt and #PolarFunFact. During this year’s September Polar Week we shared a series of talks and activities through APECS international and its national committees to raise awareness on the polar and alpine areas and its indigeneous people, wildlife, facts, stories, scientists, landscapes and the risks, especially the importance due to climatic changes. We enthusiastically encouraged our early career researchers (ECR) to both join our activities and to create their own events within the framework of the Polar Week. Thanks to the wide collaborations between countries, we could expand and enrich our events and really feel the spirit of the Polar Week everywhere! See here the highlights of the September 2020 Polar Week.

APECS logo APECS is very pleased to announce our 2020 APECS International Mentorship Award recipients – Ria Olivier and Amaelle Landais! The mentorship awards were established in 2016 as a meaningful way to recognize the efforts of those mentors within the international polar science community, and to honour those who have devoted significant time and energy towards building a supportive community for early career professionals. We received several nominations for both categories and it was difficult to select the winners.

Quantarcticais a collection of Antarctic geographical datasets for research, education, operations and environment management that works on free GIS software QGIS. To respond to the strong desire of the community and to take the full benefits of rapidly growing knowledge base in Antarctica and Southern Ocean, Norwegian Polar Institute is currently developing a plan to make a major update to Quantarctica version 4. We would like to start this process with a community survey to hear about datasets, data categories, and functions you want to see in QA4. We need your feedback by the end of November. The survey takes 5-10 minutes.

We would like to draw your attention to the extension of the deadline to submit your manuscript to the Focus Section onArctic and Antarctic Seismology, to be published in the July 2021 volume of Seismological Research Letters. The new deadline is December 28, 2020. Please visit this website for a detailed scope and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Kind regards and stay safe, Myrto Pirli & Peter Voss (Guest Editors)

This funding partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) supports projects to develop and advance knowledge concerning dynamic language infrastructure in the context of endangered human languages - languages that are both understudied and at risk of falling out of use. Made urgent by the imminent loss of roughly half of the approximately 7,000 currently used languages, this effort aims to exploit advances in human-language. Learn more and submit a full proposal by November 18.

The Mid-Career Advancement (MCA) is the only cross-directorate NSF program specifically aimed at providing protected time and resources to established scientists and engineers targeted at the mid-career (Associate Professor rank or equivalent) stage. By (re)-investing in mid-career investigators, the National Science Foundation aims to enable and grow a more diverse scientific workforce (more women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities) at high academic ranks, who remain engaged and active in cutting-edge research.

Participating programs in the Directorates for Biological Sciences (BIO), Geosciences (GEO), Engineering (ENG), Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), and Education and Human Resources (EHR) will accept MCA proposals. Program Investigators are encouraged to discuss the suitability of their MCA proposal with a program officer from the appropriate directorate.

The Inuit Circumpolar Council-Alaska has released the Inuit led report entitled Food Security and Self-Governance: Inuit Role in Managing Arctic Marine Resources. The Food Sovereignty and Self Governance Project is bringing Inuit together to lead their own work. To access the report, please visit the website of the Inuit Circumpolar Cuncil.

iasc web The Arctic Science Summit Week 2021 (24-26 March 2021) under the overarching topic “The Arctic: Regional Change Global Impacts” now accepts calls for abstracts. The conference will be held online and will include oral and e-poster presentations. Each lead author may submit up to one oral and one e-poster presentation until November 30, 2020. Abstracts are limited to 1500 characters and the title should not be longer than 150 characters.

The Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (AMOS) is delighted to announce the 28th AMOS Annual Conference: ‘Science for Impact’. We will hold this event online, 8–12 February 2021. Our ‘Science for Impact’ theme highlights the real-world benefits science has, and can continue to have, through collaboration and partnerships. AMOS 2021 delegates are not just from Australia but from across the world—researchers, government representatives, NGOs, businesses, students and the media. The AMOS Organising Committee invites you to submit an abstract for presentation at the AMOS 2021 Annual Conference until 6 November.

SCAR logo 2018 white background On behalf of SCAR Standing Committee on the Humanities and Social SciencesSCAR Standing Committee on the Humanities and Social Sciences, we invite all Antarctic researchers, support staff, students, and anyone else involved in Antarctic research or logistics to fill out this survey.Your response will help the team to understand how we as a community are affected and will inform strategic decisions to mitigate impacts. Please click here to participate in the survey.Your participation in this survey is voluntary, confidential, and anonymous. It will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete this survey. Note that the survey is set to close by 8 November 2020 (23:59 GMT). If you have any questions, please contact Andrea Herbert (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Daniela Liggett (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

As you know, due to the Covid Pandemic in all World and in Latin America, the Organizing Committee of the 3rd Sochicri Annual Meeting has decided to postpone our meeting to 18-19 March 2021. The local committee decided to organize the meeting fully online and participation it will be entirely free of inscription fees. For those who had already paid their inscription, find details below. Those participants who still wish to send an abstract, you can do it until Nov., 30^th 2020 via the webpage.

Are you a student looking to fund your innovative research in Cryospheric Science? Consider participating in the Flash Freeze competition at this year's Fall Meeting! The AGU Cryosphere Section Executive Committee is now accepting applications for the Cryosphere Innovation Award for Students that will be decided in the Flash Freeze competition during the Fall Meeting (Thursday, December 10). The award is open to all students attending the 2020 Fall Meeting and is given to support and recognize innovative student-led research in the Cryospheric Sciences. Students wishing to participate in this year's competition are required to submit a letter of intent (not to exceed one (1) page) and a CV (not to exceed two (2) pages) to the Innovation Award subcommittee chaired by Ryan Webb via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by November 25, 2020 at midnight US eastern time.

IASC The IASC Medal is awarded in recognition of exceptional and sustained contributions to the understanding of the Arctic.A maximum of one award is made each year, assuming that there is a nominee of appropriate quality. The whole IASC community, from all countries and career stages, is encouraged to submit a nomination by sending this form to the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., demonstrating the nominee’s excellence and sustained contribution to the understanding of the Arctic (see evaluation criteria). Nominations for the 2021 IASC Medal, which is expected to be awarded at the ASSW 2021, can be submitted to the IASC Secretariat until 31 December 2020.

In 2021, a coalition of organizations including The Arctic Institute, Women in Polar Science, and Women of the Arctic will be organizing a webinar series, "Breaking the Ice Ceiling". The aim is to highlight research, experience, and stories of polar women researchers. Please fill out this form if you would like to present in this webinar series and the organizers will reach out and follow up on coordination.

iasc web The call for abstracts for the science days of the Arctic Science Summit Week 2021 (24-26 March 2021) under the overarching topic “The Arctic: Regional Change Global Impacts” is now open. Despite the focus on the Arctic, several sessions accept contributions on the Antarctic, aiming at fostering networking and advances on research on both poles. Abstracts text is limited to 1500 characters and the title should not be longer than 150 characters. Deadline for abstract submission is 30 November 2020. Read the 2nd circular.

We are pleased to present newly combined high-resolution reconstructions of Antarctic palaeotopography and Southern Ocean palaeobathymetry for five time intervals between the Eocene–Oligocene boundary (ca. 34 Ma) and the present-day. The grids were produced by merging separately published reconstructions of palaeotopography and palaeobathymetry from two recent studies (Paxman et al., 2019; Hochmuth et al., 2020), and are a key output of the Past Antarctic Ice Sheet dynamics (PAIS) Antarctic palaeotopography and palaeobathymetry working group of SCAR. The grids are freely available to download here.

logo uarctic hor We are delighted to announce today the launch of the Læra Institute for Circumpolar Education (Læra Institute), a new institute within the international University of the Arctic (UArctic). Læra Institute lead partners Trent University and the University of Northern British Columbia are privileged to be joined in this initiative by the Arctic State Agrotechnological University in Russia, Nord University in Norway, and Lakehead University and Yukon University in Canada.

CLIVASH2kinitiates a data call of published and unpublished Antarctic ice core records of Na⁺ and SO₄^2-, ideally as both flux and concentration, at the best available resolution (seasonal to decadal) spanning the past two thousand years. To submit data, please fill in the excel template (download here) by 1 December, send it to Elizabeth Thomas: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Diana Vladimirova: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact us if you wish to be involved in the data interpretation or analysis. Thank you.

New digital technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence are leading to a major transformation in Earth observation and opening up a wealth of opportunities for science and business alike. Embracing this new era, ESA and the European Geosciences Union (EGU) have opened a competition for an award in Earth observation excellence. Do you know someone who is in the early stages of their career, but already deserves recognition for their innovative use of Earth observation? If so, there is now a unique opportunity to nominate them for the new ESA–EGU Earth Observation Excellence Award. The deadline for submitting nominations is 2 November 2020.

A new book entitled “Arctic Hydrology, Permafrost and Ecosystems”, co-edited by Dr. Daqing Yang of Environment and Climate Change Canada and Prof. Douglas Kane of Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks, has been published in September 2020 by Springer. This book, drawing on the latest research results from across the circumpolar regions, provides a comprehensive, up-to-date assessment of the key terrestrial components of the Arctic system, i.e. hydrology, climatology, permafrost, and ecology. With an integrated system approach, the book’s 30 chapters, written by a diverse team of leading scholars (86 authors from 12 countries), carefully examine Arctic climate variability/change, large river hydrology, lakes and wetlands, snow cover and ice processes, permafrost characteristics, vegetation/landscape changes, and the future trajectory of Arctic system evolution.

AC quickguide 2020.pdf The Arctic Council published a quick guide to itself; who participates in it, what it does, and its accomplishments. Find the free download here.

©Arctic Council

The Ecologic Institute, Migration in Harmony Research Coordination Network (MiH-RCN), and The Arctic Institute invite applications for the Arctic Winter College. The Arctic Winter College is a series of web-based seminars (webinars) that will take place on Tuesdays, 18:00-20:00 Central European Time from 12 January to 23 March 2021. Weekly webinars, featuring diverse experts and hosted by MiH-RCN Principle Investigator Victoria Herrmann, will focus on the theme “Arctic on the Move.” Urbanization, globalization, and the impacts of climate change are activating the simultaneous migrations of species, ecosystems, settlements, and cultures across Arctic coastlines.

The European Commission and the European Space Agency are working together to improve cooperation and to identify the grand science challenges in Polar research that may drive joint EC-ESA scientific activities in the coming years. The European Polar Science Week is one of the first results of this increased cooperation between the two organisations. It will take place on-line October 26-30 2020.Find more details and registration before October 20.

ECO SpecialIssue ECO’s Polar Special Issue is published this month in partnership with APECS, Arctic Circle and SCAR. Here is the link to the digital issue. We have four regularly scheduled issues in 2021 with a dedicated Polar section, not to mention the dedicated news page on ECO’s website. We always encourage submissions for content should you or anyone in your network be interested. You can email submissions anytime to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The IcePod goes live and Antarctic! For our first live episode that we broadcasted during the APECS workshop "Antarctic Science: Global connections", we met with the Australian weather observer and Ph.D. candidate Vicki Heinrich. Well, actually, it wasn't only Vicki but we had another special guest: Vickie's pet cat sneaking around.

The Permafrost Carbon Network (PCN) invites contributions of data for a synthesis aimed at improving the understanding of fire effects on permafrost thermal regimes across the pan-Arctic. This synthesis arose from a breakout session at the PCN meeting before the American Geophysical Union last December.

UK Russia MARESEDU session leaflet Anna Gebruk1 The Marine Research and Eduation (MaresEdu) conference hosts two sessions that are focused on the Arctic region and we invite everyone with an interest to Arctic region and marine research to attend these sessions: 1. Special session on the UN Decade of Ocean Science with a focus on the Arctic region, and 2. UK-Russia joint session on marine expeditions in the Arctic Understanding Marine Biology and Biogeochemistry of the Changing Arctic Ocean. Please note that all sessions of MaresEdu are free but you need to fill in registration form to attend.

Calling all Antarctic researchers and staff! Are you travelling to or over-wintering on Antarctica this year (November 2020 – January 2021)? If you are heading to Antarctica or any of the surrounding Antarctic islands this winter, we would love your help with our UK Polar Network Antarctic Flags Project! All we ask is that you take some flags (however many you are willing to take) sent to you as a .pdf or .jpg and photograph them in Antarctica as proof that they have made it there. For more info, please visit https://polarnetwork.org/2020/10/join-us-for-antarctica-day-2020/ or get in touch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Jennifer (UKPN Antarctic Flags Coordinator).

175 APECS Podcast PG Logo Hello Polar People!

APECS is very excited to announce the launch of our new podcast Polar Times- bringing science and stories from polar places to the masses!

Polar Times is a brand-new project group that is aiming to deliver an episode of the podcast every two weeks. We will be interviewing people from all walks of polar life- not just science and academia- from all around the world.

mosaic logo Auswahl 2 rgb 08 MOSAiC is the largest Arctic research project of our times. Frozen into the ice, the German research icebreaker Polarstern has been drifting with the same ice floe through the Central Arctic from mid of October until the end of July when the ice floe eventually disintegrated into many small pieces. During those ten months, hundreds of scientists conducted field research on the polar atmosphere, ocean, ecology, the physical properties of the ice and biogeochemical relationships between all this, while the floe travelled from the Siberian Seas to the Fram Strait. Among those scientists have been many Master students, PhD-students, early Post-Docs, in short: Early career researchers (ECRs).

Read the full announcment here!

iassa logo The Arctic Resilience Forum 2020 will be held online as a series of ten weekly 1,5 hours long webinars starting this Wednesday,
October 7, 2020. The Forum is hosted by the Icelandic Chairmanship and co-organized by the Sustainable Development Working Group and the Arctic Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center. You can find the weekly schedule below and register on the dedicated event website hosted by the Belfer Center. Simultaneous Russian interpretation will be provided for all sessions. We hope that you will join us and we appreciate you sharing this information with your networks.

Sign up to attend the APECS Polar Early Career Workshop 2020 on 14 October 2020! Join us for a day of keynote speeches, early career tea/coffee & Q&A with presentations by industry professionals, and early career researcher abstract presentations. See more informaiton on the poster...

Register here:https://forms.gle/Kfu4psNDb5uJEWHTA

The SCAR Antarctic biodiversity portal and the SCAR Standing Committee of Antarctic Data Managers (SCADM) and expert group on Antarctic Biodiversity Informatics (EG-ABI) are excited to present a series of online webinars designed to help you to better integrate your biological field work and research cycle.

Date: 3 - 6 November 2020
Time: 09:00 UTC - 10:30 UTC

The Arctic Research Consortium of the US announces the Early Career Conference Funding Award to support up to twenty, US-based, early career researchers and students to participate in meetings and events relevant to Arctic research. In lieu of full travel grants during 2020/21, these funding awards will cover registration fees, session/abstract submission costs, and other relevant expenses related to virtual conference attendance for one conference or event scheduled to take place through 31 May 2021. The deadline for submitting an award application is 5:00pm Alaska time, 1 November 2020. For more information on the award, qualifications, and how to apply, please visit this website.

Are you using drone-based remote sensing to advance understanding of cryospheric systems? If so, please consider submitting a manuscript to our new Frontiers in Remote Sensing Research Topic: “Innovation and Applications of UAV Remote Sensing in Cryospheric Systems.An abridged version of our call is appended below, and key dates are as follows: Abstract deadline: 29 January 2021, Full manuscripts: 2 July 2021

For the sixth episode, The IcePod went overseas where we connected with Taneil Uttal in Boulder, Colorado. Taneil is a meteorologist at NOAA, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Taneil Uttal and Anja Sommerfeld from the fifth episode of The IcePod were the female atmospheric force during the darkest hours of the MOSAiC sea-ice drift. As the leader of the Atmospheric Team, Taneil felt it was her main job to make everybody else's job easy. Leg 2 being the only fully sun-free period of the expedition, it provided Taneil with the best opportunities to observe the most extreme conditions in the Arctic, and to measure all the 'zeros' during darkness. Find the new episode here.

Université Laval's Sentinel North program announces the opening of the Sentinel North excellence scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships competition, from September 1 to October 10, 2020.These scholarships and fellowships aim to encourage the best candidates to undertake or pursue research activities within theSentinel North research program in a transdisciplinary environment.Master, PhD and postdoctoral projects can earn support.Candidates who stand out by the excellence of their academic record and the innovative and multidisciplinary potential of their research project are invited to submit their application.

Deadline to apply: October 10, 2020

Find out more about the eligibility requirements and evaluation criteria for the competition here.

apecs logo web APECS is excited to announce that another leadership term has begun on 1 October 2020!

We would be remiss if we left out of this announcement that this is APECS’ first transition between terms without our North Star, our Southern Cross, Gerlis Fugmann. As many of you already know, this past August Gerlis moved on from her position as Executive Director of APECS, which she held for seven years, to become the new Executive Secretary of IASC, a fantastic opportunity for both her and IASC.

APECS South Africa Logo A day of insight hosted by APECSSA - Wisdom from experienced scientists.

We have enjoyed a very successful day on 15 September 2020 via zoom (over 70 participants from around the globe), gaining valuable insight and tips to keep in mind and draw inspiration from as researchers at the beginning of our careers - or otherwise, as mentioned by some of the speakers, starting out at the bottom. The morning was more than rhetoric, although plenty of phrases stood out.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego in La Jolla, California, invites applications for one or more Institution-wide Postdoctoral positions in any of the major areas of research conducted at Scripps. Scripps Institution of Oceanography is one of the oldest, largest, and most important centers for marine science research in the world. Research at Scripps encompasses physical, chemical, biological, geological, and geophysical studies of the oceans, earth, and atmosphere.

The Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center (BPCRC) of The Ohio State University announces the 2020 Byrd Fellowship Program for Postdoctoral Researchers. This program was established through a major gift from the Byrd Foundation in memory of Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd and Marie Ames Byrd, his wife. This program provides fellowships at The Ohio State University for postdoctoral researchers with superior academic backgrounds who are pursuing advanced research on topics relevant to polar and alpine environments as well as global climate change. Postdoctoral fellows must have received their Ph.D. within five years of selection. Except for fieldwork and other fellowship related research activities that require absence from campus, Byrd Fellows are expected to be in residence at the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center during the tenure of their fellowship.

The First Nations Development Institute (First Nations), in partnership with The Henry Luce Foundation invite applications for 10 Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowships. Through this fellowship program, organizers will award 10 fellowships to outstanding Native knowledge holders and knowledge makers engaged in meaningful work that benefits Indigenous people.

The Gender Equality in the Arctic (GEA) project is proud to announce “GEA III Report Feedback Sessions”, a series of six online sessions presenting the work of the project’s lead-authors for the Pan-Arctic Report on Gender Equality in the Arctic. The sessions are an integral part of the process of calling for feedback and suggestions for the report and to inform future work on the topic of Gender Equality in the Arctic. In each session the lead-authors and selected contributors for one chapter will present their work and answer questions and engage in conversation with registered participants. Participants are invited and encouraged to comment and make suggestions. Read more on the GEA Report here.

Find more about the session descriptions and dates here: https://arcticgenderequality.network/gea-iii-report-feedback-sessions

Call for contributions for Northern Notes Autumn/Winter 2020 Edition 54th. Please submit your contribution until 1 November to Ann Crawford at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

YESS Logo With the success of the first edition of the Science Webinar and the interests shown by the YESS community, the team comprising members from the Online Events and Science Working Groups launches the second edition of the Science Webinar series. The goal of the webinar series is to keep the community well informed with the latest research and broaden their knowledge in areas of the Earth sciences. The online activities have been helpful in the professional development of early-career researchers and keep them motivated during these uncertain times.

YESS Logo High Impact Weather Project (HIWeather) is a 10-year research project established in 2016 by WMO’s World Weather Research Programme (WWRP). HIWeather is aimed at achieving dramatic improvements in the effectiveness of weather-related hazard warnings, following recent advancements in numerical weather prediction at km-scale and in disaster risk reduction. In this context, the WWRP and the Young Earth System Scientists (YESS) Community are delighted to announce the first edition of the Citizen Science Webinar Series between September and November 2020.

The Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska, in collaboration with partners, is pleased to release the report: Food Sovereignty and Self-Governance - Inuit Role in Arctic Marine Resource Management. This Inuit-led report illuminates the unique and rich Inuit values and management practices that have successfully safeguarded the Arctic for thousands of years.

The NASA MEaSUREs ITS_LIVE scene-pair velocity data set is now available online at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with a new tool for rapidly selecting and filtering the data. This new data set consists of single-pair image-correlation-based ice flow velocities generated from the entire Landsat 4, 5, 7 & 8 archive. The 8 million individual scene-pairs cover all the permanent ice-covered areas larger than 5 km2, globally. It spans 1984 to early 2019 and has a spatial resolution of 240m. Regular updates to near-real-time (~1 to 2 months latency) are planned before the end of the year.

The votes on our September 2020 Polar Week Photo Competition are in. More than 400 people voted on the 22 amazing submissions on polar and alpine photographs. A big thank you to all the people who submitted a picture and another thank you to everyone who voted and made this photo competition happen.

We are happy to now announce the winners of our photo competition and the print-version of the INTERACT field work planning handbook and practical field guide. Congratulations to our Photo Competition winners!

177 Mark Orzech Member Bulletin Board We would like to make you aware of a Special Issue of the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (JMSE), "The Ice-Ocean Boundary", that is now accepting submissions.

As climate change continues to reshape the polar environment, it is increasingly important that we fully understand the range of physical processes by which the ocean and the ice interact and the roles these processes will play in defining the future of the Arctic and Antarctic. Ocean currents and waves exert significant force on surface ice through drag and pressure variations. Fluctuations in temperature and salinity affect sea-ice-associated biota, ocean circulation, and the distribution, rheology, and material properties of the ice. Surface ice insulates the ocean beneath from atmospheric processes like solar radiation and wind forcing. The ice-ocean boundary is the primary interface at which these phenomena can be measured and modeled, and yet much about it remains unknown.

113 Souza Juliana APECS Polar Workshop Oct 2020

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY APPLIED/SIGNED UP TO ATTEND, PLEASE RESUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT/DETAILS AS WE HAVE HAD ERRORS WITH OUR APPLICATION FORM!

We are pleased to announce this call for abstracts for the APECS Polar Career Workshop. We invite individuals early in their careers to submit their application to present a video/thesis/presentation - there is no restriction on topics.

173 Lina Madaj Polar Week September 2020 Photo Contest Voting

Thank you for the amazing photos that were submitted for our APECS International Polar Week September 2020 Photo Competition! Now it is time for YOU to vote on your favourite photo.

How to vote? Click through the photos on our photo competition website and note their number and photographer name. And then fill out the voting poll here: https://www.poll-maker.com/poll3125406xc4B84677-97

It's International Polar Week from 20th to 26th of September 2020! Join us in putting the polar and alpine regions into the spotlight.

The Polar Week aims to celebrate the importance of polar and alpine regions and the cryosphere in general. It takes place twice a year for one week around the spring and autumnal equinox when daytime and night-time are equal all around the World!

During this Polar Week we will share a series of talks and activities through APECS international and NC committees to raise awareness on polar life, facts, stories, the role in the climate crisis and so forth. We enthusiastically encourage our early career researchers (ECR) to both join our activities and to create their own events within the framework of the Polar Week.

COVID-19 Reporting Card system provides a daily updated summarized high-level overview of the statistics on the COVID-19 pandemic in the Arctic. The reporting card includes information about the total confirmed cases, deaths, death rate per 100 000 cases, and a number of cases and deaths added per the last 24 hours for 52 arctic and northern regions. One may view the reporting card for any available date, download the current report as PDF, and subscribe to receive the most recent version of the reporting card to email daily, three times per week, or once per week.

To subscribe or view visit:

https://www.geotree.uni.edu/arcticcovid/

More information about the project: https://arcticcovid.uni.edu/

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) announces the release of their Summer 2020 Ice Bits newsletter. Ice Bits is the quarterly update of the U.S. IDPO and Ice Drilling Design and Operations (IDDO) group activities.

Topics highlighted in this edition include:

2020-2030 Long Range Science and Long Range Drilling Technology Plans Updated,
2020 Ice Core Working Group White Papers,
2020 Science Advisory Board (SAB) Meeting and SAB Rotations,
IDP-WI Refocuses on Development and Maintenance Work Amid COVID-19 Pandemic,
COVID-19 Transformed 2020 School of Ice is Successfully Executed,
Acknowledgment of IDP in Publications, and
Ice Drilling Support for NSF Polar Proposals.

To view or download the current newsletter, go to:
https://www.arcus.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=25346&qid=4341529

The Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) would like to draw your attention to the release of a new range of High Resolution Snow & Ice (HR-S&I) Monitoring products.
These products are now operationally available and include:

Fractional Snow Cover (FSC)
Persistent Snow Area (PSA)
River and Lake Ice Extent (RLIE)
Aggregated River and Lake Ice Extent (ARLIE)

The first-ever Strategic Plan for the Canadian Permafrost Association (CPA) has been drafted and is ready for review by the permafrost community. You can download it at https://canadianpermafrostassociation.ca/Strategic-Plan.htm.

Feedback is easy and anonymous: just click on the link at the end of each of the five themes within the document. We look forward to your feedback, the deadline for comments has been extended to September 21.

ESIP Community Fellows are graduate students and post-docs (<2 yrs since graduation) interested in bridging the gap between informatics and Earth Science. This fellowship provides fellows with a chance to work closely with professionals in an interdisciplinary, cross-sector group (ESIP collaboration area) on current Earth Science problems. Community fellows become engaged in ESIP collaboration areas as rapporteurs, documenting group activities on monthly telecons and at ESIP’s semi-annual meetings. As fellows become more familiar with collaboration-area activities, they may choose to integrate their own research, which can result in publication and additional funding opportunities.

ICASS X's theme is Arctic Generations: Looking Back and Looking Forward. Research on social sciences and humanities have a great responsi- bility to address the challenges for sustainable development in the Arctic, with a specific focus on past, present and future generations of Arctic residents. The generational nature of changes and responses have lately become more recog- nized by many policy makers and researchers. A focus on generations highlights the long-term, fundamental nature and scope of changes, im- pacts and adaptation strategies. Another focus of ICASS X is Indigenous knowledge and inter- and transdisciplinary research in the Arctic.

As a stakeholder of the Polar and Sub-polar region, we are pleased to announce that the call for proposals for the BEST 2.0+ grant scheme is now open!

BEST 2.0+ is designed to support actions on the ground carried out by local stakeholders in the EU and UK Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs). The objective remains the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of ecosystem services, including ecosystem based approaches to climate change adaptation and mitigation in the OCTs. This call has been adapted to cope with the consequences of the covid-19 outbreak and has been extended to include circular economy solutions.

Member positions are opening in the leadership group of the SOOS Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas Regional Working Group.

The Regional Working Group aims to discuss progress and ideas in the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Sea sector to improve the functioning, development, outputs and outcomes of research, policy and stakeholder groups. From a practical perspective, we seek to coordinate and publicise current and future studies in the region to promote greater collaboration and opportunities.

The High Mountain Asia Near-Global Multi-Decadal Glacial Lake Inventory, Version 1 data set is now available at the NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC). This data set contains polygons of glacial lake extent on a near-global scale, averaged over five multi-year periods between 1990 and 2018 using optical imagery from Landsat missions 4, 5, 7, and 8.

Access to the data and documentation is provided on the data set web page at the NSIDC DAAC: https://nsidc.org/data/hma_gli.

In partnership with Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, students and youth from northern and southern Canada, we are preparing short films showcasing different journeys from members of our community. If you would like to share your journey, please click here, where you’ll be invited to record 30 second videos to respond to some questions. You can respond to one, a few or all questions. Voice-only submissions are also welcome! If you wish to contribute anonymously, written responses are also welcome, and will be read and recorded by Indigenous youth.

Read more here.

An extended report by Aborigen-Forum, Centre for the Support of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Arctic Consult, and Batani foundation.

This is extended report prepared by Gennady Schukin (Aborigen-Forum, Russia), Rodion Sulyandziga, PhD (Centre for the Support of indigenous Peoples of the North, Russia), Dmitry Berezhkov (Arctic Consult, Norway) and Pavel Sulyandziga, PhD (Batani Foundation, US) based on the Aborigen-Forum position paper “COVID-19 in Russia. The impact on indigenous peoples’ communities”, prepared for the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and the Arctic Consult report “Indigenous Peoples of the Russian North and COVID 19: Challenges in Achieving the SDGs” prepared for the Indigenous Peoples’ International Centre for Policy Research and Education “Tebtebba Foundation.”

Read the full report here.

iasc web Every year around December, IASC publishes our Arctic science calendar.

For graphics and photographs we depend solely on what the IASC community sends us. We are looking for new photographs for the publication of the 2020 Calendar, and other IASC publications such as the website, brochures, social media, and Bulletin. We welcome images depicting all areas of Arctic science: scientists in the field, animals, landscapes, everyday life in the Arctic, and more!

Submission for a special issue of the journal Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433) belonging to the section "Climatology" and titled "Interactions between the Cryosphere and Climate (Change)" will stay open until February 5, 2021.

You can follow this link for further details:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/atmosphere/special_issues/Cryosphere_Climate">https://www.mdpi.com/journal/atmosphere/special_issues/Cryosphere_Climate

Reconnecting with Heritage

Have you already heard about this fun and important international call? Reconnecting with your Heritage. Draw your Heritage.

In addition to the link, I have attached the details. I am hoping that your networks will reach out to polar communities everywhere and get the kids drawing!!! This sounds like a lot of fun and can really get the Poles on the map :D

Please consider submitting papers that focus on various aspects of Arctic hydrology to the special issue in open source journal “ Water” (IF 2.524) https://www.mdpi.com/journal/water/special_issues/Arctic_Region. Submission is currently open until October 1, 2020 but will be extended until February 2021.

If you are US based now or know collaborators who are then the BSSw (Better Scientific Software -https://bssw.io/) Fellowship Program might be of interest – https://bssw.io/blog_posts/applications-open-for-the-2021-bssw-fellowship-program (applications are open for their 2021 Fellowship Program). The progam was originally modelled off the SSI Fellows programme.

Any questions about it – contact the BSSw Fellowship co-ordinator - Hai Ah Nam - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The MEaSUREs Greenland Ice Velocity: Selected Glacier Site Velocity Maps from InSAR, Version 3 data set, accessible from the NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC), has been updated to a new version. This data set is part of the NASA Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) program. It provides velocity estimates determined from Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data for major glacier outlet areas in Greenland. The maps are produced from image pairs measured by the German Aerospace Center’s (DLR) twin satellites TerraSAR-X / TanDEM-X (TSX / TDX).

Sentinel North logo

Université Laval's Sentinel North program announces the opening of the Sentinel North excellence scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships competition, from September 1 to October 10, 2020.

These scholarships and fellowships aim to encourage the best candidates to undertake or pursue research activities within the Sentinel North research program in a transdisciplinary environment.

I am reaching out to the cryosphere/glaciology community to ask for some assistance. My name is Will Harcourt and I am a PhD student at the University of St Andrews where I am developing new techniques to monitor glaciers from satellites and the ground. I am working on a very exciting outreach project, in collaboration with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), to create a piece a music that encapsulates my research and the wider discipline. The aim of this project is to combine the artistic excellence of musicians and the knowledge of scientific researchers to bring the world of science to new audiences. The final piece will be presented at the Scottish edition of the Explorathon 2020 event (https://www.explorathon.co.uk/) due to be held in St Andrews, but will of course now be mostly virtual. Explorathon is a part of the European Researchers’ night (and day) which celebrates research through public outreach.

The 2020 August Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) Report is now available online. The SIO, a product of the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2), provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share predictions and ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. The Outlook is not an operational forecast.

Clic logo1 The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) is performing several consultations as part of its new WCRP implementation plan, and the input from its core projects is essential; as CliC, the Climate & Cryosphere Project, we have been requested to provide nominees to be part of the task teams that will develop the proposed Lighthouse Activities (LHA) science plans. LHA are intended to be:
--Major experiments, high-visibility projects, infrastructure building blocks
--Activities that truly bring together the capabilities (scientific, technical, infrastructure) from across the whole of WCRP and with partners.

Logo_SOD-WGII-AR6.v1.png

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), Mountain Research Initiative (MRI), PAst Global ChangES Early-Career Network (PAGES-ECN), Permafrost Young Research Network (PYRN), and Young Earth System Scientists (YESS) community successfully organized the group review of the Second Order Draft (SOD) of Working Group I (WGI) contribution to the IPCC 6^th Assessment Report (AR6) by early career scientists.

Below is an exciting opportunity for early career researchers with expertise in Ocean science and interest in Arctic region to join the international team developing the Arctic Action Plan of the United Nation’s Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (UNDOS) 2021 – 2030.

103 Vural Deniz Pixabay Polar Week September 2020 Photo Contest As for the past International Polar Weeks we are inviting all APECS members to participate in the #PolarWeekPhoto competition, taking place during September Polar Week from 20th - 26th. Please submit a picture you took in the Arctic, Antarctic or alpine areas. The picture can be documenting polar landscapes, animals and organisms, fieldwork, even experiments/lab work resulting from your fieldwork…, whatever you would like to share about your polar experiences!

Get inspired by the March Polar Week 2020 Photo Competition picture gallery and check out the Polar Week September webpage.

Get inspired by the March Polar Week 2020 Photo Competition picture gallery.

Here is what you have to do to participate:

Pick your best Arctic/Antarctic/alpine photo;
Fill out this form to submit your image and all necessary information:
1. Name, affiliation and email of the person entering the competition
2. A short description of your photo (150 characters maximum)
3. Let us know if you are interested in your image being featured on our APECS Instagram (@apecs.polar) or Twitter (@Polar_Research) account.Include your handle, if you like.
Spread the word about the APECS International Polar Week and hope that your photo gets the most votes!

The deadline for submission is 18th of September 2020, 23:59 GMT. The vote will take place during the Polar Week and the photo getting the most votes will be the winner! Good Luck.

By submitting your photo, you agreed to follow the rules and regulations, see below.

--> SEE HERE THE PHOTO SUBMISSIONS!

Rules and Regulations:

1. ELIGIBILITY
2. SUBMISSION OF ENTRIES
The submission deadline is the 18th of September 2020, 23:59 GMT.
3. COPYRIGHTS/INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
4. JUDGING AND RESULTS
5. PRIZES

APPLY for the APECS Executive Committee to help shape our organization over the next year and help influence the future of polar research!

The elections for the 2020-2021 APECS Executive Committee will be held in September 2020 for the term from 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021.

Application deadline extended: 28 August 2020 at 23:59 GMT 9 September 2020 23:59 GMT

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) are looking for an early career scientist to join the SOOS Southern Ocean Indian Sector Regional Working Group (SOIS RWG).

APECS South Africa Logo On 15 September, APECSSA will be hosting an online workshop with a series of webinars and discussions with Polar Science Experts from the South African National Antarctic Program!

soos The WAPSA Regional Working Group of the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) is inviting nominations for new members of its Leadership Group. The Leadership Group supports the Group Co-Chairs in driving the activities and strategic oversight of the working group, including working towards the objectives of the Working Group, identifying opportunities for further collaborations and funding, and representing the Working Group at national and international meetings.

SAVE THE DATE: September International Polar Week will be taking place from 20th to 26th of September 2020!

We would like to remind you of the call for papers for a Seismological Research Letters Focus Section dedicated to Arctic and Antarctic Seismology. The Focus Section will be published on the July 2021 issue, while the deadline to submit your manuscript is 1st December 2020. Please visit the journal website for a detailed scope and feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Kind regards and stay safe, Myrto Pirli & Peter Voss (Guest Editors)

The Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia, opens the International laboratory of Integrated studies and sustainability of the Arctic. Students, postgrads and post docs are invited on a full-term basis to participate in the project on ecosystem services in permafrost zone, and Arctic social-ecological systems in 2021-23. All of those interested in working In Moscow on the forefront of complex humanitarian and physical sciences project are invited to send short CV and 10 sentences motivation letter to Dr. Gleb Kraev This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before Wednesday 26 August. Working knowledge of Russian is essential.

icarp The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) is beginning our yearly effort to gather information on relevant research activities that have occurred over the last fiscal year. We hope this provides you an opportunity to share the work you have been doing during FY2020 with the wider research community. We welcome all to contribute information on recent work that is relevant to the Arctic Research Plan. You can identify where your work fits in by finding the relevant research goal (e.g., Sea Ice, Coastal Resilience, Permafrost etc.) and then narrowing down to the specific activity (Performance Element) your work responds to.

The Arctic Sciences Section in the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) is now accepting proposals for Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIGs) to conduct dissertation-level research about and related to the Arctic region. The Programs that are currently accepting DDRIG proposals are the Arctic Social Sciences (ASSP), Arctic System Science (ARCSS), and Arctic Observing Network (AON) Programs.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) invites registration for the 2020 ARCUS Annual Meeting.

This meeting will take place virtually on Thursday, 29 October 2020 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. AKDT (10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. PT/11:00 a.m-1:00 p.m. MT/12:00-2:00 p.m. CT/1:00-3:00 p.m. ET).

Call for submission – Vox Pop Inclusion in Northern Research

Our community of Northern research is diverse: it includes people from the North and the South, involves workers and scientists from communities, government and academia as well as stakeholders and knowledge-holders from across the Arctic Circle. Many different journeysled our members to where they are today, contributing to the richness of our community.

100 Kosek KlaudiaJennings Inger SIOS Call for Access 2020 The fourth call for access to SIOS research infrastructure is now open! This call is a great opportunity for Early Career Researchers wishing to conduct fieldwork in Svalbard during 2021.

IASC The IASC Social & Human Working Group (SHWG) is now receiving proposals for consideration for funding in 2020-21. All proposals will be fully discussed and considered at an online SHWG meeting in September (date TBD). All funds allocated by IASC in 2020 should be spent before or at ASSW2021.The proposal template can be found here.

The MEaSUREs Greenland Image Mosaics from Sentinel-1A and -1B, Version 3 data set, accessible from the NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC), has been updated to a new version and new data access options are also available. The data have been reprocessed using upgraded software and a revised DEM. There are two new parameters, a calibrated sigma0 radar backscatter product and a calibrated and radiometrically terrain-corrected gamma0 radar backscatter product. Both of these products have a spatial resolution of 50 m, while the uncalibrated product, image, has an improved spatial resolution of 25 m. All the products have been simplified, with the mosaics merged into single cloud-optimized geoTIFFs.

We have developed a new citizen science app called GlacierMap with a view to assessing the value of "crowd sourced" mapping of glacier change (in this case applied to the Cordillera Blanca of the Peruvian Andes), and to contribute to learning and awareness of contemporary issues around glacier change and water resources. The app has primarily been designed with secondary education in mind but we welcome input from all, including the glaciology community, so that we can compare the mapping conducted by the general public against that conducted by those with experience in glaciology.

We are happy to announce the start of the second Marine Ice Sheet-Ocean Modeling Intercomparison Project (MISOMIP2) as a follow-up to previous ISOMIP, MISMIP and MISOMIP activities. This targeted project supported by the Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) program is dedicated to advance coupled glacier-ocean modeling for Antarctica, and foster a close collaboration between ice and ocean communities.

arcus The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States announces the release of 30 virtual meeting backgrounds. ARCUS supports a rich range of Arctic research, education, and communication activities. Our Polar Media Archive is a valuable resource that is home to over 20,000 beautiful photos from across the Arctic: photos in the Archive are available for not-for-profit, non-commercial use with proper attribution. We’re proud to present 30 hand-picked images to serve as virtual meeting backgrounds. Information on how to enable virtual backgrounds is available from the Zoom Help Center. Setup varies across meeting platforms.

us apecs USAPECS is organizing the 5th Polar Film Fest, which will take place in mid-September! We are looking to showcase fun, informative and artistic movies about the Arctic, Antarctic, and wider cryosphere – no matter what language they are in! In the past, featured movies ranged from independently-produced videos, interviews and short news reports to 30 min long documentaries, so we welcome a diversity of submissions.

We are please to announce that registration and abstract submission for our WAIS Workshop 2020 Virtual Science Sessions is now open. Sessions will take place during September 21 - 28. Please register and submit your abstract by August 28 here.Participants will be organized into groups of <15 participants, with up to 10 speakers who each give an 8 minute talk. Talks will be followed by a WAIS-style 20 minute discussion moderated by a session convener. The goal is that most participants will attend and present in two ~100-minute sessions scheduled at the convenience of the session participants during the designated week. All sessions will be recorded and posted on YouTube for future community consumption.

I wanted to share a recent piece I wrote that I think will be of interest to APECS members. I am a corresponding writer for Geobites (geobites.org), a science communication effort supported by AGU where short pieces are written to distill geoscience papers for a lay scientific audience. The piece I wrote for July, "Evidence of Pollution All the Way to the Poles" - https://geobites.org/evidence-of-pollution-all-the-way-to-the-poles/, is on a paper by Sun et al., 2020 (Glacial Melt Inputs of Organophosphate Ester Flame Retardants to the Largest High Arctic Lake, ES&T).

Author: Hadley McIntosh Marcek

ee23a1b5 7ed6 4662 b6b4 8a0b62a94aa3 The Polar Archaeology Network was established in 2007 in response to a perceived need by the polar archaeological research community for better engagement with broader initiatives in polar science, a desire for stronger international collaborations in discipline-based and interdisciplinary science initiatives, a desire to grow polar archaeological research capacity through scholarly development and early-career involvement, the wish to develop more advanced field and analytical methods particular to polar archaeology, and to ensure continued access to potential datasets that may be environmentally and/or politically sensitive in the context of changing global systems. By joining the PAN mailing list, you are subscribing to the Polar Archaeology Network. You will be informed about internal and external developments and initiatives, and you will receive our regular newsletter.

On March 30 2020, IASC and IASSA Working Group Gender in the Arctichosted a cross-disciplinary workshop on “Gender in Polar Research”, as part of the 2020 Arctic Science Summit Week online. Over 85 participants from around the world joined this online event to discuss and reflect on the gendered nature of polar research. It is a great pleasure to share this poster resulting from this Gender in Polar Research Workshop, including a call for action. The poster and further information are displayed / available for download as jpg or pdf here.

Amundsen Science, the organization responsible for the management of the scientific mandate of the research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen, announces the publication of a new website. The improved platform is meant to be used both by expedition participants and a larger audience wanting to learn more about the mandate and expeditions.

We are pleased to draw your attention towards our upcoming Special Issue: ‘Debris-covered glaciers: formation, governing processes, present status and future directions’ in the Frontiers of Earth Sciences journal. The abstract submission (deadline September 23, 2020) is now open. If you intend to submit an abstract it would help the editorial team significantly if you could post an abstract outline or draft in advance of the final deadline as this helps us gauge the interest.

The IUCN SSC/WCPA Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force announces the the completion of the Extended Southern Ocean Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMA) region.13 new Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) in the Extended Southern Ocean Region are approved. The new IMMAs, as well as candidate* IMMAs and Areas of Interest* are now on the e-Atlas on our new websiteand the report can be downloaded here.

the icepod logo 072019 In episode 5 of The IcePod, the podcast about polar science and the people, atmospheric scientist and project manager of MOSAiC Anja Sommerfeld explains why she set her alarm clock to exactly 7.13 am every morning during Leg 2, what it took to prepare 77 early-morning weather balloons for their ascent, and why working with Lady Miss Piggy can be a tough job.

SIPN2 The 2020 July Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) Report is now available online. The SIO, a product of the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2), provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share predictions and ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. The Outlook is not an operational forecast.

Instagram 1 APECS Workshop SCAR20201 We are proud to announce an early career workshop in collaboration with the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR) from 11-13 August, entirely online so join us for this unique event! The theme for the workshop is “Antarctic Science - Global Connections”, aiming to bring together polar ECRs from around the globe. Featured topics are Science Communication in the Southern Hemisphereand Logistical Collaboration. Learn more and register here!

icarp The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee is currently working to develop the next five-year Arctic Research Plan. The goal of the plan is to improve the collective impacts of federal agencies in Arctic research. Before we begin drafting the plan, we are looking for broad input on its structure, goals, and objectives. Comment by August 2, 2020.You can find details on how to comment, as well as more information here.

APPLY for the APECS Executive Committee to help shape our organization over the next year and help influence the future of polar research!

The elections for the 2020-2021 APECS Executive Committee will be held in September 2020 for the term from 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021.

Application deadline: 28 August 2020 at 23:59 GMT

IPCC SOD WGI AR6

The Working Group II (WGII) contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) is due to be finalized in 2021. The Second Order Draft (SOD) of the IPCC AR6 WGII report will be open for expert review from 4 December 2020 to 29 January 2021.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI), the Past Global Changes Early Career Network (PAGES ECN), the Permafrost Young Research Network (PYRN) and the Young Earth System Scientists (YESS) community are coordinating a group review of the SOD of the IPCC AR6 WGII report by early career scientists.

Do you want to get (or remain) active in APECS and be involved in the APECS leadership?

This is a reminder to send your applications for the APECS Council 2020-2021term!
The application deadline is 31 July 2020 at 23:59 GMT.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to raise significant concern across the world, it has become evident that the pandemic and measures taken to prevent its spread would be poised to have significant effects on public health and societies. The Arctic region, especially rural and remote communities, faces unique risks and challenges as a result of both the pandemic and the actions taken to respond to it. The preparation of this briefing document relied on existing Arctic Council networks and was open and collaborative. It involved contributions and input from more than fifty researchers affiliated to the Council’s Working Groups, policy makers, Indigenous representatives and Indigenous knowledge holders from all Arctic States and Permanent Participants. Download and read the briefing document here.

Sea Ice Prediction Network – Phase 2 (SIPN2)

Date: Wednesday, 29 July 2020

Time: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. (AKDT)

Webinar Title: Machine Learning—Challenges and Opportunities for Applications in Sea Ice Prediction

The Sea Ice Prediction Network – Phase 2 (SIPN2) invites registration for an open webinar entitled, Machine Learning—Challenges and Opportunities for Applications in Sea Ice Prediction.

SCAR is delighted to announce that SCAR 2020 Online has now opened for registration. The conference website (www.scar2020.org) has also launched now.

Registration is free and open to all. Please click here to register.

If you are interested in being part of the conversation on Arctic research planning or are curious about what the A rctic Research Plan is and how it is being developed, please join us for an IARPC Webinar on July 20 at 2pm ET / 10am AKT.

IASC The IASC Social & Human Working Group (SHWG) is now receiving proposals for consideration for funding in 2020-21. Please submit your porposal no later than August 20. All proposals will be fully discussed and considered at an online SHWG meeting in September (date TBD). The proposal template can be accessed here.

unnamed1 IASC's 2020 State of Arctic Science Report aims to be a cohesive synthesis of international Arctic research activities and priorities, as gathered from the Arctic research community itself. Arctic science is moving faster than ever, and so this report is aimed at Arctic science agencies, Arctic science managers, and Arctic science users including a wide range of decisionmakers and policymakers, to help all Arctic science stakeholders stay up to date on Arctic research.

USPA The U.S. Permafrost Association Education/Permafrost Young Researchers Network Fund will offer funding awards to cover the cost of abstract submission and registration to attend the 2020 virtual AGU conference. Students at any education level are welcome to apply in addition to post-graduate researchers (within two years of completing their last degree). Applicants will be evaluated on a merit basis and must be 1^st author on a permafrost-related research presentation at AGU and have active memberships with both USPA and PYRN. Funding will be available for permafrost science and engineering disciplines. The AGU abstract deadline is July 29, 2020. Download the application form available on the UPEF webpage for more information on eligibility requirements and necessary application components.

SIOS logo titel small 0 The SIOS Remote Sensing Working Group would like to engage an early career researcher (ECR) to serve as an observer member on the working group. The ECR would act as a SIOS ambassador and assist distributing news about SIOS remote sensing activities in ECR and other administrative and scientific networks. The selected ECR observer is expected to also contribute scientifically to the working group activities. This opportunity provides a platform for ECRs to become involved in an international organisation and develop important management and organisational skills. More information about application, eligibility criteria, evaluation and timeline can be found here.

ECO Magazine has announced the publication of a special issue dedicated to polar research in partnership with theArctic Circle, theScientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and theAssociation of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS).

Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP) has five upcoming webinars in July.

The National Park Service (NPS), Alaska Region announces the release of the more recent issue of Alaska Park Science. The journal is published by the NPS Alaska Regional Office. It reports information from on-going and recently completed research in and around Alaska’s national parklands. Alaska Park Science covers all relevant scientific disciplines in the biological, physical, cultural, and social sciences. All articles are reviewed by at least two individuals with sufficient technical or scientific expertise in the subject matter.

The 2020 June Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) Report is now available online. For the pan-Arctic, the median June Outlook value for September 2020 sea-ice extent is 4.33 million square kilometers, with quartiles of 4.06 and 4.59 million square kilometers. The median is close to the 2019 June Outlook, of 4.40 million square kilometers, and to the observed 2019 September sea-ice extent of 4.32 million square kilometers.

Submission Deadline for the 2020 Sea Ice Outlook July Report (based on May & June data): 6:00 p.m. (AKDT) Monday, 13 July 2020. Find guidelines for contributions here.

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) Collaborations team meetings occur monthly. A synopsis of May Collaboration Team meetings is now available. An IARPC account is required to access the online synopsis. To request an IARPC account, go to the account request webpage. The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee created IARPC Collaborations to connect Federal government and non-Federal government researchers and other stakeholders to work together to solve the hard problems laid out in its 5-year Research Plan. IARPC Collaborations is open to anyone to contribute. New contributors may request an account.

The deadline for abstract submissions to AGU 2020 is Wednesday, 29 July at 23:59 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Please note that since AGU will be mostly virtual this year the registration fee will be about 50% less than the in-person rate.

It is our pleasure to announce the publication of the third issue of the Global Glacier Change Bulletin series. You can download the full report in PDF-format from our website: https://wgms.ch/ggcb/. The printed volumes will be shipped in July 2020. Our work relies on the cooperation and help of many scientists and observers throughout the world. We highly appreciate their contribution in collaboration with our national correspondents, who are coordinating the data compilation in their country.

the icepod logo 072019 In the second bonus episode of the IcePod on the Targeted Observing Periods, we speak with Thomas Jung, captain and structured mind behind YOPP and PPP. Here is the second episode on the YOPP Targeted Observing Periods, or TOPs. This time, we speak to Thomas Jung, head of the section Climate Dynamics at the German Alfred Wegener Institute and professor for Physics of the Climate System at the University of Bremen. Even more important, as the chair of the Polar Prediction Project's Steering Group, he is the captain and structured mind behind YOPP and PPP.

sooslogo2c The objective of our regional working group is to facilitate coordinated and standardized observational studies of major physical, chemical and biological variables including their drivers and interactions. The working group strives to increase the quality of the science output, and strengthen the awareness of the relevance of research in the WS-DML sector of the Southern Ocean through international projects contributing to SOOS.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites Letters of Intent for the Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES) solicitation. The vision of the NSF INCLUDES Big Idea is to catalyze the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enterprise to work collaboratively for inclusive change, resulting in a STEM work force that reflects the population of the nation. More specifically, NSF INCLUDES seeks to broaden participation in STEM fields through a national network that will inspire collaborative efforts aimed at increasing the active participation of those who have been historically underrepresented and underserved in STEM.

It is with great pleasure that the IGS announces the recipients of the 2020 IACS-IGS Graham Cogley Award.The IACS-IGS Graham Cogley Award was established in 2019 in memory of Professor Graham Cogley who made substantial and enduring contributions to glaciology, in particular to the understanding and quantification of glacier mass change. Graham is also recognized for his sustained and outstanding service to the wider glaciological community, including as IGS Chief Editor between 2016 and 2018. The Graham Cogley Award recognizes excellence in glaciological research by student scientists. The award was initiated and is generously sponsored by the Cogley family and is shared between the International Glaciological Society (IGS) and the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS), with the IGS and the IACS giving out the award in alternate years. For more details on the IGS award and the selection procedure see here.

iassa logo Human migration is projected as one of the greatest adverse impacts of climate change with future flows of climate migrants, also referred to as climate refugees, predicted at 200 million by 2050 (IPCC 2006).To address this intense and complex climate change impact, the Belmont Forum is excited to announce the scoping of a new international funding opportunity focused on Migration and Climate Change. We invite you to participate in a special online meeting to share your expert perspective of the state of the science as it relates to research and societal needs in Migration. The scoping meeting will be held online on July 10, 2020 at 11am UTC using a government-secured Zoom license to bring together stakeholders from multiple disciplines interested in Migration on various scales.

Organizers invite registration and abstracts for the 3rd International Conference on Polar Climate and Environmental Change in the Last Millennium. This conference has been postponed and will now convene 23-25 November 2020 in Toruń, Poland. The aim of the conference is to present scientific achievements and to identify gaps in the field of the historical climatology of the polar regions based on early meteorological observations, history, dendroclimatology, paleolimnology, geophysics, geomorphology, and other sources. Registration and abstract submission deadline for financial support: 30 September 2020.

In navigating the new boundaries and restrictions in our day-to-day lives, many have found innovative and collaborative ways to engage with each other and with data. At the Arctic Data Center, we are committed to supporting open, inclusive, and community-led data management and reuse. One of our newest initiatives focuses on building Arctic data education resources for undergraduate instructors .To gauge the needs of the community, we have prepared a short google form for feedback. We would appreciate it if you would help us share this form as widely as possible. Feel free to email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.

Simon Cook (U Dundee,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Holger Frey (U Zurich,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Adam Emmer (Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic,emmer.a@czechglobe.cz) and Dan Shugar (U Calgary,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) invite your contributions to a Special Issue in Frontiers focused on high mountain geohazards and risks. We are looking for contributions spanning a variety of locations, methods (e.g. modelling, remote sensing, field studies), and disciplines (physical and social sciences, etc). Full details are availablehere, with the following deadlines: Abstracts (Sept 1, 2020), full manuscripts (January 15, 2021). We encourage you to get in touch with any one of us to discuss your ideas, if you are unsure of fit.

ESA have developed a plan to manouevre CryoSat-2 into a new orbit that is synchronized with ICESat-2. The campaign is tentatively known as Cryo2Ice. Although the Cryo2Ice campaign has been planned for some time, the implementation was paused due to COVID-19. However, there is a favourable opportunity to begin this manouevre on 16^th July which would achieve the new orbit by early August, in plenty of time for the Arctic sea ice season.

T MOSAiC T-MOSAiC and their collaborators are pleased to inform you that they will edit a special journal issue on Arctic Terrestrial Pollution, including Coastal Areas. This special issue is pre-accepted to be published in Environmental Pollution (IF= 5.714) and the chief guest-editors will be João Canário from the University of Lisbon (Portugal) and Maribeth Murray from the University of Calgary (Canada). Expression of interest is now open until July 15. Interested authors should send an email to the T-MOSAiC secretariat (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) with a tentative title and the name, affiliation, and email of the lead author.

The Caleb Lumen Pungowiyi Scholars Program announces a call for applications for the 2020 Fall semester. The Caleb Scholars Program is available to students from Norton Sound, Northwest Arctic, and Arctic Slope regions and applicants must be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in disciplines related to marine conservation. Application deadline is 31 July 2020.

the icepod logo 072019 A new bonus episode of The IcePod is now available. The IcePod is the podcast about polar science and the people. Hosts talk to scientists who went on board Polarstern, the German research icebreaker, for the biggest research expedition in the Arctic. It is produced in collaboration with the Alfred Wegener Institute and Radio Weser.TV. The IcePod is the official podcast of the Year of Polar Prediction. In this episode, hosts talk with the meteorology professor Gunilla Svensson about the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) Targeted Observing Periods, the process-based model evaluation project YOPPSiteMIP and why MOSAiC is a paradise for every Arctic scientist.

Do you want to get (or remain) active in APECS and be involved in the APECS leadership? The applications for APECS Council 2020-2021 are open now! The application deadline is 31 July 2020 at 23:59 GMT.

The National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs (OPP) has released their plans for the upcoming USAP Antarctic season. Find out more details here.

Nominations for the 2020 International Glaciological Society Awards close in just over a month. Details of these awards, their eligibility and the requirements of the nomination packages are available at here. Members of the Awards Committee are listed here.
Please note that the award system was revamped in 2018 and some awards have changed in scope and content. It is the intention of IGS to give these awards on roughly an annual basis. Nominations can be made at any time, but the close off date for the 2020 awards is Friday 17 July 2020.

Our Special Issue on "Dynamic Disturbance Processes in Permafrost Regions" in the open-access journal Remote Sensing strives to bring together research on how disturbances shape and restructure permafrost ecosystems. We welcome submissions on the application of remote sensing to a broad range of disturbances, including thermokarst and thermoerosion, thermokarst lake dynamics, wildfire-ecosystem interactions, and anthropogenic disturbances. We particularly encourage manuscripts linking interacting components that influence periglacial ecosystem dynamics (e.g., wildfire and vegetation; thermokarst and hydrology; climate and thermokarst).

APECS logo APECS is looking for a new interim APECS Executive Director for the APECS International Directorate Office based at the Research Centre of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Potsdam, Germany!

Application deadline on 28 June 2020.

INTERACT logo 2017 blue CMYK Almost one hundred excellent photographers from the INTERACT Community participated in the INTERACT Photo Competition. We received almost 800 pictures for the nine different categories; Arctic Fieldwork, Climate Change, Glaciers, Landscapes, Local Communities, People, Remote Field Camps, The Research Station, Wildlife and Plants. The pictures have been evaluated by an international evaluation committee, and we are now able to announce the results of the competition. The INTERACT Photo Competition has been made with the main purpose of collecting pictures for a coffee table book about arctic research. View the three best pictures in each category here. The INTERACT secretariat is working on the book with a planned publication late in September 2020. We are however happy to have so many excellent photographers in the INTERACT Community, and we look forward to show you many more pictures in the INTERACT Coffee Table Book.

sooslogo2c The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS)are looking for an early career scientist to join the SOOS Ross Sea Regional Working Group (Ross RWG).

Reporting to the International Arctic Science Committee on the activities of a large and diverse community is a problem that we have also identified in the UK. To facilitate communication, we encourage Arctic cryosphere researchers in the UK to subscribe to the mailing list of the NERC Arctic Office – scroll to the bottom of https://www.arctic.ac.uk/ to register. (Richard Essery)

The Polar Data Forum would like to invite you to join online on June 30th from 14:00 - 17:00 UTC to continue our efforts to enhance polar data sharing and interoperability. This will be the first of a planned bi-monthly series of online workshops convened by the ADC, SCADM, SOOS, the Arctic Observing Summit Working Group 4, the Global Cryosphere Watch, and the World Data System on behalf of the polar data community. See herefor more information about the workshop, and register here.

index The organizers of the 2021 RCOP-ICCRE conference in Boulder are seeking interested PYRN members to serve on the RCOP-ICCRE conference equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) committee. Interested members can contact Matthew Whitley, the US National Representative (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

The Arctic Research Icebreaker Consortium (ARICE) and Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS, apecs.is/) invited for a webinar on opportunities for educators and scientists on May 5th, 14-15:30 GMT.

In September 2019, the German icebreaker Polarstern and the Russian research vessel Akademik Fedorov set sail into the Central Arctic sea ice. With the aim to collect data around the coupled Arctic climate system Polarstern will drift through the Arctic for an entire year as part of the MOSAiC project. MOSAiC education and outreach activities aim to create visibility of field research and awareness for globally important topics of Arctic change. Training of early career researchers was facilitated with a field camp for graduate students - the MOSAiC School. Further, educator and teachers collected materials and data which is now shared in classrooms and in online learning tools. During this webinar you will learn about the wealth of learning resources created through participation in the MOSAiC Expedition. Ask questions of young researchers, educators and teachers on how to use or implement experiments, exercises and personal experiences in classrooms and what you can take away from an massive open online course.

Speakers were Mauro Hermann (MOSAiC Ambassador, ETH Zurich), Anne Gold (CIRES, CU Boulder), Rainer Lehmann (Polar Educators Germany), Falk Ebert (Herder Gymnasium) and Friederike Krueger (Integrierte Gesamtschule Bothfeld). Moderation: Josefine Lenz (AWI & APECS)

Lecture Slideshow

APECS-ARICE Webinar: From Icebreakers into Classrooms - Opportunities for Educators and Scientists from APECS Webinars on Vimeo.

USAPESC new Dear USAPECS Members and the Polar Science Community,

[Content warning: USAPECS response to current events. This CW is intentionally vague in an attempt to not cause further trauma]

We at the USAPECS Board condemn all acts of police brutality and injustice against Black individuals and the Black community as a whole. Black Lives Matter. The culture of structuralized white supremacy that pervades the very core of our academic, government, and other institutions perpetuate these acts of violence and oppression within our country.

The University of Bergen (UiB), the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the University of Oslo (UiO) have the pleasure of inviting all PhD-students working within the fields of energy and sustainability to the 2020 interdisciplinary summer school on flexible energy systems. This year’s summer school will take place in the Bergen region. The overall focus will be flexible energy systems with a particular emphasis on wind, solar, hydrogen and the interactions between these technologies. As part of an interdisciplinary approach, the participants will also gain insight into legal and financial framework conditions of the new emerging technologies. We encourage all students working in the field of energy and sustainability to apply. More information can be found here, application deadline is 15 June.

Snow covers all of Svalbard for up to nine months and affects all spheres of the Earth System. However, we still lack a holistic picture of snow processes and need to develop tools to monitor these processes, and assess risks associated with snow.SIOS is hosting a Multidisciplinary workshop on snow in Svalbard during autumn 2020/winter 20202-21 at Bologna, Italy. We invite scientists from all disciplines affected by snow, local stakeholders in Svalbard and enterprises interested in the development of scientific sensors and technology suitable for measuring snow properties under Arctic conditions.

apecs logo web Rallies and discussions against racism and discrimination are currently spreading worldwide originating after recent horrific actions against members of the Black community in the United States. The polar science community is not free from discrimination, and the systemic structure in place has led to injustices throughout organizations, past and present, and ultimately, our field and community have suffered as a result. Now is the time to recognize, support, and amplify the voices of our friends, colleagues, and communities, that have been facing discrimination and racism around the world. We owe it to them to do better and to learn about the history of our own community. We encourage our members to take this time to learn about the many forms of racism and discrimination and intersecting barriers for members of the Black and Indigenous communities, people of colour and other under-represented and marginalized communities worldwide to success in polar science and support those who are being affected by them. Here are some resources to get you started:

thumb 400 The SCAR Antarctic Biology Conference 2017 group has created an open access ebookto download. The book comprises 21 articles that are written by 140 authors. Check out this fantastic resource!

The Special Issue of the journal Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433; IF 2.046) entitled “Interactions between the Cryosphere and Climate (Change)” is inviting contributions until 9 September 2020. Detailed information can be found at the Special Issue homepage.
If you are interested in contributing or if you have any questions, feel free to contact Renato R. Colucci, PhD (Guest Editor, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..it) or the editorial office (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

IAMAS logo The International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS) is looking for an early career scientist (ECS) involved in the atmosphere sciences to join its Bureau and contribute to the running and development of the organisation. Applicants should be within 10 years of gaining their PhD and under 40 years of age. The ECS will take part in the monthly IAMAS teleconference and be funded to attend the annual IAMAS Bureau meeting. More details can be found at iamas.org.

The 10^th North Pacific Arctic Conference (NPAC) “Will Great-Power Politics Threaten Arctic Sustainability?” has been rescheduled to November 4-7. A fellowship opportunity for early career researchers or professionals to participate in the conference is available. Application deadline is July 15. Additional information on the 2020 meeting is available here.

IASSA was establihed on August 23, 1990. In 2020 we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of our Association. The IASSA @ 30 webpage will serve as a hub for historical materials, memorabilia, interesting facts and congratulatory letters. New materials will appear as the year progresses. If you are interested in contributing items for this page, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Complex Networks Winter Workshop (CNWW) is a week-long international school that offers an extraordinary opportunity for participants to engage in rigorous transdisciplinary complexity science research alongside some of the top researchers in the field of networks. The workshop takes place December 13-19 in Quebec City, Quebec, Cananda. Apply before July 1, 2020. Up to 40 international graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and professionals from different disciplines will be accepted.

Editors invite papers for a collection of articles in Polar Record on the human and societal dimensions of the various economic, social, and cultural processes changing Svalbard. Editors welcome contributions that address the different aspects of a “Changing Svalbard” from different angles and disciplines, ranging from social anthropology through sociology, archaeology, and political science to human geography, cultural studies, and arts, as well as papers from the environmental sciences that include a clear focus on the societal impacts of environmental changes. Editors encourage case studies that include a focus on the local scale and lived life on Svalbard. Submission deadline: 30 June 2020

IASC Every year around December, IASC publishes our Arctic science calendar. For graphics and photographs we depend solely on what the IASC community sends us. We are looking for new photographs for the publication of the 2021 Calendar, and other IASC publications such as the website, brochures, social media, and Bulletin. We welcome images depicting all areas of Arctic science: scientists in the field, animals, landscapes, everyday life in the Arctic, and more! For your pictures to be considered for the IASC 2021 Calendar, please submit them by 15 September 2020.

Dear Cryosphere scientists based in Germany and/or cryosphere scientists with a link to German cryosphere research, we would like to invite you to register with the mailing list of the IASC Cryosphere Working Group in Germany. In short: we need your input for the national reports on national cryosphere research activities. As a member of the list, you will get a nice overview of cryosphere research in Germany and we will provide information about IASC funding opportunities and other Arctic cryosphere related important announcements.

ASSEMBLE Plus is launching a new and final call for access to over 30 marine biological stations and infrastructures. Researchers from industry and academia are invited to apply for free access. The deadline for applications is 4th October 2020.

unnamed A newly updated version of the Antarctic Digital Database (ADD) has been released. ADD is a compilation of topographic data for Antarctica to 60°S. It allows to view and download datasets such as the Antarctic coastline, contours and rock outcrop.

The call for applications for an Early-Career Scientist (ECS) to join the SCOR Executive Committee is open. The ECS in the SCOR EC will help reaching out to the broader early-career community and get it involved into SCOR activities. More information about the position and application instructions can be found here. Deadline for submission of applications is 17 July 2020.

PYRN would like to take the opportunity to inform you about the work of PYRN over the last 2 years and introduce you to the new ExCom and Council that will take over the leadership of PYRN after the general assembly concludes. If you would like to get to know PYRN better, would like to learn what we have been doing or how you can get more involved, join us! There will be plenty opportunity to ask questions and learn about different opportunities. The PYRN general assembly will take place June 23rd, 6pm GMT (duration 30-45 minutes). If you would like to join this virtual assembly, please sign up here.

Arctic Frontiers Science conference is traditionally international and multidisciplinary, bringing together social sciences, humanities, physical and life sciences. Arctic Frontiers Science is focusing on both fundamental and solution-oriented research with strong impact, which addresses growing societal challenges and needs in the Arctic region. Arctic Frontiers Science 2021 will take place on 1-2 February 2021 during Arctic Frontiers 2021 entitled "Building bridges" and is now inviting your abstracts. Abstract submission deadline is September 8.

The online conference has been scheduled on 04th - 5th June from 09:00 to 17:30 hrs CEST. It includes over 40 talks by presenters from 25 institutions in 11 countries. Find the full programme on the conference website. For this conference registration is free and it is required to register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the conference.

Please consider submitting an abstract for a full conference proceedings paper for the 2021 Regional Conference on Permafrost to our session "Feedbacks and Interactions Between Snow, Vegetation, and Permafrost in the Arctic". Please submit your papers before 6/10/2020.

3rdASMLogoSmall You are invited to participate in an online workshop to discuss topics and ideas that you think are important for policy makers and the Arctic Science Ministers to better understand and prioritize at the Third Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3). Bringing together States, Arctic Indigenous participants, and international organizations, ASM3 aims to take action on coordinated Arctic observing, research, and education in an open and transparent format which includes all Arctic stakeholders.

In an effort to engage the broader Arctic research community in the ASM3 process, IASC, IASSA, and APECS are convening two ASM3 Research Community Workshops on 15 June 2020.

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) is beginning the development of the next Arctic Research Plan, which will run from 2022-2026, and invite those interested to follow the Plan development process by signing up to receive the Plan Development Newsletter. The newsletter will provide email updates on the Plan Development Team’s work and highlight any upcoming opportunities for public input. Submit your comments until 2 August 2020.

One of the APECS Colombia aims is to look for opportunities to improve the skill to our members (fieldwork, personal, professional). In this opportunity, we contacted a researcher Evaristo Vazquez to develop a workshop about the software ‘R’. This is a useful statistics software to work with a huge amount of data, like the one we can record during our polar fieldwork. The workshop was developed online through our platform Zoom, where Evaristo explain the generalities of the software, with practical examples (the participant downloaded previously the software to work with some files in their computers). As feedback, we want to continue with this kind of workshop to enhance the skills of our community.

Mojica Jhon workshop R may 14 2020 1 Jhon Mojica Moncada

Photo credit: Jhon Mojica Moncada

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Organizers invite applications for meeting space for community and business meetings taking place during Arctic Science Summit Week 2021 (ASSW2021). ASSW2021 will convene 20-26 March 2021 in Lisbon, Portugal. During ASSW2021 there will be three days dedicated to the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and Arctic science community meetings (20-22 March). ASSW2021 will also feature an open science conference on the theme "The Arctic: Regional Changes, Global Impacts" (23-26 March). Deadline for requesting meeting space is 30 November 2020.A draft program is expected to be ready in mid-December.

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) Collaborations team meetings occur monthly. A synopsis of April Collaboration Team meetings is now available. IARPC created IARPC Collaborations to connect Federal government and non-Federal government researchers and other stakeholders to work together to solve the hard problems laid out in its 5-year Research Plan. IARPC Collaborations is open to anyone to contribute. New contributors may request an account. Upcoming IARPC collaboration team meetings are summarised below.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) announces the Call for Contributions for the 2020 Sea Ice Outlook June Report (based on May data). The Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. Post-Season Reports will provide analysis and discussion of factors driving sea ice extent and explore the scientific methods for predicting seasonal conditions.

ASSW logo 2021 large 01 The Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2021 (20 – 26 March 2021, Lisbon, Portugal) has the deadline for their call for scientific sessions on 22 May.

The following proposed sessions are looking for early career researchersas co-chairs. Application deadline on 22 May at 13:00 GMT

The EGU Division on Cryospheric Sciencesis inviting nominations for the EGU medals and awards. The Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award recognizes scientific achievements in the field covered by the cryospheric division, made by an early career scientist. Please consider submitting a nomination until 15 June 2020. Nominations for all the Medals and Awards should be submitted online. The awards and medals are intended to be presented at the EGU General Assembly 2021, Vienna, Austria 25–30 April.

The Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) is a consortium of international institutions with research infrastructure in and around Svalbard. SIOS is building an integrated observing system for long-term measurements addressing Earth System questions. SIOS publishes an annual State of Environmental Science in Svalbard (SESS) report. The first issue was released in January 2019. The editorial board consists of five persons, two of which are senior researchers from SIOS member institutions and two are from the SIOS Knowledge Centre. SIOS would like to appoint an early career scientist as fifth member of the editorial board. Apply no later than 30 May 2020.

Prof Erin Pettit, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, U.S.A."Strengths and Weaknesses of the Eastern Thwaites Ice Shelf"

Please register in advance for the seminars. There's a short question to answer - please tell enough to be accepted for the webinar, so please be kind and make it obvious... (I'm a PhD student with X... or whatever). Using your work email would make life easier. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the seminar. Once you have registered please check the link, you should see the waiting room.

Next week: 27th May Jack Kohler, Norsk Polar Institutt, Norway: "Svalbard surging, mass balance and fieldwork"

Please join us remotely this Thursday (5/21) at 2:00 pm for the next Polar Seminar! Our speaker will be Dr. Twila Moon from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). She will be presenting a talk entitled "Rapid reconfiguration of the Greenland Ice Sheet under climate change". Please register for the meeting using this Zoom link.

index We will hold our second PYRN online seminar on May 20. These seminars are designed to be informal, so if you would like to share some ongoing work, preliminary results or practice your conference talk, we are happy to have you.

Speaker: Rúna Magnusson
Title: "Extreme summer precipitation increases thawing depth of Siberian lowland tundra over multiple years"
Time: May 20th 2020, 7pm GMT (approximately 30min). Please register here at least two hours in advance (5pm GMT) and you will be emailed a zoom invitation.

aos Editors announce a Special Issueof Arctic, titled “Observing for Action”. As Arctic environmental change continues unabated and at a rapid pace, sustained observations that enable us to track, understand, and project this change are essential. These observations are necessary to guide adaptation and mitigation responses from local to global scales. For planned papers, a title and short abstract of approximately 100-200 words should be sent to the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by June 15, 2020. The deadline for submissions is September 01, 2020. Authors should adhere to the submission guidelines.

aos The Executive Organizing Committee for the Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) announce the release of the final AOS 2020 Conference Statement. This statement summarizes the main conclusions and call to action from the 2020 AOS that convened online, March 30-April 02.

Have you ever wondered why geothermal heat flow is important for the Antarctic Ice Sheet? We are delighted to announce that members of the SCAR-SERCE sub-group on geothermal heat flow (GHF), have produced a White Paper titled 'Antarctic Geothermal Heat Flow: Future Research directions'. The paper is led by Alex Burton-Johnson (BAS) with contributions from researchers across a wide range of disciplines. It provides an overview of the importance of understanding GHF across Antarctica, and the current methods and discrepancies associated with tying to characterise this important property when there are several kilometres of ice in the way! The White Paper can be downloaded from the SERCE news page, where we have also posted a short video.

We are happy to announce that the 34th Forum for Research into Ice Shelf Processes (FRISP) will take place, in the form of a virtual workshop. We are very excited to try out this new format, and hope you are too! For details on the agenda, registration (without fee) and submitting your abstract see the FRISP 2020 website.Registration and abstract submission closes on 31 May 2020.We will send out a detailed schedule and information on the online format soon thereafter.

Canada is a major player in permafrost science and engineering. The Canadian Permafrost Association (CPA) aims to bring communities, researchers & practitioners together to advance our understanding of Canadian permafrost environments. On behalf of the CPA, we would like to encourage Canadian researchers and engineers to join the family of the CPA. In the CPA, you will receive the latest newsletters, conference funding information and recently published papers related to Canadian permafrost environments, ect. More information can be found at: https://canadianpermafrostassociation.ca/

Organizers announce that lightning talk videos, project update reports, and summary notes from the first Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) Investigators Meeting are now available and can be found on the NNA Investigators Meeting webpage. The meeting was held virtually 16-17 April 2020. Find more information about the meeting and to access the lightning talks, project update reports, and meeting summary notes, here.

Guimaro Hugo APECS Online Conference 2020 March2020 This year’s theme, "Opening Doors: Collaboration across knowledge systems" aims to encourage collaboration between early career researchers, science communicators, educators, and local community members in polar and alpine regions. Presenters will address this topic in relation to a wide range of research, including Climate, Biology, Cultural, Education, Geology, Environmental, Cryosphere, Oceanography and Policy research. Audience engagement is encouraged, with time for questions at the end of each presentation. The detailed conference programme including all abstracts can be found on the APECS International Online Conference 2020 Website. It is completely free to attend from the comfort of your home or office!

The Sea Ice Prediction Network—Phase 2 (SIPN2) announces plans for the 2020 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) season. Further details will be provided in the June Call for Contributions that will be circulated in late May. The 2020 SIO will include calls for contributions to the regular June, July, and August monthly reports. In addition to the monthly reports there will be two post-season reports: an interim report published in mid-October and a final report to be published in early 2021. Please see the tentative schedule of the 2020 SIO monthly reports below. More information will be available on the SIO webpage once details are finalized.

INTERACT logo 2017 blue CMYK Join the webinar on Tuesday afternoons at 14-15 CEST to hear captivating stories about Arctic research stations and science done at them with support from INTERACT Trans-National Access. The first webinar is on Tue 12 May. Each webinar consists of two 30 min popular science presentations, and they are open for everyone to attend.

logo uarctic hor The UArctiv Thematic Network on Arctic Law and the Finnish Editorial Board of Retfærd invites submissions for articles for a special issue on sustainability "A sustainable law for a sustainable society?" to be published at the end of 2020. Find more information here.

SEARCH invites you to read the Arctic Futures 2050 conference report and to discuss future directions for Arctic research. You can access the online version of the full, 48-page conference report here or the 4-page executive summary here. Two webinars—open by registration—will allow you to discuss Arctic research needs in the context of the conference report. Those discussions will help SEARCH develop both its future programs as well as input to the 5-year Arctic research plan being developed by IARPC. More information about the IARPC research plan is here.

SIOS logo titel small 0 This autumn, SIOS will offer a training course on how to effectively use remote sensing data acquired from satellites, from the air or from the ground, and their associated tools and software in the context of terrestrial research in Svalbard. The course is intended for field scientists, Ph.D. students and technicians with no or little experience with remote sensing techniques. The training will be delivered by remote sensing experts from SIOS member institutions, international teachers and potential virtual talks from ESA experts.

APECS ARICE Webinar GO WEST teaser APECS-ARICE Webinar: „ARICE, the ice and the fish. An Arctic expedition from planning to first results“

28 May, 16-17 GMT

Zoom Webinar, registration here!

The Polar Technology Conference was held during 10–12 March 2020 in Boulder, Colorado. The goal of the meeting was to link experts in polar science and technology development to discuss current technological resources for polar research and identify barriers to research and application of technology for problems unique to polar regions. Recordings of plenary presentations and presentation files for talks and posters are now available on the conference webpage.

logo The Arctic Data Center announces the ability for users to create new data portals. Users can now create a portal - or website - allowing related data from across the Arctic Data Center to be viewable in a single location. The ability to group related datasets in this way is helpful for researchers working across a particular taxon or region, so a user-friendly portal editor was designed to enable users to do just that. Portals make highlighting and sharing related datasets easy for researchers, projects, and labs.

IASC Moving a Conference from Iceland to Zoom: Best Practices and Lessons Learned from ASSW 2020. The report Moving a Conference from Iceland to Zoom gathers best practices and lessons learned from moving and hosting the Arctic Science Summit Week 2020 (ASSW2020) online.

IASC IASC's Marine Working Group and APECS have the pleasure of welcoming Enooyaq Sudlovenick and Sascha Schiøtt as new IASC Indigenous Fellows. Enooyaq's expertise is in Marine mammals; Pathology; and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and Sascha's expertise is in Arctic marine ecosystems; Foodwebs; and Glacial runoff. The appointment of Indigenous Fellows comes at the recommendation of the Action Group on Indigenous Involvement. More information can be found here.

IASC The 2019 Cryosphere and Atmospheric chemistry (CATCH) Open Science Workshop was held in UC Berkeley, California, USA on 7-8 December 2019. CATCH activity is a multidisciplinary community of scientists investigating the chemistry, biology, and physics in cold regions of the Earth, including a specific focus on the Arctic region. The goal of the workshop was to build upon their recent publication Fostering multidisciplinary research on interactions between chemistry, biology, and physics within the coupled cryosphere-atmosphere system by discussing research challenges and identify the most urgent scientific needs. Read the report here.

IASC The workshop on Arctic Urbanization under Environmental Change was held in Helsinki, 14 -15 January 2020. The aim of the workshop was to discuss research issues on Arctic urbanization under environmental and climate change from the social science, humanities and natural science perspectives with a focus on establishing a series of studies around the Arctic in cities that represent different environments and conditions. A report is available here.

SIOS logo titel small 0 SIOS invites abstracts from the Svalbard science community working on applications based on Earth Observation, Remote Sensing and Geoinformation for an online conference.

Deadline to submit abstracts: 24 May 2020
Conference dates: 4-5 June 2020

logo uarctic hor UArctic Thematic Network on Ageing and Gender in the Arctic invites for abstracts on “A new edited book on Social Aspects of Aging in Indigenous Communities”.

logo uarctic hor The topic of the summer school is a broad and introductory view on water, sanitation and health in cold climate regions. The application deadline for this course is May 15th, the online course will run June 3-19, 2020. More information and application can be found here.

uarcticcongress2020 logo web The callhas been extended until May 18, 2020 to enrolled MA and PhD students from UArctic Nordic member institutions working in the field of northern or Arctic research.

75f12c8a 4e2c 4dc4 8602 f6d327404d3b Organizers announce the formation of the new research coordination network (RCN), Migration in Harmony: An Interdisciplinary Network in Littoral Species, Settlements, and Cultures on the Move (MiH-RCN). MiH-RCN is an international, cross-disciplinary network of Arctic migration researchers funded by the National Science Foundation. This RCN will advance knowledge on how the migrations of Arctic ecosystems, economies, peoples, and cultures interact with one another, and how the social, geohazard, and economic drivers and consequences of migrations intersect across different fields.

Organizers announce a webinar entitled Permafrost Discovery Gateway, Geospatial Data and Community Needs. This webinar will feature Anna Liljedahl, Associate Scientist at Woods Hole Research Center and Principal Investigator of the Permafrost Discovery Gateway, and will take place 12 May 2020 at 12:00 p.m. EDT.

Do you work in permafrost environments? Lend your voice to our synthesis that aims to identify key links between biophysical processes, ecosystem services, and social impacts from thaw. Take a 5-15 minute survey! https://uoguelph.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0NbrNI9WZuwVNL7

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) Collaborations announces a webinar entitled National Science Foundation Program Manager Chat - Response to COVID-19. This webinar will take place online on Wednesday, 6 May 2020 at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

AGU Award nominations have been extended to June 1, 2020. Cryosphere Section Award nominations for Cryosphere Early Career Award and Nye Lecturer are particularly low. Please send in nominations if you can find the time.

Nominate your colleagues for AGU Fellow, AGU Ambassador, Union Medals, Cryosphere Early Career Award (10 years post-degree), Nye lecturer, Fellow/Ambassador and Union Medal by June 1, 2020. Instructions for the nominations can be found below.

Keep up to date on the latest AGU Cryosphere news on our Facebook Group, website, Twitter, #AGUCryo.

icarp The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) has extended the deadline for comments on the next Arctic Research Plan. IARPC will begin developing the next 5-year Arctic Research Plan and wants to know what should be included. Your thoughts and ideas are valued and welcome until 2 August 2020.

The U.S. Naval War College, the Wilson Center's Polar Institute, and the U.S. Arctic Research Commission invite registration for a virtual conference about the impacts of COVID-19 in the Arctic. This conference will convene online 19-20 May 2020 via Zoom. For more information and to register, please visit the conference webpage.

Organizers announce, that due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2nd Symposium on Polar Microbes and Viruses has been postponed. This meeting will now convene 3-6 May 2021 in Hanko, Finland.

SCAR logo white background We need YOU (polar science and education experts) to review the original Polar Resource Book - Polar Science and Global Climate: An International Resource for Education and Outreach. Now almost a decade old, we are asking for feedback on the current book’s contents to identify content that is problematically outdated / misleading / wrong before we move forward with an updated version.

The Polar Resource Book was created to ensure efforts catalyzed by the International Polar Year (IPY). It will continue to inspire educators, students, and emerging polar researchers into the next generation with a shared commitment to outreach and education.

The University of the Arctic (UArctic) call deadline has been extended for applications for networking projects in Arctic research and education for a UArctic member university in Greenland, Denmark or the Faroe Islands. Apply by May 10th here.

logo north eastern federal university nefu The Arctic Summer School 2020 organized by North-Eastern Federal University, Russia and Northern Forum international organization will be held online from July 27 – August 7, 2020. The lecture course will focus on the following topics: Development of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation, Yakutia’s Regional Development, Culture of the Indigenous Peoples of Russian Federation, Climate Change etc. The lectures will be held via ZOOM platform. Lectures will be 40 minutes plus 20 minutes for questions and discussion.

SEARCH invites you to read the Arctic Futures 2050 conference report and to discuss future directions for Arctic research. You can access the online version of the full conference report or the 4-page executive summary. Two webinars on May 14 and 18 will allow you to discuss Arctic research needs in the context of the conference report and/or your own observations and research.

Guimaro Hugo APECS Online Conference 2020 March2020 The 6th APECS International Online Conference will take place on 19-20th May 2020 and, once again, it's the time of the year that we ask for your support as volunteers! (Sign up here!)

Specifically, we need your help to act as Presentation Judges and Session Coordinators during the conference. No prior experience is required! We provide training for both roles (see below for more information). These are excellent opportunities to develop professional skills, support the APECS community, and gain experience that will boost your C.V.!

SCAR logo 2018 white background Working on cleaning up an Antarctic biodiversity dataset? The SCAR Antarctic Biodiversity Portal and the SCAR Expert Group on Antarctic Biodiversity Informatics (EG-ABI) are happy to support you. Getting your biological data clean and ready for analysis is important. It can seem like something very complicated, but it doesn’t need to be. Often simple tips and tricks can get you a long way.Having your data in a clean and shareable format allows you to collaborate more efficiently with others and get better and more valuable results.

The IcePod has released their fourth episode, titled How Do You Like Your Eggs? The IcePod is the podcast about polar science and the people. The IcePod features people involved in two big international projects: the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) and the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC). Hosts talk to scientists who went on board Polarstern, the German research icebreaker, for the biggest research expedition in the Arctic. It is produced in collaboration with the Alfred Wegener Institute and Radio Weser.TV.

PAGES ECN is an early-career network for members of PAGES, from ECRs for ECRs in paleo sciences. It is our pleasure to announce our next PAGES ECN webinar, with the topic "How to successfully apply for academic jobs in science". The webinar will be held on 12 May.

Thanks to input from many of you and the rest of our members, AGU has a new strategic plan that sets the vision for the future of Earth and space science and our community by accelerating both discovery and solution-based science. You can read the full announcement here.

AC2020 ArcticNet and its partners are very happy to invite Northern researchers, stakeholders and decision-makers to Arctic Change 2020 (AC2020) in Toronto, Canada, between December 7-10, 2020. The ArcticNet AC2020 Organizing Committee welcomes proposals for Topical Sessions of interest to the Northern research community. We are inviting you to submit your Session Proposals until Friday May 22, 2020.

iasc The Arctic Science Summit Week 2021 will take place 20-26 March 2021 in Lisbon, Portugal. Framed by the overarching theme for the science conference, The Arctic: Regional Changes, Global Impacts, organizers invite International experts on the Arctic and Indigenous Peoples to discuss the “New Arctic” and its impacts and interactions to and with the lower latitudes. The call for session proposals has been extended until 22 May 2020. For more information, visit the meeting webpage and submit your session poposal here.

To replace the PYRN workshop that was planned for ICOP this year, we started PYRN online seminars. Our first one was a great success so we are moving ahead with 3 more dates. The seminars are scheduled to take place on the 13th, 20th and 27th of May and will either be held at 7am or 7pm GMTdepending on the preferences of those of you who sign up. These seminars are designed to be informal, so if you would like to share some ongoing work, preliminary results or practice your conference talk, we are happy to have you! If you would like to share your work with us, please sign up here.

The 2021 Regional Conference on Permafrost (RCOP) will convene 11—16 July 2021 in Boulder, Colorado. The Conference provides two different types of Abstract submission:

Proceeding Paper Abstracts for Presentation and Paper to be included in the Conference Proceedings Publication Volume. Call for Proceeding Paper Abstracts is Open until 27 May 2020.
Sessions Abstracts for Presentation only. Classic Text-Only Abstract Submission (Call for Abstracts open: Fall 2020, Deadline for submission: 1/2021).

More information can be found here.

The Center for Arctic Policy Studies (CAPS) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) invites registration for a webinar entitled, The Future of Arctic Seaways. This webinar will be held 28 April 2020 at 10:00 a.m. AKDT. Click herefor more information and registration.

“EU4Ocean Coalition for Ocean Literacy - Connecting diverse Organisations, Projects and People” is a European Project supported by DG MARE of the European Commission. The aim is to build a European Ocean Coalition of people living in/near the Arctic aged 16 to 30 - the Youth4Ocean Forum - and to make Ocean Literacy a reality in Europe. The initiative focuses on five basins: Atlantic, Baltic, Black Sea, Mediterranean, and the Arctic.

polartrec logo light 400 Program Managers of the Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating (PolarTREC) program announce that in response to the COVID-19 uncertainty and for the safety of the teams and the communities of which they would visit, the deployment of all the 2020 PolarTREC educators to both the Arctic and Antarctica has been postponed until 2021. In the meantime, they will be highlighting past expeditions and continuing to host science focused seminars. You can continue to access resources and view past expedition highlights through the website.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), on behalf of the National Science and Technology Council's (NSTC) Fast Track Action Committee for Earth System Predictability, requests input on Earth System Predictability Research and Development (R&D). The Request for Information can be accessed here. The Closing Date is May 15^th 2020.

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) has initiated the development of the next 5-year Arctic Research Plan and is interested in your input. To assist, USAPECS and the IARPC Early Career Forum will be hosting an informational webinar for those interested in contributing to find out more about how they can connect to the efforts. The webinar will be held on May 7, 2020 at 11:00 AM EST / 08:00 AM AKST through IARPC’s Zoom channel .

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) aims to update its Long Range Science Plan for 2020-2029. If you envision the need for ice drilling for your project in the coming decade, send several sentences describing the science driver and the envisioned field date and location for your project, so that your plans are voiced in this planning document. Please email your input to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. soon! The current 2019-2029 Long Range Science Plan is available here.

iassa logo The IASSA Council just published a major update to the IASSA Principles and Guidelines for Conducting Ethical Research in the Arctic. This statement of principles has been formulated in accordance with the IASSA Bylaws and approved by the IASSA Council. These Principles provide guidelines for all researchers working in the North in the social, natural and health sciences, and in the humanities. The updated document can be found at here.

Inaugural Meeting Announcement, Physical Oceanography Self-Forming Team
IARPC Collaborations

Meeting date/time:Thursday, 23 April 2020, 1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT

For more information, go to:
Meeting webpage

The Arctic Data Center has announced a call for applications for a data science training workshop for Arctic researchers. This five-day workshop will be held 19-23 October 2020 in Santa Barbara, California. Application Deadline: Friday, 24 April 2020. For more information, go to: Workshop homepage

pyrn logo We hope you are doing well during this time of social distancing. With conferences and meetings cancelled, one of the things we are missing most are the chats during conference coffee breaks, icebreakers and conference dinners. These moments usually allow us to exchange ideas, seek input for our research and just get to know other members of our permafrost community. If you are like us and miss these interactions, come join us in our virtual coffee break meeting space. Its called “PYRN Coffee Break” and here is the link you will need to join.

ipa logo WE4307885cf3 The International Permafrost Association Action Group called ‘Standardized methods across Permafrost Landscapes: from Arctic Soils to Hydrosystems’ (SPLASH) is a community-driven effort aiming to provide a suite of standardized field strategies for sampling mineral and organic components in soils, sediments and water across permafrost landscapes. Find out about SPLASH in this recently published article.

We need your help: To help us gather important information and design standardized approaches for this Action Group, we prepared a brief online survey to collect input from researchers who sample along the soil-to-hydrosystem continuum. The SPLASH team is grateful for your input!

APECS-ARICE Webinar „From icebreakers into classrooms – opportunities for educators and scientists“

5 May 2020, 14-15:30 GMT

When:Friday, 24 April, Time: 12:45 - 15:00 CET
Where: Online, Zoom
Why: To provide a social experience to the Svalbard research community in difficult times.

The programme includes 3 talks followed by a panel discussion on data sharing and the SIOS data management. For the detailed programme, the zoom link and other news like upcoming webinars visit the webinar page.

In 2019, the APECS ExCom initiated the Organizational Review Committee (ORC) to perform a critical review of our organization. This was a tremendous undertaking by Hanne Nielsen, Ruth Vingerhagen, Elizabeth Orr, Renuka Badhe, Jenny Baeseman, Jennifer Cooper, Meagan Dewar, Agnieszka Kruszewska, Hugues Lantuit, Burcu Özsoy, Allen Pope, Jennifer Provencher, José Seco, Michael Sparrow, and Alex Thornton who comprise current and former APECS members, as well as senior members of the polar community. The 2019 review builds on the first ORC, which occured in 2015 and produced valuable guidance that helped APECS develop its Strategic Plan 2016 - 2020 and grow into the thriving, 3400+ member organization it is today. APECS is currently transitioning from a grassroots movement to an established and well-respected organization within the polar research community, which comes with unique challenges and opportunities. The goal of the 2019 review was to develop strategies for APECS to stay relevant and to continue providing resources and professional development opportunities for early career researchers.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network – Phase 2 (SIPN2) announces an open webinar entitled, Understanding Stakeholder Information Needs for Sea-Ice Forecasting. The one-hour webinar will be held on Tuesday, 28 April 2020, 4-5 pm GMT. Click here for more information and registration.

aos This draft Conference Statement and Call to Action is one of several products emerging out of the AOS 2020, along with a more detailed report that summarizes the full depth and scope of Working Group activities, and a brief summary for policy-makers as input to the Third Arctic Science Ministerial, the latter building on this document. Click here to download AOS2020 (Draft) Conference Statement and Call to Action (PDF).

The European Commission, in close collaboration with the EU member states, will host a pan-European hackathon to connect civil society, innovators, partners and investors across Europe in order to develop innovative solutions for coronavirus-related challenges.

The submission deadline for the Special Issue "Transformation of Glacial and Periglacial Environments in Mountain Regions", run by the journal Water, has been postponed to 31 July 2020. We encourage authors to send a short abstract or tentative title to the
Editorial Office in advance (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). For further reading and for instructions please visit the Special Issue website.

The International Arctic Social Sciences Association Council (IASSA) expresses its support to researchers, students and Arctic community members as we all deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents of Arctic communities, where there are limited public health, financial and community resources, are particularly vulnerable in this crisis. This includes the Indigenous, traditional and local knowledge holders so many of us work with and count as our close friends and colleagues. At the time of the writing, more than 3,505 Arctic residents have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and 33 have died.

A new article from Arctic Finland focusses on how Arctic researchers have responded to the current crisis as more activities move online, including contributions from UArctic's VP Organization Outi Snellman and VP Research Arja Rautio.

UArctic Thematic Networks and the UArctic Research Chair have published three webinar recordings:

Webinar on Greenlandic primary school system

Seminar and book launch event on Indigenous Pedagogy held at University of Lapland

IARPC seminar on the Arctic Water Cycle to the Arctic Atmosphere Team

logo pyrn PYRN is renewing its current Executive Committee (ExCom), Council and National Representatives for the next two years (2020-2022). This is your chance to get involved in an international network of young experts aiming to organize and foster the future generation of permafrost researchers. If you are a young researcher working in permafrost areas or on topics concerning permafrost and you want the chance to shape our network, please apply. We need great people! To submit your application, please use this form and apply until May 20th 2020.

migrtation Arctic port cities are witnessing increased maritime traffic; rural villages are facing displacement; and species are shifting their ranges north. These new mobilities present both challenges and opportunities for the North, but a lack of integration across research communities has hampered the advancement of our shared knowledge. With this new Research Coordination Network, we’re about to change that and invite and YOU to join our free network today.

iasc In 2021, the ASSW will take place in Lisbon from 20 to 26 March under the conference theme: “The Arctic: Regional changes, Global impacts”, with the three last days reserved for the OPEN SCIENCE CONFERENCE (OSC). We invite the Arctic community to chair and present session proposals of relevant topics in all science fields, both specific and cross-cutting, framed in the overall conference theme. IASC aims to bridge disciplinary and national gaps in Arctic science. We therefore hope that session conveners will embrace this international and interdisciplinary approach in their proposed sessions. The call for sessions is open until 30 April 2020.

NSF logo The Antarctic Sciences (ANT) and Antarctic Infrastructure and Logistics (AIL) Sections in the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) will be hosting virtual office hours this week to share information with the academic community regarding NSF’s current operations. These office hours will also allow the community to ask questions, share concerns, and/or offer suggestions on how ANT/AIL can do more to address the impact of COVID-19 on researchers.

Apr 16, 2020 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada). Register here.

Apr 17, 2020 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada). Register here.

To participate, you must register for a session. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the webinar.

vanda Organizers announce a call for papers for two cryosphere sessions during Vienna Anthropology Days 2020. This call is open until 1 June. The conference will convene 28 September – 1 October 2020 in Vienna, Austria.

Changing Cryospheres I: Global Warming in Polar and Alpine Settings
Organizers: Alexandra Meyer (University of Vienna), Olga Povoroznyuk (University of Vienna)

Changing Cryospheres II: How to Communicate the Challenges of Climate Change?
Organizers: Peter Schweitzer (University of Vienna), Susanna Gartler (University of Vienna)

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute announces their webinar titled Coastal Resilience in Alaska: Programs and Policies Helping Communities Adapt in the Nation’s Fastest-Warming State. This webinar will be held 21 April 2020, 2:00-3:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. This webinar will include a briefing on scientific developments and policy initiatives that are helping protect Alaskan ecosystems and communities from erosion, sea level rise, and other coastal hazards. For more information and to join the webinar, please visit the webinar homepage.

InsSciDE – Inventing a shared Science Diplomacy for Europe – presents the first edition of an innovative training program for the present and future science diplomats of Europe. The Warsaw Science Diplomacy School (WSDS 2020: virtual), co-organized by our partner the European Academy of Diplomacy, is a one-week intensive course with competitive enrolment from June 22-26. The summer school is now virtual & the application deadline extended: Apply before 16 May! Find out more and apply here.

APS Two Opinion Editorial (Op-Ed) papers of this year was published online on Advances in Polar Science. The first Op-Ed paper of this year, “Arctic environmental change research and Antarctic studies have mutual benefits” was published by Dr. Outi Meinander from Finnish Meteorological Institute.

The second Op-Ed paper, “The SPLASH Action Group – Towards standardized sampling strategies in permafrost science” was published by Dr. Frédéric Bouchard and the SPLASH team (www.splash.biogeochimie.fr).

The WGMS National Correspondents are telling you in brief how glaciers are doing and why they are important in their respective countries. On the same webpage, you find a virtual journey following the celebration events of 125 years of internationally coordinated glacier
monitoring as held in 2019.

icarp IARPC will begin developing the next 5-year Arctic Research Plan and we want to know what should be included. Your thoughts and ideas are valued and welcome. A scoping Federal Register Notice (FRN) for the next Arctic Research Plan was published on April 3rd and will be open for comments until July 2nd. More information on Plan development and hos wo submit your comments can be found here.

Wondering how to respect and incorporate indigenous knowledge into your research? Join us April 16th at 8-9:30pm EST (0:00 - 1:30 GMT on 17 April) for a workshop on working with indigenous communities. The DEI and Indigenous Collaborations project groups are putting together a workshop including panel discussions from experts and break out sessions in order to help get a better understanding of how to foster connections with indigenous communities. We'll be hearing from Tuyara Gavrilieva, Vyacheslav Shadrin, Kate Snow, Lorna Little, Vera Metcalf, Marianne Falardeau and more to hear their perspectives and stories collaborating between researchers and community members. Anyone is welcome.

Twenty-seven students from universities in the circumpolar north and beyond participated in the Fourth UArctic Model Arctic Council. Although organizers had been planning for months to hold the program face-to-face in Akureyri, Iceland, they moved it online, owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Students and organizers videoconferenced through the Zoom platform. The program opened on Friday, March 20, and continued Monday, March 23 through Thursday, March 26, 2020.

Eight new Thematic Networks were approved by the Assembly of UArctic at their fist annual meeting held on February 25-26, 2020, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Read more about the new networks here.

uarcticcongress2020 logo web The goal is to identify six Nordic (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Greenland, Faroe Islands and Iceland) finalists that UArctic will select to represent UArctic at the international science popularization contest during the UArctic Congress held in Reykjavik (6-8 Oct 2020 in Reykjavik, Iceland). The call is open until May 1, 2020 to enrolled MA and PhD students from UArctic Nordic member institutions working in the field of northern or Arctic research. Find out more and how to apply here.

interact newsletter.png The ongoing pandemic has caused many changes and this newsletter is devoted to inform about the ongoing situation and how INTERACT responds and is helping. Read the INTERACT #7 March 2020 Newsletter here.

The Arctic Data Center will host a 5-day data science training workshop October 19 - 23, 2020 at NCEAS in Santa Barbara, California. This 5-day workshop will provide researchers with an overview of best data management practices, data science tools, and concrete steps and methods for more easily documenting and uploading their data to the Arctic Data Center.

Due to the COVID-19 situation, the Arctic Circle has decided to postpone the Forum in Berlin, Germany, which had been scheduled for June 30 - July 1st. Proposals for Sessions will remain valid and our international partners are encouraged to continue their dialogue and preparations for the Forum. A new date for the Forum will be announced in the coming months. Please keep an eye on http://www.arcticcircle.org/ for updates.

SCAR logo white background Although SCAR-COMNAP 2020 has been cancelled and the Secretariat offices at SPRI closed, activities are still on the go. We are also continuing with our Awards and Fellowships program for 2020. Successful candidates of this round and previous rounds who have not yet implemented their program will be offered options to defer or propose new ways forward.

nsf NSF is committed to being supportive and as responsive as possible to the needs of the research community in the face of challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Please consult the NSF website regularly for up-to-date information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

If you are looking for some virtual fieldwork, VR Glaciers and Glaciated Landscapes may be of interest. Our virtual field trips allow you to explore the fascinating and often spectacular world of glaciers and glaciated landscapes. Look all around and zoom-in on features of interest – rather like Google Streetview – and see how the landscape changes from one location to the next. This free and easy-to-use resource from the University of Worcester provides ground-level virtual fieldwork to locations in Switzerland, California and the English Lake District.

Many of you might already be aware that the EGU General Assembly 2020 will be very different this year, without the physical meeting in Vienna. It will now take place as

EGU2020: Sharing Geoscience Online from 4 - 8 May 2020.

It is open to anyone and is free of charge.

wwf Today's young people will be disproportionately affected by what we do to our planet. But what issues matter most to youth in the Arctic, and how can we move forward together? In this issue of The Circle, we examine what matters to youth in the Arctic and how they think we can move forward.

The Circle is a magazine produced by the WWF Global Arctic Programme. Our goal is to inform decision-makers, scientists and the interested public about Arctic environmental and development issues.

PYR pyrn logo N is organising monthly online seminars during the time of social distancing due to COVID-19.

The first seminar on April 17, at 7pm GMT features a talk by ExCom member Evan Wilcox about his research on thermokarst lakes.

Seminar details:

Speaker: Evan Wilcox
Title: "Investigating the influences on Thermokarst Lake Water Balances between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk, NT"
Time: April 17th 2020, 7-7:30pm GMT

web apecs ... Nil Rodes!

Congratulations Nil, you won a 100€ voucher for travel cost to a polar and cryosphere related conference (please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to retrieve your prize).

Thank you to all the participants for their beautiful photos!"

rodes nil polar week march 2020 photochallenge

Every morning sunshine between the rain during the fieldwork days in Isfjord, Svalbard.

Dear dedicated polar researchers,

APECS and INTERACT collaborate on developing resources for communication and navigation in the field – an important aspect that needs to be considered when preparing a field campaign in the remote, spectacular, but unforgiving Arctic. This aims to become a resource similar to the INTERACT Practical Field Guide. We invite you to contribute with your most compelling photos from the field until 17 May 2020!

web apecs The PolarWeekPhoto photo challenge has come to an end: It's now time to vote for the photo contest of the March PolarWeek 2020. The winner will receive a 100€ voucher for travel costs to a polar or cryosphere related conference! You can see the photos and contest descriptions here. You have until Friday 3rd April 12 GMT to vote, here: https://www.poll-maker.com/poll2824041x94784d0c-83.

IPCC SOD WGI AR6

*** Changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic ***

We are temporarily pausing applications since the IPCC has modified the date of the WGII - AR6 expert review of the SOD (the new date is 4 Dec 2020 - 29 Jan 2021 - see IPCC calendar). We need some time to adapt our group review schedule to this new date.

In a few weeks, we will contact individuals who have already sent their applications to inform them about the new schedule. For those who have not applied yet, we would like to let you know that the updated call will be published in APECS, MRI, PAGES ECN, PYRN and YESS newsletters and social media, so stay tuned!

This 1-year interdisciplinary programme draws on drone, GIS and remote sensing technologies and their application to understanding the physical, biological and chemical changes underlying environmental change. The programme has been developed to help meet increased demand for graduates with experience in drone technology and/or the skills required to work in and conduct research into environmental science and climate change.

The EPB will host the first in a series of webinars for the project Southern Ocean Carbon and Heat Impact on Climate (SO-CHIC) at 15:00 CEST on Tuesday 7th April 2020.

This first webinar, given by project coordinator Jean-Baptiste Sallée from Sorbonne Université, will introduce SO-CHIC and its objectives.

UArctic logo new At a time when the COVID-19 outbreak means considerable disruptions to the educational operations of our members and more and more teaching moves online, UArctic and its partners are working to collect openly available learning resources to be used as needed by the circumpolar higher education community.

UArctic logo new UArctic’s partners, members, and sponsors are welcome to organize their own side events during the UArctic Congress 2020. Deadline April 22, 2020.

Oct 5 is reserved for such pre-meetings and other side events. All side events are self-organized, but will be listed and promoted on the UArctic Congress web portal. Venues are available at local host institutions of the UArctic Congress 2020.

University of Oulu published a new Gender Equality and Diversity action plan—a GEP for years 2019–2022, which is the seventh in order. The first one was drafted already in 1997. The brochure recaps the current tasks of the gender equality work at the university and it is published today—the national Day of Equality, March 19th.

Due to many campuses and government agencies being put on non-mission-critical travel holds, we are postponing the resuscitation of the Northeast Glaciology Meeting.

New Date: 3 - 4 September 2020 (Thursday/Friday); Location: University of Maine (Orono, ME USA).

Under the motto "POLAR REGIONS, CLIMATE CHANGE and SOCIETY" the German Society of Polar Research would like to cordially invite you to the 28 International Polar Conference in Cologne, 6 to 11 September 2020.

Dear colleagues and friends,

We are happy to tell you that YOUMARES, the conference for YOUng MARine RESearch, is going for its 11^th round.

YOUMARES will take place from the 15. – 18 September in Kiel, co-hosted by the GEOMAR - Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research.

We are pleased to announce that the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) is now inviting colleagues of the Asian Arctic research community to participate in its 2020 Arctic expedition.

Organizers of the 2020 Arctic Observing Summit (AOS 2020) invite the community to join the virtual meetings that will convene Monday, 30 March — Thursday, 2 April 2020 This summit is 100% online (with options for calling in). Events and Working Group activities will be held primarily on the Zoom platform and by recorded videos.

Convened Online via Zoom

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is now accepting scientific program proposals for the 2020 Fall Meetings that will convene 7 – 11 December 2020 in San Francisco, California. The Deadline was extended to the 23th April 2020.

Dear Colleagues

You will by now have seen the notice that the Open Science Conference and SCAR Delegates meeting, to be held in Hobart, Australia in July-August 2020, have been cancelled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SCAR logo white background The SCAR COMNAP 2020 Local Organising Committee, in consultation with the SCAR and COMNAP Executive Committees have decided to cancel SCAR COMNAP 2020 in light of the global Coronavirus situation. Consequently the Totten Workhop have been cancelled, too. The Committee has given due consideration to local Tasmanian and Australian health advice as well as the global response to the pandemic.

Since most of us are suggested to work from home PYRN promotes the following resources:

Skype a Scientists: https://www.skypeascientist.com

The annual news bulletin Frozen Ground 43 is out:

https://ipa.arcticportal.org/news/943-read-the-annual-news-bulletin-frozen-ground-43

https://ipa.arcticportal.org/images/fg/Frozen_Ground_43.pdf

Please, stay tuned

The Arctic Calendar is an online, searchable calendar of major meetings, events, and deadlines relevant to the Arctic science, education, and policy communities. It serves as a community resource for tracking and publicizing major Arctic events and conferences, and to help avoid conflicting meeting dates. The Calendar is maintained and hosted by the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) in collaboration with the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC)

The Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) is inviting input for new project ideas and proposals to include in their next 5-Year cooperative agreement with NOAA’s Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS).

Fugmann Profile Picture 2020 Dear APECS Members,

I have some news, that I need to share with you. I have accepted the position as new IASC Executive Secretary and will therefore be leaving APECS in July. This is a great new opportunity for me personally and I am quite excited about it and very much looking forward to this new appointment and to working with the IASC community.

At the same time, this of course means me leaving APECS, an organization that I have been involved in, and that has shaped my career and personal life for more than 11 years.

iassa logo Dear IASSA members and ICASS X participants,

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IASSA Council has voted unanimously to postpone ICASS X to June 2021.

We feel that holding ICASS X in person is important for our Association as it is only held on a triennial basis and is a significant event for social scientists, humanities scholars and Indigenous knowledge holders in the Arctic. Postponing ICASS X to June 2021 will provide the Association with an opportunity to host the meeting in a safe and productive environment. In this decision we are also following the recommendations of the Russia’s health authorities to refrain from holding large conferences in the near term.

The current COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation is affecting all of us and therefore also will have an impact on APECS activities in the coming months. The health, safety, and wellbeing of our members and community is our foremost priority. To that end, we wanted to provide an update for APECS activities as well as APECS leadership and National Committee operations during this time of crisis:

The geoscience and Earth education community encourages you to provide input on strategic priorities for a major facility that supports geoscience using geodesy. While UNAVCO’s primary funding comes from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA, our reach is global.

UNAVCO is in a period of change, approaching the end of our 2016-2020 strategic plan, awaiting changes to the NSF grant requirements, and discussing future integration with our sister facility, IRIS. Each of these changes is an opportunity to revisit the focus of our facility and the community that it serves.

This course provides a small group of PhD students and Early Career Researchers to gain practical skills for working safely and effectively in the polar regions. The short eight-day course consists of two parts: three days theoretical work in Cambridge followed by five full days of active fieldwork on the ice and at sea, supported from the UK Arctic Research Station in the international research village of Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. Leading operational polar experts and researchers from British Antarctic Survey will guide the course, teaching participants to translate exciting scientific ideas into safe, achievable and effective field plans.

National Scicence Foundation (NSF) Polar Programs Officers, Roberto Delgado and Colleen Strawhacker, will host this IARPC Collaborations webinar on NSF funding opportunities and welcome the research community to join, ask questions, and share feedback.

Date: Friday, 20 March 2020
Time: 1:00 p.m. (EDT)
Speakers: NSF Polar Programs Officers Roberto Delgado and Colleen Strawhacker

INTERACT kindly invites all members of the INTERACT Community to participate in the INTERACT Photo Competition 2020. The purpose of the competition is to gather high-quality photographs from the Arctic and northern boreal and alpine areas for use in an INTERACT Coffee Table Book to be published in autumn 2020 to celebrate INTERACT and its achievements since its start in 2011.

A more thorough description of the purpose of the competition and how to participate can be found on the INTERACT website. Note that the deadline for submitting photos is 15 April 2020.

The International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS, https://cryosphericsciences.org/) would like to invite proposals for scientific sessions at the Busan IAMAS-IACS-IAPSO Joint Assembly 2021 (http://baco-21.org). The deadline for session proposals is 15 April 2020.

The Aalborg University Copenhagen will host the "Greenland-Denmark 1721 + 300 = 2021" conference from 7 to 8 January 2021.

As we approach the year 2021, Greenland and Denmark can look back at 300 years of colonization and resistance, continuous cultural encounters and relationship-building, cooperation and conflict.

The second draft of working group 1's contribution - physical climate science - to the 6th Assessment Report of the IPCC is now open for expert review and will remain so until 26 April.

This review process is critical for a rigorous, objective, exhaustive and transparent assessment of the state of knowledge.

This is a reminder of the 3rd Annual Chilean Cryosphere Society (SOCHICRI) meeting to be held in Concepcion, Chile. SOCHICRI invites researchers, professionals and students from Chile and abroad to participate in the annual meeting for 2020. This will be held in Concepcion from 13 – 15 May 2020 and will be organised by the Departments of Geography and Geophysics, University of Concepcion.

The Fulbright Arctic Initiative will bring together professionals, practitioners, and researchers from the United States, Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark including Greenland and the Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden for group seminars and an individual Fulbright exchange to address key research and policy questions related to fostering a secure and sustainable Arctic. Apply Now

The Calotte Academy 2020 is planned to be organized on 31 May – 7 June (tbc.) 2020 in the European Arctic — Enontekiö and Inari, Finland; Kautokeino, Kirkenes and Svanvik, Norway; and Apatity and Nikel, Russia.

The theme of the 2020 Academy is "New and emerging trends of Arctic governance, geopolitics, geoeconomics, and science."

The applications for the UN Global Climate Action Award are now open. Organizations, cities, industries, governments and others who take leadership on climate change can nominate their work and show that there is Momentum for Change.

The 2020 award will recognize climate action that is already achieving real results in three categories:

Calling all undergraduates interested in Arctic sciences! Apply to participate in a science training cruise aboard the R/V Marcus Langseth from 25 Aug – 30 August from Ketchikan, AK to Dutch Harbor, AK. If you are interested in leading a STEMSEAS transit, STEMSEAS is always looking for excellent, enthusiastic, creative and flexible instructors and mentors. See http://mlp.ldeo.columbia.edu/stemseas/ for more information.

The North Pacific Arctic Conference (NPAC), co-organized by the East-West Center and the Korea Maritime Institute is celebrating its 10^th anniversary, August 19-21 2020 at the Imin Conference Center in Honolulu, HI. This conference provides a venue for off-the-record engagement among policymakers/practitioners and scientists/analysists regarding issues of mutual interest to leading North Pacific Arctic states (Canada, Russia and the United States) and non-Arctic states (China, Japan and South Korea). NPAC aims to provide early identification of key policy issues and improved understanding of major options for addressing these issues. This year’s theme is: Will Great-Power Politics Threaten Arctic Sustainability?

Pileci Rosaria Erika PolarWeek March 2020 Join us in celebrating the icy and Polar Regions of the world and create further awareness of the science and activities being conducted in the Arctic and the Antarctic.The APECS International Polar Week March 2020 is shaping up to be an exciting party! From the 15 to 21 March, we will be featuring some great activities organized by Polar early career researchers from around the world.

Guimaro Hugo APECS Online Conference 2020 March2020

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is proud to announce the much awaited 6th annual APECS International Online Conference to go live on 19 May 2020. This year’s theme, "Opening Doors: Collaboration across knowledge systems" aims to encourage collaboration between early career researchers, science communicators, educators, and local community members in polar and alpine regions.

UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Sustainable Arts and Design (ASAD) will continue the collaboration with Arctic Arts Summit (AAS). The next AAS will be held in Canada in summer 2021.

CSDMS will host a 10-day, immersive training experience for 25 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and early career faculty at the CSDMS Integration Facility at the University of Colorado, Boulder from August 13-21^st. This is an NSF funded project and will hopefully bring together earth surface processes aficinados from all over the US and world.

https://csdms.colorado.edu/wiki/ESPIn2020

iasc web In 2021 the ASSW will take place in Lisbon from 20 to 26 March 2021 under the theme: “The Arctic: Regional changes, Global impacts”, with the three last days reserved for the OPEN SCIENCE CONFERENCE (OSC). The event will bring together scientists, Indigenous people, Arctic community members, and Arctic science stakeholders from all over the world to present and discuss the most recent advances on Arctic knowledge across disciplines, from the natural sciences to the humanities. The OSC will also be an opportunity to foster research synergies between both Polar Regions, with sessions that target both Poles welcomed.

IGS logo The Nordic Branch of the International Glaciological Society will hold its annual meeting in Copenhagen on the 28-30^th of October.

More information will follow on registration, abstract submission and schedule.

Please keep an eye on the IGS website (https://www.igsoc.org/about/nordicbranch/meetings/copenhagen2020/).

The AGU Cryosphere Section Executive Committee would like to remind you that it is time to nominate your colleagues for AGU Fellow, AGU Ambassador, Union Medals, Cryosphere Early Career Award (10 years post-degree), and Nye lecturer. Fellow/Ambassador and Union Medal nominations have been extended to March 15, 2020 and Cryosphere Section award nominations are due April 15, 2020. Instructions for the nominations can be found below.

Please see the call below for ourupcoming PECS Collaborative Working Group Webinar withHita Unnikrishnan on historical analysis as our speaker. We hope to have as many of you attend virtually, but it will be recorded if the time/date doesn’t work for you. The meeting is Tuesday, the 10^th of March at 9:00 AM Ecuador time zone and will last for one hour. The link to the Zoom meeting is below.

Title: Using historical data within the context of studying natural resource governance

This Special Issue for the Geosciences on Monitoring of the Seasonal Snow Cover invites and encourages the submission of all manuscripts covering long- and short-term snow-monitoring activities, snow instrumentation/sensors, monitoring schemes and methodology, and applications where snow monitoring data are used, including, but not limited to: in-situ measurements of snow parameters, short and long-range remote sensing of snowpack, spatial and temporal snowpack variability, snow hydrology, avalanches and usage of novel techniques in snow monitoring (e.g., UAV, TLS, etc.).

For further reading, please follow the link to the Special Issue Website at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/geosciences/special_issues/Snow_Cover

The submission deadline is 31 July 2020.

NSF Polar Programs Officers Roberto Delgado and Colleen Strawhacker will host this webinar on NSF funding opportunities, including Rapid Response Research Proposals and Research Coordination Network. They welcome the research community to join, ask questions and share feedback. March 20, 2020 at 1700 UTC (1 PM US Eastern Time) https://www.iarpccollaborations.org/webinars.html

Organizers of the 2020 Polar Technology Conference are offering free livestream access to the event, which will be held Tuesday—Thursday, 10–12 March 2020 in Boulder, Colorado.

The goal of the meeting is to link experts in the fields of polar science and technology development to discuss current technological resources for polar research and identify barriers to research and application of technology for problems unique to polar regions.

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) offers an NSF-sponsored opportunity for U.S. early career scientists, postdocs, and PhD students in the U.S. to apply for travel support to the International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS) and Ice Core Young Scientists (ICYS) Open Science meetings that will convene 18—24 October 2020 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

Further Information about IPICS and ICYS Open Science Meetings

SCAR logo white background SCAR launches its 2020 Antarctic-related Fellowships for early-career researchers today. SCAR will offer 3 to 4 fellowships of up to USD $15,000 each for 2020. The Fellowships enable early-career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating partnerships that last for many years and over many Antarctic field seasons.

The deadline for fellowship applications is 26 August 2020.

Find out how to apply for the fellowship here: https://scar.org/awards/fellowships/information/

The SCAR Secretariat has compiled a list of frequently asked questions on our website (https://scar.org/awards/fellowships/faqs/), where you can also find an overview of past and present SCAR Fellows (https://scar.org/awards/fellowships/fellows/).

iasc web The International Arctic Science Committee awards the 2020 IASC Medal to Dr. Sue E. Moore for Outstanding Achievement in Understanding Marine Mammals as Ecosystem Sentinels and how Climate Change is Influencing the Phenology of Arctic Species

YOPP LOGO beb4effb3c Episode Three of The Icepod, the official podcast for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) initiative to improve weather and sea-ice forecast in the Arctic and Antarctic, is now available.

The IcePod features people involved in two big international projects: the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) and the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC).

The third episode of the IcePod features Stefan Hendricks, a sea ice physicist at the Alfred Wegener Institute who joined the first Leg of MOSAiC and worked along the Remote Sensing team on board Polarstern.

Further Information about The IcePod

Organizers of the European Union-Horizon 2020 -funded International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic (INTERACT III) announce the first call for research groups to apply for Trans-national Access (TA) to 10 new research stations offering TA in INTERACT III. The call is for access taking place between June 2020 and April 2021.

With its overarching theme – “Water: Our Global Common Good – The Hydrosphere across Land and Sea” – this year’s Potsdam Summer School will continue the transdisciplinary and interactive event series that has been held annually in Potsdam, Germany since 2014. It will take place from 17-26 August.

The summer school will provide its participants with a comprehensive perspective and overview of the relevant aspects when dealing with the hydrosphere. They will be engaged in discussions and group works and will be provided with tools to develop effective strategies in order to deal with the challenges they face in their daily work.

Organizers of the 2021 Regional Conference on Permafrost (RCOP) invite session proposals that address science and/or engineering topics with a focus on permafrost. The conference will convene 11—16 July 2021 in Boulder, Colorado.

For the first time the Regional Conference on Permafrost will be combined with the bi-annual International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering. The conference will bring together international participants who will have the opportunity to organize side-project meetings and enjoy field trips to the nearby Rocky Mountains.

NSF invites proposals to establish a Navigating the New Arctic Community Office (NNA-CO). Launched in 2016, NNA has been building a growing portfolio of research and planning grants at the intersection of the built, social, and natural environments to improve understanding of Arctic change and its local and global effects. Each NNA-funded project is responsible for its own performance, including its core research and broader impacts. However, an NNA community office is required to coordinate the activities of funded NNA projects, engage new PIs, and promote research, education, and outreach activities.

SCAR logo white background The deadline for submission of abstracts to the SCAR2020 Open Science Conference has been extended until 5pm AEST on 6th March 2020.

Abstracts can be submitted here.

iasc web IASC’s International Science Initiative in the Russian Arctic (ISIRA) is a Russian and international cooperative initiative to assist Arctic science in the Russian Arctic. To help achieve this, ISIRA collects reports each year from those leading ongoing and upcoming projects, meant to provide an account of relevant projects related to the Russian Arctic.

Throughout fall 2019, APECS, the APPLICATE (Advanced Prediction in Polar regions and beyond: modelling, observing system design and LInkages associated with a Changing Arctic climaTE) project and the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) were running an open online course on "Advancing Predictive Capability of Northern Hemisphere Weather and Climate”.

This is a brief reminder that the SCAR/SERCE program ('Solid Earth Response and influence on Cryospheric Evolution') is offering travel support to attend SCAR 2020.

Early career researchers, or researchers from countries with an emerging Antarctic program, who are working in a SERCE-facing area are eligible to apply for funds to support their attendance at the conference.

iasc web The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) invites proposals for cross-cutting Arctic activities to be considered for IASC funding in 2020. IASC activities connect Arctic scientists across national and disciplinary boundaries, with funding up to 15,000 Euro.

IASC scientists are organized into five working groups: Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social and Human, and Terrestrial. Proposals can be limited to one IASC Working Group, relevant to all five, or anything in between. Note: Working Groups must allocate at least 40% of their budget in cooperation with other Working Groups.

YOPP LOGO beb4effb3c Episode Two of The Icepod, the official podcast for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) initiative to improve weather and sea-ice forecast in the Arctic and Antarctic, is now available.

The IGS has established a new Early-career Glaciologist Group (EGG). The group is open to any early-career scientist in glaciology or related snow and ice sciences. Our aims are to enhance the cryosphere early-career community (socially and professionally), particularly within the IGS, and to provide additional support to early-career scientists in cryosphere-related fields. We’re planning social events, workshops, and panel discussions at upcoming meetings, including EGU and the IGS symposium in Durham in July. By holding these events, we are hoping to build a better community for early-career scientists, where we can exchange ideas and discuss problems, foster career development, and get to know each other.

We would like to draw your attention to the upcoming Ocean Mixing Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) and Conference (GRC), held from June 13-14 and 14-19, 2020 at Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, New Hampshire, USA.

The GRC provides an international forum for the presentation and discussion of frontier research and related technologies, and for over 80 years, have been viewed as the world?s premier scientific meetings. The guiding principle is to encourage communication and discussion of ideas and new unpublished results by bringing together outstanding scientists from academia, industry, and government.

It is our great pleasure to invite you to participate in the second Symposium on Polar Microbes and Viruses from 4-7 May 2020 at Tvärminne Zoological Station, Finland.

See further details: http://polarmicrobio.me/

Food Congress is to be held in Guovdageaidnu (Kautokeino), Norway on March 9-13, 2020.

The event will have a youth profile, while the program will include cooking, demonstration of traditional foods and dishes, modern cuisine, preparation and processing, and will include a multitude of indigenous food cultures, traditional indigenous knowledge, traditions, stories and menus. There will also be a conference with presentations based on traditional indigenous knowledge and science. The event will display the diversity of food resources and systems of Arctic indigenous peoples, including reindeer and caribou meat, moose meat, fish, birds, berries, plants and so on.

The Russian State Hydrometeorological University is pleased to invite you to join the Arctic Days in St. Petersburg–2020: “International Scientific Cooperation in the Arctic in the Era on Climate Change” held in St. Petersburg on May 13–14, 2020.

The Conference will bring together social and natural scientists, industry professionals, policy makers, Indigenous leaders, and other stakeholders from across the Arctic. In response to ongoing climate change, the organizing committee invites you to participate in the formation of an international interdisciplinary platform for discussing pressing issues of socio-cultural, economic development and international cooperation in the Arctic.

The international summer school “Arctic Law” aimed at students and young practitioners seeking a deeper understanding of the Arctic issues and their international and national regulation is to be held on July 12-18, 2020 at the Northern (Arctic) Federal University, Arkhangelsk, Russia.

Participants of the Summer School will be able to undergo a week-long intensive training on Arctic Law and deepen their knowledge and understanding of current trends in international and national law.

The Arctic Circle Japan Forum will be held from November 21-23 2020 in Tokyo in association with the Third Arctic Science Ministerial Meeting.

The Forum will be organized in coordination with the Third Arctic Science Ministerial Meeting, which is co-hosted by the Icelandic Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, and the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

28 Intl Polar Conf DGP First Circular Seite 1

We are pleased to announce that registration for the 77^th Eastern Snow Conference (ESC) will open on February 15. The conference will be held at York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 9 – 11 June 2020.

Full conference registration includes participation in the Tuesday night icebreaker, Wednesday oral/poster sessions, Wednesday evening banquet, and Thursday half-day oral sessions. Single day registrations include participation in the oral/poster sessions for the day.

The next Karthaus course on ICE SHEETS AND GLACIERS IN THE CLIMATE SYSTEM will be held on 8-19 September 2020 in Karthaus, Italy.

The course is meant for Ph.D. students and provides a basic introduction to the dynamics of glaciers and ice sheets with a focus on ice-climate interactions. Topics include: continuum mechanics, kinematics, ice rheology, sliding and hydraulics, numerical modelling, polar meteorology, ice-ocean interaction, ice cores, interaction of ice sheets with the solid earth, glacier fluctuations, etc.

You are cordially invited to participate in the workshop "Mathematics of Sea Ice in the Twenty-First Century" to be held from 20th to 31st July 2020 in the Isaac Newton Institute (INI), Cambridge, UK. The workshop will include presentations and discussions from world-leading experts on sea ice research for climate and environmental modelling and engineering applications.

Online abstract submission for the International Symposium on ‘Ice Streams and Outlet Glaciers’ is now open. The meeting is held 19–24 July 2020, in Durham University, Durham, UK.

Please note that the abstract submission system is separate from the IGS Connect. You will have to register your details if you have not submitted an abstract with us before.

On February 4, 2020, The Barents Center of the Humanities at Kola Science Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences will host a seminar «Sami History and culture in the latest research and publications» dedicated to the Sami National Day.

The event will be attended by important figures of Sami culture, Center of the Northern peoples representatives, scientists and postgraduates of the Kola Science Center. The seminar will include a presentation of innovative works and a book by Nina Eliseeva, President of the Kola Sami Association (until 2010), the winner of the “Golden language” award for the work on the Sami language preservation and development.

Kola Science Center RAS invites participants to the X international scientific and practical conference “The North and the Arctic in the New Global Development Paradigm. Luzin Readings 2020”, which is to be held on April 9 - 11, 2020 in Apatity (Murmansk region of Russia). The main theme of the conference is socio-economic development of the Russian Arctic.

The conference will include plenary sessions, parallel sections, and the “School for young Arctic researchers”.

UiT Logo eng pos The University of the Arctic (UArctic) call for is now open for applications for networking projects in Arctic research and education for a UArctic member university in Norway.

Who can apply:
The main applicant has to come from a UArctic member university in Norway. A complete and updated list of member institutions can be found on the UArctic website. The project lead institution needs to be a UArctic member.

The University of the Arctic (UArctic) call is now open for applications for networking projects in Arctic research and education for a UArctic member university in Greenland, Denmark or the Faroe Islands.

Who can apply:
The main applicant has to come from a UArctic member university in Greenland, Denmark or the Faroe Islands. A complete and updated list of member institutions can be found on the UArctic website. The main applicant or project lead institution needs to be a UArctic member.

This course aims to bring young researchers together across disciplines, within the broad domain of Arctic research and research communication, in order to build new networks and develop communications skills. The objectives are both linked to different ongoing Arctic research initiatives such as the Arctic Science IntegrAtion Quest (ASIAQ) Project and Arctic Avenue, and to make a communication effort for the Tarfala Research Station.

Course date: June 29 -July 3, 2020, excluding travels.

iasc web Framed by the overarching theme “The Arctic: Regional Changes, Global Impacts”, Lisbon invites international experts on the Arctic and Indigenous Peoples to discuss the “New Arctic” and also its impacts and interactions to and with the lower latitudes.

The Arctic Science Summit Week 2021 will bring together scientists, Indigenous people, Arctic community members, and Arctic science stakeholders from all over the world to present and discuss the most recent advances on Arctic knowledge across disciplines, from the natural sciences to the humanities. The conference will also be an opportunity to foster research synergies between both Polar Regions, with sessions that target both Poles welcomed.

SCAR logo white background Several SCAR groups and Scientific Research Programmes are offering grants to support travel and registration costs associated with attending SCAR2020.

Find an overview of all travel support, application processes and deadlines on our website: https://www.scar.org/events/ecr-travel/. This list is frequently updated as new opportunities become available.

Also this year we run our applied course for snow and avalanche science at University Vienna within "Topics in Geodynamics" The applied excursion to the ski resorts of Galtür, Ischgl and Lech am Arlberg takes place from 22.03.- 26.03.2020 where we will investigate all snow properties leading to avalanche initiation and carry out 3D snow depth mapping using laser scanning and SfM-photogrammetry.

Imagine being able to explore data about Greenland animals, ice and communities all in one place. Through the new QGreenland project, this can become a reality. QGreenland, a free geographic information system (GIS) mapping tool that is in development at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), will be available for download later this year. However, to make the project as useful and relevant as possible, the QGreenland development team needs help from potential users, who are encouraged to provide input via a survey.

Please, consider there are a couple of solicitations that the USPA is interested in getting young permafrost researchers involved in. The first is that the planning committee for the 2021 RCOP is looking for PYRN members to help with the conference organization. The second is that the USPA is looking for US based PYRN members to serve on the USPA Communications Committee.

This one-year MSc(Res) programme should interest students seeking Masters-level research training and experience within the broad subject area of cold-regions science. Its research areas include glaciology, geomorphology, climate change and reconstruction, Quaternary science, geochronology, and oceanic and atmospheric processes.The programme targets those wishing to gain an intensive research experience and expand their knowledge and skills before progressing to a PhD. Training is provided via a research apprenticeship within the Ice and Climate Research (ICERS) cluster of academic and postdoctoral staff and research students. Our students carry out a major Research Project under supervision by ICERS staff. Another key feature of the programme is a summer Field Course module. Its provisional destination is Western Greenland, although alternative field locations may be considered that reflect the interests and experience of our staff.

Girls on Ice Switzerland offers two expeditions per year: one in German and one in French. You can now apply for both expeditions, but we are currently only partly funded and are seeking funding to make sure that we can run both expeditions in 2020 and beyond.

More information can be found here: https://www.inspiringgirls.org/switzerland

The 2020 CESM Tutorial will take place 3 - 7 August 2020 at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO.

The CESM Tutorial will consist of 1) lectures on simulating the climate system, and 2) practical sessions on running CESM, modifying components, and analyzing data. While the CESM Tutorial is targeted at the graduate student level, and postdocs, research scientists, and faculty members are also welcome to apply. The committee can accept a maximum of 80 students with partial financial support (shared lodging and ground transportation) for some students. We are unable to cover airline tickets. Whether or not you apply for travel funds has no bearing on the selection process.

We offer a selection of postgraduate qualifications in Antarctic Studies including the limited entry Postgraduate Certificate in Antarctic Studies – the only programme in the world that provides students with the real-world experience of undertaking Antarctic research in Antarctica and the Master of Antarctic Studies (MASt). Both of these are our flagship programmes that include an Antarctic fieldtrip.

A brochure to provide more information is attached, and the application material and further details are available through: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/science/schools-and-departments/antarctica/study/apply/.

Application deadline is 9 April 2020.

The knowledge transfer from science to policy plays a major role in modern science and will be even more important in the future. Exposing researchers to the science-policy-interface is particularly important in an early career stage to develop an understanding of the tools and processes involved and a natural collaboration beyond science. Policy needs scientists who have consolidated knowledge and give objective, independent and target-oriented advice. Communicating scientific information to policymakers requires certain skills in translating the scientific information into information that can be understood by policymakers or nonscientists, as scientists and policymakers very often speak different “languages”. [...]

Between January 26 – 30, the 14th Arctic Frontiers conference was held in Tromsø, Norway. The theme of the 2020 conference was “The Power of Knowledge” and it brings together an international community of students, early career researchers, and young professionals to share knowledge and new perspectives. This year, APECS contributed to the Arctic Frontiers Young programme with several activities:

An Early Career Researcher Networking Night on 28 January,
6th edition of the Nansen Poster Awards on 29 January,
“Science for Schools” from 28-30 January.

The CWC research unit at the University of Oulu, leader of the UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Telecommunication and Networking, and Luleå Technical University (LTU) have started a joint Interreg Nord project called Arctic 5G Test Networks.

One aim of the project is to collect examples and experience what poor connectivity means for daily life, school work, using e-services, using e-payments, business opportunities and where (which kind of environment) the problems occur. In the later phase of the project, some solutions will be demonstrated and the availability of solutions to the public will be enabled. By poorly working connectivity we mean, e.g., that you can see that your mobile phone or modem is connected but the quality is so poor that voice and especially data connectivity (internet connectivity) fails to allow using digital services.

Bifröst University's summer course "Sustainable Leadership in the 21st Century" (8 ECTS) takes place July 18 – August 8, 2020. Application deadline: June 1, 2020.

Leaders of the future will be faced with challenging tasks in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. The 2020 summer school organized by Bifröst University will explore emerging ideas about leadership and provide practical training in leadership.

The Nordic leadership model and servant leadership will be in special focus. Sustainability and social responsibility will be discussed and the role of social entrepreneurs will be examined. The course will include both academic lectures, discussion periods and more practical approaches that will include assignments, group work and field trips.

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program Ice Core Working Group (IDP-ICWG) will hold a U.S. ice core science community planning workshop on April 2-3, 2020, at the Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town South at Carlyle in Alexandria, Virginia.

Purpose: The purpose of this workshop is to articulate driving scientific questions in ice core research for the coming decade and beyond, and identify drilling sites and technological and logistical requirements needed to answer those questions, for contribution to the U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) Long Range Science Plan.

Join us for a multi-day workshop in a stimulating and resource-rich environment where you will participate in sessions on topics including effective teaching strategies, course design, establishing a research program in a new setting, working with research students, balancing professional and personal responsibilities, and time management. Applications due March 23, 2020.

See more information on the website: https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/earlycareer2020/index.html

The Arctic Data Center will host a 5-day data science training workshop October 19 - 23, 2020 at NCEAS in Santa Barbara, California. This 5-day workshop will provide researchers with an overview of best data management practices, data science tools, and concrete steps and methods for more easily documenting and uploading their data to the Arctic Data Center.

The Arctic Data Center provides training in data science and data management, as these are critical skills for the stewardship of the data, software, and other research products that are preserved in the Arctic Data Center. The major goals of the Arctic Data Center are to advance data archiving and promote reproducible science and data reuse.

The Regional Conference on Permafrost and Engineering (RCOP) takes place in Boulder, Colorado on July 11-16, 2021. The organizers of RCOP 2021 in Boulder, Colorado, are welcoming session proposals by February 22.

For the first time the Regional Conference on Permafrost will be combined with the bi-annual International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering. RCOP 2021 is expected to bring international participation and we anticipate as many as 500 attendees who will have the opportunity to organize side-project meetings and enjoy field trips to the nearby Rocky Mountains.

Registration is now open for the 34th Forum for Research into Ice Shelf Processes (FRISP) which will be held from 21-24 June 2020 at Hotel Döllnsee near Berlin/Potsdam in Germany.

The conference will begin on the evening of June 21^st (Sunday) and conclude at lunchtime on June 24^th (Wednesday).

Registration closes on March 15^th, abstract submission will remain open until April 15^th.

Organizers announce a call for registration for the 2020 Fletcher Arctic Conference that will convene Friday-Saturday, 7-8 February 2020 in Medford, MA.

Since 2012, the annual Arctic Conference at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy has provided a platform for policymakers, business leaders, academics and students to address the implications of a volatile Arctic. This conference brings together high-level leaders working in business, governance, human rights, international law, and science from around the world to share insights, research, and engage in conversations on the pressing issues of a multi-disciplinary nature in the Arctic region. The Fletcher Arctic Conference is a student-run initiative, with key contributions from senior Fletcher School faculty and leadership. There is no cost associated with registering.

For more information and to register, go to:
Conference website

The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver scientific knowledge and ensure that ocean science can fully support countries’ actions to sustainably manage the ocean and to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
As part of a global consultation process in preparation of the UN Decade, the Southern Ocean workshop will provide opportunities to further discuss, prioritize and formulate proposals for Southern Ocean initiatives to be framed under the UN Decade.

Registration and Abstract submission is now open for the CRYOSPHERE 2020, the International Symposium on Ice, Snow and Water in a Warming World, is now online.

Early Bird registration deadline is 1 July 2020. After that date, the registration fee will Increase by €70.

The deadline for abstract submission is 15 April 2020. Notification of acceptance will be by 1 June 2020

The symposium will be held at the renowned Harpa Conference Centre in Reykjavík, Iceland during 21–24 September 2020.

We would like to issue a call for papers for the thematic issue of the Annals of Glaciology on ‘Ice, Snow and Water in a Warming World’. Accepted papers will be published online as soon as authors have returned their proofs and all corrections have been made. The hard copy is scheduled for publication in 2021.

Submission period from 1 June 2020 - 1 December 2020. Supply your final accepted paper until 1 June 2021.

For the fourth consecutive year, INQ is pleased to announce one of the flagship events in its programming: the My Northern Project science outreach contest.

New this year: the contest is now open to Master's students who have analyzed their collected data. The competition also remains open to students enrolled in a PhD program. Of course, only research projects with a northern or Arctic theme are eligible.

The Polar Technology Conference (https://www.arcus.org/logistics/2020-polar-technology) is planned for 10–12 March 2020 in Boulder, Colorado. The goal of the meeting is to link experts in polar science and technology development to discuss current technological resources for polar research and identify barriers to research and application of technology for problems unique to polar regions.

Abstract submission is open until 7 February 2020, 5:00 p.m. Alaska time. Limited support is available for early career researcher travel - submit your abstract by Friday, 7 February to be considered for travel support.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Program Officers Thorsten Markus, Colene Haffke, and Michael Falkowski will host this webinar on NASA's Cryosphere Program, funding opportunities, and opportunities for early career scientists. They welcome the research community to join, ask questions and share feedback.

It will take place on Friday, 7 February 2020 at 01:00 p.m. (EST).

YOPP LOGO beb4effb3c An new episode of the IcePod, the official podcast for the Year of Polar Prediction, has now been published. On this second episode, we take a further look behind the scenes of MOSAiC. The master student and professional photographer Thea Schneider was one of the lucky ones, namely one of the twenty early-career scientists who went on board the Russian icebreaker Akademik Fedorov, which supported Polarstern into the Central Arctic.

In our interview, Thea Schneider from the University of Potsdam, Germany, tells us about the difficulties of assembling a sea-ice buoy without IKEA instructions, what a smoking curl has to do with Arctic turbulences, and how lonesome you can (not) be as a vegetarian among Russian meat-eaters.

sooslogo2c Soos is seeking nominations for a number of leadership roles in support of facilitating and enhancing global Southern Ocean observations into the future!

The MDPI journal Geosciences recently launched a special issue on “Glacier Characteristic Variability in Polar Regions", which is now open for submission. I would like to invite those of you working in this field to submit an article to this special issue. Deadline for manuscript submissions is 15 October 2020.

For more information about the Special Issue, and potential topics, please see: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/geosciences/special_issues/glaciers_characteristics

Kind regards, the guest editor
Andrey Glazovsky

iasc web IASC is delighted to announce the shortlist for the 2020 IASC Medal, awarded in recognition of exceptional and sustained contributions to the understanding of the Arctic.

The shortlisted candidates are:

Atsumu Ohmura for outstanding achievement in understanding complex climate and glacier relationships, thermal energy flow in the Arctic, and in building programs and data-archives in the Arctic
Peter Wadhams for outstanding achievement in understanding polar climate and sea-ice interactions, and the effect of the warming Arctic on sea ice loss and reduction of albedo
Sue Ellen Moore for outstanding achievement in understanding marine mammals as ecosystem sentinels and how climate change is influencing the phenology of Arctic species

For APECS International Polar Week March 2020 the National Committees organized the following events:

Science and Poetry: Linking the Two Poles

APECS Oceania

This novel lecture and workshop brought together the seemingly opposite worlds of science and poetry. Dr Barbara Bollard-Green discussed her latest scientific work – using 3D mapping technology to help protect remote Antarctic environments – while Antarctic Poetry Exhibition founder Laetitia Laubscher discussed the importance of emotive science communication as well as introduced the concept of science poetry, getting you to create your own polar science-inspired erasure poems.

Hosted by the AUT University, participants simultaneously took part in the workshop in person in Auckland as well as online through the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) Art platform and the APECS Oceania platform.

Facilitated by Dr Barbara Bollard-Green, Geospatial Scientist and Laetitia Laubscher, Antarctic Poetry Exhibition Founder

This was the announcement.

Field Work Photo Competition

APECS Oceania

In celebration of March Polar Week 2020 (15-31st), APECS Oceania was holding a field work photo competition!

APECS Oceania sent their favorite photos taken whilst on field work. These included landscape, wildlife, science in action etc. images! The winner of the competition has won a fun prize pack sponsored by the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies - IMAS , University of Tasmania.

This was the announcement.

APECS-APPLICATE-YOPP Online Course

APPLICATE course logos 2

All 12 webinars of the APECS-APPLICATE-YOPP Online Course on "Advancing Predictive Capability of Northern Hemisphere Weather and Climate” are online!

Find here more inforamtion and the recordings

Share main messages of scientific publications in comics

From the 16 to 21 of March we planned to publish comics about the main message of scientific publications of early career scientists. The main outlet will be the twitter account of APECS Germany. We want to use the polar week to increase the visibility of the work of early career scientists.

Stories from the Antarctic Cities

APECS Oceania What do the cities of Hobart, Christchurch, Punta Arenas, Ushuaia and Cape Town have in common? What happens when you send one young person from each of these cities on an expedition to King George Island? This free lunchtime lecture shared stories and findings from the Antarctic Cities Research Project, an exciting research collaboration investigating the linkages between the Antarctic gateway cities: https://antarctic-cities.org/the-project/

This was the announcement.

Share with us your favorite polar...

APECS Germany Many people ask us, why we love to do polar research in particular. Let's share, why we are so fascinated by those very special places on Earth.
We introduced each other to our favorite polar animal or plant, our favorite polar fact or picture by adding them to a big poster wall sitting in different locations of the Alfred-Wegener-Institute (Potsdam & Bremerhaven).

To help launch our poster wall, we invited all early career Polar scientists from the Alfred-Wegener Institute and neighboring institutes in Bremerhaven to a get-together on the 19th of March. We watched Polar short films, hold a photo contest of photos that participants brought along, and filled the poster wall.

Afterwards, we brought the poster wall to the main entrance of our institute so that everyone could add their favorite polar fact, plant, animal, or picture.

After a week, on the 26th we took a photo of the wall in Potsdam and Bremerhaven and posted it on twitter to increase the visibility of all those great reasons to do polar science!

The outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus, 2019-nCoV (coronavirus), is of serious concern to the Office of Polar Programs, which supports thousands of researchers, operational personnel, and other visitors to remote stations in the Arctic and Antarctica. As an immediate response, OPP augmented medical screening questions for personnel deploying to Antarctica and Greenland. Medical program staff evaluate responses to a set of diagnostic questions and check for fever. These measures are intended to prevent anyone exposed to coronavirus, Ebola, or other serious respiratory infection from traveling to field stations in the polar regions.

Proposals are now being accepted for Sessions at the Eighth Arctic Circle Assembly, to be held October 8 – 11, 2020 in Reykjavík, Iceland.

NEW!: All Sessions will now run for either 55 or 60 minutes.

Sessions at the Arctic Circle Assembly are held in auditoriums, lecture halls, board rooms, and open spaces throughout Harpa and nearby venues. Sessions are organized by governments, institutions, organizations, universities, think tanks, companies and others. In addition the Arctic Circle itself organizes Plenary Sessions at the Assemblies.

We are pleased to announce that the 6th annual Students in Polar and Alpine Research Conference - SPARC 2020 will be held in Brno, Czech Republic, on the 23-24 April 2020.

If you are a student or Early-Career Researcher (<3 years after PhD defense), you are cordially invited to attend our conference which serves as a platform for presenting your research, as well as for exchanging experiences and strengthening the bonds within a community of Polar and Alpine scientists, within the fields of both bio- & geosciences.

As part of a global consultation process in preparation of the UN Decade, the Southern Ocean workshop will provide opportunities to further discuss, prioritize and formulate proposals for Southern Ocean initiatives to be framed under the UN Decade.

To all of you working on climate-cryosphere interactions at different time scales (past, present & future)!

Invitation to submit an abstract for: Special Issue "Interactions between the Cryosphere and Climate (Change)" Open Access Journal "Atmosphere" (I.F. 2.046)

The journal Water (ISSN 2073-4441, IF 2.524) is currently running a Special Issue entitled: "Transformation of Glacial and Periglacial Environments in Mountain Regions".

We invite you to submit a manuscript that documents and analyzes transformations of alpine glacial and periglacial environments. Papers that deal with the coupling of atmospheric and glacial/periglacial transformation processes are welcome, as well as contributions that are focused on impacts, innovative methodological approaches (such as new remote sensing techniques), monitoring series, and historical reconstructions.

RDA Europe is offering up to 7 Early Careers and 5 Experts grants designed to support participation to the 15th RDA Plenary meeting (18-20 March 2020, Melbourne, Australia)

Call for Early Career Researchers and Scientists working with Data - https://grants.rd-alliance.org/OpenCalls/call-early-careers-rda-15th-plenary

pyrn small Dear PYRN members!

Do you have permafrost recordings?

As a spin-off from the Frozen-Ground Cartoons, we are working with sound-artists to produce a permafrost audio adventure. We are therefore looking for any sound recordings from permafrost fieldwork (audio or video files). If you have any field-sounds to share with us -for example of drilling, talking, sampling, etc. -please contact Joost Van Duppen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ).

We will be super grateful for any files you can share, dear PYRNers!

IACS logo A new 4-year Working Group (WG) of the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS) on the “Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI) and its role in Glacier Monitoring and GLIMS” (https://cryosphericsciences.org/activities/working-groups/rgi-working-group/) has been launched to pursue and expand the work of a similar previous working group (http://www.cryosphericsciences.org/wg_randGlacierInv.html), with new and updated objectives.

Grabow Johanna SCAR OSC 2020 January2020

The Calotte Academy 2020 is planned to be organized in the beginning of June 2020 in the European Arctic — Enontekiö and Inari, Finland; Kautokeino, Kirkenes and Svanvik, Norway; and Apatity and Nikel, Russia. The theme of the 2020 Academy is "New and emerging trends of Arctic governance, geopolitics, geoeconomics, and science."

To empower Indigenous scholars and provide a key opportunity for officials at US government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other groups working on Arctic issues to learn and integrate information/perspectives from multiple Arctic knowledge systems, the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) and the Inuit Circumpolar Council - Alaska (ICC-Alaska) invite applications from US Arctic Indigenous scholars to travel to Washington DC.

We are excited to announce that GSS Fellows is accepting applications between January 15 until February 28, 2020.

The GSS Fellows Program offers a 10-week paid professional training experience with a Sustainability Organization for young professionals and/or graduate students from under-represented groups. This program aims to bridge young professionals to career or graduate school.

The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), have the pleasure of announcing the start of the 2020 IASC Fellowship Program. APECS very kindly coordinated the application and review process; recommendations from APECS based on the review process were delivered for final selection to the IASC and CAFF Secretariats. Five successful early career scientists were identified from 70 highly qualified applicants for the five IASC Working Groups. One CAFF-IASC Fellow was also selected for the Coastal Ecosystem Monitoring Group - Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program. The reviewers were impressed by the record amount and excellent quality of the applications.

A special issue of the journal 'Insects' on Polar Entomology is open for manuscript submissions. The deadline has been extended to 31 January 2020.

See more information here: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/insects/special_issues/mr_AEnt

arcuslogonotext 2018 The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) announces the next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Jim Thomson, Senior Principal Oceanographer at the University of Washington's Applied Physics Lab and a Professor in the Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering.

This event will be held online via Zoom on Friday, 7 February 2020 at 08:00 a.m. AKST (12:00 p.m. EST).

Registration is required for this event.

Our Call for Applications for the next Klaus Töpfer Sustainability Fellowship is released now! https://www.iass-potsdam.de/en/news/iass-call-applications-2020-klaus-topfer-sustainability-fellowship. You can find more information here!

KOPRI is now accepting applications for its two fellowship schemes; the Asian Polar Science Fellowship Program and the Arctic Science Fellowship Program.

APECS China Winter Camp 2020

During January 11-14, 2020, the National College Winter Camp activities co-organized by APECS China were successfully completed. More than 100 college students from all over country joined this activity. Ding Minghu, the Chairman of APECS China, also the researcher in the Institute of Tibetan Plateau and Polar Meteorology, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences joined this activity and made a scientific report entitled "Cryosphere and Climate Change".

We are now inviting you to submit proposals for funding for Ship-time or access to Marine Equipment on the second SEA-Programme call “REGIONAL” with any of the Research Vessels and/or Marine Equipment displayed HERE to carry out ship-based research activities within any field of marine science (restrictions may apply, check specific access conditions for each vessel).

This call will remain open until Friday 28^th of February 2020, 12:00 CET.

TO SUBMIT your proposal, REGISTER and UPLOAD it here: https://ptoutline.eu/app/eurofleetsplus_sea2

Download the Call documents, including instructions and templates HERE.

A new category of paper, the Opinion Editorial (Op-Ed) on Journal Advances in Polar Science was introduced in 2017, which attracts more attention from the international polar community. As Dr. Roger J. Braithwaite from the University of Manchester comments that this is a most welcome initiative! Up to now, five Opinion Editorials were published, you are welcome to query and discuss on each article by E-mail directly with the corresponding authors.

SCAR logo white background We understand that travel funding is often one of the main limitations for people to attending conferences. Several SCAR Groups and Scientific Research Programmes are now offering grants to support travel and registration costs associated with attending SCAR2020.These grants will be a maximum of $2,000 USD each to help with travel and registration costs and are specifically for Early Career Researchers.The following travel grants by SCAR Groups are available so far:

The Future of the Arctic Human Population: Migration in the North Conference takes place in Rovaniemi, Finland on 28–29 May 2020. This will be the first ever conference on (im)migration in the cap of the north that is a part of series of activities of UArctic Thematic network on Arctic Migration. The first conference day consists panel discussions of policy makers and business sector. The second day is science-orientated and consists scientific presentations and panel discussion. The conference venue is Arktikum. All international Arctic and non-Arctic actors, researchers and policymakers are warmly welcome to the conference!

UArctic is searching for motivated and enthusiastic interns for the fall 2020 who are interested in Arctic matters and willing to acquire knowledge of the Northern region; its environment, people and culture. The internship will provide an environment in which the intern can develop, enhance professional working and communication skills, as well as expand networks for the future.

The Arctic Yearbook is calling for abstracts for its 2020 edition. The theme is “Climate Change and the Arctic: Global Origins, Regional Responsibilities?”. Deadline for abstracts is March 2, 2020. The Arctic Yearbook is an international and peer-reviewed volume which focuses on issues of regional governance, development, circumpolar relations, geopolitics and security, all broadly defined. It is an open access, online publication. The Arctic Yearbook is an initiative of the Northern Research Forum (NRF) and the University of the Arctic’s joint Thematic Network on Geopolitics and Security.

The United States Permafrost Association is sponsoring travel grants for permafrost young researchers to the 12^th International Conference on Permafrost that will be held in Lanzhou, China from June 22 to June 26^th, 2020. Abstracts are being accepted until January 31, 2020 by the local organizing committee, http://icop2020.csp.escience.cn/dct/page/65558. The USPA travel grant application and supporting materials will be posted on the USPA website in early March after abstract acceptance notices are issued by the organizing committee. Applicants are required to be members of USPA, PYRN and undergraduate, graduate, or post doctoral students at a University or within two years of graduation from a University.

Letting you know that the Spring/Fall 2019 issue of the Polar Libraries Bulletin is posted on the PLC website. Articles, news, announcements, updates, book reviews, or any other items you might have are all welcome now for the Spring 2020 issue. We look forward to receiving your contributions! Send material to Juli Braund-Allen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and to Daria O. Carle at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS) has released their report of the open planning workshop that took place 15-16 May 2019 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The workshop reviewed the SAS scientific objectives, planned and proposed cruises in 2020-21 and associated measurements of the SAS to obtain a pan-Arctic view of the status and change of the Arctic system, as well as to expand studies outlined in the SAS Science Plan.

IACS logo A new working group on the Regional Assessments of Glacier MAss Change (RAGMAC; 2019-2023) has been approved by the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences: https://cryosphericsciences.org/activities/wg-ragmac/

The overall goal of this working group (WG) is bringing together the research community that is assessing regional glacier mass changes from various observation technologies (e.g., glaciological and geodetic DEM-differencing methods, altimetry, gravimetry) with the ultimate goal to obtain new consensus estimates of global glacier mass changes and related uncertainties.

iasc web Arctic Science Summit Week 2020 in Akureyri is swiftly approaching. This is a reminder that IASC is now receiving proposals for consideration for IASC funding in 2020. Proposals can be limited to one Working Group, relevant to all five, or anything in between. (Note: Working Groups must allocate at least 40% of their budget in cooperation with other Working Groups.) All proposals will be fully discussed and considered at the Working Group meetings at ASSW.

The proposal template is here.

The APECS Project Group on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is pleased to announce we have a new website! The main feature is a DEI Resource Repository that is intended to be a resource for the polar science community. Some resources are specific to polar work but many are applicable to wider conversations around academia, STEM fields, and field work.

Topics include: Community Guidelines, Ethnicity, Gender, Indigenous Communities, LGBTQIA+, Networks, Parenthood, Safety in Science, etc.

Don't see what you are looking for or know of a great resource we haven't included? Please add it to our repository!

How experienced are you in science communication? Do you prefer “online” or “in-person” science communication?

How do I choose the right words when talking about science? How do I connect to my audience?

Those were only a few of the questions that the 35 participants discussed among themselves and with three experts during the APECS Germany workshop “Best practice: Science communication” on the 25th of September 2019 in Bremen. Within the context of the International Polar Week 2019, the workshop took place in cooperation with the ICYMARE 2019 conference and the SPP Antarctic Research Coordination meeting. Bachelor, Master and PhD students, post-docs and young professionals from many disciplines joined us, creating a great atmosphere for exchange on one of the hot topics of the researcher’s world: science communication.

These prizes, mentorships, awards, scholarships, and more may be interesting for you students and people around. Most of them expire on January 2020.

During January 26 – 30, the 14th Arctic Frontiers conference is held in Tromsø, Norway. The annual conference is an international event, linking policy makers, industry and academia focusing on the Arctic regions. This year, the APECS Arctic Frontiers organising team has prepared the following activities and events for you:

Tuesday 28/01

16:00 – 19:00 MAIN poster session with evaluation for the Nansen poster awards

19:00 – 23:00 Networking Night, registration is required

Wednesday 29/01

15:00 – 18:00 Poster session

The 50th Annual International Arctic Workshop will be held on 2- 4 April 2020 (Thursday - Saturday) in Boulder, Colorado. It is hosted by the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), University of Colorado, Boulder and Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Community (SEEC). Please find all information on the following link: https://instaar.colorado.edu/meetings/AW2020/.

What?

British Society for Geomorphology Annual Meeting

When?

Monday 7^th – Wednesday 9^th September 2020

Where?

Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

The 77^th Eastern Snow Conference (ESC) will be held at York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 9 – 11 June 2020. This meeting marks a return to Canada after a two-year hiatus, and a return to Toronto for the first time in a quarter of a century. The scientific program is open to sessions on theoretical, experimental, remote sensing, modeling, and operational studies of snow, ice, and winter hydrology.

The Chilean Cryosphere Society (SOCHICRI) invites researchers, professionals and students from Chile and abroad to participate in the annual meeting for 2020. This will be held in Concepción from 13 – 15 May 2020 and will be organised by the Departments of Geography and Geophysics, University of Concepción. To participate as a presenter, we invite you to send your abstract via the online form: https://forms.gle/9NLTW4kJGnDt5KM56. Your contribution can focus on any part of the cryosphere, and can include field- or theory-based studies, remote sensing, simulations, legal frameworks, impact and/or risk analyses, water resource assessments and others. Please follow the instructions on the online form to register for the conference and to signal your preferred presentation format (oral or poster). The closing date for abstracts is 15 march 2020.

ACDC2020 flyer final

SCAR logo white background The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Open Science Conference (OSC) is held every two years and will be in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia from 3-7 August 2020 (https://www.scarcomnap2020.org). The SCAR OSC is an excellent opportunity to present and discuss the most recent and important results of Antarctic research in all disciplines at an international venue.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces a series of solicitation webinars. These webinars will discuss the Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) solicitation. During the webinars, NNA Program Officers will discuss the Navigating the New Arctic Solicitation 20-514. Each webinar session will begin with a short presentation followed by a question and answer session with the program officers.

The Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) invites applications to join our teaching faculty for the Summer 2020 field season. JIRP is an interdisciplinary summer field school, aimed at undergraduate Earth science students interested alpine and polar environments. JIRP is an immersive training experience for students in expeditionary research, glacier travel, field techniques, and fundamental science. JIRP maintains remote field stations across the Juneau Icefield in Southeast Alaska, and one of the world’s longest-running glacier monitoring programs.

The International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA) has extended the deadline for paper and poster abstract submissions for the 10th International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS X). This conference will convene 15-19 June 2020 in Arkhangelsk, Russia. 20 June will be reserved for additional excursions, such as the Solovetsky Islands.

iasc web The Early Bird Registration Deadline for ASSW2020 has been extended to 27 January 2020! Find out all the information on ASSW2020 website.

A bonus episode of The Icepod, the official podcast for the WMO Year of Polar Prediction initiative to improve weather and sea-ice forecast in the Arctic and Antarctic, is now available.   In this extra episode, sea-ice scientist Stefanie Arndt from the German Alfred Wegener Institute talks about her preparations to join the third leg of the MOSAiC campaign.

IASC wishes you a prosperous 2020 with the 2020 IASC Calendar for you to download, and we remind you to submit photos for the IASC 2020 Bulletin!
IASC prepares its annual calendar to disseminate information about IASC and its activities and to thank the IASC Community for your engagement over the year. The Secretariat collects and selects the best Arctic pictures from the field, everyday life, animals, landscapes, and more - submitted by you, the IASC Community. Do you also have great Arctic science picture you want to share? Then read on!

EGU Session ECR Funding 2020

An interdisciplinary PhD and Post-Doc summer school on 20-28 June 2020 will take place in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. It will be hosted by the Norwegian Scientific Academy for Polar Research (NVP), in cooperation with the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) and the Nansen Scientific Society. This year the main theme will be: “The Global Arctic"

We also want to let you know that you are entitled to submit a 2^nd abstract for an oral presentation if your 2^nd abstract is submitted to the Education and Outreach session at ICOP2020!!! So please don’t forget to submit your abstract before January 15 to our session 7.1 Education and Outreach – and how to train the next generation of interdisciplinary researchers and science leaders to manage permafrost changes. Submit here: http://icop2020.csp.escience.cn/dct/page/65558.

apecs logo web APECS participated in the ISAES 2019 symposium that took place in Incheon, Republic of Korea, from 22-26 July 2019. This year APECS contributed to the programme with a panel about Early carrer polar research and a poster about our association.

Join us for five days of tutorials, data exploration, software development and community networking focused on open source tools to analyze and visualize ICESat-2 data for cryospheric applications. We will build on tools developed at our 2019 hack week, but attendance to that event is not a prerequisite for our 2020 hack week. The Cryospheric Sciences with ICESat-2 Hack Week takes place on June 15-19, 2020 at the University of Washington campus.

APECS Canada Logo web APECS Canada board members (Jean Holloway, Jacqueline Hung and Enooyaq Sudlovenick) were involved in the organization of the ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) 2019 Student Day.

The USAPECS panel "Navigating your early career and beyond" was held in the Career Center Theater at AGU on 9 December 2019.

USAPECS held a social event on Monday night of American Geophysical Union Conference. We met at Golden Gate Taproom in San Francisco, a 15 minute walk from the convention center. Everyone had a great time, 18 people attended the social event including 3 board members and one of our panel members from earlier in the day. Additionally, at least two new people who have not previously known about APECS attended the social event!

USAPECS Early Career Spcial Event 2019

Authors: USAPECS Chairs

The Arctic Cooperation Programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers invites project applications for financial support in 2020. The Arctic Cooperation Programme contributes to the Nordic Council of Ministers’ vision of an “innovative, borderless, visible, and outward-looking Nordic Region.” It is central to the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Arctic Cooperation Programme 2018–2021 that specific needs of the Arctic will be accommodated and that the programme will contribute to the region’s sustainable development. The purpose of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Arctic Cooperation Programme 2018–2021 is to create sustainable and constructive development in the Arctic and for its people based on the four P’s: planet, peoples, prosperity, and partnerships.

ipy logo The journal Polar Record has released a special issue titled, Celebrating IPY Education, Outreach, and Engagement – 10 years on. This issue reflects on education, outreach, and engagement ten years after the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008, and spans a wide range of disciplines, professions, commentaries, ages, and nationalities in the form of commentaries, research notes, and full research articles.

The International Polar Tourism Research Network (IPTRN) is inviting for its 7th Conference which will be held in Ushuaia, Argentina from November 18 to 23. THe IPTRN is a group with a shared interest in research that advances the understanding of tourism in and about the Polar Regions. The IPTRN strives to generate, share and disseminate knowledge, resources and perspectives on polar tourism; and strongly supports the development of international collaboration and cooperative relationships between members.

Norilsk State Industrial Institute invites participants to an international scientific conference “Scientific capacity of the Arctic”, which is to take place on April 25, 2020 in Norilsk, Russia. Apply before February 25, 2020!

The 2020 Polar Law Symposium will be held from 23-25 November at Kobe University Rokkodai Campus, Kobe, Japan. The symposium is under the main theme of “The Rule of Law in the Polar Regions” with distinctively bi-polar and “mid-latitude” perspectives. Abstracts are due March 31, 2020. Polar Cooperation Research Centre (PCRC) of Kobe University is proud to join the Polar Law Institute (University of Akureyri, Iceland), the Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law – Arctic Centre (University of Lapland, Finland), the University of the Arctic and its Arctic Law Thematic Network (Finland) to host the 2020 Polar Law Symposium. This will be the first time the event is being held in Asia in its 13-year history.

The theme of the Arctic Yearbook 2019 is Redefining Arctic Security. This eighth edition of the Arctic Yearbook seeks to articulate how security has been redefined in the Arctic region. The online version is available at https://arcticyearbook.com/. The Arctic Yearbook 2019 consists of 21 peer reviewed articles and 14 briefing notes and commentaries.

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 is a critical opportunity to galvanise transformative actions for the ocean we need for the future we want. This survey, conducted under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC), will enable early career ocean professionals to contribute their views to the Decade preparation process. Anyone who identifies as an early career ocean professional should complete this survey! We invite views from all communities, including ocean science and technology, business and industry, civil society, policy and sustainable development.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) announces the next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Jeffrey Brooks, Social Scientist at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). This event will be held online via Zoom on Tuesday, 7 January 2020 at 10:00 a.m. AKST (2:00 p.m. EST). This seminar, titled Science and Traditional Knowledge in Decision-Making: A Federal Agency Shares its Experience in Alaska, will be presented by Jeffrey Brooks, BOEM. Dr. Brooks began his federal career in 1990 as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin, West Africa where he led public health and rural community development projects.

Abstract submissions have now opened for the SCAR2020 Open Science Conference (OSC), which will be held 3-7 August 2020 in Hobart, Australia. A number of SERCE-facing sessions are advertised, further details can be found here: https://www.scarcomnap2020.org/. The deadline for abstract submissions is 28th February 2020. SERCE (https://www.scar.org/science/serce/serce/) will be offering grants to support travel and registration costs associated with attending SCAR2020.

Organizers invite abstracts for the Polar Technology Conference (PTC) 2020. This conference will convene 10-12 March 2020 in Boulder, Colorado. The PTC brings together polar scientists, technology developers, and field technicians from academia, state and federal agencies, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. This interdisciplinary space provides an opportunity for technical and theoretical exchange on challenges impeding polar research and field operations. The goal of the meeting is to link experts in polar science and technology development to discuss current technological resources for polar research and identify barriers to research and application of technology for problems unique to polar regions.

2019 has flown by and we are looking back on an eventful year. The Board of the German National Committee of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS Germany) would therefore like to reflect on the past year and thank all partners, members and friends for a successful collaboration. Highlights of the past year include our APECS Germany Workshop in Bremen, a Polar Film Fest in Potsdam and a APECS Germany Photo Competition & Raffle for Antarctica Day. Scroll through the full Review of 2019 in our interactive infographic. (Make sure to click on the icons for more information :) ).

The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) presents a once-in a life time opportunity to deliver scientific knowledge and ensure that ocean science can fully support countries' actions to sustainably manage the ocean and achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.As part of a global consultation process in preparation of the UN Decade, the Arctic workshop will provide opportunities to further discuss, prioritize and formulate proposals for Arctic initiatives to be framed under the UN Decade. Thus, the workshop will address the six societal objectives of the Decade:

DEADLINE EXTENDED for the Call for Abstracts for ICASS X "Tenth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences: Arctic Generations: Looking Back and Looking Forward taking place on 15-19 June 2020 in Arkhangelsk, Russia. The is extended to JANUARY 20, 2020. Submit Abstracts at https://icass.uni.edu/.

The Arctic Design School, Urals State University of Architecture and Art, Ekaterinburg, Russia, is now inviting proposals for a joint exhibition scheduled for April 2020. Deadline for submissions is January 15, 2020.

The course addresses tourism in the Arctic and Subarctic with an emphasis on tourist's experience and the connections between tourism, host communities and landscapes. The course is part of a joint Master's focus offered by the UArctic Thematic Network on Northern Tourism.

Arctic Winter School 2020 at North-Eastern Federal University, Yakutsk, Russia is going to be held from February 25 – March 7, 2020

Improve your knowledge about Arctic issues and people by studying and experiencing life in another circumpolar institution. north2north mobility program enables you to experience life in another North while gaining international competencies that will benefit your future career and academic endeavours.

Arctic Sustainable Arts and Design (ASAD) thematic network has received funding from Institute of Higher Education Norway/UiT to develop and run international research and educational Summer Schools in 2020.

The Polar Technology Conference (PTC) was a small, but impactful meeting held annually from 2005–2016, which created space for polar scientists, technology developers, and technology users to share technology needs and discoveries. The absence of this opportunity for polar people to connect has resulted in reduced connectivity and collaboration within the broader polar science community. The National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs has responded to this need with support to resume the PTC as a biennial meeting.

The course is designed to provide an overview of the taxonomy, (palaeo)ecology, biodiversity, geological history and applied biostratigraphy of ostracods.It will take place in Jena, Germany from 16-20 March 2020. It is intended for young scientists and industrial staff interested in micropalaeontology, palaeoceanography, palaeoclimatology,biology and environmental applications. We will focus on methods and concepts of ostracodology including systematics, biostratigraphic applications, ecology and life history spanning their fossil record from the Paleozoic to the Holocene and covering the recent fauna as well. Case studies from marine and continental systems as well as practical training for identification, preparation, documentation and analysis will be an important part of the course.

The third Open Science Conference (OSC) of the International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS) will be held from 18-23 October 2020 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. The objective ofthe conference is to present, discuss and put into perspective the most recent results of past and current ice core drilling projects. The theme of the third OSC is Ice Core Science at the three Poles. As in previous IPICS OSCs, part of the conference is a one-day early career scientists workshop on 18 October organized by Ice Core Young Scientists (ICYS).

"Relate North: Tradition and Innovation in Art & Design Education" will be the seventh book published in the Relate North series connected to the UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Sustainable Arts & Design(ASAD) and published by InSEA Publications.

The Climate Impacts Research Centre (CIRC) at Umeå University is offering student and science communication internships from March/April through October/November 2020 based at the Abisko Scientific Research Station. Interns must commit to at least two months (60 days) and secure funding from the Erasmus+ student trainee program.

The research at Abisko focuses on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and their interface at the edge of the Arctic. Researchers work in the field and lab with research ranging from biogeochemistry and microbial ecology to plant and animal ecology.

Interns must commit to at least two months (60 days) to secure funding from the Erasmus Plus student trainee program. All interns must qualify and apply for the Erasmus Plus program to cover the costs of transportation to and from Abisko, housing at the Research Station and living expenses.

Read more about the internships, requirements and application instructions on the CIRC webpages.

ArcticStat is a public and independent statistical databank dealing with the countries, regions and populations of the Circumpolar Arctic. It was first launched in 2007 as a major Canadian contribution to the International Polar Year (IPY). Built as a portal, ArcticStat takes its users to the table they are looking for, whether it is located on the web site of a statistics agency or stored in the ArcticStat databank itself. The new website provides improved navigation and introduces a new interactive map of the Arctic circumpolar regions and a section devoted to personalized notifications. The new website is accessible on a laptop, smartphone or tablet.

Held on February 10-17, 2020 at Far Eastern Federal University, the annual winter course provides its participants with knowledge, skills and experience in sea ice science, definition of ice physical-mechanical properties, and use of modern research equipment on the real ice cover and in the ice laboratory.

AIAS is pleased to announce that we have up to 15 AIAS-COFUND Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships available at Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, AIAS, for talented junior and senior researchers from all academic disciplines. The application deadline is 17 January 2020.

Commencement date: 1 October 2020 and 1 February 2021.

Read about AIAS and the fellowship programme and see the Guide for Applicants at:

www.aias.au.dk

https://aias.au.dk/opportunities-at-aias/aiasfellowships/aias-cofund-fellowships/

For the second year in a row, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) invited APECS to present their work with the IPCC on organizing group reviews of IPCC reports by Early Career Researchers (ECR). Gwanaëlle Gremion (APECS Individual Council Member, leader of the IPCC group review project during the past three review cycles) and Jilda Caccavo (APECS President 2018-2019, current ex-officio to the Executive Committee) presented the results of the group reviews that APECS has run of IPCC reports. The session was chaired by Tania Guillén Bolaños, a chapter scientist for the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C, and included Thelma Krug, Vice Chair of the IPCC, Palmira Cuéllar from the Young Earth Systems Scientists (YESS) network, and Adachi Muneki and Justice Musah, chapter scientists for Working Group III of the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6).

During the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid, Spain, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)’s Arctic Program invited APECS to take part in a panel discussion entitled “Breaking the Ice – bringing young scientists and Indigenous youth to the decision-making table in the Arctic”. Jilda Caccavo (APECS President 2018-2019, current ex-officio to the Executive Committee) presented the work of APECS, how it supports and helps to provide a voice to Early Career Researchers (ECR), as well as how her own personal experience in APECS has provided her with opportunities to become engaged in the polar community.

One of the main objectives of the GEA project is to put the spotlight on gender equality issues in the Arctic. We have made progress, but there is still a lot of work to be done and we are still working hard at it. We believe that Gender Equality time is now. The GEA Times will serve as a venue for us, and you, to contribute to the discussion and to put focus on gender equality in the Arctic, and to promote events and material related to Arctic gender equality. Click here to subscribe for the Gender Equality in the Arctic Newsletter

Registration for the upcoming 2020 Alpine Glaciology Meeting (AGM) is now open! We remind you that there is no registration fee and the deadline for registration is the 5^th of February 2020.

The MSc program in Integrated Climate System Sciences (ICSS) is a study program that teaches across all subjects involved in climate research in order to provide a holistic picture of the climate system. This interdisciplinary approach enables you to understand the processes of climate variability and climate change and its respective consequences for societies, including how they respond to these.

The call for abstracts is open for the 12^th International Conference on Permafrost, 22-26 June, 2020 in Lanzhou, China. The conference theme is "Permafrost environments under persistent warming: Challenges for scientific assessment and engineering practice". The deadline for abstract submission is the 15^th of January 2020.

The Durham ARCTIC Doctoral Training Centre Studentship Competition is now open to recruit five fully funded doctoral studentships to start in October 2020. To be eligible, applicants need to apply for an Arctic-related PhD (see here for more details on eligibility). Applicants can apply to a Durham ARCTIC project advertised on our website (https://www.dur.ac.uk/arctic/projects/) or apply for a student-initiated project.

Registration and the call for papers is now open for the 28^th Polar Libraries Colloquy, which will be held 7^th to 13^th June 2020 at Université Laval, in Québec City. The deadline for paper submission is 31 January.

As a contribution to the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP)-endorsed Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) ice drift campaign, the International Coordination Office for Polar Prediction (ICO) has launched a series of podcasts entitled The IcePod.

The 5th Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) will be held in 2020 (March 31- April 2) in Akureyri, Iceland in conjunction with Arctic Science Summit Week 2020. Your input and contributions in the form of poster presentations are welcome to highlight important issues and to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas to design, build, implement, expand, and provide long-term support for an international Arctic observing systems network.

Join the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) at the AGU Fall Meeting, held 9-13 December 2019 in San Francisco, California.

ARCUS will be hosting and attending many events throughout the week, including:

The SEA Programme offers fully funded transnational access to 16 Research Vessels and 6 pieces of Marine Equipment to carry out ship-based research activities within any field of marine science.
Applications are welcome from international teams of researchers from academia and industry. Early-career and female applicants are encouraged to apply.
Check for funding conditions, application guidelines and full eligibility criteria at: https://www.eurofleets.eu/access/sea-call-regional/
This call will remain open for the submission of proposals until Friday 28^th of February 2020.

The Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) invites researchers to join us for the Summer 2020 field season and beyond. We facilitate research in the areas of Glaciology, Atmospheric Science, Polar Ecology, Biogeochemistry, Geomorphology, Geology, Tectonics, and Polar Engineering. We can provide logistical and infrastructure support for your projects and provide opportunities for broader impacts, outreach, and interdisciplinary collaboration. To learn more please send an expression of interest to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

In this AGU Town Hall, the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) seeks best practices and ideas to further improve how we share knowledge of the Arctic with policy makers. SEARCH has had a long history of supporting and enhancing Arctic science, and in the past five years we have focused on facilitating cross-disciplinary syntheses and conveying what we know to policy makers and other decision makers.

For the second time since the establishment of PYRN, we are conducting a census of our members. The questions aim to get a sense of our members priorities and the ways PYRN is helpful to you. This will help us to shape the future of the network, to improve and learn from your feedback. The survey shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to complete. Please make sure to participate before the end of 2019, we would love to hear from all of you!

COP25 WWF Arctic Youth Panel

apecs logo web The Arctic Research Icebreaker Consortium (ARICE) and Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) invite for a webinar on Data Management, on 17 December from 9-10:30 am GMT.

As part of the SENALMAR 2019 side meetings, the NC APECS Colombia, organized a fascinating talk on Tuesday 22 September from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm (local time). It was open for ECRs members and non-members of the association, as well as more experienced researchers in the mood to increase our networking. A total of 80 attendants joined to enjoy the evening together. A brief introduction to the talk by Jhon Mojica (in video) initiated the evening. The presentation on APECS association, aims, activities and challenges were given by Diego Mojica.

apecs logo web ISAES2019 logo The Asociation of Polar Early Career Scientist has a long tradition in organizing events and activities for early career researchers (ECRs) at major scientific conferences and events. In a relaxing atmosphere, ECRs come together and stablish the bases for future networking and professional relationships. During the XIII International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences celebrated between 22 and 26 July 2019 at Songdo Convensia Center in Incheon, Republic of South Korea, a dedicated group of council members from APECS organized an evening event during the first day of the conference (22 July 2019).

APECS Colombia The Association of Polar Early Career Scientist has a long tradition in organizing events and activities for early career researchers (ECRs) at major scientific conferences and events. In this event, the National Committee (NC) of Colombia continues the line of polar networking between Latin American countries, in collaboration with some researchers that visualized the polar work during the first APECS Iberoamerican Online Conference 2019 in Spanish. Our aim was to show APECS to the Colombian Antarctic human sciences researchers community, come together Early Career Researchers (ECR’s) and establish the bases for future networking and professional relationships.

On the 4th November, three APECS National Committees joined forces and coordinated a full-day workshop in Norway's capital city Oslo. The workshop, which was organized by members of APECS Norway, the UK Polar Network and APECS Russia, hosted an early career researcher (ECR)-centered event that discussed all things related to planning and undertaking research and field work in Svalbard. The day was a huge success with over 50 ECR, mid and established career attendees (including from Norway, Denmark, Germany, UK, India, Russia, Poland, Canada, Turkey, USA), many of whom received partial travel support to attend thanks to the funding support.

APECSSvalbardWorkshop taken by Robynne Nowicki of UKPN.png

The Sea Ice Prediction Network - Phase 2 (SIPN2) announces an open community meeting to be held during the 2019 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meetings in San Francisco, California. The Open Sea-Ice Community Meeting will convene on Tuesday, 10 December from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. (PST) in the ARCUS Arctic Community Meeting Room: Monterrey I — on the third floor of Hotel Nikko San Francisco located at 222 Mason Street, San Francisco, California.

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Office of Polar Programs (OPP) invites attendance at an open meeting taking place during the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2019. This open meeting will convene Thursday, 12 December 2019 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time in the Monterrey I room of the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco, California.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) has compiled a list of Arctic-relevant happenings to help attendees of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2019 find Arctic-related town halls, talk and poster sessions, and other events. The complete list, which includes the day/time, session title, type of event, and location, is available online.

Ice Watch is a system which coordinates the collection and archive of sea ice observations recorded on ships in the Northern Hemisphere. The site provides open-source software for recording and sharing ship-borne Arctic sea ice observation data, and supports users who wish to collect data using these systems. Since 2012, the Ice Watch website, Arctic Ship-borne Sea Ice Standardization Tool (ASSIST) software, and other services have been hosted and developed by the Geographic Information Network of Alaska and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. However, the Ice Watch website has moved to a new home at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2019 will be held 9-13 December 2019 in San Francisco, California. Conveners of the following events invite attendance: Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) Listening Session at AGU: Engage in the Development of the Next 5-year Planand AGU Town Hall: Federal Interagency Coordination for Research in the Arctic.

The Agreement on Enhancing Arctic Scientific Cooperation was signed in May 2017 after which it has been ratified by all Arctic eight countries (USA, Canada, Kingdom of Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia). The purpose of the Agreement is to enhance cooperation in Scientific Activities in order to increase effectiveness and efficiency in the development of scientific knowledge about the Arctic. The key element of enhanced cooperation are better access to research areas, infrastructures, facilities and data including education, training and entries and exits of the persons.

The 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3) will take stock of the progress made by the international community up to 2020. ASM3 will be held 21-22 November 2020 in Tokyo, Japan, and will be co-hosted by Iceland. The ASM3 organizers would like to hear directly from the research community about what matters most in international Arctic science collaboration. Organizers plan to use the responses from the feedback form to inform their engagement and dialogue with the Arctic research community in the lead up to the 2020 Ministerial meeting in Tokyo.

The X Workshop APECS Portugal took place in Coimbra, the Portuguese city of students, on October 25, 2019. The University of Coimbra received more than 60 participants of the X Workshop. To celebrate the first decade of the workshop, we chose the topic “A Scientist is born”. The objective was to understand the value of early career researchers (ECR) to Science and vice-versa, such as the value of the ECR in a scientific team and organization like APECS. Understand how ECR can progress in their careers within scientific teams and their importance from the perspective of a senior investigator is key to the development of ECR skills and to the progression of science itself. In the context of the national and international scientific community, we discussed the importance of scientific networks for the ECR and their contribution to these networks.

Antarctica Day is celebrated internationally on 1 December, marking the day of the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959. 60 years ago, Antarctica became a continent dedicated to peace and scientific international collaboration!

Like every year, APECS joins our partners Our Spaces - Foundation for the Good Governance of International Spaces, Polar Educators International (PEI) and others around the world to mark this important milestone with fun activities.

Mountain Day Logo Kopie As part of the activities for International Mountain Day on 11 December 2019, the APECS Alpine and Cryosphere Project Group invites you to share your work in mountain regions with submissions in two formats:

Photo entries in “Nature” and “Culture” categories
Graphical abstracts explaining mountain research

apecs logo web On 26 September 2019, APECS hosted the first online conference in Spanish, the APECS Iberoamericana. This event was a joint effort from the National Committees from Spanish-speaking countries: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Spain and Uruguay. The aim for this event was to offer a space for Hispanic polar early career researchers and educators to share their work in their native language, and create resources for education of the Polar Regions in Spanish.

Born from an IASC-funded workshop, now more than 500 scientists from over 19 nations are spending a year in the Arctic ice to collect important data on the Arctic climate system. From September 2019 through October 2020, the icebreaker RV Polarstern will drift across the Arctic near the North Pole frozen in sea ice during one of the most extensive Arctic research expeditions ever conducted.

The 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3) will take stock of the progress made by the international community up to 2020. ASM3 will be held in Tokyo, Japan, on the 21st and 22nd of November 2020 and will be co-hosted by Iceland.

The ASM3 organizers would like to hear directly from the research community about what matters most in international Arctic science collaboration. Your opinion matters - so please give your feedback on this form!

The Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies is now accepting applications for the 2020-2021 ACUNS awards program. We are pleased to offer several scholarships from Polar Knowledge Canada including the Northern Resident Award for students enrolled in a college or undergraduate program whose studies involve a northern community and have a commitment to the North.

NSF 20-022 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Navigating the New Arctic, FY 2020 have released!

https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20022/nsf20022.jsp

NSF 20-514 Navigating the New Arctic solicitation:

https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20514/nsf20514.htm

More about NNA including their Office Hours Series:

https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/arctic/nna/index.jsp

Organizers invite registration for the Third Canadian Polar Data Workshop, a follow-up to previous Canada-wide consultations held in 2015 and 2017. This workshop will convene 18-21 February 2020 in Banff, Alberta, Canada

The workshop will be structured to reach specific outcomes through working group sessions and consensus building on themes such as the need for a national data management strategy for Canada, data discovery and federated search, all aspects of data interoperability, and other themes related to polar data broadly defined, including knowledge transfer and Indigenous data policies.

The ARCUS Arctic Research Seminar Series invites leading Arctic researchers and community leaders to share the latest findings in Arctic research and what they mean for decision-making. The events are free and open to the public, and will be of particular interest to the international Arctic research community, Arctic educators, non-governmental organizations, federal agency officials, and the public.

The Co-Principal Investigator (PI) Programme is specifically aimed at early career researchers, or researchers with no experience in leading a research cruise, to implement their own research together with experienced scientists in EUROFLEETS+ scheduled research cruises.
The Remote Transnational Access (RTA) Programme is providing researchers from all career stages with remote access to samples or data from EUROFLEETS+ vessels.
Applicants are able to apply for all 27 state-of-the-art research vessels (RVs) (13 Global/Ocean and 14 Regional) offered within EUROFLEETS+. For a detailed description of the Research Vessels offered by EUROFLEETS+, visit https://www.eurofleets.eu/.

The application deadline has been extended for the CAFF-IASC Science Policy Fellowships 2020 until 27 November 2019. The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group of the Arctic Council and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) are excited to offer the CAFF-IASC Science Policy Fellowships 2020

Northern (Arctic) Federal University invites researchers, PhD-students, and students to take part in the marine research and education expedition in the Arctic on July 17 – August 3, 2020. Arctic Floating University is an annual scientific and education marine expedition, which brings together young people and experienced researchers in order to study the Arctic. For scientists it is an opportunity to conduct research in the high-latitude Arctic. For students it’s a unique educational programme containing a multidisciplinary course of lectures and practical training together with experienced researchers.

Sámi University of Applied Sciences and the Sámi Parliament in Norway will host an international conference on May 25-27, 2020 in Kautokeino, Norway. The call for abstracts is now open. The conference will be held in Sámi University of Applied Sciences campus Diehtosiida, in Kautokeino, Norway. The aim of the conference is to share experiences within the field of education from the indigenous world and to present examples from Sámi early childhood education and school, as well as from international indigenous education. Shared experiences and knowledge exchange among indigenous peoples can contribute to the implementation of culture-based education.

iassa logo The International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA) announces the 10th International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS X) to be held on the campus of Northern (Arctic) Federal University, in Arkhangelsk, Russia, 15-19 June 2020. June 20 will be reserved for additional excursions, such as the Solovetsky Islands. ICASS X will mark the 30th anniversary of IASSA. ICASS is held every three years, bringing together people from all over the world to share ideas about social science and humanities research in the Arctic. ICASS IX, held in June 2017 in Umea, Sweden, attracted 800 participants from 25 different countries.

The UArctic Congress 2020 brings together institutional leaders, Indigenous representatives, academics, scientists and students from around the Circumpolar North and beyond. It is an excellent platform for all UArctic members to engage with each other and promote cooperation in circumpolar science and higher education. Together with partners, policy makers and other actors, the UArctic Congress strives to take the Arctic agenda forward by creating and strengthening collaborations that produce new findings and solutions for the future of the Arctic. The UArctic Congress program section is open for everyone, however it will particularly showcase the research and other activities conducted by the UArctic Thematic Networks and UArctic Institutes, as well as by UArctic members organisations.

We are pleased to announce that International Workshop "The Arctic on changes: from local challenges to global partnership" will be held on 16-17 December, 2019, in Incheon, Republic of Korea. The workshop aims to gather scientists and experts to deliberate on current Arctic issues in a broad context, including climate changes and human security in the Arctic, traditional knowledge and industrial development, collaboration between Arctic and non-Arctic states for pro-active response to rapid Arctic changes.

The "Knowledge Formations and Colonial Encounters in the Arctic" will take place from 9-10 January 2020 at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge. This workshop is part of a series of research events organised as part of the ERC Arctic Cultures project. It brings together team members, leading international experts and interested scholars into dialogue around the themes of the project. The focus for this workshop specifically is to examine the co-production of Arctic knowledge formations through encounters between indigenous inhabitants and non-indigenous actors. Presentations will draw upon empirical research and theorisation to investigate spatial formations of the Arctic and the role of Northern actors and institutions.

Organizers announce the 2020 Polar Technology Conference. This conference will convene 10-12 March 2020 in Boulder, Colorado. The Polar Technology Conference brings together polar scientists, technology developers, and field technicians from academia, state and federal agencies, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. This interdisciplinary space provides an opportunity for technical and theoretical exchange on challenges impeding polar research and field operations.

The polar regions—the Arctic and Antarctic—have long been a source of fascination. Their terrestrial ecosystems are dominated, not by charismatic vertebrates, but rather by often cryptic communities of invertebrates, in particular different orders of insects (e.g., diptera, lepidoptera, coleoptera, and hemiptera). In recent years, studies of polar invertebrates have accelerated rapidly, spanning subjects from biodiversity and biogeography to physiological adaptation, molecular ecology, and the various omics disciplines. This Special Issue invites submissions across all relevant discipines, and both polar regions (including comparative studies with other extreme environments such as desert and alpine regions). Recognising that polar entomologists have traditionally included studies of other ‘lower’ arthropod groups such as Collembola and Acari, we are not restricting this call for papers to the insects ‘sensu stricto’.

The 3rd IPICS Open Science Conference will be held from 18-23 October 2020 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Ice cores provide information about past climate and environmental conditions as well as direct records of the composition of the atmosphere on timescales from decades to hundreds of millennia.

The Thematic Network on Geopolitics and Security has published 'The GlobalArctic Handbook'. This book offers a systematic and comprehensive introduction to the Arctic in the era of globalization, or as it is referred to here, the ‘GlobalArctic’. It provides an overview of the current status of the Arctic as a result of global change, while also considering the changes in the Arctic that have a global effect.

The European Commission kindly invite you to save the date for the European Maritime Day 2020 which will take place on 14-15 May in Cork, Ireland. EMD is the annual EU meeting point on maritime affairs and sustainable blue economy. It targets maritime professionals, entrepreneurs and ocean leaders.

The webinar "The Emerging Concern for Indigenous Language Education in Public Education in Canada" was organized in collaboration with UArctic Thematic Network on Teacher Education and UNESCO/UNITWIN network on Teacher Education. The webinar contributed also to UN International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019.

The I celandic Meteorological Office together with international partners is hosting a symposium highlighting rapid changes occurring in all components of the Earth’s cryosphere: Glaciers, ice sheets, snow cover, sea ice, permafrost, lake ice and river ice. Leading scientists will present latest results on changes occurring all over the planet and their impacts, which are felt at high and low latitudes, affecting both the developed world, developing nations and indigeneous peoples.

Student applications are open now for the Juneau Icefield Research Program 2020 field season. Application materials are due December 13 for priority consideration. Applications submitted after the due date will be considered on a rolling basis.

We would like to draw your attention to the upcoming 2020 Alpine Glaciology Meeting (AGM), which will be held by the University of Milano in cooperation with University of Milano-Bicocca in Milan, Italy, 27-28 February 2020.

We hereby announce the 15th Polar Lows Working Group (PLWG) meeting, which will take place 13-15 May 2020 in Moscow, Russia. The workshop will focus on polar lows and mesocyclones as well as extreme mesoscale phenomena. We welcome abstract submissions by 20 December 2019 electronically by mail to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (with cc to Polina Verezemskaya: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

The Polar Geography Specialty Group welcomes the submission of abstracts for poster presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers (AAG) in Denver, Colorado (6-10 April 2020). Relevant topics for posters in this session include, but are not limited to, research relating to the Polar Regions in the areas of human and physical geography, human-environment interactions, geospatial techniques (e.g. remote sensing, GIS), and Indigenous and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. We are eager to include posters from both human and physical polar geographers and of course those incorporating more interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approaches.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network South (SIPN South) is inviting contributors to participate to the third coordinated sea ice prediction experiment in the Southern Ocean, targeting the period December 2019-February 2020.

For more information about the project and for submission guidelines, please follow this link [1]. We kindly draw your attention to the deadline for submission of the forecasts: Sunday 8th December 2019.

Headed to AGU this year and interested in giving back to the community and seeing some awesome young scientists at work? Consider becoming an Outstanding Student Presentation Award (OSPA) judge for session EP31D: Catching Cosmic Rays: Advances in Using Cosmogenic Nuclides to Quantify Earth Surface Processes II Posters. See session abstract below.

Dear fellow Antarcticans, Our new free Antarctic MOOC is about to start, and we’d be really keen if you could help spread the word amongst your networks! Take a virtual field trip to discover the fascinating wildlife of Antarctica and meet the scientists and artists who live and work on the frozen continent.

The Arctic Institute invites participation in a short survey regarding interest in attending monthly Arctic happy hour events in Washington, D.C. or joining virtual monthly Arctic Water Cooler Discussions on the Slack platform. Over the past year, The Arctic Institute has created a Network North Event Series for scholars, professionals, and students interested in discussing Arctic events in informal settings. Events have taken place in Brussels, Belgium; Oslo, Norway; and Washington D.C., U.S.

Nomination are now being sought for the 2020 William Mills Prize for Non-Fiction Polar Books. The William Mills Prize for Non-Fiction Polar Books was established in memory of William Mills, a polar librarian and author, and a core member of Polar Libraries Colloquy during its formative years. The book prize honours the best Arctic or Antarctic nonfiction books published throughout the world.

The new Fiscal Year 2020 solicitation for the Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) NSF Big Idea has been released and can be found here: NSF 20-514. The full proposal deadline date is: February 11, 2020.

We would like to hold an informal get-together for women in the Cryosphere Section at the upcoming Fall AGU. The idea behind this is to connect women at all career stages with research interests in the cryosphere in order to build a stronger sense of community. Please consider joining us on Tuesday December 10^th at 8:30pm (after the general Cryosphere Reception) at the Mikkeller Bar/Restaurant. This place is just a short walk from the Convention center and has good beer and a big space. We look forward to connecting!

The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) is now soliciting applications to be the next Cryosphere Working Group Secretary. Read on and please consider applying and/or send the information below to anybody you think would make a strong contribution to the IASC Working Groups.

SCAR logo white background The second pre-conference circular for the 2020 SCAR meetings and Open Science Conference to be held in Hobart, Australia in July-August 2020 is now available. The circular outlines some key pieces of information about SCAR COMNAP 2020, including the opening of the abstract submission system and more detail on the content and program for the meetings.

iasc web The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) in cooperation with the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) is pleased to announce the availability of travel support for the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2020 (27 March - 2 April 2020, Akureyri, Iceland).

Deadline for submitting input: 15 November 2019

For more information and to submit a white paper or short statement, go to: Submission Form

The Executive Organizing Committee for the Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) 2020 is seeking community input in the form of white paper and short statements on the topics under discussion at the Summit.

The Working Group I (WGI) contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) is due to be finalized in 2021. The Second Order Draft (SOD) of IPCC AR6 WGI report will be open for expert review from 2 March to 26 April 2020.

The Sixth International Summer School in Glaciology organized by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF), will be held in McCarthy, central Alaska, from 6 to 16 June 2020. The course will provide a comprehensive overview of the physics of glaciers and current research frontiers in glaciology with focus on quantitative glaciology and remote sensing. The course is open to 28 graduate students from around the world targeting primarily early stage PhD students who perform glacier-related research. It will be taught by faculty of UAF’s glaciology group and several invited guest instructors from outside Alaska.

pyrn small Dear PYRN members, the USPA annual meeting will occur on the Tuesday of AGU and PYRN members are encouraged to come. The U.S. Permafrost Association annual meeting returns to San Francisco, CA during AGU week on Tuesday, December 10, 2019. Catch up with colleagues and friends across the frozen ground community, and meet the rising generation of permafrost scientists and engineers. During the meeting we will recognize early career grant recipients, share news on upcoming permafrost community events, and announce the results of USPA's 2019 board elections.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) announces the availability of community meeting space during the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2019, to be held 9-13 December 2019 in San Francisco, California. Meeting space is available, by reservation, in rooms Monterrey I and Monterrey II of the Hotel Nikko San Francisco (222 Mason St., San Francisco, California).

USAPECS AGUpanelAd final

apecs logo web The APECS-T-MOSAiC webinar “T-MOSAiC for ECRs” will take place on November, 19 (14:30-16:00 GMT). This webinar will provide an overview of the T-MOSAiC project, its goals, current activities within the Action groups and possibilities for early career researchers.

T MOSAiC Logo Kopie T-MOSAiC (Terrestrial Multidisciplinary distributed Observatories for the Study of Arctic Connections) project is an IASC pan-Arctic, land-based program that will extend the activities for the IASC flagship program MOSAiC. T-MOSAiC addresses the question, what are the implications of changing sea ice, oceanography and climate of Arctic seas for the surrounding land-based geosystems, ecosystems and human systems.

The EGU is committed to promoting the participation of both early career scientists and established researchers from low and middle-income countries who wish to present their work at the EGU General Assembly. In order to encourage participation of scientists from both these groups, a limited amount of the overall budget of the EGU General Assembly is reserved to provide financial support to those who wish to attend the meeting.

WAPSA meeting v3

We are pleased to inform you about an ice core session at the next EGU meeting: "Past climate reconstructions from ice core records: limits and gaps in the interpretation of proxies embedded in the ice". We are very excited for this EGU session that highlights the work being performed to overcome current challenges in the interpretation of ice core paleoclimate records.

16th ICRSS Save the Date

iasc web The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group of the Arctic Council, in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) are excited to announce several Fellowship programs for 2020 for early career researchers:

IASC Fellowship Program 2020
CAFF-IASC Science-Policy Fellowships

Application deadline for both fellowship types is on 20 November 2019 at 13:00 GMT.

Find out more about the fellowships and how to apply on the APECS website

The application and selection process for both Fellowships is coordinated by APECS in cooperation with IASC and CAFF.

Application criteria
All Applicants must fulfill the following general criteria:
- PhD candidate or postdoctoral researcher (up to 5 years past terminal degree)
- An excellent command of English
- Ability to commit to the required time specified in the announcement during the one-year duration of the Fellowship
- Ability to commit to the required travel specified in the announcement during the one-year duration of the Fellowship
In addition:

Applicants for the IASC Fellowship Program 2020 have to fulfill these special criteria:
- Able to commit to participating in the activities of one of an IASC WG for at least 1 year
- Able to attend the two upcoming ASSWs: 27 March – 2 April 2020 in Akureyri, Iceland, and 19 – 26 March 2021 in Lisbon, Portugal
- Located at an institution in an IASC member country
Applicants for the CAFF-IASC Science Policy Fellowships must fulfill the following criteria:
- Commitment to participating in the activities and meetings listed above in the announcement over the duration of 1 year
- Ability to demonstrate keen interest and/or experience in the biodiversity science-policy interface
- Familiarity with national and international environmental governance structures including the Arctic Council and CAFF
- Ability to work in a multicultural and diverse international network and to communicate orally and in writing to a broad range of groups and individuals
- Ability to set priorities and organize workloads to meet multiple demands and deadlines
- Ability to develop and finalize a deliverable, scheduled for completion by end of Fellowship
- Resident of an Arctic Council Member State or Observer State, or located in an Arctic Council Observer organization. Arctic Indigenous Peoples are encouraged to apply.
Application Form

The application deadline for the CAFF-IASC Science Policy Fellowships has been extended until 27 November 2019. You can still apply for them via this application form. You can upload your CV as a PDF file within the form. If you have problems accessing or submitting the form, please contact the APECS Executive Director Gerlis Fugmann at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive a Word version of the form.

The application deadline for the IASC Fellowships 2020 has passed and we are not accepting additional late applications for it. Applicants will be notified once the review process is complete. If you missed the deadline, program will be offered again next year and will be advertised again in October 2020.
Selection Process

The selection of candidates is coordinated by APECS and will be only based on the material you provide in the application form – so please be as specific as possible and identify how you meet the applicable criteria.

All applications will be reviewed in a blind review process with each application being reviewed by 2 independent reviewers. Applications will be reviewed according to multiple criteria including your research background and the quality of your statement of interest of why you would like to become an IASC Fellow or IASC-CAFF Fellow. Top ranked candidates after this initial review process will be forwarded to the IASC and CAFF Secretariats as well as the IASC WG Steering Committees or CAFF Groups (depending on which Fellowship), who will make the final decision on their Fellows.

The CAFF-IASC Science-Policy Fellowships were created to help early- to mid-career professionals build experience and advance understanding of the science-policy interface. We are looking for two CAFF-IASC Fellows. In cooperation with CAFF and IASC, fellows will identify a joint area of interest and expertise, participate in and contribute to CAFF’s work, and produce a culminating deliverable to enrich decision-making in their chosen field.

This year's areas of interest are:

The Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI): The Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI) is a project designed to improve the status and secure the long-term sustainability of declining Arctic breeding migratory bird populations. AMBI works with many partner countries and organisations to support and initiate actions that target priority species and conservation issues across multiple flyways. In 2021 AMBI will undergo a Mid-Term Evaluation. See here for more info: https://caff.is/ambi or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Coastal Ecosystem Steering Group (CEMG) of the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP): The CEMG is starting implementation of the Arctic Coastal Biodiversity Monitoring Plan which will synthesize and assess the status and trends of Arctic coastal biodiversity as a contribution to international conventions and agreements on biodiversity conservation; providing policy and decision makers with comprehensive information on the status and trends of Arctic coastal biodiversity. This Coastal Plan is the Arctic Council’s first initiative to develop a platform that will support a co-production of knowledge approach, and an important step towards bringing together Traditional Knowledge (TK) and science into the assessment, planning and management of Arctic biodiversity. See here for more info: https://caff.is/coastal or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The duration of the CAFF-IASC Fellowships will be one year. Each Fellow will begin by attending the Arctic Science Summit Week 2020, March 27-April 2 in Akureyri, Iceland. Afterwards, Fellows will attend appropriate project meetings, and CAFF Board meetings. As appropriate, Fellows will continue working with their CAFF programs to develop a final deliverable.

CAFF-IASC Required Travel

During their appointment, at a minimum, both CAFF-IASC Fellows will be expected to attend the following meetings:

Arctic Science Summit Week 2020 (27-30 April 2020; Akureyri, Iceland)
One CAFF working group meeting (TBD)
CAFF Biennial meeting (February 2021)
Regular teleconferences for the project steering group

Travel support to attend meetings for each Fellow during their Fellowships will be made available through CAFF and IASC. The travel support is the only financial remuneration for the Fellows. Salary is not compensated for during the Fellowship.

CAFF-IASC Fellowship Deliverables

Fellows will help deliver reports and other communications products as identified by the project and/or CAFF Secretariat.
Fellows will deliver program feedback and evaluations on the Fellowship and may be asked to input into evaluations of their respective programs.
Fellows will identify, develop and finalize a deliverable that aims to enrich decision-making in their chosen respective projects.

Organizers announce the 3rd International Conference on Polar Climate and Environmental Change in the Last Millennium. This conference will convene 24-26 September 2020 in Toruń, Poland. The aim of the conference is to present scientific achievements and to identify gaps in the field of the historical climatology of the polar regions based on early meteorological observations, history, dendroclimatology, paleolimnology, geophysics, geomorphology, and other sources.

The U.S. Permafrost Association (USPA) will be awarding $500 travel grants and the $1000 Andrew Slater Award for U.S.-based students and post-graduate researchers (within six years of their last degree) to attend the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2019. The AGU Fall Meeting will convene 9-13 December 2019 in San Francisco, California.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) announces the next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Anna Liljedahl, Research Associate Professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). This event will be held online via Zoom on Friday, 1 November 2019 at 10:00 a.m. AKDT (2:00 p.m. EDT).

The 9th Annual Meeting of the Permafrost Carbon Network will take place on Sunday, December 8, 2019 (9:00 - 5:00 pm) at the Parc55 hotel in San Francisco, CA (55 Cyril Magnin St). Our program is structured into short synthesis updates in the morning and an introduction to the new phase of Permafrost Carbon Network activities. The afternoon will be used to discuss various topics in small breakout groups. Lunch will be provided for registered participants.

The 12th International Conference on Permafrost -- ICOP 2020 -- is a little over a half-year away. The final abstract submission deadline is 15 January 2020; this timeline is now reflected on the conference website. We strongly encourage everyone to consider participating in and presenting research at this premier permafrost event. Please visit the conference website for the information you need to plan your conference attendance and trip to Lanzhou, China, including planned scientific sessions, field trip details, and visa information. Early career attendees can apply to have their registration fee covered by the IPA.

Attention student and early career permafrost researchers! The U.S. Permafrost Association will be awarding $500 travel grants and the $1000 Andrew Slater Award for U.S. based students and post-graduate researchers (within six years of their last degree) to attend the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2019.

The 2nd All-Russian Congress of Teachers of Native Languages, Literature and Culture of the Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East will be held on November 26, 2019 in the city of St. Petersburg. Applications are to be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before October 30, 2019.

The ASM2019 Photo Contest is a fantastic opportunity for Arctic researchers, students, partners and collaborators to share their dynamic and eye-catching photos of the circum-Arctic, its peoples, communities, landscapes, wildlife and research activities. $1500 CAD in cash prizes will be awarded. Photos must be submitted before Friday, October 25, 2019.

The international Arctic Spirit Conference will take place on November 12th-13th in Rovaniemi, Finland. The theme of this year’s conference is climate change and the future generations. The goal of the event is to enhance dialogue between researchers, youth and decision-makers. The first conference day consists of invited keynote speeches and panel discussions focusing on the voice of the Arctic youth and the different levels of climate-related decision-making.

UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic WASH (Water, Sewer and Health) organized a summer school on water and sanitation in cold climates. The course is now available to anyone interested in newly developed Online Course “Arctic Water Sanitation and Health (Arctic WASH)”. The summer school started on Friday June 28 in Tromsø where the group visited some of the treatment facilities before travelling by to Island of Senja in northern Norway where the rest of the course was conducted. The teaching consisted of a combination of classroom lectures and teamwork solving relevant exercises and cases. All lectures are now available online at the SSWM (Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management) platform.

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) announces the next IARPC Collaborations Public Webinar Series. This webinar, titled Program Manager Chat with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), will feature Cathy Coon and Guillermo Auad, and will take place Tuesday, 29 October 2019 at 11:00 a.m. AKDT via Zoom.

The editors of Witness the Arctic and Witness Community Highlights invite suggestions for articles on Arctic sciences and related topics for issues to be published in the 2019 Fall issues. Witness the Arctic serves an audience of Arctic scientists, educators, agency personnel, and policy makers and provides information on current Arctic research efforts and findings, significant research initiatives, science education, national policy affecting Arctic research, and related international activities.

The International Polar Foundation and its many Arctic stakeholder partners would like to cordially invite you to take part in the 10th annual Arctic Futures Symposium, which will be held at the Residence Palace, Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat 155, in Brussels' EU Quarter on the 25th of November, from 9:00 am until 7:00 pm. Every year, the Arctic Futures Symposium creates discussions and exchanges between Arctic stakeholders from different backgrounds and perspectives over key challenges and issues the Arctic is facing.

The EGU General Assembly 2020, taking place in Vienna (Austria) on 3–8 May 2020, will bring together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. The deadline for abstract submission is 15 January 2020, 13:00 CET or, for those applying for EGU Roland Schlich travel support, 1 December 2019, 13:00 CET. Only 2020 EGU members will be able to submit abstracts to the 2020 meeting and, with a few exceptions outlined below, only one abstract as first author will be permitted.

As a first event of the National Committee APECS Colombia, we will be going to present and describe all the great opportunities to be part of APECS. This will be developed during the next SENALMAR 2019, October 22-25, in the session “La Ruta Antartica”. The venue is the Centro Cultural Universidad del Atlántico, Barranquilla, Colombia. Everyone is welcome to participate in our talk on Tuesday, October 22 from 16:15 – 17:00 (local time), and visit our poster displayed during the full week.

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Share your knowledge and passion for science! Researchers can host a PolarTREC educator (formal or informal) in the field and share their knowledge of polar research in both formal classrooms and informal educational settings around the world. By including a PolarTREC educator, the research team gains a trained and enthusiastic helping hand in the field, an expert in communication and outreach to share their science, and connections between the science and the education communities.

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In coordination with APECS, Antarctic Science are running a webinar to help potential applicants of the 2020 Antarctic Science Bursary. This bursary runs every year and is for up to £6000 to support PhD or early career researchers to extend the scope of an existing research project.

More details here: http://www.antarcticsciencebursary.org.uk/. A great opportunity to get funding for that exciting idea of yours!

The annual High North Dialogue conference gathers experts and stakeholders from a range of sectors with a focus on business development and economic growth in the High North. It provides a platform to interact with young academics and professionals with an interest in the Arctic. The High North Dialogue Conference, which takes place in Bodø, Norway, March 18-19, 2020.

The public and democratic role of universities has become an increasingly relevant topic in recent years in light of social, political and economic developments, as well as changes in media and communication. At the same time, democratic societies in Europe are paying increasing attention to the mobilities of individuals within and outside the boundaries of their nation-states. While we observe intensified securitization and the rise of anti-immigration sentiment in Europe, civic movements of resistance also flourish across the continent. With this conference, we aim to steer the discourse towards more constructive and rational discussions on migration and higher education in a healthy democracy.

The IASC Medal is awarded in recognition of exceptional and sustained contributions to the understanding of the Arctic. A maximum of one award is made each year, assuming that there is a nominee of appropriate quality. The whole IASC community, from all countries and career stages, is encouraged to submit a nomination by sending this form to the IASC Executive Secretary, demonstrating the nominee’s excellence (see evaluation criteria) and sustained contribution to the understanding of the Arctic.

North-Eastern Federal University named after M.K. Ammosov and the Aleksanteri Institute of the University of Helsinki with the support of the Northern Forum Secretariat conduct a survey of researchers with the aim of collecting the opinions of the professional community on Data Availability for Research on the Sustainable Russian Arctic.

The program is designed for PhD students (ideally about 2 years prior to receiving their PhD) working on a topic compatible with ongoing research at IIASA and a wish to explore the policy implications of their work. Participants will be working under the direct supervision of an experienced IIASA scientist in a unique interdisciplinary and international research environment. They will produce a paper (serving as first step towards a publishable journal article) and will get the opportunity to build up contacts for future collaboration within IIASA's worldwide network. It will take place from 1 June to 31 August 2020.

jcar logo In response to requests from several potential participants, the Organizing Committee of ISAR-6 has decided to extend the deadline for Call for Abstract for Sixth International Symposium on Arctic Science (ISAR-6) to 23:59 October 20, 2019 (JST). We hope that this additional time will enable those of you and your colleagues to consider a submission to prepare and submit an abstract to the ISAR-6. The symposium will take place on 2-6 March in Tokyo, Japan.

We would like to draw your attention to The 7th International Conference on Mars Polar Science and Exploration, January 13–17, 2020 in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. The conference is intended to promote the exchange of knowledge and ideas between planetary and terrestrial scientists interested in Mars polar and climate research. Contributions from the glaciological community on Mars polar research or terrestrial analog studies are welcome!

SCAR logo white background Peer recognition is a way of rewarding and highlighting those who exemplify the best of the Antarctic community and serve as models for the next generation. To provide this recognition within the Antarctic research community, SCAR created the Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research and the Medal for International Coordination, which were first awarded in 2006. At the SCAR Delegates Meeting in 2016, a new medal was approved, the Medal for Education and Communication, and this was awarded for the first time in 2018. Nominations are now open for the award of all three Medals in 2020.

The CICE Consortium will hold a workshop and tutorial at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado in February 2020. The one-day user’s workshop (Feb.3, 2020) will focus on current and future development of the community CICE and Icepack models. Immediately following the workshop, the two-day tutorial (Feb. 4-5, 2020) will feature lectures and practical sessions for using CICE and Icepack, both on their own as well as use within coupled modeling systems such as the CESM.

The Conference Organizing Committee would like to invite you to the Antarctic Marine Ecosystem Futures Scientific Conference to be held in Moscow, Russia from the 13-15th of May, 2020 co-hosted by WWF Russia and the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences. An international conference on Antarctic marine ecosystems science, ocean conservation and solutions: dedicated to the 200th year anniversary of the Antarctic continent discovery by F. Bellingshausen and M. Lazarev Russian expedition.

The Swiss Climate Summer School 2020 takes places on 23 - 28 August in Grindelwald, Switzerland. It invites young researchers (PhD and Posdoc) from all fields of climate research and is focusing on the theme “Extreme weather and climate: from atmospheric processes to impacts on ecosystems and society”. This theme has been chosen due to its paramount importance in terms of both scientific challenges and pressing societal concerns. www.oeschger.unibe.ch/summerschool. Deadline for applications is 10 January 2020.

The Glacier History Lab at the University at Buffalo announce the release of the updated Alaska PaleoGlacier Atlas website. The updated website provides Alaska state-wide Pleistocene glacier extent maps and associated products via links to the Randolph Glacier Inventory, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Polar Geospatial Center, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Links to ICE-D, a database of cosmogenic nuclide-based glacial chronologies, are also available through the website.

The CLIVAR/CliC/SCAR Southern Ocean Region Panel (SORP) has an open call for new members, closing very soon (10 October): http://www.clivar.org/news/2019-open-call-nominations-clivar-panels-and-ssg. We particularly welcome self-nominations from early career researchers in this round because an early career researcher is rotating off the main panel.

Are you a student looking to fund your innovative research in Cryosphere Sciences? Consider participating in the Flash Freeze competition at this year's Fall Meeting to win funding for your project! The AGU Cryosphere Section Executive Committee is now accepting applications for the Cryosphere Innovation Award for Students that will be decided in the Flash Freeze competition on Thursday, December 12, 2019.

We are currently seeking First Nations or Métis candidates to submit an application for funds to attend the ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting 2019 being held in Halifax, NS. December 2-5, 2019: http://www.arcticnetmeetings.ca/asm2019/. Six travel funds are available, two per region indicated below.

The EU Horizon2020-funded project Nunataryuk, in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), and the Terrestrial Multidisciplinary distributed Observatories for the Study of Arctic Connections (T-MOSAiC) are organizing the APECS-Nunataryuk-T-MOSAiC School 2020 on the topic of “Arctic Coastal Adaptation - Capacity building and knowledge exchange across borders” at Abisko Scientific Research Station (Abisko, Sweden) from 21 - 30 April 2020.

We would like to issue a call for papers for the thematic issue of the Annals of Glaciology on ‘Drilling through the Ice’. The Annals Ice Drill Issue has for the past decades been the most comprehensive collection of state of the art Ice Drilling papers. After a very successful Ice Drill meeting in Copenhagen we trust that the associated Annals will be just as successful.

A graduate course entitled "The Arctic Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Local Climate Processes" (AGF-350/850, 10 ECTS) will be available spring semester 2020 through The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS). The course is intended for master's and PhD students, with general knowledge about meteorology.

Calls for proposals for two grants offered by the Swiss Polar Institute are currently open. The SPI Exploratory Grants will support Swiss based scientists active in polar regions (including remote high-altitude regions such as the Andes and the Himalayas) by allowing them to launch short-term new ideas (for example pilot projects), fund additional field work or launch new collaborations with financial support for logistics. Collaboration with new teams or across disciplines are particularly encouraged, as well as participation in larger/international activities. The grants can be used to complement the funding of initiatives supported by larger funding schemes (e.g. SNSF, EU, etc.).

sooslogo2c The co-chairs and committee of the West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc (WAPSA) regional working group are looking for ocean scientists who have experience and interest in working in the Scotia Arc and Drake Passage region of the Southern Ocean.

iassa logo The IASSA Award is granted in recognition of sustained and significant contribution to Arctic Social Sciences and Humanities. The Award is presented at the triennial In- ternational Congress of Social Scientists. Multiple awards are possible. Nominations may be submitted to the IASSA Secretariat by IASSA members at any time prior to the deadline. Nominators must be IASSA members. (The person nominated for the Award does not necessarily have to be a member.)

Arctic Frontiers Emerging Leaders is an Arctic early carrier and mentoring program in the High North of Norway for young scientists and professionals with special interest in Arctic topics. If you are an aspiring Arctic leader under 35 years and want to learn more about Arctic security, Arctic economy and Arctic environment, you are welcome to apply!

A two-day workshop in the framework of Arctic Science Summit Week 2020, Akureyri, Iceland, 29-30(TBC) March 2020 funded by IASC - the International Arctic Science Committee. The IASC Social Sciences and Humanities Working Group (WG), together with IASC’s Cryosphere, Marine, and Terrestrial WGs, invites you to a unique cross-disciplinary workshop attempting to bring together the natural sciences, the social sciences and the humanities in order to discuss and reflect on the gendered nature of Polar research.

The abstract submission deadline has been extended to 8 October 2019. Arctic Frontiers Science 2020 takes place from Tuesday 28 January until Thursday 30 January 2020 during Arctic Frontiers 2020 – The Power of Knowledge.

The next IASC Workshop on the Dynamics and Mass Budget of Arctic Glaciers and Network on Arctic Glaciology annual meeting will take place at the University Center Obergurgl, in Obergurgl, Austria, 28-30 January 2020.

The aim of the conference is to bring together scientists, healthcare professionals, educators, students, policy makers, and community stakeholders to learn about the latest advances in One Health research. The conference will take place on March 11-14, 2020, at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The One Health, One Future Conference consists of presentations, workshops and cultural exchanges discussing circumpolar North issues in a One Health context.

The Greenlandic Representation in Reykjavík and UArctic Institute: The Northern Research Forum (NRF) at the University of Akureyri will jointly organize an Arctic Circle Assembly pre-event "From National Strategies to Shared Solutions – Best Practices for Sustainable Development in the Arctic".

University of Akureyri, in cooperation with the Model Arctic Council Thematic Network, will host a Model Arctic Council (MAC) from March 22 to 27, 2020 in Akureyri, Iceland, for students interested in Arctic and circumpolar affairs. The MAC is an experiential learning exercise, in which graduate and advanced undergraduate students from disciplines and universities across the Arctic region simulate the work of the Arctic Council. The Council is the primary forum for international cooperation and environmental protection in the Arctic; its working groups contribute to knowledge creation on the Arctic and its fragile ecosystem. In the simulation, each student will represent one of the eight Arctic Council Member States, six Permanent Participants, or several Observers.

The Government of Iceland, in collaboration with the Nordic Council of Ministers, hosts the International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Region in April 21-23, 2020 in Reykjavik in connection with the Icelandic chairmanship of the Arctic Council. Registration and call for abstracts are now open for the event.

apecs logo web APECS is excited to announce that another leadership term has begun on 1 October 2019!

The Arctic Frontiers Student Forum is back! Are you a Bachelor or Master Student interested in Arctic issues? We are pleased to announce that the Arctic Frontiers Student Forum will be held alongside the Arctic Frontiers Conference, from 26-30 January 2020. The Arctic Frontiers Student Forum is a five-day, interdisciplinary event bringing together students from across the world with interest in the Arctic region. It takes place in Tromsø, Norway alongside the Arctic Frontiers conference. The Arctic Frontiers Student Forum goes through a broad range of topics, but all with focus on the development of various Arctic-related issues.

Following the first edition in May 2019, the NORSIL network is pleased to invite submissions for its second workshop on the rights of the Sámi people in the Nordic sustainable transition that will be organised in Tromsø on January 9 and 10, 2020. In 2015, the Nordic countries announced support as a whole for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed under UN auspices. The goals aim to eradicate extreme poverty and to achieve sustainable development in all fields while leaving no one behind.

sooslogo2c The multidisciplinary Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) workshop on "The Southern Ocean in the Weddell Sea and off Dronning Maud Land: unique oceanographic conditions shape circumpolar and global processes" takes placing at Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (HWK) in Delmenhorst, Germany, from 28 – 30 April 2020.

The Arctic is among the world’s regions most affected by ongoing and increasing cultural, socioeconomic, environmental, and climatic changes. In this context, the sustainability of Arctic social–ecological systems has become a point of increased interest and attention among scholars. This Special Issue of Sustainability (ISSN: 2071-1050) focuses on conceptual and practical approaches, methodologies, and experiences in defining, measuring, and monitoring sustainability in the Arctic regions and communities.

Stem at the Poles! PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is currently accepting applications from both educators and researchers for the PolarTREC program. "By including a PolarTREC educator, the research team gains a trained and enthusiastic helping hand in the field, an expert in communication and outreach to share their science, and connections between the science and the education communities."

The Polar and Alpine regions play a key role in Earth's climate system and are geographical areas of growing strategic importance. In this Research Topic we invite Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine microbiologists and biogeochemists to contribute new understanding of microbial and biogeochemical responses to the fast changing polar and alpine environments. Papers are invited for a special issue in Frontiers in Microbiology that will be dedicated for Polar and Alpine Biogeochemical Processes. Deadline for abstract is 5 November 2019 and 4 March 2020 for manuscripts.

The Northern Pollitical Economy Symposium takes place from 14-15 November 2019 in Rovaniemi, Finland. Registration deadline is 31 October 2019. It focuses on the topic: What is left of development in the Arctic?

The 28th session of ERCA (European Research Course on Atmospheres) will take place in Grenoble (& at the astronomical Observatory of Haute-Provence) from January 12th, 2020 to February 8th. ERCA is intended for students enrolled in PhD programs, young scientists and engineers from universities and public/private research institutes wishing to complete their formation with a broad research course related to Atmosphere, Climate and Climate change studies.

Northern (Arctic) Federal University in Arkhangelsk, North-West Russia, is pleased to announce the II International PhD School “Russia in the Arctic Dialogue: Local and Global Context” to be held on 13-20 June, 2020 as a side event of the X International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS Х)

Organizers invite registration for the Third Canadian Polar Data Workshop. This workshop will convene 18-21 February 2020 in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The workshop will be structured to reach specific outcomes through working group sessions and consensus building on themes such as the need for a national data management strategy for Canada, data discovery and federated search, all aspects of data interoperability, and other themes related to polar data broadly defined, including knowledge transfer and Indigenous data policies.

The “Arctic Week” is a one-week international conference that provides transdisciplinary approaches to climate and environmental changes in the Arctic. It aims to provide an overview of the different challenges of the Arctic regions, as understood by Arctic peoples and by researchers. In a desire to pursue the interdisciplinary approach to environmental and climate changes initiated at the first edition, combining human and social sciences, environmental sciences, as well as indigenous peoples and international students, a second edition will be host from the 9^th to 13^rd of December 2019, Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (Paris).

The 6th Snow Science Winter School (SSWS) on "Snow in a changing climate, impact on human and nature" at Col du Lautaret, France takes place from 16-22 February and is targeted to PhD students with expertise in snow science seeking for advanced training.

Every winter, we organize a training on Snow & Atmosphere in the field at Col du Lautaret in the French Alps for the master students of University Grenoble Alpes (UGA). In addition, we propose to open the training to ~3-5 international students (master or first year PhD). Deadline: 15 October.

NSF’s Education and Human Resources (EHR) and Geosciences (GEO) directorates have formed a partnership to advance and develop understanding of learning environments that build upon the rich interdisciplinary resources emerging from polar investments.

The award will be given during the ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting 2019. The focus of this award is to recognize Inuit who are making strong efforts towards meaningful Inuit involvement in Arctic research. Inuit partners will recognize one recipient who has shown excellence in the area of Arctic research. Nomation Deadline is October 4, 2019.

CUAHSI is pleased to partner with iSWGR - NASA International Snow Working Group Remote Sensing - to offer the Snow Measurement Field School, a 4-day field school on making and analyzing snow measurements, taking place from January 6 - 9, 2020 at the AMC Highland Center, Bretton Woods in New Hampshire, USA.

The European Polar Board (EPB)and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) are seeking a rapporteur to take minutes during the upcoming EPB Autumn Plenary Meeting, to be held in Brest, France on the 22nd and 23rd of October 2019. For an early career researcher, this is a fairly unique opportunity to know how an international organisation works on a regular basis, as well as how it views, sets and reviews medium and long term goals.

Polar Week logo2 01 It's APECS International Polar Week September 2019!

Join us in celebrating the icy and Polar Regions of the world, and create further awareness of the science and activities being conducted in the Arctic and the Antarctic.

The APECS International Polar Week September 2019 is shaping up to be an exciting party! From the 23 to 29 September, we will be featuring some great activities organized by Polar early career researchers from around the world. This seven-day programme includes

Fieldwork Handbook Logos Updated The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), the INTERACT Station Manager`s Forum and the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) are proud to share exciting news with you: Together, we developed the INTERACT Practical Field Guide for scientists - a pocket guide that is designed to be taken into the field. The INTERACT Practical Field Guide contains information on best practices and specific safety tips for fieldwork in the Arctic.

ESIP (Earth Science Information Partners) Community Fellows are graduate students and post-docs (<2 yrs since graduation) interested in bridging the gap between informatics and Earth Science. This fellowship provides fellows with a chance to work closely with professionals in an interdisciplinary, cross-sector group (ESIP collaboration area) on current Earth Science problems. Community fellows become engaged in ESIP collaboration areas as rapporteurs, documenting group activities on monthly telecons and at ESIP’s semi-annual meetings. As fellows become more familiar with collaboration-area activities, they may choose to integrate their own research, which can result in publication and additional funding opportunities.

We would like to draw your attention to a newly opened Special Issue on "Climatological and Hydrological Processes in Mountain Regions" to be published in the Open Access MDPI Journal "Atmosphere". The deadline for the submission of articles is the 30 April 2020, please visit the journal website below for further details: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/atmosphere/special_issues/Climatological_Hydrological

As the RCN draws to a close, this community white paper on "The Landscape of High-Performance and Distributed Computing in Polar Science" analyzes the state-of-play along these three dimensions. Broad community comments are now being solicited to ensure a diversity of voices are fully considered in the report.

APECSIberoam Conferencia Iberoamericana Online aims to create a space where Polar Early Careers Researchers and Educators from Spanish-speaking countries can share their work in their native language among peers and interested public.

Conference Date: 26 September 2019 (starting 19:00 GMT)

Abstract submission deadline on 20 September at 23:59 GMT

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Arctic Frontiers Science 2020 takes place Tuesday 28 January until Thursday 30 January 2020 during Arctic Frontiers 2020 – Power of Knowledge. On behalf of the Arctic Frontiers Science Committees, we have great pleasure in inviting you to submit one or more abstracts to any of the four themes. The abstract submission system has just opened. All abstracts are reviewed by scientific experts for rating of abstract quality and presentation content. Deadline for conference abstract submission is Monday 23 September 2019.

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The International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA) announces the 10th International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS X) to be held on the campus of Northern (Arctic) Federal University, in Arkhangelsk, Russia, 15-19 June 2020. June 20 will be reserved for additional excursions, such as the Solovetsky Islands.

It is with a heavy heart that we bring you the news that one of our APECS Council members, Adrian Dahood-Fritz and her husband Andrew Fritz recently passed away in the Conception diving boat accident in California (USA). Adrian had been involved in the APECS Council for the past three years, and was well loved within the APECS community.

The “Changing Arctic Ocean” research topic in Frontiers for Young Minds is now live. You can view the topic here: http://bit.ly/CAOinFYM. Thank you to all those who have already promised a contribution. If you are still thinking about contributing, it is not too late. The deadline to submit an abstract is 20 September. And the deadline for the completed manuscript is 31 October.

The UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Lawis pleased to announce a call for papers for the 7th Volume of the Current Developments in Arctic Law, which will be published in December 2019. Expected contributions are: short academic articles, conference notes, short project reports, field study reports etc. The publication is non-peer reviewed, but considered as scientific. The ideal length of the contribution should be between 500 and 3000 words. However, we will also welcome longer pieces!

Rapid and wide-scale changes precipitated by Arctic warming portend new opportunities and unprecedented risks to natural systems; social and cultural systems; economic, political and legal systems; and built environments of the Arctic and across the globe. Understanding and adapting to a changing Arctic will require creative new research frameworks that cross-cut the social, behavioral, natural, physical, and engineering sciences. Yet, such interdisciplinary integration is often difficult to accomplish, and obstacles to convergence persist.

Panel Role of Social Media

Social media is one of the convenient ways to connect to the world. The main aim of the panel discussion is to explore as how we can use the social platforms to reach to wider audience.

The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) and the Arctic Futures 2050 Conference Organizers are pleased to announce that Arctic Futures 2050 will be streamed live on 4-6 September 2019 from Washington, D.C. Watch the Live Stream Here Starting 4 September here.

slf We are happy to announce that registration for the 6th Snow Science Winter School is now open. It will take place on 16-22 February 2020, at Col du Lautaret, French Alps. Any graduate student or post-doc working on snow or in some snow related field is welcome to participate. The course corresponds to 3 ECTS-Points. Application is open until October, 20th, 2019. Find information and application foms here.

The papers on Vol. 30 No. 3 of Advances in Polar Science (Special Issue: Geology and paleontology of the James Ross Basin, Antarctic Peninsula) are available freely now at http://www.aps-polar.org/paper/2019/30/03/.

With the successful operations of CNARC fellowship program for the past five years, CNARC Secretariat is about to launch its Fellowship Program for Year 2019 – 2020. In this new round of application, fellowships shall be granted to 2 Nordic and 2 Chinese fellow candidates respectively, to advance their own research project that falls on CNARC’s research priorities or the themes of the 8th China-Nordic Arctic Cooperation Symposium (CNACS) to be held in Umeå in 2020, for a 1-2 month period in an institute within CNARC’s network.

ADAC The Arctic Domain Awareness Center (ADAC) invites proposals for a competitive search to address research challenges associated with multiple Arctic response capability gaps and shortfalls in science and technology. ADAC anticipates approximately three to five projects in varying funding amounts may be awarded under this solicitation.

The call for abstracts for the 3rd Polar Data Forum has been extended to 6 September, 2019. More information is avalailable on the conference website and abstracts can be submitted through the Forum website at https://polar-data-forum.org/

The Executive Organizing Committee for the Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) 2020 is seeking community input in the form of white paper and short statements on the topics under discussion at the Summit. Deadline for submitting input is 18 October 2019. For more information and to submit a white paper or short statement, see below or go to the submission webpage.

Every year around December, IASC publishes our Arctic science calendar. For graphics and photographs we depend solely on what the IASC community sends us. We are looking for new photographs for the publication of the 2020 Calendar, and other IASC publications such as the website, brochures, social media, and Bulletin. We welcome images depicting all areas of Arctic science: scientists in the field, animals, landscapes, everyday life in the Arctic, and more!

“Water Cycle in a 1.5°C warmer world: interdisciplinary approaches” – Joint Early Career Researcher Workshop

YESS-APECS-YHS, supported by WCRP and AGU
& ‘under the auspices of the WCRP Climate Science Week‘
December 7, 2019 @ AGU Fall Meeting, Afternoon (Tentative time: 1-5 PM)

Application deadline extended to 21 September 2019!

Sponsored by the International Project Office, Harbin Institute of Technology. The first Winter School to be held by the International Arctic School, HIT (IAS HIT) on the topic of “To understand Arctic Environment and Ecosystem” in the beautiful city of Harbin during January 5-12th 2020. Deadline 31 October 2019

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) invites letters of intent for funding opportunities. These opportunities are offered through NOAA’s Climate Program Office (CPO). The first opportunity invites letters of intent for Climate Program Office Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) funding. This opportunity includes 10 competitions with approximately 90 anticipated awards.

Organizers invite registration for the Arctic Futures 2050 conference. This conference will convene 4-6 September 2019 in Washington, D.C. Arctic Futures 2050—convened by the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH)—is an international conference designed to enhance collaboration between Arctic scientists from many disciplines, diverse Indigenous knowledge holders, and policy makers from all levels of government. Arctic Futures 2050 will explore opportunities for deeper dialogue and avenues to sustained collaboration.

Organizers invite attendance at their next installment of the Greenland Dialogues. This event, titled Greenland-U.S. Research Cooperation: Exploring a New Model for Research in Greenland, will convene 9 September 2019 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. A webcast will also be available for this event. A webcast will be available for this event.

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The International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA) invites abstract submissions for the 10th International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS X). This conference will convene 15-19 June 2020 in Arkhangelsk, Russia. 20 June will be reserved for additional excursions, such as the Solovetsky Islands. Abstract submission deadline is 10 October 2019.

Organizers invite abstracts for poster and an oral presentations for the Greenland Science Week. The theme of the conference will be Connecting Science and Communities, and will convene 1-5 December 2019 in Nuuk, Greenland. Greenland Science Week builds bridges between science and the Greenlandic society, business community, and government, and creates a networking and cooperation platform for the Greenlandic and international science community around research in the Arctic. The event welcomes participants from a wide range of fields.

The Arctic Institute and the U.S. Arctic Research Commission invite attendance at a Network North reception for early career and emerging leaders in fields associated with the Arctic region. This reception will convene from 5:00-8:00 p.m. EDT on the George Washington University campus in Washington, D.C.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network – Phase 2 (SIPN2) announces an open webinar entitled An Overview of European Union-Funded Project APPLICATE featuring Pablo Ortega, Earth Science Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center. The one-hour webinar will be held on Tuesday, 17 September, starting at: 8:00 a.m. (AKDT), 9:00 a.m. (PDT), 10:00 a.m. (MDT) 11:00 a.m. (CDT), 12:00 p.m. (EDT), and 6:00 p.m. (CEST).

The Greenland Science Week 2019 Conference Organizing Committee invites you to submit an abstract on original work for presentation as a poster and an oral presentation for the Greenland Science Week Conference in Nuuk December 1-5, 2019. Deadline for submission is Monday September 30, 2019.

The ArcticNet Network of Centres of Excellence and its national partners invite the Arctic research community to the Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM2019) to be held at the Halifax Convention Centre, December 2 - 5, 2019. The ASM2019 will bring together leading Arctic researchers, graduate students, Northern community representatives, government and industry partners and stakeholders from all fields.

FRAM – High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, Nature Climate Change, and Nature Reviews Earth and Environment are pleased to present A Changing Arctic, June 2-5, 2020 in Tromsø. Registrants are invited to submit an abstract for consideration for poster and oral presentation.

Organizers invite abstract submissions for the Sixth International Symposium on Arctic Research (ISAR-6). The symposium will convene 2-6 March 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. The theme of ISAR-6 is Arctic Research: The Decade Past and the Decade Future, and will focus on how Arctic research has been progressing in the past ten years and what should be done in the next ten years for the sustainable development goals.

Organizers are currently accepting abstract submissions for the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2020. This meeting will convene 16-21 February 2020 in San Diego, California. Abstract submission deadline is 11 September 2019.

The first order draft (FOD) of the Working Group 2 (WGI) 6th Assessment Report (AR6) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) is due to be published around 2021. APECS, PYRN, YESS, PAGES-ECN, MRI and IMECaN, are coordinating the next review by early career experts that will take place between October and November 2019.

TA INTERACT The EU-H2020 funded INTERACT (International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic) opens a call for research groups to apply for Transnational Access to 42 research stations across the Arctic and northern alpine and forest areas in Europe, Russia and North-America.

CodeRefinery hackathon in Stockholm:Building a Nordic community of research software engineers. The idea behind this event is to bring together people who are working with code and/or data in research, in an informal environment where ideas can be exchanged, expertise shared and real work done! Welcome to the first CodeRefinery hackathon from November 6-7, 2019 in Stockholm, Sweden.Read more information about the registration here.

APECS in association with NCPOR (National Center for Polar and Ocean Research), India and the Indian Polar Research Network (IPRN) will be organizing a Panel Discussion as a side event of National Conference on “Polar Sciences” (NCPS-2019) from 20th- 22nd August 2019 at NCPOR, Goa, India. The theme of the Panel Discussion: 'Role of Social Media in Effective Science Communication and Collaboration'

The public is increasingly aware of the Arctic and its importance to global climate and ecosystems. Yet, few people have experienced Arctic environments and the excitement scientific research in remote northern regions, despite the interconnectedness that technology offers. Our mission for the video blogs (vlogs) initiative is to help bring the public on a journey to the Arctic, to foster a deeper appreciation for northern environments and science!

APECS South Africa (APECSSA) will be holding the SCALE Mini Symposium on 28 August from 07:00-14:00 GMT. We will be hearing from early career researchers involved in SCALE, on their research aims, objectives and initial findings from the #SCALExperiment! The Symposium will consist of two sessions:

We would like to draw your attention to the Sixth International Symposium on Arctic Science (ISAR-6) to be held in Tokyo, Japan, March 2-6, 2020.
The online abstract submission and registration for ISAR-6 are now open. Deadline for Abstract ends on October 7, 2019. Early Bird Registration ends on January 20, 2020. Please visit https://www.jcar.org/isar-6/ for more information on ISAR-6.

Preparations for our forthcoming training school on glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) are nearly complete, the training school will run between Monday 26th and Friday 30th August 2019. The training school was significantly over-subscribed, so it has been made possible to follow the lectures remotely, both in real time, or shortly afterwards if time zones make this difficult. The lectures will cover a wide range of subjects relating to GIA.

The Arctic Data Center invites registration for their Arctic Data Science Training Workshop. This workshop will convene 7-11 October 2019 in Santa Barbara, California. Registration deadline is 15 August 2019. This five-day workshop will provide researchers with an overview of best data management practices, data science tools, and concrete steps and methods for more easily documenting and uploading their data to the Arctic Data Center.

The Northern Sustainable Development Research Chair and the Institut nordique du Quebec are launching a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) on Northern Québec on October 7th! It is free, online and open to everyone! You can registeronline until November 4, 2019. Watch the promotional teaser to learn more about the course.

A call for Global Young Academy (GYA) membership from 2020 is open until 15 September 2019 (22h:00 UTC). Applications are currently being sought from young, independent scholars who combine the highest level of research excellence with a demonstrated passion for delivering impact. More information on how to apply and our online application form can be found here.

Webinar: Concisely Communicating the Relevance of your Arctic Research: Elevator Pitches and 2-pagers for Policy Makers

28 August 2019 @ 16:00 GMT

Registration Link

The Northern Sustainable Development Forum will be launched in the city of Yakutsk, September 24 -28, 2019. From this year on, the Forum is an annual event and is aspiring to become one of the main collaborative grounds for solving and discussing challenges and possible perspectives of sustainability in the North/Arctic regions.

You can now ‘Register your Interest’ in attending the 'International Symposium on Ice Streams and Outlet Glaciers’ to be held in Durham, UK, on 19–24 July 2020. Please go to https://community.igsoc.org/events/5d2b85dcc2cc0631d6fc8bfc/description.

The online abstract submission for the IGS Nordic Branch meeting to be held in Reykholt, Iceland, 30 October–1 November 2019 is now open. Please visit https://www.igsoc.org/about/nordicbranch/meetings/2019/. You can also access the local website through the above link.

Registration is now open for the NSF-sponsored 2019 4th Interdisciplinary Antarctic Earth Sciences conference and for the U.S. Antarctic Deep Field Camp Planning Workshop. The Conference and the Workshop will be held at the rustic Camp Cedar Glen near Julian, CA.

The UK Sea Ice Group Meeting 2019 will be hosted by the Met Office in Exeter in the afternoon of Thursday 19th and the morning of Friday 20th September 2019.
Lunch will be provided on both days as well as tea and coffee breaks. Refreshments have been part-funded by the Challenger Society as part of the Sea Ice Special Interest Group.

In response to requests from several potential authors, the deadline for the thematic issue of the Annals of Glaciology on ‘Progress in Radioglaciology’ has been extended to December 1 2019.

You are invited to participate in a research study examining weather-related decision-making and how people use, think about, and interpret climate and weather information in Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic. We are interested in how different people perceive and use weather and climate information in their decision-making processes and roles, and the effects weather has on their daily routines. The information collected in this study will help provide evidence-based recommendations for improvements in weather and climate products for use in Antarctica and inform best practice weather-related decision-making.

IGS logo The IGS President and Council Members are pleased to announce that, in 2019, individual Seligman Crystals (forexceptional scientific contributions to glaciology) have been awarded to Douglas R. MacAyeal and to Richard Hindmarsh; and that a Richardson Medal (for outstanding service to the International Glaciological Society and/or to the field of glaciology) has been awarded to Johannes Oerlemans. These awards were made from a strong field of applicants for both awards.

We are delighted to announce that the first recipients of the newly established IACS-IGS Graham Cogley Award are Carolina Aubry-Wake, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and Eric Keenan, University of Boulder, USA, in recognition of their presentations at the IUGG General Assembly in July 2019.

The new IACS-IGS Graham Cogley Award was established in memory of Graham Cogley (Trent University, Canada) who passed away in October 2018.
https://cryosphericsciences.org/members/obituaries/
https://www.igsoc.org/news/grahamcogley/

Organizers of the Arctic Frontiers Science 2020 conference invite abstracts for the conference and paper contributions for a Springer book volume. The conference will convene 28-30 January 2020 in Tromsø, Norway. Abstracts are invited for oral and poster presentations on the following themes:

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is currently accepting abstract submissions for the 2019 Fall Meeting. The meeting will be held 9-13 December 2019 in San Francisco, California. See also the conference website: AGU Fall Meeting homepage. See here the invitations for abstract submissions for several sessions at AGU.

web apecs We are reaching out to you because we are planning to prepare a report to inform how to better support ECR attending conferences, workshops, etc. The report will be delivered to organizations giving travel support to ECRs (e.g. IASC) along with the wider scientific community. In order to reach robust conclusions, we need to collect information from an audience as broad as possible, therefore, we would appreciate very much if you could take 15 minutes to fill out this survey by 14th September 2019.

apecs logo web APECS Webinar: Bias in professional relationships

Date and Time: 8 August 2019 at 20:00 GMT

Registration link

The webinar will be an airing of a panel that APECS Council member Meghan Helmberger helped organize with the CIRES (Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences) graduate association or CGA that she co-chairs at University of Colorado Boulder. The panel is 45 minutes long with about 15 minutes of questions/discussion and that will be followed by a question/answer period/discussion with the APECS community, including two of the original panelists (Kristy Tiampo and Chelsea Thompson).

The SUMup database containing over 2,000,000 community observations of snow/firn density on ice sheets, snow accumulation on ice sheets, and snow depth on sea ice is available at the Arctic Data Center. This year we plan to add a 10 meter ice core temperature dataset. We continue to expand this database annually through contributions of field observations from the community. If you would like to submit any measurements of snow/firn density, annual snow accumulation, 10m ice core temperatures, or snow depth on sea ice for the SUMup August 2019 release, please contact or Lynn Montgomery (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Lora Koenig (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by July 31, 2019 to contribute or for more information.

Arctic Frontiers Science 2020 takes place Tuesday 28 January until Thursday 30 January 2020 in Tromsø, Norway. Deadline for full call for papers is 23 September 2019.

The MEaSUREs Greenland Ice Velocity: Selected Glacier Site Velocity Maps from InSAR, Version 1 data set, accessible through the NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC), has been updated to include data from December 2018 and January 2019. Access to the data and documentation is provided on the data set web page at the NSIDC DAAC.

The Call for Proposals for the Arctic Week 2019 in Paris, France, is open until the 15th September of 2019. Human and Social Sciences and Environmental Sciences, as well as Indigenous and Transdisciplinarity approaches are welcome. The conference will feature coordinated sessions, individual presentations, posters and film screenings. E-mail your abstract (10-15 lines, max. 5 keywords) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

APECS Germany workshop: Best practice - Science communication

Wednesday, Sept. 25 2019, 15:00 - 17:00
Bremen University

USAPESC new A scorching heat wave is about to consume about two-thirds of the US. Need to cool off? USAPECS is organizing the 4th Polar Film Fest, which will take place during APECS International Polar Week from September 23-28!

After the side meeting “Plastic at the Poles” during POLAR 2018 conference, the SCAR Plastic Action Group is happy to propose the Workshop “Plastic in the polar environment: sources, impact and solutions” which will take place in Hull, United Kingdom on 28-30th October 2019. More information about the activities, keynote speakers, and accommodation will be announced soon. The event will be free of charge, but with a limited number of places.

The AGU Fall Meeting 2019 abstract submission deadline is 31 July. Please consider submitting your abstract to the session 'Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon to Climate Change (B128)'. Session conveners are Christina Schaedel and Elaine Pegoraro. For submitting your abstract to our session you can use the following link: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm19/prelim.cgi/Session/81978

arcus The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) is currently conducting a brief community surveyto inform a potential new effort that will help individuals interested in interdisciplinary/ transdisciplinary Arctic research opportunities to connect more easily. The survey deadline is 31 July 2019.

A new report reveals that permafrost conditions have warmed and rock glaciers have accelerated since 2009 in the Swiss Alps - with a temporary interruption following the snow poor winter 2016/2017. Continuously decreasing electrical resistivities point to a persisting loss in ground ice. The report (PERMOS Report no. 16-19) is available online: http://www.permos.ch/downloads/permos15-18.pdf

The Arctic Science Summit Week 2020 is hosted by the Icelandic Centre for Research, Rannís, and the University of Akureyri, the ASSW 2020 will be an important part of the Icelandic Chairmanship of the Arctic Council.
Program Overview
27 March 2020 | Open Science Day
28 - 30 March 2020 | IASC Business Meetings & Partners Meetings
31 March - 2 April 2020 | 5th Arctic Observing Summit (AOS)

The 9th Workshop on Remote Sensing of Land Ice and Snow of the European Association of Remote Sensing Laboratories (EARSeL) will be held at the Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Switzerland, from 03 - 05 February 2020. The theme of the 2020 workshop is: Remote Sensing of the Cryosphere: Monitor what is vanishing.

The UArctic Congress 2020 will be held in conjunction with the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík from October 6–8, with shared events on October 8, and the Arctic Circle continuing until October 11.

A 2-day beginner Elmer/Ice course will take place the 28 and 29 of October 2019 in Reykjavik (Iceland), just before the North Branch IGS meeting held in Iceland this year. This 2-day course is dedicated to students or researchers aiming to start working with Elmer/Ice. It is sponsored by the University of Iceland, the Icelandic Meteorological Office, CSC and IGE.

We are pleased to announce that the Third Polar Data Forum (PDF III) will be hosted by the Finnish Meteorological Institute at their Dynamicum campus in Helsinki from November 18th to 22nd, 2019. PDF III will be a two-day, conference-style meeting in support of information exchange, with the remainder of the week using a “hackathon” approach that will build on the development work done in previous meetings. More information is available on the conference website: https://polar-data-forum.org/

The Arctic Data Center invites registration for their Arctic data science training workshop. This workshop will convene 7-11 October 2019 in Santa Barbara, California. The Arctic Data Center provides training in data science and data management, as these are critical skills for the stewardship of the data, software, and other research products that are preserved in the Arctic Data Center. A goal of the Arctic Data Center is to advance data archiving and promote reproducible science and data reuse.

The PhD program of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, is looking for new PhD students. Topics will be officially be decided during/after the interviews. The institute has a strong focus on earth system modeling. I’d recommend talking with potential supervisors before applying. Application deadline is September, 15. Start of the PhD would be in 2020. The semester fee mentioned in the pdf currently is about 650 Euros per year (includes local public transport).

APPLY for the APECS Executive Committee to help shape our organization over the next year and help influence the future of polar research!

The elections for the 2019-2020 APECS Executive Committee will be held in September 2019 for the term from 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2020.

Application deadline: 30 August 2019 at 23:59 GMT

Apply for the International interdisciplinary PhD and Post-Doc summer research school on Observing and Modelling the Arctic Environment - Climate processes, prediction and projection at Nansen International Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (NIERSC), St. Petersburg, Russia from 8^th – 13^th September 2019. Application Deadline is 1 August 12:00 CET.

We are pleased to inform that the next SnowHydro Conference will be held in Bolzano/Bozen (Italy) from 28^th to 31^st January, 2020. The conference will have a focus on “Challenges in Mountain Areas”. More details can be found in the website: https://snowhydro.eurac.edu/. The submission deadline is 30^th September, 2019.

We are pleased to inform the International Environmental Doctoral School associated with the Centre for Polar Studies at the University of Silesia in Katowice (IEDS) announces recruitment call for candidates.

The University of Virginia (UVA) invites registration for a conference and workshop entitled Bridging Science, Art, and Community in the New Arctic. This three-day event will convene 23-25 September 2019 at UVA in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The call for sessions for the EGU General Assembly (3-8 May 2020, Vienna) is open now until 5 September 2019: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2020/provisionalprogramme. When suggesting a session please also take note of convener guidelines and rules https://egu2020.eu/guidelines/convener_guidelines_and_rules.html and specifically that convener teams should reflect (i) multiple countries and institutes; (ii) different career stages, especially the inclusion of early career scientists; and (iii) gender diversity.

The film "Nakatuenita: Respect" provides a sweep of the Innu history and cultural practices along with the many changes and challenges they have faced while protecting their relationship with the land. The documentary is now available online, and it can also be used as a teaching resource.

The application process for the 2020 Labrador Institute International Indigenous Intern has started! Apply by July 26, 2019. The purpose of the Labrador Institute International Indigenous Internship is to enable indigenous youth to gain experiences internationally.

The book Sámi Early Childhood Education Now—Values, Practices and Participation in Everyday Life is intended to provide knowledge and inspiration for those involved in early childhood education and later education. The book focuses on the issues of child and adult participation and engagement in early childhood education practice, as well as the wider community and society. The authors provide deep insights into the potential of every actor to influence the implementation conditions of Sámi early childhood education.

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is looking for a part-time Communications and Information Officer to promote SCAR’s activities within the Antarctic research community and beyond. Working from the SCAR office in Cambridge, UK, the successful candidate will play a key role in growing our social media presence, assisting with preparations for SCAR meetings and conferences, and supporting the smooth running of the Secretariat. This is a fixed-term appointment of 24 months, with the possibility of extension.

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 16 July 2019.

For full details of the post and how to apply, go to: https://www.scar.org/about-us/vacancy/

APECS will be organizing a workshop on 22 July 2019 at the upcoming XIII International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences (ISAES) https://www.isaes2019.org (22 – 26 July 2019, Incheon, Republic of Korea). The workshop with the title APECS workshop: careers and networking for Early Career Scientists will be from 18:00 – 21:00 in Songdo Convensia 2F, room 207. The workshop is focus on the career challenges that researchers face at different steps of their career, but in particular the personal challenges that you as attendant wish to rise up. It is an opportunity to find out about APECS, meet other Early Career researchers attending the conference, and discuss career options with our panel.

We are pleased to announce that the Association for Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is organising a 1 day event "Research in Svalbard: An APECS Workshop". The workshop is a side event for the Svalbard Science Conference (SSC), and aims to bring together early career and established researchers with any interest in research or field work on Svalbard.

The Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. Post-Season Reports will provide analysis and discussion of factors driving sea ice extent and explore the scientific methods for predicting seasonal conditions.

The European Polar Board (EPB), in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), is seeking one rapporteurto take minutes during the workshop, “Towards harmonisation of polar infrastructure access”, which will be held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria on the 1st August 2019. Application deadline on 10 July 2019.

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is currently accepting abstract submissions for the 2019 Fall Meeting. The meeting will be held 9-13 December 2019 in San Francisco, California. Conveners of the following session invite abstract submissions: SESSION C018: "How Does Sea Ice Affect and Respond to Change in the Arctic and Antarctic Coupled Climate Systems?" Deadline is 31 July.

The five-month GEST programme at University of Iceland is designed for professionals from government and non-governmental institutes, as well as for enthusiastic post-graduate students. For the spring semester 2020, GEST will for the first time accept two fellows from the Arctic region. Nominations are due June 30, 2019.

North Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk is hosting Arctic Summer School-2019, July 29 to August 15, 2019. Application Deadline: June 28

This is a great opportunity to learn and experience first hand Arctic region expertise from a multidisciplinary standpoint: from courses on folklore to a practical crash-course in the diamond industry. Besides, the school also offers educational eco-tours to the world’s most famous locations and marvels such as the Lena Pillars (Lena Pillars Nature Park is listed as UNESCO World Heritage site.), glacier of Lake Buluus, together with Kyuryulyur Waterfalls, the Permafrost Museum, and many more other unique sights.

UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Academia Borealis - The Academy of Sciences and Letters of Northern Norway, and Tromsø Research Foundation welcome nominations for The International Mohn Prize for Outstanding Research Related to the Arctic (The Mohn Prize).

The EUROFLEETS+ Ship-time and marine Equipment Application (SEA) Programme offers fully funded transnational access to 14 Research Vessels (some with ice class) and 9 pieces of Marine Equipment to carry out ship-based research activities within any field of marine science.

Applications are welcome from international teams of researchers from academia and industry. Early-career and female applicants are encouraged to apply.

The SCAR Action Group Workshop on "Plastic in the Polar Environment: Sources, Impacts and Solutions" will take place from 28-30 October in Hull, United Kingdom.

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) Atmospheres and Glaciers & Ice Sheets Collaboration Teams invite attendance for their webinar, Weather and Surface Radiation Balance on the Greenland Ice Sheet. This webinar will be held Tuesday, 25 June 2019 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time via Zoom.

A new international and multidisciplinary intensive course on Design of Roads and Railways in Cold Climate will be held at the Norwegien University of Science and Technology in trondheim, Norway, October 7 - 18. There are 20 places available for students coming from Canada and Norway and 10 places for professionals. Limited travel support is available. The application deadline is extended until August 9.

You are invited to the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee's (IARPC) June Sea Ice Collaboration Team Meeting that will take place June 24th from 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET (9 am AKT). The theme of the meeting is Arctic Sea Ice Thickness: It's All about Perspective. The meeting will feature 2 speakers: Nathan Kettle and Sinead Farrell.

The International Coordination Office for Polar Prediction at the Alfred Wegener Institute, together with ECMWF and Environment and Climate Change Canada, is organizing 3 webinars in preparation to the start of the upcom yopp ing phase:

AWI Webinar: 24/06, 09:00 - 10:30 UTC
ECMWF Webinar: 24/06, 15:00 - 15:45 UTC
ECCC Webinar: 25/06, 15:00 UTC

The International Glaciological Society (IGS) will prepare a special issue of the Annals of Glaciology with the theme ‘Glacial Erosion and Sedimentation’. The submission deadline has been extended until June 30, 2019. igs

A workshop / training on AUV operation organized within the Eurofleets+ training program will be held at the Robotics Lab workshop of Gothenburg University in collaboration with the Swedish Marine Robotics Centre and industry. The workshop will run from 18-23 August and is offered to 12 European PhD and post-graduate students. Deadline for registrationis on July 8.

The APPLICATE project releases its first case study that contributes to understanding "Effects of Arctic seaice on energy production in mid-latitudes". The case study describes a cold spell in winter 2016-17that was accompanied by record-breaking low precipitation and wind speed, increasing energy demand and reducing renewable power generation, which contributed to an energy-security risk situation. Energy Case Study Preview

APECS Canada and the ArcticNet Student Association are looking to recognize a mentor who has contributed significantly over a period of several years to the mentoring and fostering of polar early career researchers in Canada. The deadline for nomination package submissions is September 15, 2019.

apecs logo web The first Organizational Review of APECS was conducted in 2015, and the results were used for developing the APECS Strategic Plan 2016 - 2020. In preparation for the drafting of the next APECS Strategic Plan 2021 - 2025 a second Organizational Review is being conducted throughout 2019. Findings will help the APECS leadership to better develop and adjust the strategy for APECS in the coming years.

You are invited to participate in this process and to provide feedback to the ORC by filling out a survey, which will take 20-30 minutes: https://form.jotformeu.com/91396124421352. The deadline has been extended to 30 June 2019!

The Climateurope project is organising the webinar 'Climate services for energy: sharing knowledge through case studies' on June 27, 15:00-16:00 CEST. Register here to join: https://climateurope.typeform.com/to/RMUeGj webinar

The Arctic and Northern Ocean Forum 2019 is being held at the Finnish Meteorological Institute in Helsinki, Finland. The deadline to submit abstracts has been extended to June 21. For more information and to submit an abstract visit https://anof2019.ieee.org/.

Do you want to get (or remain) active in APECS and be involved in the APECS leadership? The applications for APECS Council 2019-2020 are open now! The application deadline is 31 July 2019 at 23:59 GMT.

This autumn, SIOS (Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System) will offer a training course on how to effectively use satellite data, tools and software in the context of marine research in Svalbard. The course is intended for researchers, PhD students and technicians with no or little experience with satellite remote sensing techniques.

Time: 2-5 September 2019 (starting Monday morning, ending Thursday at lunch time)
Location: Longyearbyen, Svalbard

We need your contributions! Please send item(s) for the upcoming issue by MONDAY, JULY 1. We welcome short articles, news, announcements, updates, book reviews, or any other materials you may have. Photos (jpg preferred) are also encouraged.

Organizers invite registration and abstract submissions for the 8th Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations. This symposium will convene 17-18 July 2019 in Washington, D.C.

UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Migration invites contributions for the book “Immigration in the Circumpolar North: Integration & Resilience”. Abstract submission deadline: June 10, 2019. Full text submission: August 31, 2019.

Sustainable Ocean Alliance is co-hosting with University of Tromsø and in cooperation with the Norwegian ministry of foreign affairs Our Ocean Youth Leadership Summit in Oslo, Norway on October 23-24, 2019. We are reaching out to your organization to invite your community below 35 to submit a sustainability initiative and apply online before July 5, 2019 at 11:59pm PST.

A symposium on Earth´s cryosphere will be held in Iceland in September 2020.

The International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) steering committee invites abstracts for the next ITEX meeting. This meeting will have the theme of Documenting and Understanding Tundra Ecosystem Changes, and will focus on ecological research in Arctic and alpine environments.

APPLICATE course logos 2 We would like to draw your attention to the APECS-APPLICATE-YOPP online course on “Advancing Predictive Capability of Northern Hemisphere Weather and Climate”. The online course is designed for early career researchers (e.g., Master and PhD students, Postdocs) with a specific interest in Arctic weather and climate prediction and modelling. The course will run from September to December 2019.

apecs logo web

We are delighted to announce that Floor van den Heuvel (EPFL and MeteoSwiss, Switzerland) has been selected to join the editorial board for the 2nd issue of the State of Environmental Science in Svalbard (SESS) report published by SIOS (Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System). SIOS plans to publish the report in January 2020 during the SIOS Polar Night Week in Longyearbyen.

The international programme Integrating Climate and Ecosystem Dynamics (ICED), in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), is looking for 6 early career scientists to help out as rapporteurs for the session “Managing the effects of change on Southern Ocean ecosystems: Understanding, challenges, and solutions” at the IMBeR Future Oceans2 Conference. The session is scheduled for Wednesday 19th June, 11am-3.30pm. Application deadline is on monday 10th of June 2019!

The Belmont Forum invites proposals for a second Collaborative Research Action (CRA) focused on the Arctic region. The theme of this CRA is Resilience in a Rapidly Changing Arctic.

The deadline for application has been postponed to 16 June 2019. An international Summer School on "Investigating alpine permafrost dynamics from space to the field" will be held in Bolzano (Italy) on 16-19 July 2019.

Let’s share the lasting yet unpublished creativity of the polar community in an anthology of “Reflections from the field”. For many in our community, the field season conjures creativity. Those days when you battle against wind and rain to collect that precious sample, nights where stories are shared around the campfire; and the pangs of realization when you see, at first hand, the effect of climate change on your field site.

The EU-H2020 KEPLER Consortium (https://kepler-polar.eu/) has developed a questionnaire to explore the polar observational needs of the weather, sea ice, and climate prediction communities.

The second China Polar Youth Forum, hosted by China Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS China), was successfully held at the International Conference Hall on the 5^thfloor of Student Activity Center in East Campus of University of Science and Technology of China(USTC) by Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change of School of Earth and Space Sciences of USTC from May 25 to 26, 2019.

APECS Alpine / Cryosphere Webinar: Glacier changes in the European Alps between 1850 and 2100

Date: Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Time: 15:00 GMT

Registration Link

Presenter: Dr. Michael Zemp, University of Zurich, Switzerland

COMNAP SCAR logo white background Early career researchers planning on applying to the 2019 SCAR and COMNAP Fellowship schemes are invited to participate in an online webinar that will introduce the available Fellowships and provide advice and practical tips on applying.

The June - Polar Science 101 webinar is titled Polar Science 101: Arctic Policy by Kelsey Aho on June 7th at 19:00 UCT. The 30 minute webinar (15 minute presentation and 15 minute Q&A) will introduce Kelsey and the Center for Arctic Policy Studies and will address the following:

The Arctic is a major priority of scientific collaboration between France and Norway. Building on the success of the 2016 Franco-Nordic seminar in Tromsø, the Institut français de Norvège and the Research Council of Norway in cooperation with the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS) invite you to participate to the new event taking place on June 19^th and 20^th in Paris on: Contribution of traditional ecological knowledge and modern technologies in a Changing Arctic.

Polar CORDEX is a very friendly community of regional climate researchers specializing in both Arctic and Antarctic climate simulations. We welcome abstracts on all topics related to high resolution modelling in the polar regions, including coupled regional modelling (any or all of atmosphere, ocean, sea ice, land surface, vegetation, ice sheet!), climate projections, impact studies and climate services, climate reanalysis and model evaluation.

We are pleased to invite you to participate in the 2nd international conference “Our Climate – Our Future, Regional perspectives on a global challenge” which will be held from 23-25 September, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. More information: www.reklim-conference-2019.de.

Scientists able to foster reciprocity and implement the Golden Rule—a simple ethological axiom of empathy—treating others as one’s self would wish to be treated. See here a short commentary on reciprocity in science and community partnership with polar communities: https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/golden-rule-arctic-science-community-partnerships/

Nature is launching an essay competition for readers aged 18 to 25. We invite you to tell us, in an essay of no more than 1,000 words, what scientific advance, big or small, you would most like to see in your lifetime, and why it matters to you. We want to feature the inspiring voices and ideas of the next generation. For further information see this website: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01562-3.

Graduate students, postdocs, and early career scientists can register for a short course on radioglaciology Monday July 8th and apply for travel funds to attend the course and the associated IGS Symposium on Five Decades or Radio Glaciology July 9th - 12th in Stanford, CA. Symposium Information and Google Forms for the Course and Travel Support can be found at: https://pangea.stanford.edu/radio-glaciology/igs-symposium. Travel support will be allocated next week. So please apply by May 27 to get maximum consideration.

At ASSW2019 in Arkhangelsk, Russia, IASC released its 2019 Bulletin, reporting on the IASC-supported activites over the past years. In it, the five IASC Working Groups (Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social & Human, Terrestrial) share exciting scientific highlights of their international and interdisciplinary work, IASC partners share their synergistic activities, and IASC leadership and Fellows share their perspectives on working with IASC. You can download the new Bulletin, as well as previous issues, here.

Want to learn how to retrieve, model and interpret Southern Ocean species occurrence data?

Apply for @SCAR_Tweets upcoming short course from 2-6 September in Belgium on spatial analysis and modeling using R by June 15!

Arctic Arts Summit 2019 - The Arctic as a Laboratory for sustainable art and cultural policy, June 3-5, 2019, Rovaniemi, Finland. In the Arctic Arts Summit 2019 the challenges and circumstances in the Arctic are seen as 'laboratory' in which sustainable art and cultural policy is developed in collaboration with all of the Arctic counties. Artists and representatives of art and cultural policy will discuss the theme and promote circumpolar collaboration.

This call for applications is open to PhD students from UArctic member institutions outside Québec working in the field of northern or Arctic research. The goal of this call is to identify six finalists that UArctic will select to represent UArctic and present their work at the Arctic Circle Assembly, held from 10 to 13 October 2019 in Reykjavik, Iceland.

The International Glaciological Society (IGS) will prepare a special issue of the Annals of Glaciology with the theme ‘Glacial Erosion and Sedimentation’ in 2019. The issue will be part of Annals Volume 60 and will be issue number 80.

The ESIP Lab is accepting small grant proposals (up to $10K) for Earth science informatics projects. Projects run six months (August 1- February 1) and lie in the realm of good ideas ready to be tried out; proposals that address the following areas will be given priority:

Organizers invite participation in their survey, Biases in Ecological and Environmental Research. This brief survey is estimated to take 10-15 minutes to complete.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) are looking for an early career scientist to join the editorial board of the State of Environmental Science in Svalbard report.

Nominations are now accepted for the APECS International Mentorship Award 2019!

APECS would like to recognize and honour the efforts of their mentors within the international polar science community. There are 2 award categories, which have been created to acknowledge the time and energy that mentors dedicated to early career researchers each year, and their efforts in building a supportive community.

USAPECS is hosting a ‘Polar Science 101’ webinar series this summer! The goal of the series is to share polar science in an easily and accessible way, and promote interdisciplinary collaboration amongst APECS members.

This month’s Polar Science 101 webinar is titled Polar Science 101: International Teamwork by Pedro Marques Quinteiro on Friday, May 24, 2019 at 6 pm GMT. The 10-12 minute webinar will introduce Pedro and he will address the following:

The submission of artworks and/or an abstract is open for the art exhibition and symposium RELATE NORTH 2019 – Tradition and Innovation in Art and Design Education. Deadline for submissions is May 30, 2019.

scar SCAR launches its 2019 Antarctic-related Fellowships for early-career researchers. SCAR will offer 5 to 6 fellowships of up to USD $15,000 each for 2019, with additional support for the scheme having been provided by India, Korea and France. A new SCAR/WMO Fellowship is also available in 2019 as detailed below. The deadline for fellowship applications is 17 July 2019.

The new IPA Permafrost and Carbon budgets Interest Group (IPaC) is looking for your contribution! The aim of the IPaC is to impact and improve how permafrost is treated in carbon budgets. IPaC will create and sustain a formalized pathway for IPA permafrost experts to give feedback on the representation of permafrost in datasets used for broad-scale carbon budgets. If you are interested in contributing to this project, please let us know before June 7^th, 2019.

A “High Altitude Geo-Biology" Summer School Course in the Swiss Alps (September 2-7). Find out more information and apply here.

UAN

The latest UArctic Newsletter can be viewed here.

We are delighted to be relaunching the SCAR newsletter, a regular update from the SCAR Secretariat containing news, events, and opportunities from and for the SCAR community and beyond.

US ice The U.S. Ice Drilling Program invites community input for their 2019 Long Range Science Plan. Input submission deadline: 17 May 2019. Researchers that will need an ice core or a hole drilled in a glacier or ice sheet, or a rock core from under shallow glacial ice, in the coming decade, should ensure that their science is captured in the current draft update of the U.S. Ice Drilling Program Office Long Range Science Plan.

SCAR conmap 2020

Preparations are well underway for our 2020 SCAR meetings and Open Science Conference to be held in Hobart, Australia in July-August 2020.

Fieldwork Handbook Logos Updated The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), the INTERACT Station Manager`s Forum and the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) are proud to announce that we have developed a Fieldwork Planning Handbook for scientists; just in time for the start of the Arctic field season! The handbook will facilitate safe fieldwork and maximise the results of research and monitoring activities in the Arctic and other cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Registration is now open for audience members to participate in the APECS International Online Conference 2019 on 20 May!

This year’s theme, “Breaking Barriers: Promoting Interdisciplinarity in Polar Science” aims to encourage collaboration between early career scientists from varied disciplines, working in the polar and alpine regions.

APECS Sweden & SPRS Workshop: Exploring the frontiers of Antarctic Research in Sweden

Time: May 23, 2019 at 9-12.

Place: Alexandria, Geovetarcentrum, Göteborg

For who?: Early career scientists who are interested in Polar Research

SCAR logo white background APECS is pleased to announce that it has renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) for a period of 5 years, extending the partnership through 2024. The first MoU was signed in 2008 with the creation of APECS and was renewed in 2013.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) and the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) Alaska announce registration for the next Arctic Indigenous Scholar Seminar. This seminar, titled The Bristol Bay Marine Ecosystem & Subsistence Resource Needs, will feature Helen M. Aderman, 2019 Arctic Indigenous Scholar, and will convene on Monday, 6 May 2019 at 12:00-1:00 p.m. EDT at the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) office in Conference Room A (1800 G. St. NW.) in Washington, D.C.

Advances in Polar Science (APS) will publish a special issue with the theme ‘Polar Regions in the Global Climate System’ as a lasting outcome of the 8th Malaysian International Seminar on Antarctica (https://www.misa8.int-conference.com), which will be held from the 18th to the 20th of June 2019, at Universiti Putra Malaysia. This issue will be part of APS Volume 31 and will be issue number 2 of 2020 as general issue.

The ASM2019 organizing committee welcomes proposals for topical sessions of interest to the northern research community. Proposals can be submitted until May 15, 2019. The ASM2019 will be held December 2-5, 2019 in Halifax, Canada.

We are pleased to announce the second Snow Microwave Radiative Transfer (SMRT) model training workshop, which will take place 4th-6th July 2019 at the University of Waterloo, in Canada. This is just before IUGG2019 Montreal to facilitate attendance at both events.

REKLIM warmly welcomes researchers over the globe to take part in the 2nd International Conference „Our Climate - Our Future: Regional Perspectives on a Global Challenge“ which which will be held 23-25 September 2019 in Berlin, Germany.

The University of Virginia (UVA) invites registration for a conference and workshop entitled Bridging Science, Art, and Community in the New Arctic. This three-day event will convene 23-25 September 2019 at UVA in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The 2019 Early Career Scientist Award by the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS, https://cryosphericsciences.org) will go to Doug Brinkerhoff, Montana University, and Denis Felikson, NASA Goddard Space Center.

We are now inviting you to submit ship-time proposals requesting access to to carry out ship-based research activities within any field of marine science in the Arctic Ocean This call will remain open until the Wednesday 3^rd of July 2019, 12:00 CEST.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), the German Arctic Office of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), and the Icelandic Center for Research (RANNIS), in cooperation with the German Embassy in Reykjavik and supported by the German Federal Foreign Office are organizing a workshop "Raising awareness and building capacity for science-based policy-making" on 8 - 9 October 2019 in Reykjavik, Iceland just before the start of the Arctic Circle Assembly 2019.

APECS Alpine / Cryosphere Webinar: Thinking fast and slow about permafrost in high-mountain areas

Date: Friday, May 10, 2019

Time: 7:00 PM (UTC), 3:00 PM (EST)

Registration Link

Presenter: Dr. Stephan Gruber, Carleton University, Canada

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), Polar Educators International (PEI) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research(SCAR) jointly announce the opportunity for an AUTHOR to write a SCOPING DOCUMENT for the updated POLAR RESOURCE BOOK (PRB) PROJECT.

Dreaming of bringing polar and climate sciences actively into classrooms? Then this opportunity might be of interest for you.

The University of the Arctic (UArctic) call is now open for applications for networking projects in Arctic research and education.

The 12th Polar Law Symposium will be held at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) campus in Hobart, the capital city of the state of Tasmania, Australia. Abstracts are due Tuesday 30 April 2019.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network – Phase 2 (SIPN2) announces an open webinar entitled "ICESat-2 over Sea Ice: Early Results" featuring Ron Kwok, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the ICESat-2 Team. This event is scheduled for Tuesday, 7 May 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. AKDT.

The Arctic Futures 2050 Conference Organizing Committee has announced extended deadlines for the following conference dates:

The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) invites participation in a virtual discussion, Intersection of Arctic Science and Policy.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) announces the next Arctic Research Seminar Series event featuring Lawrence Hamilton (Carsey School of Public Policy, University of New Hampshire).

Extended deadline for early career travel support now: 30 April 2019

We are excited to announce that the Call for Nominations for the 2019 Arctic Inspiration Prize is now open! The Arctic Inspiration Prize inspires team building and encourages the development of projects that deliver near-term benefit to Arctic communities. Please help spread the word, and share this message with your contacts and representatives in communities across the North!

Responding to rapid environmental change in the Arctic requires the combined efforts of scientists from many disciplines, diverse Indigenous knowledge holders, and decision makers from all levels of government. Arctic Futures 2050 is convened by the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) and is an international conference designed to enhance collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and indigenous knowledge holders.

We are looking for ECRs interested in delivering Southern Ocean science to policy makers. In particular, we are seeking ECRs who would like to have a core role in contributing to profiles of different taxa in the Southern Ocean for use in the Marine Ecosystem Assessment for the Southern Ocean (MEASO - http://soki.aq/display/MEASO/MEASO+Home).

ANTPAS will have sessions at two upcoming conferences this year (XIII ISAES, Incheon, South Korea and the 1st SouthCOP, Queenstown, New Zealand). In order to facilitate the attendance of early career researchers ANTPAS invites applications to two grants per conference:

« Frozen-Ground Cartoons » is a scientific outreach project presenting international permafrost research – with a special emphasis on field work – via multi-language comic-strip booklets. The project started in 2016 and is currently evolving through a series of augmented reality materials (e.g., 3D maps and drawings, videos) and a trivia board game, collectively referred to as « Permafrost on all channels ». The target audience is the general public, focusing more specifically on school kids and teenagers.

The Workshop "Raising awareness and building capacity for science-based policy-making" will take place on 8 - 9 October 2019 in Reykjavik, Iceland, organized by the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), the German Arctic Office of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), and the Icelandic Center for Research (RANNIS), in cooperation with the German Embassy in Reykjavik and supported by the German Federal Foreign Office.

The organizers invited participants to Svalbard in Norway from June 18 to June 23, 2018. The course was held at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), and brought together more than 100 students and 20 faculty from the circumpolar Arctic region and Harbin Institute of Technology.

UArctic Thematic Network on Teacher Education and UNITWIN/UNESCO network on Teacher Education are organising a joint webinar as part of UN International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019.

The UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Law is pleased to announce a call for papers for the 7th Volume of the Current Developments in Arctic Law, which will be published in December 2019.

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) announces the next two webinar in their Public Webinar Series. These webinars, NSF Program Manager Chats: Arctic System Science and Social Sciences, will take place Wednesday, 24 April 2019 at 3:00 p.m. EDT (Social Sciences) and 4:00 p.m. EDT (System Science).

As of today, you can register your expedition(s) to the cryosphere on the Cryo Connect website in order to invite journalists or other information seekers to come along, either to increase the visibility of your project, or to boost the impact of your results.

The Working Group Arctic and Subarctic invites contributions to an edited volume to be published in the fall of 2020. The working title of this edited volume is More than ‘Nature’: Research on Infrastructure and Settlements in the North.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has publicly communicated its commitment to promoting safe, productive research and education environments for current and future scientists and engineers, including efforts to help reduce sexual harassment and other forms of harassment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) contexts.

The German Version of the Frozen Ground Cartoon is now available. Other languages are English, French and Swedish.

More information on the cartoons you'll find here.

***German Announcement***

Due to the great interest, the survey will be kept open until April 30, 2019. The results and report will be published in May 2019 (instead of late March).

The North Pacific Arctic Conference (NPAC), co-organized by the East-West Center and the Korea Maritime Institute, is now in its 9th year. This year conference is held August 14-16, 2019 at Imin International Conference Center in Honolulu.

UArctic is searching for motivated and enthusiastic interns for the fall 2019 who are interested in Arctic matters and willing to acquire knowledge of the Northern region; its environment, people and culture.

The UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Sustainable Resources and Social Responsibility (ASRSR) hosts a seminar "Problems and Perspectives of Social Responsibility in Natural Resources Exploration, Exploitation and Management" to bring together scholars who work on the TN topics from diverse angles.

APECS and the Arctic Research Icebreaker Consortium (ARICE) invite for a webinar on Proposal Writing, on 25 April 9-10 am GMT. The webinar is organized in two parts.

The UK Arctic Science Conference will take place between the 11th – 13th September 2019 at Loughborough University and registration is open!

The 2019 WAIS Workshop is scheduled for October 16-18, 2019, at the newly remodeled Camp Cedar Glen near Julian, California.

A new and ambitious Arctic science conference is born – Greenland Science Week. The conference invites researchers, business partners, policy makers and organizations along with the general public to participate in a week focusing on science in the Arctic.

The 2019 U.S. Interdisciplinary Antarctic Earth Sciences meeting is scheduled for October 13-15 at Camp Cedar Glen near Julian, CA.

Organizers invite registration for the Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS) International Planning and Coordination Workshop. This workshop will convene 15-16 May 2019 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

Organizers invite applications for their 2019 field school, a part of the International Partnerships for Excellence in Education and Research (INTPART) project, Arctic Field Summer Schools: Norway-Canada-USA Collaboration. This summer school will convene 25 May-8 June 2019 in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.

We would like to draw your attention to the forthcoming one-day workshop on “Computational methods in snow and avalanche release mechanics” that will be held during the ALERT Geomaterials workshop in Aussois (France), Sep. 30 – Oct. 2 2019.

The fifth Sea Level and Coastal Change (SLaCC) field meeting will take place in Devon and Cornwall, UK between Sunday 1^st and Weds 4^th September 2019.

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) announces the release of their Winter 2018/2019 Ice Bits newsletter. Ice Bits is the quarterly update of the U.S. IDPO and Ice Drilling Design and Operations (IDDO) group activities.

We would like to invite you to submit an abstract to the VIII Italian Young Geomorphologists’ Days, which will be held in Milan and Veny Valley (Mount Blanc Massif) in Italy, on 26th-28th June 2019.

An international Summer School on "Investigating alpine permafrost dynamics from space to the field" will be held in Bolzano (Italy) on 16-19 July 2019.

Organizers of the 2019 Anchorage Arctic Research Summit have announced a call registration for the 2019 Anchorage Arctic Research Summit.

The editors of Witness the Arctic and Witness Community Highlights invite suggestions for articles on Arctic sciences and related topics for issues to be published during Spring 2019.

Recognizing the need to support and build capacities in regional and global assessment for science-policy processes, the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI), the University of Zurich, Helvetas, and ICIMOD – in an initiative supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) – have teamed up to launch a call for applications for a mentoring and training program for early career mountain researchers who have an interest in participating in IPCC processes.

The Arctic Futures 2050 Conference Organizing Committee announces travel award opportunities for early-career researchers and Indigenous knowledge holders.

The abstract submission deadline for the XIII International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences (ISAES 2019) has been extended to 21 April 2019.

The Rif Field Station (RFS) calls for applications from scientists, university students, or groups interested in utilizing the station’s facilities for various research and monitoring projects during 2019.

The new IPA Permafrost and Carbon budgets Interest Group (IPaC) is looking for your contribution!

APECS Switzerland organised an Workshop on Public Outreach with the title "How to communicate Science?". It will take place in Bern, Switzerland on 24 April 2019.

The Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS) – International Planning and Coordination Workshop
15-16 May, 2019
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA

There will be an open coordination and planning workshop to continue planning the Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS) project on May 15-16, 2019, at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA. The SAS is a developing international program envisioned to mount a coordinated, multi-nation, oceanographic field based effort on a Pan Arctic scale over two summer seasons (2020-2021). The key objective is to achieve a quasi-synoptic baseline understanding of the fundamental structure and function of the linked Arctic carbon-ecosystem-physical systems that will permit detection of ongoing and future changes. More information and the international science plan is available at http://www.synopticarcticsurvey.info/.

The EGU General Assembly 2019, taking place in Vienna (Austria) on 7–12 April 2019, will bring together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. Full program can be found at https://www.egu2019.eu/

APECS will be co-organizing with the EGU Cryosphere Division the Polar Science Career Panel on 9 April from 12:45 - 13:45 in Room -2.32:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites registration for their Electronic Research Administration (ERA) Forum webinar on the topic of collaborative proposals from multiple organizations on Research.gov.

APECS will be organizing a workshop on “Socio-ecological interactions in the Arctic for Integral Sustainability" at the upcoming Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2019in Arkhangelsk, Russia on 23 May 2019.

The Journal of Geoscience Education invites manuscripts for a special issue on polar education. This theme issue focuses on polar education related to both the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

The abstract submission deadline for the XIII International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences (ISAES 2019) has been extended to 21 April 2019.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) announces the next Arctic Research Seminar Series event featuring Elena Sparrow (UAF), Marilyn Sigman (Alaska Sea Grant), Michael Køie Poulsen (Nordic Foundation for Development and Ecology), and Ted Cheeseman (Polar Citizen Science Collective).

NSF Office of Polar Programs’ Antarctic Artists and Writers Program facilitates writing and the creation of art to increase public understanding and appreciation of the Antarctic and of human endeavors—specifically scientific research-- on the southernmost continent.

This summer school, organised by Harbin Institute of Technology invites undergraduate students of all academic backgrounds from Chinese universities and from the eight circum-Arctic countries who have shown and can document profound professional interests in the Arctic and intend to achieve further relevant scientific knowledge on the Arctic environmental processes.

UArctic Thematic Network on Teacher Education and UNITWIN/UNESCO Network on Teacher Education are jointly organising an event at the Arctic Science Summit Week on Tuesday, May 28, 2019 in Arkhangelsk, Russia. The side event consist of a panel discussion and a book launch.

The Calotte Academy 2019 "Future Arctic Societies: Scenarios, Innovations, Best Practices & Actors" will be organized in June 2-9, 2019, in the European Arctic - Rovaniemi, Inari and Hetta, Finland; Kautokeino, Norway; Apatity, Russia (tbc). Extended deadline for applications: April 7, 2019.

The 2018 Sea Ice Outlook Full Post-Season Report centers around forecasts of pan-Arctic September minimum sea ice extent, while also including information about forecasts of sea ice probability and a synthesis of observed Arctic conditions from June to September 2018.

Organizers invite registration for the Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS) International Planning and Coordination Workshop. This workshop will convene 15-16 May 2019 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

The AGU Cryosphere Section Executive Committee would like to remind you again that it is time to nominate your colleagues for AGU Fellow, AGU Ambassador, Union Medals, Cryosphere Early Career Award (10 years post-degree), and Nye lecturer.

The Nordic Network for Sámi and Indigenous Peoples Law (NORSIL) hosted by Umeå University, Sweden calls for abstract and participation in its First Workshop.

The Belmont Forum invites proposals for the second Collaborative Research Action (CRA) focused on Arctic region. The theme of this international funding opportunity is Resilience in a Rapidly Changing Arctic.

The Fairwinds Expedition 2019 announces the availability of sampling opportunities during a circumnavigation of Svalbard and the ice edge. This cruise will take place in the high Arctic aboard the S/Y Fairwinds, a 54-foot/16-meter steel ketch, during the summer of 2019.

The Executive Committee of the Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) announces the release of the 2018 Conference Report. This report discusses the main conclusions and call to action from the 2018 AOS that convened 24-26 June 2018 in Davos, Switzerland.

There is just over one week left to apply for a place on the Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) training school that will be held in Gävle, Sweden, between 26-30th August 2019.

Organizers announce the workshop Understanding and Responding to Global Health Security Risks from Microbial Threats in the Arctic and invite nominations for the workshop planning committee. This workshop will convene 6-7 November 2019 in Hanover, Germany.

14th Workshop on Antarctic Meteorology and Climate (WAMC) on June 25-27, 2019 & Year of Polar Prediction in the Southern Hemisphere (YOPP-SH) meeting on Thursday afternoon of June 27 and Friday morning of June 28.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) announces the next Arctic Research Seminar Series event featuring Donna Hauser. The event will be held on Monday, 25 March 2019 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. AKDT in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The Austral Winter Institute is focused on the general theme of “Approaches and Tools for Numerical Modeling of High Latitude Ecosystems” and will take place over three weeks, 22 July to 9 August 2019, at University Austral of Chile in Valdivia.

The Workshop "Glacial Isostatic Adjustment, Ice Sheets, and Sea-level Change – Observations, Analysis, and Modelling" will ttake place in the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, Canada from 24-26 September.

We are pleased to announce the second Snow Microwave Radiative Transfer (SMRT) model training workshop, which will take place 4th-6th July 2019 at the University of Waterloo, in Canada.

The new abstract submission deadline is now April 22, 2019, for the 5th International YES Congress 2019, to be held at the Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany from 9 - 13 September 2019.

VR GLACIERS AND GLACIATED LANDSCAPES (https://vrglaciers.wp.worc.ac.uk)

There are new virtual field trips and resources on VR Glaciers and Glaciated Landscapes, with more to come later this year.

The Arctic Funders Collaborative (AFC) invites applications for an Indigenous Initiatives Fellow. This full-time, 24-month salaried fellowship will be located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada.

Bryan Mark (The Ohio State University), Michel Baraer (École de Technologie Supérieure), and Alfonso Fernández (Universidad de Concepción) want to invite you to consider submitting a manuscript for a topical Frontiers publication entitled, "Connecting Mountain Hydroclimate Through the American Cordilleras”.

We have re-opened the online abstract submission for the International Symposium on ‘Five Decades of Radioglaciology’ because of an interest expressed by the IEEE and Planetary Missions Communities in the symposium in order for them to be able to submit an abstract.

The postgraduate opportunities keep rolling in from the UK GeolSoc's Near Surface Geophysics Group, and we are pleased to announce that our 2019 Postgraduate Fieldwork Fund is now open for applications.

The Permafrost Information System of GlobPermafrost has been recently completed. All datasets have been registered on PANGAEA including product guides.

The thematic products include...

The IASC Medal is awarded in recognition of exceptional and sustained contributions to the understanding of the Arctic.

The Arctic Futures 2050 Conference Organizing Committee invites abstracts for posters. The Arctic Futures 2050 Conference—convened by the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH)—will be an international conference designed to enhance collaboration between Arctic scientists from many disciplines, diverse Indigenous knowledge holders, and policy makers from all levels of government.

Organizers of the 2019 Anchorage Arctic Research Summit invite community members to Save the Date: Thursday, 2 May 2019. This event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Anchorage Museum in Anchorage, Alaska.

UArctic and Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) are pleased to announce an opportunity for 20 students from UArctic member institutions located in Arctic States to participate in the 5th Korea Arctic Academy in the Republic of Korea - a 10 day study program in July at KMI together with students from Korean universities.

We are delighted to announce that registration is now open for the June workshop on CMIP6 21st century projections and predictions for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Of particular relevance to APECS is that there is funding available to help support ECR attendance.

Please consider contributing to an article collection, to appear in the journal Frontiers in Earth Sciences, Cryospheric Sciences about the Relevance of Snow Microstructure Study in Cryospheric Sciences.

Through this Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Section for Arctic Sciences (ARC) of the Office of Polar Programs announces its interest in proposals to repurpose a subset of stations of the Alaska Transportable Array (http://www.usarray.org/researchers/adopt).

SCAR logo white background The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is looking for an early career scientist to join the SCAR Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment (ACCE) Advisory Group.

The 2019 Sea Ice Symposium of the International Glaciological Society will take place on 19-23 August 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

The North and Arctic Studies Section Theme Arctic Policy in Canada: Forces of Inclusion and Exclusion call for papers is now open. Deadline is April 15, 2019.

The Arctic Council’s Working Group on the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) launched a comprehensive Arctic shipping activity database on February 7, 2019.

This is an announcement of the 51^st Liège colloquium on ocean dynamics - Polar oceans facing changes on 6 to 10 May 2019 at the University of Liège.

This is a reminder of the 2019 meeting of the Chilean Society of the Cryosphere, (SOCHICRI, Sociedad Chilena de la Criósfera), which will take place in the city of La Serena, in the INACAP institute, May 9‑10.

DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS: MARCH 20, 2019

CEOS/University of Manitoba will be co-hosting the IGS 2019 Sea Ice Symposium with the International Glaciological Society.

The Students in Polar and Alpine Research Conference 2019 is fast approaching. We would like to remind you that the deadline for registration and abstract submission in 29 March. The conference will be held between 4-6 April in Brno, Czech Republic.

More information is available on conference website: https://sparc-brno.webnode.cz.

Antarctic Infrastructure Modernization for Science project will overhaul McMurdo Station over the course of a decade. The National Science Board (NSB) has authorized the National Science Foundation (NSF) to move forward with the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernization for Science (AIMS) project. AIMS is planned as a 10-year undertaking to overhaul McMurdo Station into an energy- and operationally efficient platform from which to support world-class science.

The National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs’ Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems Program has issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) to encourage the submission of research proposals that would advance scientific understanding of how Antarctic creatures evolve and adapt to unique and ever-changing Antarctic environments.

This Special Issue "Remote Sensing of Climatic and Environmental Changes over the Antarctic, Arctic, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau" is seeking integrated research on climatic and environmental changes over the Three Poles, especially coupled processes and the teleconnection, synchronization, and asynchronization among regions, as well as the changes induced over other regions in the earth system.

The 5th call for proposals to the Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund (AWR) is now open. AWR wishes to contribute to and support the work of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) so that the Antarctic krill fishery is managed in a manner consistent with the precautionary approach detailed in the Convention text. The aims of the AWR have therefore been developed to be consistent with the work of CCAMLR.

The EGU Division on Cryospheric Sciences awards two prizes each year: Julia and Johannes Weertman Medal and Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award.

Organizers invite applications for travel grants to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) XIII International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences (ISAES). This symposium will convene 22-16 July 2019 in Incheon, Republic of Korea.

The masters course "Environmental Monitoring Modelling and Reconstruction" is a one year, full time taught programme with a strong research focus. It offers a great opportunity to learn cutting-edge technological techniques underpinned by advanced theoretical knowledge in environmental monitoring, modelling and reconstruction.

This theme issue focuses on polar education related to both the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Contributions to the theme issue will describe education, outreach, and communication activities that engage learners in exploring polar regions, the climate system, physiogeography, the people that live in the Arctic, fauna and flora of polar regions, the future of polar regions, and how citizens across the globe are connected to changes in the polar regions.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is proud to announce its 5th APECS International Online Conference on 20 May 2019. This year’s theme, “Breaking Barriers: Promoting Interdisciplinarity in Polar Science” aims to encourage collaboration between early career scientists from varied disciplines, working in the polar and alpine regions.

APECS International Polar Week March 2019 is approaching! A series of events will be organised all over the world, online and offline, in the week of March 17-23 to share and increase our knowledge of the polar regions!

Registration is now open for the 33rd Forum for Research into Ice Shelf Processes (FRISP) which will be held from 15-18 September 2019 at The Queen’s College, Oxford, UK. The conference will begin on the evening of 15 September (Sunday) and conclude at lunchtime on 18 September (Wednesday).

Polar Knowledge Canada’s (POLAR) Inuit Student Recruitment Program will provide you with an opportunity to obtain valuable work experience, gain new knowledge, and build your professional network within your community. POLAR is currently looking for Inuit students to work in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut and in Ottawa, Ontario.

The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) invites applications for community meeting space during the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2019 meeting. This Summit will convene 22-30 May 2019 in Arkhangelsk, Russia.

The Joint Master of Governance and Entrepreneurship in Northern and Indigenous Areas (GENI) is designed to prepare students in northern and Indigenous communities to take on leadership roles in supporting their communities with economic development by using innovative and entrepreneurial approaches. GENI students will gain competencies in areas including governance, policy, consultation and entrepreneurship.

APECS has released its annual report for the period of October 2017 to September 2018! The APECS Annual Report 2017-2018 was compiled by the APECS International Directorate Office based on information reported by the APECS committees, project groups and National Committees.

The registration deadline for the Summer School on "Sea Level Change: observations, processes an modelling”, to be held in Delft, The Netherlands, in the first week of July 2019, is approaching.

Deadline for the abstract submission to the Antarctic climate symposium is approaching! https://ees.kuleuven.be/aerocloud-event/

The International Glaciological Society invites session abstracts for the 2019 Sea Ice Symposium. The symposium will convene 19-23 August 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Organizers of the following session invite abstracts:

SESSION 23: Sea-ice Ecosystems: Genomes and Phenomes of Sea Ice Microbes
Conveners: Eric Collins, Eeva Eronen-Rasimus, Maria Bautista, Jeff Bowman, and Jody Deming

High throughput DNA, RNA, and protein sequencing approaches (“-omics”) have revolutionized biology over the past decade, but there are still major gaps in understanding of how to use these enormous datasets to predict microbial function in situ. This session invites submissions of studies utilizing -omics, modeling, and phenotypic approaches (lipids, pigments, growth rates, growth limits, metabolism, etc.) on bacteria, archaea, algae, protists, fungi, viruses, plasmids, or other mobile genetic elements from sea ice. The goal of the session is to bring together field-, laboratory-, and computational-based researchers to better understand the ecology of sea ice microbes at the cellular level, and to work towards a future where phenotypes can be accurately predicted from population genotypes.

Abstract submission deadline: 20 March 2019

To submit an abstract, go to:
Abstract submission webpage

For more information about the meeting, go to:
Symposium homepage

For questions about this session, contact:
Eric Collins
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 907-474-6482

The Near Surface Geophysics Group is pleased to announce our 2019 Postgraduate Research Symposium. All details are accessible through our sparkling new website.

Application deadline for the 2019 KOPRI fellowships schemes has been extended by one week. Both fellowship programs, the Asian Polar Science Fellowship Program and the Arctic Fellowship Program, will be accepting applications until Friday, March 8th.

Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR) is excited to announce the launch of its Call for Funding Applications: 2020 to 2023 in support of key themes under its Northern Science and Technology (NST) and Polar Knowledge Application (PKA) Programs.

Last autumn 50 international polar experts gathered in La Cristalera, a town in the outskirts of Madrid, Spain. Over the course of five days, their task was to draft a set of polar white papers.

The Belmont Forum is pleased to announce the launch of a second Collaborative Research Action focused on Arctic region. The title of this international funding opportunity is Resilience in a Rapidly Changing Arctic. The call aims at bringing together researchers and other expertise across the globe to develop proposals from integrated teams of scientists and stakeholders to address key areas of arctic resilience understanding and action.

IASC invites you to join the international Arctic science community at ASSW2019 (22-30 May 2019 in Arkhangelsk Russia).

Please find attached information regarding our next Training School of PINESTRENGTH COST Action: Training School on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) (Drones) Applications & Forestry, April 1 - 4th 2019 // Chania, Crete island, Greece.

Organizers announce the Bridging Science, Art, and Community in the New Arctic workshop. This workshop will convene 23-26 September 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. The workshop will consist of a one-day symposium featuring disciplinary research presentations by various practitioners, including environmental scientists, musicians, architects, and anthropologists, followed by a three-day working meeting for interdisciplinary discussions among researchers, Alaskan youth, and university students. There will also be musical performances and art exhibitions.

Deadline for submitting your paper is 28 February 2019. The submission is not restricted to the participants of the symposium.

See here for more details how to proceed.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) invites applications for the Early Career Faculty Innovator Program. The Early Career Faculty Innovator Program is a new funding opportunity for early career faculty in the social sciences and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields outside of NCAR's core expertise to co-develop interdisciplinary research projects in partnership with scientists and engineers at NCAR.

Travel grant opportunity (pending final NSF approval) from Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) for XIII International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences (ISAES 2019) taking place in Incheon, Republic of Korea from 22-26 July 2019.

The deadline of the submission to special issue “Sea ice observations and modeling in China and Norway” is extended to 31 May 2019. Advances in Polar Science (APS) will publish a special issue with the theme “Sea ice observations and modeling in China and Norway” as an extension of “The 1st China-Norway bilateral workshop on Polar Observations and Modeling:

ASSW2019 announces call for papers and for meeting space.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the European Polar Board (EPB)are seeking 2 rapporteurs to take minutes during the upcoming EPB Spring Plenary Meeting, to be held in Lisbon, Portugal on the 27 - 28 March 2019.

The Calotte Academy 2019 ‘Future Arctic Societies: Scenarios, Innovations, Best Practices & Actors’ will be organized in June 2-9, 2019, in the European Arctic — Inari and Hetta, Finland; Kautokeino, Norway; Apatity, Russia (tbc.). This is call for papers for established researchers and early-career scientists (ECS), particularly PhD candidates and post-docs, with different academic backgrounds to participate and present their work in the 2019 Calotte Academy.

The Agreement on Enhancing Arctic Scientific Cooperation was signed in May 2017 after which it has been ratified by all Arctic eight countries (USA, Canada, Kingdom of Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia). The purpose of the Agreement is to enhance cooperation in Scientific Activities in order to increase effectiveness and efficiency in the development of scientific knowledge about the Arctic.

Northern (Arctic) Federal University, UArctic TN "Working in the Arctic" and Arkhangelsk Branch of the Russian Psychological Society invite applications for the international conference on "Psychology of extreme professions", which will be held June 27 - 29, 2019 in Arkhangelsk and on the Solovetsky Archipelago in the White Sea. Apply before March 17.

The University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre will be offering two 3-day courses starting in spring 2019 that are focused on local food production, value-added food processing, and agri-business development opportunities for Indigenous communities.

uaflogoBlue The University of Alaska Fairbanks Blue MBA program combines an accredited Master of Business Administration in the School of Management (SOM) with a concentration in fisheries, marine biology and oceanography, offered through the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS).

Between January 20 – 24, the 13th Arctic Frontiers conference was held in Tromsø, Norway. The annual conference is an international event, linking policy makers, industry and academia focusing on the Arctic regions.

The EU Horizon 2020-funded APPLICATE project organised a 3-day Early Career Event in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS). The workshop took place directly after the APPLICATE General Assembly at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) in Reading, UK, from January 30 to February 1, 2019.

The next Karthaus course on ICE SHEETS AND GLACIERS IN THE CLIMATE SYSTEM will take place from 10-21 September 2019 in Karthaus, Italy. The course will provide a basic introduction to the dynamics of glaciers and ice sheets with a focus on ice-climate interactions.

Advanced Climate Dynamics Courses (ACDC) are yearly summer schools organized by the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research (University of Bergen) in collaboration with the University of Washington, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the University of Texas at Austin with support from the Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education and the Research Council of Norway. Partners for this year’s summer school include Harvard University, McGill University, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and IBS Centre for Climate Physics.

On the occasion of Alexander von Humboldt’s 250th birthday Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin is staging the KOSMOS Conference on "Navigating the Sustainability Transformation in the 21st Century". The Conference and Birthday Party will take place in Berlin from August, 28th to 30th, 2019.

Registrations are now open for the June workshop on CMIP6 21st century projections and predictions for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

Polar Educators International is having a Webinar on Feb 27th EST about Ice Core Science. We will hear from an educator, Louise Huffman and researcher Dr. Mary Albert. Registration is free.

The abstract deadline for the the 27th International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) General Assembly to be held in July 2019 in Montréal, Canada, has been extended to FRIDAY, 1 MARCH 2019 (11:00 UTC+1).

The fall 2019 issue of the Journal of Ocean Technology "Sharing the oceans: marine life and anthropogenic sound" will focus on marine life and anthropogenic sound. We are inviting the submission of technical papers, essays, and short articles for this issue. Technical papers describe cutting edge research and present the results of new (i.e., not previously published) research in ocean technology, science or engineering, and be no more than 7,500 words in length. Student papers are welcome.

The International Association for Cryospheric Sciences (IACS) is soliciting nominations for the IACS 2018 Early Career Scientist (ECS) Prize. The IACS ECS Prize is a bi-annual cash prize of € 1000 awarded to two early career scientists who have published the best scientific papers on a cryospheric subject as assessed by an evaluation committee.

Come to Cambridge in April 8th to 11th. Full program of workshops, keynote speakers and a banquet.

The 4th biennial workshop of Polar Educators International (PEI) will be held in Cambridge, United Kingdom, home of...

The abstract submission deadline for the 5th International YES Congress 2019, to be held at the Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany from 9 - 13 September 2019 has extended. A full list of sessions and details on abstract submission can be found here: https://yesdeutschland.weebly.com/call-for-abstracts.html

Abstract submission deadline is now March 4, 2019.

APECS is delighted to announce the publication of a journal article in Polar Record. The article summarises APECS' development since its foundation during the last International Polar Year (IPY) and highlights the valuable role of APECS' education and outreach initiatives, such as Polar Weeks, in training the next generation of polar early career scientists in a wide variety of skills from leadership to communication.

On December 10th, 2018 USAPECS held a panel on Diversity and Inclusion in the Polar Sciences at the 2018 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting.

apecs logo web iasc web The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) in cooperation with the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC)is pleased to announce the availability of travel support for the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2019 (22-30 May 2019, Arkhangelsk, Russia).

The Arctic Circle Assembly will be held in October 10 – 13, 2019 in Reykjavík, Iceland. Session guidelines can be found here and the proposal form here.

Bergen Summer Research School (BSRS) takes place from 17-27 June 2019. The school has a general focus on current global challenges and the Sustainable Development Goals, through six multi-disciplinary courses on water, climate change, migration, maternal health, cultural heritage, and poverty. Current PhD-students from any country are eligible to apply. Deadline is February 24, 2019.

For years now, The Arctic Institute is supporting the High North Center for Business and Governance to organise the annual High North Dialogue. Also this year, we have the pleasure of inviting you to Bodø, Norway on April 3-4, 2019.

The German Chapter of the Young Earth Scientists Network (YES) is pleased to announce the 5th International YES Congress 2019 to be held at the Freie Universität Berlin in Berlin, Germany from 9 - 13 September 2019. The congress will have the theme “Rocking Earth’s Future”.

The OGGM workshop is an annual, informal meeting for developers, users, and future users of the Open Global Glacier Model (www.oggm.org). This fourth edition will take place in Grenoble, France, from Monday 17 to Friday 21 June 2019.

Global Water Futures is working closely with Honeywell Aerospace to design a microsatellite mission for water research. The current design of the mission includes a hyperspectral imager, GNSS reflectometer, and ground sensor network capability. Our team is calling on all water researchers, students, or other potential users to fill out a 10-minute survey to help us assess the needs of the water research community.

From hostile work environments to all white faculty rosters, polar research can be a pretty intimidating place at times. In the age of MeToo, what are polar agencies doing about it? Find out at the APECS webinar "Polar Policy: How Polar Agencies Are Changing their Policies to be More Inclusive" on February 26th at 16:30-18:00 GMT.

Sentinel North International PhD School - Permafrost engineering applied to transportation infrastructure at Aurora College, Inuvik (Northwest Territories, Canada). Sentinel North announces a new international Ph.D. school, to be held from June 2-8, 2019, at the Inuvik Campus of Aurora College, Northwest Territories, on the theme of Permafrost engineering applied to transportation infrastructure.

Organizers invite registration for their meeting titled BE.Hive: Climate Change Needs Behavior. This one-day summit will convene 19 March 2019 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time in Washington, D.C. The goal of the summit is to explore global climate change through the lens of human behavior. Participants will learn about approaches for shifting human behavior to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the latest insights from behavioral science.

Organizers invite abstract submissions for Arctic Science Summit Week 2019. The thematic focus of the summit is Climate Change and Development of the Arctic Population, and will convene 22-30 May 2019 in Arkhangelsk, Russia.

The Chilean Society of the Cryosphere, (SOCHICRI, Sociedad Chilena de la Criósfera) invites researchers, professionals and students in Chile and abroad to its annual 2019 meeting. The meeting will take place in the city of La Serena, on May 9-10, organized by the Centre for Advanced Studies in Arid Zones (CEAZA).

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) Collaborations invites participation at the Diversity and Inclusion Working Group kickoff meeting. This meeting will convene online via Zoom on Monday, 11 February 2019 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

The deadline is February 18, 2019. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the 27th IUGG General Assembly! Abstracts must be submitted via the online submission system.

Online abstract submission for the International Symposium on ‘Sea Ice at the Interface’ is now open.

The meeting is held 18–23 August 2019 in Winnipeg, Canada.

The APECS national committees of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg teamed up in 2018 to organize an international outreach project within the context of Antarctica Day for elementary school children. Antarctica Day is a tradition within APECS and usually revolves around outreach projects teaching young children about Antarctica, and polar science in general.

Please consider attending the latest meeting in the Ocean Worlds series! In particular, Ocean Worlds 4 will focus on ice-water interactions from a multi-/inter-disciplinary perspective.

An International Mountain Conference (https://www.uibk.ac.at/congress/imc2019) will be held in Innsbruck from 08–12 September 2019, building upon previous mountain conferences that took place in Perth (Scotland). Specifically, the conference will host a number of workshop sessions concerning the mountain cryosphere/hydrosphere (https://www.uibk.ac.at/congress/imc2019/program/)

The 21st Arctic Science Summit Week, established by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), is going to be held from 22 to 30 May 2019 in Arkhangelsk. The thematic focus of the summit in 2019 is "Climate Change and Development of the Arctic Population." The main venues for the event are the Northern Arctic Federal University and the Northern State Medical University.

The Arctic Yearbook is calling for abstracts for the 2019 edition. Theme for the edition is Redefining Arctic Security. Deadline for abstracts is March 1, 2019. The Arctic Yearbook is an international and peer-reviewed volume which focuses on issues of regional governance, development, circumpolar relations, and geopolitics, all broadly defined. It is an open access, online publication.

The aim of the conference is to bring together experts and practitioners to share experiences, new findings and best practices for safety in the Arctic. The conference is to take place in Longyearbyen in May 13-15, 2019.

The call for contributions closes on January 8, 2019. The Arctic Arts Summit 2019 – The Arctic as a Laboratory for Sustainable Art and Cultural Policy will be organized in Rovaniemi, Finland on June 3-5, 2019.

Under the aegis of the upcoming International Year of Indigenous Languages declared by the United Nations in 2019, the Institute of Humanitarian Research and Problems of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Russian Academy of Sciences, International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA) and the Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North of Sakha Republic will hold an International Scientific and Practical Conference “Indigenous Languages and Sustainable Development in the Arctic” June 27-29, 2019 in Yakutsk, Russia.

The University Centre of the Westfjords in Ísafjörður, Iceland offers two programs in Coastal Studies open to students with diverse academic and professional backgrounds.

Coastal Communities and Regional Development (MA: Master of Arts)
Coastal and Marine Management (MRM: Master of Resource Management)

UArctic and Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples’ Secretariat jointly organized a panel to discuss education and training needs for Arctic Indigenous Peoples during the UArctic Congress 2018 in Oulu, Finland on September 5, 2018. The panelists represented each of the Arctic Council Permanent Participants organizations. The full report of the panel discussion is now available.

The Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit Conference, fourth in a series, focuses on the Theme 'Climate Change and the Future Generations'. The conference, which will take place on 12-13 November 2019, wants the voices of the future generations to be heard.

The aim of the Master is to develop skills and expertise in the areas of the green economy and the geopolitics of resources and energy, highlighting the eco-sustainability and a responsible use of the land. It will have a focus on the economic and geostrategic importance of the Arctic region.

The International Glaciological Society meeting is held 8–12 July 2019 in Stanford, California, USA.Online abstract submission for the International Symposium on ‘Five Decades of Radioglaciology’ is now open.

The 12^th International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP 2020) will be held June 22-26, 2020 in Lanzhou, China. "Permafrost environments under persistent warming: Challenges for scientific assessment and engineering practice” is the focus of the discussions of this international conference. Session proposals are demanded, and one PYRN member will be included in each session proposal.

The first special issue “Cryosphere” of Geosciences (2017/2018) included thirteen papers that shed light on a diverse list of ice- and snow-related topics: alpine glaciers, glacial lakes, GLOFs, permafrost, sea ice, snow cover, ice cores, and cryosols. The papers present results and conclusions from the Alborz, Alpen, Altai, Tien Shan, and Himalaya mountains; from the Arctic and Antarctica; and from the tundra of Russia and the taiga of Finland.

The National Science Foundation has issued a new solicitation for research proposals under the rubrik of Navigating the New Arctic, one of the agencys 10 Big Ideas. The solicitation estimates that – pending the availability of the anticipated funding amount of $30 million – 25 awards will be made.

The Past Global Changes (PAGES) research project of Future Earth is looking for scientists in the realm of paleo science to serve on its Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) from January 2020. They are open to applications from suitable early career candidates, and they are particularly interested in quality female candidates! The deadline for consideration is Thursday 14 February 2019 at 17:00 UTC.

The Office of Polar Programs (OPP) Advisory Committee has drafted a succinct and broad synthesis of recommended priorities for OPP research investments in the document. The document: An Advisory Overview for the Office of Polar Programs, may be found here: https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/opp_advisory/Polar%20Priorities.pdf. DEADLINE EXTENDED: 12 February

In few weeks, ECRA (the European Climate Research Alliance) is organising a major event on 27-28 February 2019 in Brussels; our third ECRA General Assembly. The theme will be: Climate Change and Actionable Information. This event is open to all and will provide an exciting forum for discussion on our present and future climate. We would value you participation.

The Sixth International Symposium on Arctic Research (ISAR-6) will be held at Hitotsubashi Hall in Tokyo from March 2 to 6, 2020. It will be launched under the Japan Consortium of Arctic Environmental Research (JCAR) with the auspices of several institutions in Japan.

Organizers are currently accepting abstract submissions for the 27th International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) General Assembly. This meeting will convene 8-18 July 2019 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Conveners of the following session invite abstract submissions:

As you may know, the National Academies is conducting a study on Catalyzing Opportunities for Research in the Earth Sciences (CORES) for the Division of Earth Sciences at the National Science Foundation. As a member of the study committee, I can attest that it's critically important that we hear from you!

The University Centre of the Westfjords invites applications for two Master’s programs in coastal studies. These programs are located in Ísafjörður, Iceland.

Abstract submission for the XIII International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences (ISAES 2019) is open on the Symposium website until 31 March 2019. XIII ISAES 2019 will be held from 22-26 July 2019, at the Songdo Convensia in Incheon, Republic of Korea.

Northern Notes 50th Edition: Call for submissions!Calling for contributions for the next issue of Northern Notes, deadline.

The ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) was held in Ottawa (Canada) December 10-14, 2018 The event was the arena for several APECS Canada related activities, notably the 2018 Student Day. APECS Canada had several representatives on the ArcticNet Student Association (ASA) Student Day Planning Committee: Jean Holloway, Marianne Falardeau, Jacqueline Hung.

iasc web apecs logo web

The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) have the pleasure to announce the start of the 2019 IASC Fellowship Program. The Program received 108 applications for only 5 slots.

ARICE (https://arice.eu/) invites for a webinar organized by APECS (https://www.apecs.is/) and IOPAN (http://www.iopan.gda.pl/). This webinar will take place on 19th February at 9 am UTC and is dedicated to pre-cruise planning and preparing for ship-based research activities.

Because many potential respondents are currently participating in the austral summer Antarctic campaign, we have been asked by some International Glaciological Society (IGS) members to extend the deadline. Consequently, we have set a new deadline on 15 February 2019.

The Mount Everest Foundation is a registered charity, set up following the first ascent of Everest in 1953, and initially financed from the surplus funds and subsequent royalties resulting from that expedition. The aims of the Foundation are to encourage and support expeditions exploring mountain regions, and both education and research pertaining to a wide range of subjects in mountain areas, including geography, glaciology and the effects of altitude.

The University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology and the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) are pleased to welcome participants to the 6th Polar Prediction Workshop, to be held at the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma from the 24th to 26th April 2019.

We invite applications of early career scientists to attend a Community Earth System Model (CESM) Polar Modeling Workshop, August 12-16, 2019 at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO, USA. The workshop is supported by the National Science Foundation and will include about 20 early career (graduate student, postdoc, < 7 years since Ph.D.) polar scientists.

Registration and abstract submission for the 49th Arctic Workshop - April 4-5th in Stockholm, Sweden - are now open at https://aw19.geo.su.se. Oral and poster contributions from all members of the community working in high-latitude Earth and environmental sciences, and particularly encourage student participation are invited.

We're inviting applications from interestedundergrad and early-career grad students for about 6-8 slots in a 2-week workshop for students to analyze and interpret (U-Th)/He dates from their own research projects (along with opportunities for complementary FT, U/Pb, and Ar/Ar dating). We especially invite students working on Antarctic geology but projects focusing on other areas will be considered as well. We can't provide travel funds, but we will cover room and board and analytical costs once they are here in Tucson.

If you are a student or a young scientist (less than three years after the PhD defence) and work within the fields of geo- or biosciences in the polar regions or in the mountains, send us your registration form and abstract. You can find further information regarding the abstract guidelines and deadlines for registration on the conference website https://sparc-brno.webnode.cz or in the first announcement https://sparc-brno.webnode.cz/_files/200000037-08d8a09dda/SPARC2019_1st_announcement.pdf

Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) is accepting applications for its fellowship schemes; the Asian Polar Science Fellowship Program and the Arctic Science Fellowship Program. The Asian Polar Science Fellowship Program provides the opportunity for early career or established polar scientists from Asian countries to conduct research together with us at our research facilities, including the IBRV Araon and polar infrastructures. The Arctic Science Fellowship Program offers early career researchers from Arctic countries and researchers of Arctic indigenous heritage with an opportunity to cooperate with KOPRI scientists.

The first order draft (FOD) of the Working Group I (WGI) 6th Assessment Report (AR6) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) is due to be published around 2021. APECS, PYRN and YESS, WCPA, and PAGES ECN are coordinating the next review by early career experts that will take place between April and June 2019.

"Christmas Experience Academy" Summer School 11-16 August 2019 (5 ECTS) is organized by the University of Lapland. It is designed for students who are interested in the production and consumption of tourism experiences. The Summer School is hosted by Multidimensional Tourism Institute -partners: University of Lapland and Lapland University of Applied Sciences. Deadline: 28 February

A training school on glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) modelling will be held from 26-30 August 2019 at Lantmäteriet, Gävle, Sweden. The program will include lectures and practical exercises aimed at investigating the interactions between solid Earth deformation, ice mass change, and associated sea-level and geoid variations.

SOOSLogo1a The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) are looking for an early career scientist to join the SOOS Amundsen/Bellinghausen Sector Regional Working Group (Amundsen RWG).

As interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and convergent science collaborations become more common when addressing big ideas in Arctic research, scientists require the tools and skills to effectively communicate about their work with various audiences and collaborate across disciplinary boundaries.

The next Sentinel North International PhD School will take place from July 2 to 12, 2019, at the Centre for Northern Studies (CEN) research station in Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik (Nunavik, Canada) on the theme: Arctic Microbiomes: From Molecules and Microbes to Ecosystems and Health.

Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) provides funding contributions for synthesis workshops that bring together global change researchers to address specific topics of interest to the mountain research community. The objective for supporting these synthesis workshops is to produce synthesis products such as articles for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals or compilation of relevant data into publishable datasets or databases that have the potential to facilitate further collaborative research.

The W. Garfield Weston Foundation and the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS) are pleased to announce the launch of the 2019 award cycle. The W. Garfield Weston Awards recognize individuals who demonstrate exceptional promise, academic excellence, leadership and a strong commitment to northern national science and archaeological research. The awards are provided to early-career scholars for exceptional northern-based research and northern experience.

Thank you to all the participants for their submissions to APECS Antarctica Day Photo Contest 2018 ‘Tell a story’. The entries showed various facets of Antarctica from its natural beauties to the research activities and many more with a short interesting story behind it.

Antarctic Science Logo copy In coordination with APECS, Antarctic Science are running a webinar to help potential applicants of the 2019 Antarctic Science Bursary. This bursary runs every year and is for up to £6000 to support PhD or early career researchers to extend the scope of an existing research project. More details here: http://www.antarcticsciencebursary.org.uk/

APECS was invited to contribute to a side-event for early-career researchers (ECR) on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Climate Change and the Oceans and the Cryosphere (SROCC) during the Past Global Changes (PAGES) conference in Bern, Switzerland on December 18th, 2018.

IMG 0953 Tayana Arakchaa APECS held a presentation about APECS at the Tuvan State University, at Kyzyl, Tyva Republic, Russia on December 7, 2018.

Four young researchers doing polar science (Andrea Bueno, Miguel Ángel Fernández, Isaac Garrido y Luis Rodríguez), members of APECS Spain, shared through short and dynamic talks at Madrid's 'Museo Geominero' their scientific studies done in Antarctica. They also presented relevant information about Antarctica's organization and history, and about the presence of Spain in the continent.

ISAES ad2 Lara F. Pérez

The Arctic Cooperation Programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers has opened up its call for project applications for financial support in 2019 to new project proposals. Deadline for sending in proposals is 24 January 2019.

Handbook of Research on International Collaboration, Economic Development, and Sustainability in the Arctic has been published by IGI Global (USA).

The season for the Hokkaido Summer Institute (HSI) is approaching once again! More than 160 world-leading researchers from overseas will gather at Hokkaido University this summer for the HSI, which was established in 2016. HSI provides lectures with the university’s faculty members for four months during the summer.

The Arctic Initiative at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs offers research fellowships in the areas of ocean policy and infrastructure in the Arctic. The online application for 2019-2020 fellowships will open on December 18, 2018, and the deadline to submit is January 15, 2019.

See here more details about the fellowship.

Online abstract submission for the International Symposium on ‘Glacial Erosion and Sedimentation’ is now open. The meeting is held 12–17 May 2019, in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

The abstract submission deadline for the 15th Conference on Polar Meteorology and Oceanography hosted by the American Meteorological Society is nearly two weeks away, closing on January 18th! The conference will be from 19-23 May 2019 in Boulder, Colorado. Sessions include a wide range of atmosphere, cryosphere (including sea ice), and ocean processes in both polar regions. There is a small pool of money for student travel support, and there will also be student presentation prizes for both oral and poster presentations.

It is our pleasure to announce the first call for papers for GeoComputation 2019 - Adventures in GeoComputation to be held 18th to 21st September 2019 in Queenstown, New Zealand. The biennial GeoComputation international research conference series (“The Art and Science of Solving Complex Spatial Problems with Computers”) has been running since the inaugural 1996 conference in Leeds. The 2019 conference is jointly organised by University of Otago, University of Auckland, University of Canterbury and Victoria University Wellington.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces two solicitation webinars. These webinars will discuss the Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) solicitation. During the webinars, NNA Program Officers will discuss the Navigating the New Arctic Solicitation 19-511. Each webinar session will begin with a short presentation followed by a question and answer period with the program officers.

The International Science Organising Committee (ISOC) for SCAR's 2020 Open Science Conference is drawing up a preliminary list of session titles.To help us inform our discussions we are inviting you to submit brief ideas for sessions you would like to see at this event.

The December 2018 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online, at:
https://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/community-highlights

The latest issue of the news magazine "Northern Notes" of IASSA published! Click here to view the Notes.

The organizing committee of the 21st Inuit Studies Conference is pleased to announce the Call for Papers and the Call for Proposals. The University of Quebec at Montreal (UCAM) will host the conference in Montreal from October 3rd to 6th, 2019.

yeslogo 1 The 5th International YES Congress will be held from the 9th to 13th September 2019 in the vibrant city of Berlin, Germany. The YES Congress in 2019 will be a special opportunity for young scientists from all over the world to share their experiences, their science and culture and to expand their skills.

NSF-funded Next Generation Polar Research Symposium will be held on May 5-11, 2019on Catalina Island. The next generation of polar-focused researchers will need a strong foundation of interdisciplinary approaches to understand the rapid changes in polar regions. The Next Generation Polar Research Conference (NGPR-3) is designed to train and network early career polar researchers for interdisciplinary research careers.

January is coming soon and with it the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø, Norway, between January 20 and 24!

The workshop goal is to bring together a diverse group of researchers and graduate students that are using or would like to use ice core data available from the Arctic Data Center to produce the future generation of paleoclimate data sets. The goal is to learn about common research workflows that the community is using and to test the applicability of selected Arctic data sets and software tools to build the next generation of digital paleoclimate data products and reconstructions.

The Summer School organized by Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO) on Global Ocean State & Parameter Estimation: From Methods to Applications in Oceanographic Research will take place at the University of Washington from 19-31 May 2019.

Organizers invite registration for the 2019 Toolik All Scientists Meeting. This open meeting will convene 1-2 February 2019 at the University Place Hotel and Conference Center, Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. The goal of the meeting is to share scientific findings, promote collaboration, and gather future science support requirements for services and facilities needed among Toolik researchers and others working in the Arctic.

1. Applications are now open, due January 11th, for teaching and research faculty. If you are interested in coming to the Juneau Icefield to teach or work with JIRP to do research, we invite you to learn more about our new faculty tracks at juneauicefield.org/faculty/information and to apply at juneauicefield.org/faculty/how-to-apply.

2. JIRP is hosting a reception at AGU, on Thursday evening, from 6-7 pm, in the Duke 1 room of the Cambria Hotel (one block from the convention center). JIRP alumni, faculty, and prospective student, staff, and faculty applicants are invited to come by, talk to our 2019 students about their AGU posters, and hear more about plans for JIRP 2019.

Alexandra Isern has been named as the new head OPP’s Antarctic Sciences Section. She is currently acting section head and will make the transition to the federal Senior Executive Service as she takes on the section head duties permanently. She has served at NSF for seventeen years, nine of which have been in OPP. In addition to acting as Antarctic Sciences Section Head, she previously served as the Antarctic Research and Logistics Integration program director, as the Antarctic Earth Sciences program director, and as Ocean projects manager.

Please see the little end-of-the-year-review of APECS Germany! It’s interactive. Click on the icons for more information. The Board of APECS Germany wishes you all the best for 2019 and is looking forward to new activties - maybe together with you?

https://infogram.com/apecs-germany-2018-1hmr6ggymj7o6nl?live

The International Glaciological Society was born 82 years ago, and its Constitution was last renewed 33 years ago. The most relevant change in the IGS during recent years has been the transition to open access for the Journal and Annals.

The workshop on Glacial Isostatic Adjustment, Ice Sheets, and Sea-level Change – Observations, Analysis, and Modelling will be from 24-26 September 2019 at the Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada. Travel funding will be available for selected Early Career Researchers.

The application deadline for the upcoming QuIESCENT Arctic workshop (Quantifying the Indirect Effect: from Sources to Climate Effects of Natural and Transported aerosol in the Arctic) has been extended to Friday 14th December (midnight GMT).

Researches working in the field in the Arctic face many challenges to health and safety. To learn from past incidents and prevent future injuries, the Arctic Sciences Section at the National Science Foundation is sharing information about the accidents and near misses that have happened during fieldwork.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is inviting experts to review the Second Order Draft of the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC). The Expert Review for the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) takes place between 16 November 2018 and 11 January 2019.

We would like to invite you to submit a manuscript to a special issue of the journal ‘Water’ (http://www.mdpi.com/journal/water) entitled “Observing and Monitoring the Subglacial Hydrological Environment in a Changing Climate”. For more information, please see: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/water/special_issues/subglacial-enviroment. The submission deadline is 1 July 2019.

Town Hall Announcement at the American Geophysical Union 2018 Fall Meeting - Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH)

Photo4 Jilda Caccavo During the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) hosted a series of symposia.

Call for Applications and Nominations: Empowering Arctic Indigenous Scholars and Making Connections
Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S.
Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska

The Synoptic Arctic Survey Informational Meeting

Event date/time: Thursday, 13 December 2018, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Event location: Cambria Hotel Washington D.C. Convention Center hotel, Duke Ellington Room 1

The IACS Early Career Scientist Prize is awarded to two nominated early career scientists who are assessed as having published the best scientific papers on a cryospheric subject during the calendar years 2017 or 2018.

The 27th International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) General Assembly will be held in July 2019 in Montréal, Canada. 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of IUGG. IACS will host or co-host more than 30 symposia between 9 -13 July, with a wide range of snow and ice topics. See list below.

Office of Polar Programs’ Arctic Sciences Section program directors will provide an overview of staffing changes, program updates, upcoming NSF opportunities of interest to Arctic scientists, and other topics from 11AM to noon on December 10 at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting in Washington D.C.

IMG 3756 APECS information

On November 30th, 16 young researchers met in Bremerhaven for the PYRN-APECS Workshop during the 10th meeting of the Working Group Permafrost of the German Society of Polar Research (DGP) in Bremerhaven (30 Nov – 1 Dec 2018).

Education and Polar Science in Action:

Bringing the polar regions into our communities

8-11 April 2019 - Cambridge, UK

The Durham University has several interesting announcements for students and PhDs:

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) is pleased to release the November 2018 issue of Witness Community Highlights—an online publication that highlights Arctic research efforts and other timely items of interest to our readers. Community Highlights is distributed monthly via our Witness the Arctic mailing list of over 8,600 subscribers. Editors welcome ideas for future articles.

Registration for the upcoming 2019 Alpine Glaciology Meeting (AGM) is open until January 31st! We encourage you to register and book your accommodation as early as possible since Innsbruck is a beloved tourist destination this time of year.

Special Issue "Monitoring Arctic Sustainability: Methods, Indicators, Monitoring Systems and Extremes".

The Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Lab is happy to announce the release of its Fall 2018 Request for Proposals. ESIP will provide up to $10K of seed funding for incubator-style projects that run six months and lie in the realm of good ideas ready to be tried out.

The Atmosphere, Marine, and Terrestrial Working Group Secretaries are unfortunately schedued to finish their term at ASSW2019.

We are now soliciting applications to be the next Atmosphere, Marine, and Terrestrial Working Group Secretaries – and we need your help in recommending good candidates. Read on and please send the information below to anybody you think would make a strong contribution to the IASC Working Groups.

apecs logo web The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the International Network of Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic (INTERACT) collaborate on developing the INTERACT Fieldwork Planning Handbook that summarizes many important aspects that need to be considered when preparing a field campaign in the remote, spectacular, but unforgiving Arctic.

The summer 2019 issue of the Journal of Ocean Technology will focus on marine education under the topic "Tomorrow’s ocean explorers: learning for a marine career". This includes experiential learning, project-based learning, innovation literacy, creative teaching methods and student supports, collaborative practices, comparative methodologies, ocean literacy, etc. We are inviting the submission of technical papers, essays, and short articles for this issue.

Today the University of Exeter launched a new version of the website which hosts Ice Flows, our educational computer game, at www.iceflowsgame.com – the website now contains new explainer videos, where the penguin characters use the game to explain all about how the Antarctic Ice Sheet works, and its relationship with climate change and sea level.

Northern (Arctic) Federal University invites researchers, PhD-students, and students to take part in the marine research and education expedition in the Arctic. Arctic Floating University is an annual scientific and education marine expedition, which brings together young people and experienced researchers in order to study the Arctic. For scientists it is an opportunity to conduct research in the high-latitude Arctic. For students it’s a unique educational programme containing a multidisciplinary course of lectures and practical training together with experienced researchers.

EarthCube is a community-driven activity to transform the conduct of geosciences research and education, sponsored through a partnership between the NSF Directorate of Geosciences and the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure in the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering.

APECS Turkey, in conjunction with ITU PolRec, hosted a workshop on Education and Outreach in the Polar Sciences in Istanbul, Turkey, at the Istanbul Technical University (ITU) from 3 - 4 October. In total, 18 attendees representing 9 countries participated in the 2-day workshop. Sessions and presentations focused on National Committee activities, the development of a polar-themed museum in Turkey, methods for outreach, introduction of polar-themed activities in primary schools within Mexico, and a discussion towards the progression of the APECS Developmental Program. Ideas were also exchanged on how to engage an audience comprised of the entire family, rather than just school-age children.

The Antarctic Environments Portal invites you to take part in a survey designed to help us improve our services to you, our intended users. Please take a few minutes to participate - your feedback is much appreciated!

Please click here to get to the survey.

Paper submissions are invited, by 1 March 2019, for a Special Issue of the Polar Data Journal on "Data Rescue" for the International Polar Year (IPY 2007-2008), published by the National Institute of Polar Research.

Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) Academic Director Seth Campbell and Program Manager Annie Boucher invite you to a series of informational webinars for prospective applicants to the 2019 JIRP Field Season. There will be two sessions: the first geared toward both returning and prospective new faculty and researchers, and the second geared toward those interested in the student program.

Second-Order-Draft (SOD) of the IPCC Special Report on Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) has been made available for expert review. For the scientific community, this is the last opportunity to provide comments. The deadline for providing comments is January 11, 2019.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network South (SIPN South) is inviting contributors to participate to the second coordinated sea ice prediction experiment in the Southern Ocean, targeting December 2018-February 2019 and aligned with the Year Of Polar Prediction (YOPP) Special Observing Period in the Southern Ocean.

The deadline for paper submission is 1 October 2019. Accepted papers will be published online as soon as authors have returned their proofs and all corrections have been made. The hard copy is scheduled for publication in 2020.

The Canadian Permafrost Association (CPA) and the Canadian National Committee for the International Permafrost Association (CNC-IPA) are delighted to announce that they will jointly fund up to 20 bursaries for students to attend the 18th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering / 8th Canadian Permafrost Conference in Québec City from August 18-22, 2019.

The Scientific Program Committee of the 13th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Science (ISAES 2019) cordially invites you to submit session proposals for the symposium. The deadline for session proposals is 15 December 2018.

The 27^thInternational Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) General Assembly will be held in early July 2019 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of IUGG.

The International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS) is looking for new bureau members to serve from mid 2019-2023.

Every winter, the University Grenoble Alpes organizes a training on snow and atmosphere in the field at Col du Lautaret in the French Alps for the master students of University Grenoble Alpes (UGA). This year, the training is open to ~6 international students (master or first year PhD).

The Gordon Research Seminar on Polar Marine Science takes place from 16th-22th March 2019 in Ciocco, Italy. The Gordon Research Seminar on Polar Marine Science provides early career scientists with a unique opportunity to further enhance their Gordon Conference experience. The goal of this conference is to bring together graduate students and postdocs within all fields of polar marine science, including marine biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and technology to discuss interdisciplinary links and provide a basis for future collaborations.

The inaugural QuIESCENT Arctic workshop (Quantifying the Indirect Effect: from Sources to Climate Effects of Natural and Transported aerosol in the Arctic) will bring together aerosol and cloud physicists and chemists to identify the key outstanding challenges in understanding and quantifying Arctic aerosol-cloud interactions, with a focus on how Arctic air pollution affects clouds in the region.

iasc web AWI WortBildmarke Farbe RGB mosaic logo Auswahl 2 rgb 08 The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) Project are pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for the MOSAiC School 2019.

Antarctica Day is celebrated internationally on 1 December, marking the day of the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959. 59 years ago, Antarctica became a continent dedicated to peace and scientific international collaboration!

iasc web apecs logo web APECS and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) are organizing a webinar for all those interested in applying to the 2019 IASC Fellowship Program. We will be introducing the IASC Fellowship Program, and several of the current and past IASC Fellows will be introducing themselves and discuss their work with the IASC Working Groups. The webinar will also provide the opportunity for potential applications to ask questions about the program and the application process.

csm EPB APECS webinar 5 cde0fbf82c

NEW WEBINAR TIME at 11:00 GMT on 21 November!

The 5th Snow Science Winter School will be arranged 17-23 February 2019 in Hailuoto, Finland by the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The field-oriented training course will teach state-of-the-art snow measurement techniques, but also includes lectures on physical processes of the snowpack, snow modeling and remote sensing. This year the focus is on snow on sea ice. The location is a small island on the Gulf of Bothnia with easy access to sea ice.

In the 26th of October the University of Aveiro staged another edition of APECS Portugal Workshop, the IX Workshop APECS Portugal. This year the theme was “StAY POLAR – How to communicate science?”, where several topics related to the importance of science communication were developed throughout the day.

Call for papers for the thematic issue of the Annals of Glaciology on ‘Sea Ice at the Interface’.

The deadline for paper submission is 1 October 2019.

Accepted papers will be published online as soon as authors have returned their proofs and all corrections have been made.

The hard copy is scheduled for publication in 2020

The joint Associate Chief Editors for this issue are,
David Barber (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Feiyue Wang (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) from the University of Manitoba

Scientific editors are
Marcel Babin, Jorgen Berge, Alice Bradley, Luke Copland, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, Jody Deming, Brent Else, Torsten Geldsetzer, Sebastian Gerland, Mats Granskog, Lawrence Hislop, Alexander Komarov, Kenneth Lee, Ann Lennert, Tao Li, Robie Macdonald, Rob Massom, Marcel Nicolaus, Søren Rysgaard, Randy Scharien, Gunner Spreen, Julienne Stroeve, Rocky Taylor, Letizia Tedesco, Martin Vancoppenolle, Muyin Wang and Zhouqing Xie
more will be added as needed

Please go to https://www.igsoc.org/annals/call_4_papers/a82_call_4_papers.pdf for more information.

The EGU General Assembly 2019, taking place in Vienna (Austria) on 7–12 April 2019, will bring together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. The deadline for abstract submission is 10 January 2019 or, for those applying for EGU Roland Schlich travel support, 1 December 2018. Only EGU members will be able to submit abstracts to the 2019 meeting and, with a few exceptions outlined below, only one abstract as first author will be permitted.

You are kindly invited to find a session for your abstract at: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2019/sessionprogramme

(1) How to submit your abstract
Each session shows the Abstract Submission link. Using this link you are asked to log in to the Copernicus Office Meeting Organizer with your Copernicus Office user ID. You may submit the text of your contribution as plain text, LaTeX, or MS Word content. An abstract processing charge (APC) of €40.00 gross will be levied.

Detailed information on how to submit an abstract can be found at:
https://egu2019.eu/abstracts_and_programme/how_to_submit_an_abstract.html

The deadline for the receipt of abstracts is 10 January 2019, 13:00 CET. If you would like to apply for a Roland Schlich travel support, please submit no later than 1 December 2018. Details can be found at:
https://egu2019.eu/about_and_support/roland_schlich_travel_support.html

(2) One-abstract rule
Authors are allowed as first author to submit either one regular abstract plus one abstract solicited by a convener, or two solicited abstracts. A second regular abstract can be submitted to the Educational and Outreach Sessions (EOS) programme group (maximum number of abstracts, including solicited abstracts, remains two). Possible submissions for first authors are: 1 regular + 1 solicited abstract; or 2 solicited abstracts; or 1 regular or solicited abstract + 1 EOS abstract (regular or solicited). Participants can be co-authors on additional abstracts in which they are not first author. Submission of solicited presentations requires a transaction number (TAN) that can be obtained from the convener of the respective session.

(3) Required 2019 EGU membership for first authors
Only 2019 EGU members can submit an abstract as first author for the 2019 General Assembly. Acquiring your EGU membership is possible through the abstract submission form or beforehand at: https://www.egu.eu/membership/. All EGU members benefit from substantially reduced registration rates to the meeting.

(4) Late abstracts
Abstracts sent to conveners after 10 January 2019 for submission on your behalf have the strict deadline of 18 January 2019, 13:00 CET. These late submissions require final approval by the programme committee and will be invoiced with €80.00 gross.

(5) Abstract-presentation obligation
The submission of an abstract carries with it the obligation that it is actually presented at the meeting by the author or, at least, by one of the co-authors. If this is not possible, please withdraw your abstract at your earliest convenience. Without early withdrawal, abstracts not presented at the conference are identified as no-shows and their PDF file will be removed from the conference programme. Such contributions are clearly marked in the online programme and listed as no-shows.

(6) Further information
Further information about the EGU General Assembly 2019 can be found at: https://egu2019.eu/

You can stay up-to-date with General Assembly information by subscribing to the EGU blog (https://geolog.egu.eu/) and by following the EGU on Twitter (https://twitter.com/EuroGeosciences, #EGU19) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanGeosciencesUnion).

In case any questions arise, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We are looking forward to receiving your abstracts and thank you very much for your cooperation.

Olaf Eisen

President of the EGU Division on Cryospheric Sciences
CR contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
CR on Twitter: @EGU_CR
CR blog: http://blogs.egu.eu/divisions/cr/

On behalf of the 2019 EGU Programme Committee Chair, Susanne Buiter and Katja Gänger, Copernicus Meetings, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

agu logo

Last chance to sign-up for our new #CryoMentoring program before arrival in Washington! Fill out this short Google Form to indicate your interest as a mentor, mentee, or both & join us for #CryoCoffee at the AGU Fall Meeting: outside Salon H and G at 10:20 on Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7gegUhy6b27qJ_4GoQJDXtKRcjBXsy3TT50GSXJ2JB8jyZg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Are you planning to attend the AGU Fall Meeting in Washington this year? Are you interested in learning from, and being inspired by, Cryospheric scientists at complementary career stages to yourself? If so then #CryoMentoring is for YOU!

The AGU Cryosphere Executive Committee invites sign-ups for it's CryoMentoring programme via the link below. You can volunteer to be a mentor, a mentee or even both! You will be assigned a mentor/mentee inline with the information you provide through the link before arrival in Washington. We have arranged dedicated #CryoCoffee areas during the morning coffee breaks throughout the week of the fall meeting for mentors and mentees to meet up, discuss science, career paths etc. It is our hope that during these brief #CryoCoffee meet-ups you will make additional plans for continued interaction throughout the week, for example lunch/dinner plans or other general hang outs.

AGU Cryosphere are delivering a #CryoGives100 programme as part of centennial celebrations and what better way to give 100 minutes of your time than by mentoring junior colleagues?

Amber Leeson, Joanna Carey and the Cryosphere Executive Committee.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7gegUhy6b27qJ_4GoQJDXtKRcjBXsy3TT50GSXJ2JB8jyZg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Apply until November 30, 2018 to participate in the 3rd edition of the Innsbruck Alpine Summer School on Close Range Sensing Techniques for Alpine Terrain

Location: Obergurgl, at 2000m the highest village of Austria

When: June 16-22, 2019

For who: young researchers like PhD students

Full information and application via the summer school website:

https://www.uibk.ac.at/geographie/summerschool/2019/

APECS Portugal Workshop - StAY POLAR - How to communicate science

26 October 2018, University of Aveiro, Portugal

APECS Portugal workshops cover topics targeting early career researchers, providing free opportunities for professional career development. This year, the IX Workshop APECS Portugal will focus on Science Communication. From scientific conferences, to talks in schools, social media and communicating with policy makers, learning how to communicate well is increasingly relevant to the career development of young researchers. A diverse public requires the researcher to adapt the language to share scientific knowledge in a clear way for every audience. During the workshop, we will have national and international speakers from different institutions sharing their experience communicating with different audiences, including communication of large European scientific projects, communication of scientific journals, and communication with Indigenous communities. Following the talks, we will have a hands-on activity under the same topic, which will stimulate the active participation of early career researchers. The workshop will conclude with a debate on science communication featuring all the invited speakers, and open for public participation. Additionally, the attendants will have opportunities to interact and network with the speakers, as well as other participants and APECS mentors during coffee and lunch breaks.

Since the APECS Portugal workshops take place as part of the Portuguese Conference on Polar Sciences, and along with the science communication topic, this year we will offer prices for best student oral and poster presentation. This will further contribute to engage the development of early career researchers in science communication.

If you cannot join the event on site, you can follow it online via this link: https://zoom.us/j/357199619

Cartaz IX Workshop APECS Portugal com convidados1

First announcement of IASC Workshop on Effects and Extremes of High Latitude Dust

Where: Reykjavik, Iceland,
When: 13-14 Feb 2019
Confirmed Key note speaker: prof. Joanna Bullard, UK, the first-author of "High‐latitude dust in the Earth system", https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016RG000518
Venue: Agricultural University of Iceland (AUI), Keldnaholt, Reykjavik, Iceland
Registration: https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/8FF87C7AEB56BB70

High latitude dust (HLD), originating from cold high latitudes (≥ 50 °N and ≥ 40 °S) affects the cryosphere, oceans, air quality and safety, and in Europe both the High Arctic and the European mainland.

Extreme HLD related events include unexpected, unusual or unseasonal events with exceptional magnitude, duration, severity, or extent, such as most severe wind erosion events, storms, dust storms, snow-dust storms, heat waves, cold weather, and extreme snowfalls, for example.

Jointly organized by the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), the Agricultural University of Iceland (AUI), and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), together with the IceDust Association, this workshop will bring together high latitude dust scientists to present and discuss all aspects of effects and extremes of HLD. The workshop aims to networking and interaction. More information on the workshop, including session topics will be announced soon.

Early career scientists (registered PhD students or PhD degree gained within 5 years) are encouraged to apply for the IASC travel support when submitting a presentation. Two ECS presentations will be selected for travel cost support of 750 eur (reimbursement based on receipts, further instruction for will be provided when the selection will be announced).

Registration: We welcome your registration (by 11 Jan 2019), and your submissions for talks (by 30 Nov 2018) and posters (by 11 Jan 2019) via the registration link. The registration link is here: https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/8FF87C7AEB56BB70

Updates to the agenda can be followed in the internet at the following addresses: IASC (https://iasc.info/upcoming-iasc-events), FMI (https://twitter.com/FMI_Snow), and IceDust (https://icedustblog.wordpress.com/).

We look forward to welcoming you!

Organizing team: Outi Meinander (Finnish Meteorological Institute, contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Pavla Dagsson-Waldhauserova (Agricultural University of Iceland, contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), together with IASC members of Halldór Björnsson and Guðrún Nína Petersen (Icelandic Meteorological Office), Kent Moore (University of Toronto), Joan Nymand Larsen (Stefansson Arctic Institute), and Lassi Heininen (University of Lapland), and in co-operation with the IceDust Association, Iceland

Organizers have extended the abstract submission deadline for the 10th Circumpolar Agriculture Conference. This conference will convene 13-15 March 2019 at the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, Finland

This conference will address a bottom-up approach and new thinking of local agriculture, food production, and rural development in the northern areas. The goal is to discuss versatile meanings of circumpolar agriculture and call for new thinking to address its topical challenges and opportunities. In accordance with the theme of Finland’s Chairmanship period of the Arctic Council, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals will be highlighted in the program.

Sessions will examine best practices and resilient solutions in the utilization of animal and plant resources, local breeds, reindeer herding, small-scale farming, and non-timber forest products. The conference will address the high quality of Arctic foods, their local profitability, and business opportunities. The importance of food security and sustainability in different regions and countries will also be discussed.

Conference presenters will have the possibility to publish in a special issue of Open Agriculture. Publishing will be free of charge for participants. The deadline for submissions of full-length papers is 31 March 2019.

Extended abstract submission deadline: 29 October 2018

For more information, go to:
Conference homepage

For abstract guidelines and to submit an abstract, go to:
Call for Abstracts

For questions, contact:
Paula Tulppo
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Päivi Soppela
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The SCAR Visiting Scholars Scheme (previously called the Visiting Professors Scheme) is open for applications until Monday 3 December 2018.

SCAR Visiting Scholarships are for mid- to late-career stage scientists and academics (at least 5 years after completing their PhD) who are involved in Antarctic research, providing the opportunity for them to undertake a short-term visit (1 to 4 weeks) to an institute(s) in another SCAR member country, to provide training and mentoring.

For 2018, both the eligibility criteria and the application process have been revised. The core purpose of the scheme is to build capacity in countries with smaller or less-developed Antarctic research programmes. Visits can be either to smaller and developing programmes or from smaller and developing programmes, so the capacity building process can be proposed in either way. The scheme is for any scientists and academics whose research contributes to SCAR's objectives, as embodied in the Science Groupsand Scientific Research Programmes.

The scheme provides awards of up to USD $5000 each, covering the cost of an international return flight and some contribution towards living expenses for the visiting period. Full information on the scheme, including details of the application process and assessment criteria, is available on the Visiting Scholar Detailed Information page of the SCAR website.

The closing date for applications is Monday 3 December 2018.

Queries about the scheme should be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and an online form is available which can be used to ask questions about the application process, required documentation and eligibility, etc., anonymously if preferred.

The Visiting Scholar Scheme is seen to complement the early-career SCAR Fellowship Scheme by providing scientists and academics with the opportunity to intensify collaboration amongst SCAR member countries and to contribute to SCAR’s objectives.

For more information, visit https://www.scar.org/awards/visiting-scholars/information/

iasc web apecs logo web The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), invites Early Career Scientists (ECS) to apply for the 2019 IASC Fellowship Program.

The IASC Fellowship Program is meant to engage ECS in the work of the IASC Working Groups (WGs): Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social & Human, and Terrestrial. Each year, one Fellow per WG is chosen.

IASC Fellows are doctoral or postdoctoral researchers who actively participate in selected activities of the IASC WGs. Fellows are expected to contribute scientifically and also to help organize specific activities and to help with reporting to the IASC Secretariat. Thus, the Fellowship Program provides the opportunity for ECSs to become involved in leading-edge scientific activities at a circumarctic and international level, to build an international network, and also to develop management skills. The level of involvement very much depends on the Fellow's interest - the more you invest, the more you get out of it!

The total duration of the IASC Fellowship Program is 1+2 years. In their first year, the Fellows will receive travel support to attend two consecutive Arctic Science Summit Weeks (ASSWs) where the annual WG meetings are held. After the first year, Fellows have the opportunity to stay involved for up to 2 more years without dedicated funding support from IASC. Note: The travel support during the first fellowship year is the only financial remuneration for the Fellows. Salary is not included during the fellowship.

For more information please see the IASC website or contact the IASC Fellowship Coordinator Maja Lisowska (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or the APECS Executive Director Gerlis Fugmann (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

For this round of applications, interested ECSs must fulfill the following criteria:

PhD student/candidate or postdoctoral researcher (up to 5 years past terminal degree)
Able to commit to participating in the activities of one of an IASC WG for at least 1 year
Able to attend the two upcoming ASSWs: 22 - 30 May 2019 in Arkhangelsk, Russia, and 27 March - 2 April 2020 in Akureyri, Iceland
Located at an institution in an IASC member country
Have a good command of English

How to apply:

If you are interested in this amazing opportunity then please fill out this application form. You can upload your CV as a PDF file within the form. If you have problems accessing or submitting the form, please contact the APECS Executive Director Gerlis Fugmann at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive a Word version of the form.

Application deadline is Monday 19 November 2018 at 13:00 GMT. Late applications will not be considered. Successful applicants will be notified before the end of the year.

Selection process:

The selection of candidates is coordinated by APECS and will be only based on the material you provide in the application form. So be as specific as possible. Applications will be reviewed according to multiple criteria including your research background and the quality of your statement of interest of why you would like to become an IASC Fellow. Top candidates will be suggested to the WG Steering Committees, who will decide on their 2019 IASC Fellow.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS)and the University of the Arctic ran a joint science communication workshop in connection with the UArctic Congress 2018 in Oulu, Finland, from 3-4 September 2018. On the first day the participants worked with mentors on a range of communication techniques, including storytelling techniques (Jessica Rohde); producing videos in iMovie (Sonja Bickford); and using social media for science communication (Hanne Nielsen). Mentors also provided best practice advice on how to communicate science to policy makers and the public (Nate Bickford), and ways of communicating with the media (Markku Heikkilä).

APECS - UArctic 2018 Student Workshop from APECS Webinars on Vimeo.

The theme of knowing your audience was common across all three sessions. For those wanting to inform evidence-based policy, Nate Bickford stressed the importance of communicating with policy makers at a local level, and with policy advisors. During the social media session, Hanne Nielsen outlined a range of tools available on social media, from the academic-focussed Researchgate through to popular platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Participants were asked to consider how they “brand” themselves as researchers, and which networks they are a part of, and to then choose a platform that would help them reach their desired networks.

All participants developed an “elevator pitch” about their own research, and practiced explaining the significance of their work to each other. They then considered how they might alter the pitch when talking to a range of specific audiences, including policy makers, family members, and young children. In order to develop skills in both speaking to camera and editing video, these pitches were filmed. Participants then put their new skills into practice throughout the duration of the congress, tweeting from the sessions, and using their elevator pitches when explaining their research to other delegates.

The workshop culminated in the production of a video, which highlights the UArctic conference activities (including twitter activity), as well as the projects of several participants. The video, which was presented at the Helsinki welcoming reception on Thursday evening on September 6th, can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/295284697

Thank you to the mentors who helped make this workshop such a valuable learning opportunity, and to all the participants who communicated with a range of audiences throughout the #UArcticCongress2018 event!

SouthCOP - The first Southern Hemisphere Regional Conference on Permafrost will be held from 4-14 December 2019 in Queenstown, New Zealand. The conference will include optional 3 day field trips both before and after the main meeting that will explore a range of landscapes, geological and glacial features within the Southern Alps.

This is the final call for suggestions for session topics. We welcome suggestions related to all aspects of permafrost research - it is not limited to the Southern Hemisphere. If you have a suggestion for a conference session and/or would like to convene such a session please register your interest before Nov 1 at www.southcop19.com or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further information.

Please feel free to forward this to anyone else who may be interested.

Plans are underway for the 2019 Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) summer field season! JIRP is an eight-week expedition-style academic program for rising high school seniors, undergraduates, post-bacc students, and early-stage graduate students. Participants complete a ski traverse of the Juneau Icefield; design, complete, and present group research projects; and attend a series of lectures, workshops, and field trips that introduce them to glaciology, geophysics, geochemistry, climatology, ecology, and science communication. Academic Director Seth Campbell (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Program Manager Annie Boucher (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) are available to answer any questions.

We will also open faculty applications later this fall. In addition to Seth and Annie, Academic Council members Kiya Riverman (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Brad Markle (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Catharine White (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Lindsey Nicholson (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), and Allen Pope (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) are available to discuss the recent growth of the JIRP academic curriculum.

The USPA is pleased to call for applications for two awards to be given out to those attending the American Geophysical Union's Fall Meeting in December 2018. Two AGU Travel Grants ($500) and one Andrew Slater Memorial Award ($1000) will be given out. Applicants must be a member of both the United States Permafrost Association and Permafrost Young Researchers Network to be considered.

The descriptions for each award, the grant application, and other eligibility guidelines can be found on the front page of http://www.uspermafrost.org

To view previous USPA travel grant award winners, see http://uspermafrost.org/education/UPEF/

To renew your membership, please visit http://www.uspermafrost.org/membership.shtml

The application deadline is October 21st, 2018 at midnight Central Time. Award winners will be notified by early November 2018.

Questions? Email Dan Vecellio at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Following the successful launch of ICESat-2, the Polar Science Center at the University of Washington in collaboration with the eScience Institute and NASA will be hosting a weeklong "Hackweek" to help jumpstart Cryospheric Science with ICESat-2 (CSI). The CSI-Hackweek will bring together experts from the ICESat-2 science team, data providers, and data science experts, with researchers who want hands on experience with using and manipulating geophysical data from ICESat-2. CSI-Hackweek participants will learn about ICESat-2 fundamentals, data formats, tools, and how to get to results quickly. Introductory lectures will be combined with open data exploration, tool development, sample research applications, and community building. The CSI Hackweek will take place on the University of Washington Campus from June 17- 21, 2019. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2018, apply online https://form.jotform.com/82604602604146.

As preparation for the workshop, we are also offering a 2-day Software Carpentry Workshop on February 7,8, 2019 on the UW Campus. For more information on the CSI-Hackweek and Software Carpentry workshops, please visit https://icesat-2hackweek.github.io/ or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Limited travel support for attendees maybe be available

Axel Schweiger
Senior Principal Scientist and Chair, Polar Science Center
University of Washington
Applied Physics Laboratory
1013 NE 40th Street
Seattle, Wa. 98109
206-543-1312
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://psc.apl.uw.edu/

ipa logo The International Permafrost Association (IPA)has an open call for new Action Groups to be operational in 2019 and/or 2020. Action Groups are funded on a competitive basis at up to 2500 euros per year (maximum of 5000 euros over two years). These targeted groups focus on clearly defined permafrost research outputs, such as maps, science plans, or databases, that can be supported through the organization of workshops, management support, technical support, etc.

The application form and instructions, as well as a listing of current and past Action Groups, can be found on the IPA website:
https://ipa.arcticportal.org/activities/action-groups

This year’s deadline is November 5th. Applications should be emailed to the IPA email, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The IPA Executive Committee looks forward to another strong round of applications.

Organizers invite applications for a science communication workshop for scientists. This workshop, Polar-izing Your Science Impacts: Turn Your Research into Science Stories and Take Science Stories to the Classroom, will convene 9-11 January 2019 at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware.

Workshop Description:

Good science storytelling is a powerful way to bring public attention to remote areas like the polar regions. Stories about the changing poles are common, but don’t capture the complexity of the data. Organizers invite participants to explore these issues in a two-day workshop and learn how to tell compelling science stories and bring data driven, critical analysis to the undergraduate classroom.

During the workshop, participants will:

Present their latest polar science research,
Learn science communication skills and techniques,
Receive classroom ready, pre-packed polar science modules complete with video tutorials that can be integrated into the classroom,
Participate in a journal manuscript on creating and critically analyzing polar science stories with available databases, and
Participate in the continued development of Polar Literacy Principles.
Participation will be limited to 40 scientists. A limited number of travel funds/scholarships are available for advanced graduate student applicants.

Application deadline: 1 December 2018

For more information, including the workshop agenda, and to apply, go to:
Workshop homepage

The AGU Cryosphere Section Social Media team has now made a Facebook and Twitter page to post frequent updates and relevant information. Please like our page and follow us on Twitter (@AGU_Cryo) -- and don't forget to invite other cryospheric scientists and students in your network! Get the latest news at:
www.facebook.com/agu.cryosphere/ and www.twitter.com/AGU_Cryo.

Thanks,
Lynn Montgomery and Emilio Mateo

IACS logo A new Working Group on Debris Covered Glaciers supported by the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS) has been established to run from 2018-2022. The targetted objectives are to:

1) compare the available methods of mapping supra-glacial debris thickness, and assess their appropriateness for different applications
2) compare the performance of available sub-debris ablation models, and assess their appropriateness for different applications.
3) work closely with the debris-covered glaciers community to coordinate knowledge exchange

We would like to engage as wide a group of scientists as possible in this working group, which will include young and senior scientists from a variety of geographic locations. In order to achieve this in a practical sense, we define two levels or participation: working group members and participants.

Members are expected to contribute to ALL of the following:

a) actively contribute to the development of at least one of the two comparison projects, which includes model design, forcing data, and output variables,
b) produce model results for at least one of the comparison projects,
c) participate in group workshops (as far as possible).

In addition to these members, we also welcome working group participants from a wider sphere of related debris-covered glacier research topics. Participants are expected to participate in discussions and meetings (if possible) AND contribute to AT LEAST ONE of the following:

a) contribute forcing data to one of the comparison projects,
b) provide data or code to foster knowledge exchange,
c) contribute services to journal special issues.

If you are interested in these activities, please read the working group aims and objectives available at http://www.cryosphericsciences.org/wg_debrisCovGlaciers.html and contact one of the working group co-chairs (Lindsey Nicholson, Francesca Pellicciotti, and David Rounce) if you would like to either become a member/participant or be kept abreast of working group activities.

apecs logo web APECS is excited to announce that another leadership term has begun on 1 October 2018!

APECS Executive Committee 2018-2019:

APECS’ 12th Executive Committee (ExCom) is now in place and ready to continue to shape the polar world.

Jilda Caccavo (University of Padua, Italy)
Jennifer Cooper (University of Kansas, USA)
Clare Eayrs (New York University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
Juan Höfer (Southern University of Chile & IDEAL research center, Chile)
Gabriela Roldán (University of Canterbury, New Zealand)

have been elected by members of the 2017-2018 APECS Council to form the ExCom, the main leadership body of APECS. Hanne Nielsen (Australia) and Alexander Thornton (USA) will serve as ex-officios and support the new ExCom over the coming year. And of course, Gerlis Fugmann, the APECS Executive Director will continue to support and foster the group from the International Directorate Office in Potsdam, Germany.

More information on the APECS 2018-2019 Executive Committee can be found here.

APECS President 2018-2019:

With a new term, comes a new president, and this year Jilda Caccavo will be taking on this role. Jilda just completed her PhD on the population structure of the keystone species the Antarctic silverfish. Her research interests involve combining multidisciplinary techniques including genetics, otolith chemistry and trophic analyses to understand the health of Antarctic fish populations in order to gauge what impacts climate change and anthropogenic disturbances will have on them. This is her second term on the APECS Executive Committee and she is excited to have the opportunity to continue to support the ambitious projects of the Council, the day to day business of running APECS, and realizing the overarching goals of each ExCom’s mandate: providing opportunities for and supporting early career Polar researchers.

APECS Council 2018-2019:

For the 2018-2019 term, the APECS Council is made up of 87 very enthusiastic members from 28 countries, including representatives from 24 National Committees:

APECS Council Leadership:

Council Chairs: Stanislav Ksenofontov (Switzerland), Morgan Seag (UK), Neelu Singh (India)
National Committee Coordinators: Iqra Choudhry (UK), Emily Choy (Canada), Swati Nagar (India)
Social Media Coordinators: Mia Bennett (Hong Kong), Rupa Rupa (UK)

Other Council member:

Kelsey Aho (USA), Keechy Akkerman (UK), Mehnaz Alam (Bangladesh), Stefano Ambroso (Spain), Tayana Arakchaa (Russia), Eda Ayadin (France), Atreya Basu (Canada), Linde van Bets (Netherlands), François Burgay (Italy), Natalie Carter (Canada), Mathieu Casado (Germany), Paula de Castro-Fernández (Spain), Nicolas Champollion (France), Eleonora Conca (Italy), Matteo Luciano Contu (UK), Adrian Dahood (USA), Rahul Dey (India), Mariama Dryak (USA), Vikram Goel (Norway / India), Gwenaëlle Gremion (Canada), Rebecca Gugerli (Switzerland), Hugo Guímaro (Portugal), Kaushik Gupta (Canada), Christel Hansen (South Africa), Carolynn Harris (USA), Alexa Hasselman (USA), Meghan Helmberger (USA), Andrea Herbert (New Zealand), Charlie Hewitt (UK), Doğaç Baybars Işıler (Turkey), Shridhar Jawak (Norway), Amy Kirkham (United States), Maria Korneykova (Russia), Erin Kunisch (Norway), Kara Layton (Australia), Jasmine Lee (Australia), Sasha Leidman (USA), Martine Lizotte (Canada), Sarah Maes (Belgium), Maciej Mańko (Poland), Sebastián Marinsek (Argentina), Ricardo Matias (Portugal), Claudia Maturana (Chile), Kyle Mayers (UK), Jhon Fredy Mojica Moncada (United Arab Emirates), Bernabé Moreno (Peru), K M Vishnu Namboodiri (India), Özgun Oktar (Turkey), Elizabeth Orr (USA), Prashant H. Pandit (India), Lindsey Parkinson (USA), Lara F. Pérez (UK), Carla Pérez Mon (Switzerland), Jean Polfus (Canada), Ankit Pramanik (Norway), José Queirós (Portugal), Arthi Ramachandran (Canada), Kabir Rasouli (Canada), Corinna Röver (Sweden), Jessica Rohde (USA), Paul Rosenbaum (France), Marius Rossouw (South Africa), Elizabeth Rudolph (South Africa), Cynthia Sassenroth (Germany), Valentina Savaglia (Belgium), José Seco (Portugal / UK), Elisa Seyboth (Brazil), Sarah Shakil (Canada), Grace Shephard (Norway), Maud van Soest (United Kingdom), Philip Sontag (USA), Greta Carrete Vega (Spain), Florian Vidal (France), Deniz Vural (Turkey), Mateusz Waligóra (Poland), Samuel Weber (Switzerland), Maximillian Samuel Van Wyk de Vries (USA), Nadya Yanakieva (Bulgaria), Sinan Yirmibesoglu (Turkey)

Additionally, Alice Bradley (USA), Meagan Dewar (Australia) Jean Holloway (Canada), Trista Vick-Majors (United States), Ruth Vingerhagen (Norway), Yulia Zaika (Russia), Scott Zolkos (Canada) remain on the Council in an ex-officio role.

More information on the APECS 2018-2019 Council can be found here.

Once again, we thank the many APECS leaders that have come before us and have helped guide and foster many of those serving today! We look forward to another year with the projects that are currently underway, and continue to look for more ways that we can improve and expand this organization and assist early career polar researchers around the world.

APECS Leadership 2018-2019 Map

APECS Leadership Map 2018 2019

arcuslogonotext 2018 In an increasingly digital and interdisciplinary landscape, the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS; www.arcus.org) is excited to offer a wealth of online resources benefiting the global Arctic research community. From informative mailing lists detailing the latest professional opportunities to a directory of who’s who in Arctic research, we are proud to offer something of value to everyone, whether you work in academia, industry, the government sector, with Indigenous communities, or beyond. We invite you to learn more about these free services:

The Directory of Arctic Researcherscontains names, addresses, science specialties, and current research for over 4,000 Arctic specialists worldwide, and aids networking between stakeholders to facilitate research and education efforts. All researchers are invited to include a profile.
The Arctic Calendaris an online, searchable calendar of major meetings and events relevant to Arctic science, education, and policy; helping to both publicize major events and avoid conflicting meeting dates.
Witness the Arctic is a monthly newsletter with over 8,600 subscribers, providing information on current Arctic research, national policy affecting Arctic research, international activities, and profiles of institutions with major Arctic research efforts.
ArcticInfo is a moderated mailing list offering nearly 5,000 subscribers timely information about Arctic meetings, publications, job announcements, funding opportunities, and news.
Amongst other assets available through our website, ARCUS offers Documented Practices and Resources for conducting research with Northern communities, a Polar Education moderated mailing list, a Publications Directoryof key reports, as well as both new and web-archived copies of Live-Streamed Research Seminars with leading Arctic community leaders.

While these online products are offered freely to the Arctic research community, starting this month, ARCUS is thrilled to offer even greater access to our internationally-recognized network through Individual memberships at the member’s choice of dues levels or an Affiliate member program for anyone who works with or for one of ARCUS’ Organizational members.

To learn more about our programmatic offerings and benefits of membership, please visit www.arcus.org or e-mail Alex Thornton, ARCUS’ Community Development Manager, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

nsf logo Dear Colleagues:

The Education and Human Resources Directorate and the Geosciences Directorate are partnering to advance and develop understanding of learning environments that build upon the rich interdisciplinary resources emerging from polar investments. To that end, the Division of Research on Learning (DRL), the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE), and the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) encourage proposals that will leverage the extensive National Science Foundation (NSF) investment in polar sciences and infrastructure, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education research and development, to promote an informed citizenry and the next generation of polar scientists. In order to advance polar science educational opportunities, DRL, DUE, and OPP will accept and review proposals for research and development projects that facilitate access to polar research efforts in (1) undergraduate education, (2) informal science education, or (3) formal PK-12 science or math education. Proposals in response to this Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) must be submitted to either the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) solicitation, the Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) solicitation, or the Improving Undergraduate Science Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR) solicitation.

The integration of research and education is essential to NSF’s mission. In addition, NSF strives to broaden participation in science and to make the results of research projects widely accessible to students and the public. Specifically, OPP seeks to meet these objectives by supporting the engagement of diverse students, educators, and the public in polar research projects. While participation of educators and students in both Arctic and Antarctic research projects is encouraged, logistics are often difficult and expensive. Therefore, DRL, DUE, and OPP encourage education research and development proposals that make use of innovative technologies and pedagogies to give large groups of students, educators, and the public access to polar research efforts in the polar regions without requiring all participants to travel there. Proposals that engage audiences with long-term investments in polar research and logistics (e.g., the Arctic or Antarctic science stations), with databases that have extended lifespans, (e.g., data from the Arctic Observing Network), or with public participation in scientific research, such as crowdsourcing or citizen science related to the Arctic or Antarctic, are particularly encouraged. Proposals that engage students who are under-represented in STEM fields or that respond to the Navigating the New Arctic focus are also encouraged.

In order to support the goals above, NSF encourages the submission of proposals to any of the three solicitations below:

1. Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL), deadline of November 7, 2018.
2. Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12), deadline of November 14, 2018.
3. Improving Undergraduate Science Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE:EHR), solicitation for the 2019 fiscal year (deadlines vary).

Proposals submitted in response to this DCL must be identified by starting the proposal title with the term: "EHR-Polar DCL 2018: (Insert Project Title Here)."

Those considering submitting a proposal in response to this DCL are encouraged to contact Lisa Rom: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; 703-292-7709, the cognizant NSF program officer who can answer questions and provide further guidance. If travel to the polar regions is included in the project, Principal Investigators are strongly encouraged to contact Dr. Rom to discuss logistics and related documentation that must be included in the proposal.

Sincerely,

William (Jim) Lewis
(Acting) Assistant Director
Education and Human Resources (EHR)

William E. Easterling
Assistant Director
Geosciences (GEO)

Special Issue Editors

Machiel Lamers, Wageningen University, the Netherlands (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Daniela Liggett, University of Canterbury, New Zealand (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Aims

The Polar Prediction Project (PPP) is a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) initiative to support coordinated international research efforts to improve weather and environmental prediction services for the polar regions. The Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) is one of the flagship activities of the PPP, with a core phase from mid-2017 to mid-2019.

This special issue collects current social science research results and perspectives related to the use and improvement of weather and environmental prediction services for the polar regions, in an effort to translate scientific and technological advances into societal value (see also PPP-SERA team). It aims to explore how weather, water, ice and climate (WWIC) information is currently being used and produced in the Polar Regions, by whom, and for what reasons. There is a paucity of knowledge on how WWIC services are used by various human activities in the Polar Regions (see Dawson et al., 2017; Thoman et al. 2017). These may include, but are not limited to, hunting and travel by Indigenous communities, industrial activities associated with resource extraction in the Arctic or transit of commercial vessels, tourism operations of all sorts (cruise ships, pleasure yachts, adventure tourism), search and rescue operations, government and research operations, and/or military enforcement. There appears to be a wide range of WWIC information available to support diverse aspects of arctic marine navigation, but how these are accessed or are influencing decision-making and operational practices is largely unknown (see Knol et al, 2018; Lamers et al., 2018).

Therefore, more research is needed that considers the context in which marine activities take place in the Polar Regions, and how WWIC services are used. It becomes clear that for WWIC services to become more salient, they need to be tailored more precisely to decision practices of different users, in content and well as in format and interface.

In this special issue, we seek to better understand the complexities of actors, information needs, information systems and infrastructures, funding structures, data management approaches, and applications of weather and sea ice prediction services of various end-user groups in the polar regions.

Specific focus of the Special Issue

Diverse regional experiences with what kinds of WWIC information is sought out, how this is accessed (with what technology or equipment), and what is desired in terms of greater access or more tailored products. In particular, we hope to learn about how people assess the reliability and relevance of WWIC products, including what constraints, abilities, risk perceptions and decision-making contexts affect how information is accessed and used.
The disconnect that seems to be increasing between data providers (modellers) and end-users (e.g. hunters, tour operators, ship captains, fishing boat captains, researchers, among others), as each are creating information tailored to their own needs. We need to explore the underlying reasons for this, and ways to reconnect for mutual benefit;
The seemingly dualistic emphasis on providers and end-users of weather and climate information, while increasingly diverse actors are being identified that both provide and use environmental information. We need to better understand this user-producer interface and the cycles, scales, and flows of information exchanged for different purposes;
The trend away from nation states (i.e. national weather, hydrometeorological, and sea ice services) being the primary holders/providers of environmental information, as the evolution of the information age enables private actors to create and share their own information through community-based monitoring and social media. We need to better understand the implications of these new sources and flows of information.
This SI combines an open call for papers with a range of contributions that are prepared as a result of ongoing work within PPP. We encourage contributions from a diversity of social science and humanities disciplines, and from operational forecasters, Indigenous Peoples, northern residents, decision-makers and politicians, as well as academics, working on issues related to this user-producer interface of weather and sea ice information.

Important deadlines

Abstract submission: 1 November 2018
Decision on abstracts: 15 November 2018
Full manuscript submission: 1 February 2019
Return reviews: 15 March 2019
Revised manuscript submission: 1 June 2019
Information about the journal

Polar Geography is an international, peer-reviewed journal of Taylor & Francis, which publishes original research contributions to scientific knowledge. Polar Geography is a quarterly publication that offers a venue for scholarly research on the physical and human aspects of the Polar Regions. The journal seeks to address the component interplay of the natural systems, the complex historical, political, economic, cultural, diplomatic, and security issues, and the interchange amongst them. As such, the journal welcomes comparative approaches, critical scholarship, and alternative and disparate perspectives from around the globe. The journal offers scientists a venue for publishing longer papers such as might result from distillation of a thesis, or review papers that place in global context results from coordinated national and international efforts currently underway in both Polar Regions.

Submission

Please send your abstract by email before the deadline to one of the editors. Full manuscripts will have to be submitted online via ScholarOne.

USAPESC new The 3rd Annual Polar Film Festival was held during this year's fall Polar Week, featuring films submitted from all around the world. This virtual film showcase allows for online accessibility to film submissions in locations spanning the globe. Submissions to this year's festival fell into themes including:

Tipping the Balance: Exploring rapid changes in polar ice cover (Monday)
Polar Research, Field Work, and Citizen Science (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Melt: An exploration of life in the polar ice pack (Thursday)
Environmental issues in the polar regions (Friday)

If you haven't yet had the opportunity to access the amazing entries from this year's festival, you can still access them online at: http://usapecs.wixsite.com/usapecs/copy-of-polar-film-festival-2018

Please share some your favorite parts of this year's submissions on social media using the hashtag #PolarFilmFest. Thanks for tuning in, and we look forward to sharing more polar films with you for years to come!

The Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP) is pleased to announce the release of the 2017 Polar Continental Shelf Program Science Report.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Natural Resources Canada’s Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP). Since its establishment in 1958, the PCSP has played an important role in scientific research in Canada’s North through provision of safe, efficient and cost-effective logistics to researchers.

This report showcases the ongoing, world-class science that is being conducted by PCSP-supported researchers from a range of disciplines in the natural and social sciences. Their work is important for developing an improved understanding of the past, present and future of Canada and its Arctic.

We hope that you enjoy the PCSP Science Report. To download a copy of the report click here or visit the PCSP Publications page on the PCSP website (www.pcsp.nrcan.gc.ca).

The European Polar Board, in cooperation with APECS, is seeking 4 rapporteurs to take minutes during their upcoming Autumn Plenary Meeting, to be held at La Cristalera, near Madrid, Spain on 20 - 21 November 2018. This meeting will include both normal order of business, as well as a retreat where the EPB Members will discuss implementation of their Strategy. For an early career researcher, this is a fairly unique opportunity to know how an international organisation works on a regular basis, as well as how it views, sets and reviews medium and long term goals.

The note taking will be for two full days (20th and 21st Nov), working with the EPB Secretariat. There will be a mixture of Plenary and breakout sessions, where you will have to work both in teams and by yourself. Cleaned and formatted notes should be provided to the EPB Secretariat within two days of the end of meeting. Transport to La Cristalera will be provided. Due to the fast moving nature of the meeting, it is desirable to have (1) a very high command of the English language, (2) some prior experience of rapporteuring or note taking, and (3) some knowledge of international polar organisations.

A short online meeting between the selected rapporteurs and the EPB Secretariat will be held during the week prior to the meeting to clarify duties and go over the meeting agenda.

The EPB will provide for the selected rapporteur:

Return flights or travel expenses up to €200 to get to Madrid (reaching Madrid daytime on the 19th Nov, and leaving Madrid on 22nd Nov)
Transport to meeting venue from Madrid, accommodation and meals from evening 19th Nov to Lunch 22nd Nov will be provided to the rapporteurs
Additional € 80 to cover any extra costs incurred (with receipts).

The copies of all receipts must be provided for the EPB to reimburse any expenses.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please provide a one-page CV and a 500 word statement detailing your previous experience as a rapporteur and motivation to attend no later than Monday 8 October 2018 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs (OPP) is seeking input from the arctic research community for its Arctic Science Section (ARC) Portfolio Review Committee, which is reviewing ARC’s successes as well as potential future changes in the scope and structure of its programs, and the balance of its funding.

In March 2018, a committee of 16 Arctic experts from a range of disciplines was assembled to conduct the review. The results of the survey will be critical to the deliberations of the Portfolio Review Committee.

ARC funds research within and across a wide range of disciplines, all affected by rapidly changing natural and social Arctic systems. Survey responses will be crucial to the future of ARC programs.

OPP is seeking frank, constructive and informative responses. Survey responses will be anonymous, as the results are identified only by a computer-generated ID number. Only aggregate findings will be included in the final report.

The survey should take roughly 1-15 minutes to complete.
Click on, or copy-and-paste, this link in any Web browser to access survey. From there, just follow the instructions:
http://www.policyscience.org/flashQ10.html

A browser that runs Flash is required, but it is also possible install and run Flash if the browser requests it.

SOOSLogo1a apecs logo web The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) are looking for early career scientists to join the SOOS West Antarctic Peninsula Working Group (WAP WG) and the SOOS Southern Ocean Air-Sea Fluxes Working Group (SOFLUX WG).

About both positions:

Position 1: SOOS West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc Working Group (WAP WG): The West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc Working Group (WAP WG) of the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) are inviting applicants for one early career scientist on our committee.The WAP WG APECS representative will attend WG meetings, and be responsible for assisting with data collection, curation, and reportage, and will be an important link is liaising between APECS and SOOS. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from countries not yet represented by the working group steering committee. For specific questions on this position contact Kate Hendry (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Sian Henley (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Oscar Schofield (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Position 2: SOOS Southern Ocean Air-Sea Fluxes Working Group (SOFLUX WG): Early career position available within the steering committee of the SOOS capability working group on Southern Ocean Air-Sea Fluxes (SOFLUX). An early career representative will contribute to telecons and planning discussions, and help to coordinate information sharing within the SOFLUX community. SOFLUX interests include fluxes of heat, fresh water, momentum, and gases. SOFLUX has three active themes: coordinating in situ observations of air-sea fluxes, including promoting process studies and sustained observations; evaluating requirements for air-sea fluxes; building links to modeling, assimilation, and satellite observations to provide a global assessment of air-sea fluxes. The early career representative will participate in telecons and meetings, help to take minutes and compile notes, serve as a liaison to APECS, help to prepare newsletter items, and contribute to other steering committee activities. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from countries not yet well represented by the SOFLUX working group steering committee. For specific questions on this position contact Sarah Gille (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Seb Swart (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), and Louise Newman (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Both positions will be for 2 years and non-salaried, but there will be travel reimbursement for attending one meeting if the working group holds a meeting during your term, and potential for co-authorship of publications.

To apply, you need to meet the following criteria:

early career researcher (up to 5 years past PhD)
Have a research background that fits the focus of the two groups:
Position 1: working knowledge of observational research of the Southern Ocean with a particular interest in the WAP and Scotia Sea areas.
Position 2: research focus on fluxes of heat, fresh water, momentum, and gases in the Southern Ocean.
Country restrictions: We welcome applications from early career researchers worldwide and especially from countries not yet well represented the two groups.

How to apply?

Please send the following information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by no later than 10 October at 23:59 GMT

your CV
Statement of Interest (max one page), including your research background, your motivation in joining the working group, and your thoughts on how you can contribute to the group and how this would benefit your career

I am pleased to introduce you the GloablArctic Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) initiated by the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). This MOOC introduces you the dynamics between global changes and changes in the Arctic. This is the first online course dedicated to Arctic issues in a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary approach.

Launched through the summer, the GlobalArctic MOOC is freely accessible on Coursera's learning platform. Check the following link: https://www.coursera.org/learn/global-arctic

For more information regarding the project, please, feel free to follow its activities on the GlobalArctic website, Twitter and LinkedIn!

Warmest greetings,

Florian Vidal

We are gathering opinions from the user community on scientific data systems and services on board the UK’s new polar research vessel, the RRS Sir David Attenborough. Please fill in the user survey here:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SDADATA1

The UK Polar Data Centre, based at the British Antarctic Survey, is leading on the development of the scientific data management systems aboard the new ship.

The design of the ship’s IT infrastructure is broadly agreed but there are a number of key decisions to be made in relation to data including: What system will be used to record underway data? How do cruise participants want to interact with these datasets? How will scientific deployments (events) be recorded? How will real-time data be visualised on board? What data subsets need to be streamed off the ship in near real-time?

The survey should take between 15-20 minutes depending on the level of detail given. All questions are optional so feel free to concentrate on questions that matter to you most and note that most questions have free-text comments boxes to add further details if you wish.

Many thanks in advance for giving up your time to provide feedback.

Alex Tate, Senior Data & Systems Architect, British Antarctic Survey
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SCAR logo white background SCAR is delighted to announce the online release of the second edition of ‘Science in the Snow’ – our landmark book, which details the History of SCAR since its inception in 1958.

The first edition, released in 2011, covers SCAR’s first half century. This latest edition, produced to mark SCAR’s 60th birthday, brings the book up to date with a synopsis of the past 10 years. It covers key recent achievements such as SCAR’s highly cited Horizon Scanning exercise in 2014.

Authored by David W H Walton, Peter D Clarkson and Colin P Summerhayes, ‘Science in the Snow’ provides a comprehensive history of SCAR’s work, drawn from a fascinating mix of sources, ranging from personal recollections to official records of SCAR meetings.

The second edition is available in two formats. Where the first edition was available only in hardcopy, the second edition has also been published in electronic format and is available to view and download through the SCAR Library: Science in the Snow. A hardcopy version of the second edition will be available for purchase in October.

“In describing SCAR’s achievements and the people behind them, this volume portrays clearly the value of the voluntary contributions to the organization. SCAR has an extraordinary history of facilitating discoveries and unveiling their implications. It has also helped deliver fundamental science that is breathtaking in its scope and its beauty”

SCAR President Professor Steven Chown, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University

“.. SCAR remains a beacon for those who care about international scientific co-operation, peaceful co-existence and information-sharing. Resolutely international and multi-disciplinary, this collection is a celebration of 60 years of working together on and off the Ice. It serves as a testimony of an organization’s capacity to change. Enjoy the chapters, and look carefully at both texts and images, for clues as to who does polar research, how does that research get done, and what and where gets studied. It should be a cause for celebration that SCAR is more diverse than ever before. Happy 60th birthday SCAR!”

Klaus Dodds, Professor of Geopolitics at Royal Holloway, University of London and author of Ice: Nature and Culture (2018) and The Scramble for the Poles (2016).

The Research on Learning (DRL) and Undergraduate Education (DUE) divisions of NSF’s Education and Human Resources Directorate and the Office of Polar Programs have jointly issued a Dear Colleague Letter to encourage proposals that will leverage NSF’s investment in polar sciences and infrastructure and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education research and development.

In order to advance polar science educational opportunities, DRL, DUE and OPP will accept and review proposals for projects that facilitate access to polar research efforts in (1) undergraduate education, (2) informal science education or (3) formal PK-12 science or math education.

Proposals in response to the Dear Colleague Letter must be submitted to either the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) solicitation, the Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) solicitation, or the Improving Undergraduate Science Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR) solicitation.

Read the letter in full here: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18103/nsf18103.pdf.

ARCTIC FRONTIERS 2015 Emerging Leaders is an Arctic early carrier and mentoring program in the High North for young scientists and professionals. If you are under 35 years and want to learn more about Arctic security, Arctic economy and Arctic environment, you are welcome to apply!

Emerging Leaders invite 30 selected candidates from different countries to participate in a blend of technical, social and cultural events accompanied by mentors from business, politics and academia. The program takes place in the Norwegian Arctic and starts in the city of Bodø, then continues onboard the coastal cruise M/S Hurtigruten to Lofoten and ends in Tromsø, “the gateway to the Arctic”.

The Emerging Leaders will explore topics and adventures that are specific to the Arctic mindset and engage in crucial and contemporary discussions on environment, resource management, security, the development of business and technology in the Arctic.

The Mentors will challenge the Emerging Leaders to present at the Arctic Frontiers Policy conference in Tromsø a professional view on the Arctic. What are the suggestions and solutions to Arctic opportunities and challenges? How should we best define Arctic sustainability, potentials and vulnerabilities?

Be prepared to make close friends across a variety of pan-Arctic regions and professions.

Arctic Frontiers Emerging Leaders 2019, 16 – 22 January in Bodø – Lofoten – Tromsø.

Participation fee is 35.000 NOK. Apply before 1 November 2018.

For general inquiries about the program and funding, please contact program manager Laura Johanne Olsen (+47) 90 75 12 75 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Clic logo1 It is time to find new members to join the Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) Scientific Steering Group (SSG). Please circulate this opportunity to people in your networks who may be good candidates or consider to self-nominate if you are interested in joining the team.

Current SSG members are listed here:
http://www.climate-cryosphere.org/about/ssg

Link to nomination form:
https://bit.ly/2oOOdre

The SSG currently has 9 researchers with a wide range of expertise in global cryosphere observation and modelling. The SSG guides CliC’s priorities and activities, working together with the SSG co-chairs and the CliC project office. SSG members should thus have a good overview of the CliC science plan: https://bit.ly/2oOPCy0 relevant regional and international research agendas, and knowledge of how CliCs priorities align with those of the new World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) strategy.

The deadline for nominations is 15 October 2018. Scientific expertise, career stage as well as gender and geographical balance are taken into account. Initial membership is for three years and, as a rule, two extensions of two years each may be recommended. The SSG typically meets once a year.

Any questions can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

flyer september2018 Kopie Join us in celebrating APECS International Polar Week September 2018 from September 17-23! Polar Week is a series of events happening globally, with the goal of promoting the science taking place in polar latitudes.

This September, our theme is #PolarNumbers with a focus on showcasing quantitative aspects of your own polar education and research interests. Everyone deals with numbers - whether it be, for example, the number of penguins in your study, the number of days you spent in the field this summer, the year of a historical event, a statistically significant data point in your recent research, or just your favourite polar-related number - we want to know!’ We encourage you to share your #PolarNumbers through a series of fun and professional activities online, and don’t forget to seek out local events through your National Committee.

Daily #PolarNumbers ‘challenge’on social media
Quizzes - for you to test your polar knowledge at your leisure
The third Polar Film Festival coordinated by USAPECS
and more!

If you are oganizing your own Polar Week activity, please submit details via the Polar Week website.

To find out more about the events and how to participate, please visit our Polar Week website. If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

T-MOSAiC and APECS are pleased to announce the availability of partial travel support for early career researchers to attend the 3rd T-MOSAiC workshop on 10 December 2018 during the ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting 2018 in Ottawa, Canada. The funding is generously provided by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC).

T-MOSAiC(Terrestrial Multidisciplinary distributed Observatories for the Study of Arctic Connections) is an IASC pan-Arctic, land-based program that would extend the activities that are currently in advanced planning for the IASC flagship program MOSAiC: ‚The Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate“. MOSAiC is a multinational year-round study (2019-2020) of the central Arctic Ocean to measure the coupling between atmosphere, sea ice, ocean and ecosystem processes.

The 3rd T-MOSAiC workshop will be divided into a closed session for the steering committee (8:00 - 12:00) and an open meeting in which all are welcome (13:00 - 17:00). The selected travel support recipients would be expected to attend the entire day. All travel support recipients have to be registered for the ArcticNet ASM meeting .

Applicants should be:

Early career researchers up to 5 years past PhD
Affiliated with an institution in an IASC member country
Have not received IASC travel support in the 18 months before December 2018
Have a research background that fits with one of the IASC working groups

To apply for the travel support please fill out this application form: https://goo.gl/forms/y5AMSBzo5lxymVEY2. Application deadline for the travel support will be on 5 October 2018.

Please note, that there will also be T-MOSAiC Workshop at the upcoming Arctic Science Summit Week 2019 (22 - 30 May 2019, Arkhangelsk, Russia) for which travel support will be announced in early 2019. It is only possible to receive travel support for either the workshop in Ottawa or in Arkhangelsk but not both.

The review and selection process of travel support recipients is organized by the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) in close cooperation with T-MOSAiC. If you have any questions about the funding, please contact the APECS International Directorate office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Registration is now openfor the 2019 Workshop on the Dynamics and Mass Budget of Arctic Glaciers & the IASC Network on Arctic Glaciology Annual Meeting.

The meeting will take place at Bardøla Hotel in Geilo, Norway, 20-24 January 2019, and host a cross-cutting activity of the Marine and Cryosphere working groups of IASC: “The importance of Arctic glaciers for the Arctic marine ecosystem”.

The meeting is open to anyone interested in Arctic Glaciology and proglacial marine ecosystems. The cross-cutting activity aims at bringing together people from glaciology, marine ecology and oceanography - more details below.

You can register and submit your abstracts (maximum length 300 words) by filling this online-form (copy paste the following link into your web browser: https://goo.gl/forms/nhmcMqH14RbHXYkx1

Registration deadline is October 31, 2018. Indicate whether you prefer oral or poster presentation and if your presentation is a contribution to the cross-cutting activity. If you have questions, e-mail Thorben Dunse (Thorben.Dunse [at] hvl.no).

Travel support is available for early-career scientists (up to 5 years past PhD), prioritizing those that wish to contribute to the cross-cutting activity. Funds will be distributed through the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS)

For further info on travel support, cross-cutting activity and workshop logistics read below or visit the IASC-NAG website: https://nag.iasc.info/workshop

Best regards,

Thorben Dunse, on behalf of the IASC Network on Arctic Glaciology and co-conveners of IASC cross-cutting activity, Renate Degen, Monika Kędra, Shin Sugiyama, Marit Reigstad and Martin Sharp

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Contributions:

We welcome contribution on all aspects concerning the mass balance and dynamics of arctic glaciers and ice caps, including the Greenland Ice Sheet, and that utilize a broad range of methods, including field observations, remote sensing and modelling. We especially encourage submission to our cross-cutting activity.

Contributions in the form of oral presentations and or posters are welcomed. Presentation will be 15-20 minutes, including discussion. For those who bring a poster, time will be reserved in the program to give a short 2-3 minute introduction to the poster. Three days of talks and poster presentations, as well as open-forum discussions are planned.

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Cross-cutting activity on “The importance of Arctic glaciers for the Arctic marine ecosystem”
Conveners: Thorben Dunse, Renate Degen, Monika Kędra, Shin Sugiyama, Marit Reigstad, Martin Sharp

Arctic glaciers contribute significant amounts of freshwater into Arctic fjords/ocean, in form of surface melt and runoff and frontal ablation (iceberg calving and submarine melt). While the impact on glacial freshwater-discharge on fjord and ocean circulation is widely recognized, awareness of the potential impacts of glacial processes and glacier-change on marine ecosystems and biodiversity is only emerging.

This cross-cutting activity is endorsed by the Cryosphere and Marine working groups of IASC. Following up on last year’s event in Obergurgl, Austria, the cross-cutting aims at bringing together people from glaciology, marine ecology and oceanography to stimulate cross-disciplinary research.

Topics may include
· proglacial marine ecosystems (e.g. plankton, benthos, fish, seabirds and marine mammals) and their response to glacier processes and glacier changes
· glacier-ocean interactions / physical and bio-geochemical processes at tidewater-glacier termini
· glacigenic sediment and nutrient delivery to adjacent seas and downstream ecosystems
· new technologies to investigate proglacial marine environments

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Financial support:

apecs logo web We have received financial support from the IASC Cryosphere and Marine working groups to enable early career scientists to participate in the meeting and cross-cutting activity, in particular. Funds will be distributed through the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS; www.apecs.is). Eligible for the funding will be early career scientist who meet the following criteria:

are within 5 years of finishing their PhD
are affiliated with an institution in an IASC member country (Austria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA)
have submitted an abstract for the workshop
have a research background relevant to the meeting
have not received IASC travel support in the last 18 months prior to January 2019

If you are interested, please fill out the following google form https://goo.gl/forms/0vLYQlajcbiQ9fqg2 by no later than 31 October 2018. If you have problems accessing the online form, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive a word version.

If you have questions regarding the funding applications, please contact the APECS Executive Director Gerlis Fugmann (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). If support is granted, reimbursement will be after the meeting through the IASC Office. Detailed information will be provided to those selected for the travel support. Those supported have to provide a brief 1-2 page report to IASC after the meeting.

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Meeting venue and accommodation:

The workshop will be held at Bardøla Hotel in Geilo, Norway. Accommodation is available within the main building or in comfortable cabins, shared by four to eight persons (https://bardola.no/en/rooms/). Rates are NOK 1250/1050 per person and day in a single or double room, respectively (around 125 or 105 Euros) and cover full board from dinner on arrival to lunch on departure day, refreshments/coffee/tea during two daily breaks and access to conference facilities, swimming pool and training facilities. To make reservations contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and mention that you are participating in the "Arctic Glaciology Workshop 2019”. If you choose to stay in a cabin, you may want to organize yourself in a group and provide a name list. Please inform the hotel about any dietary preferences you may have.

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Travel information:

Geilo is located 250 km northwest from Oslo and best reached by train (3.5 to 4 hours from Oslo). Bardøla hotel offers free shuttle service for groups up to 7-14 persons to and from Geilo station, upon request. For larger groups, expect to pay a return fee of around NOK 100 per person.
Geilo offers a wide range of winter activities, including great opportunities for alpine and cross-country skiing (https://www.skigeilo.no/en).

Please be advised that the call for session proposals is now open for the International Glaciology Society (IGS) Symposium on Sea Ice to be held August 18–23, 2019 in Winnipeg. If you are interested in organizing a session, please send your session proposal to Dr. Feiyue Wang (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Chair of the Scientific Steering Committee, by September 30, 2018.

The proposal should have the following format:

Session title:
Session organizers and affiliations:
Session description or motivation (max 200 words):

Session proposals will be evaluated by the Scientific Advisory/Steering Committees. Session proposers will be informed in October 2018 if their session is selected to be included in the call for abstracts. To facilitate maximum participation and collaboration, we encourage session proposals to 1) involve multiple co-organizers from ideally multiple institutions/countries, and 2) show demonstrated interest from confirmed or potential attendees.

More about the Sea Ice Symposium-2019 can be found at: https://www.igsoc.org/symposia/2019/winnipeg. The local website will be available soon.

Please circulate this to those who you think might be interested.

Polar Week logo2 01 In conjunction with the APECS International Polar Week September 2018, USAPECS is hosting the 3rd annual Polar Film Fest during the week of 18-22 September 2018. For five days, the Polar Film Fest will feature short films about the Arctic, Antarctic, and wider cryosphere. This year’s daily themes include:

Monday: Tipping the Balance: Exploring rapid changes in polar ice cover

Tuesday and Wednesday: Polar Research, Field Work, and Citizen Science

Thursday: Melt: An exploration of life in the polar ice pack

Friday: Environmental issues in the polar regions

To view the films visit the USAPECS Polar Film Fest 2018 website

US Association of Polar Early Career Scientists
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://usapecs.wixsite.com/usapecs

Monday: Tipping the Balance: Exploring rapid changes in polar ice cover

Tuesday and Wednesday: Polar Research, Field Work, and Citizen Science

Thursday: Melt: An exploration of life in the polar ice pack

Friday: Environmental issues in the polar regions

To view the films visit the USAPECS Polar Film Fest 2018 website

US Association of Polar Early Career Scientists
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://usapecs.wixsite.com/usapecs

yeslogo 1

The 5th International YES (Young Earth Scientists) Congress 2019 will be held from 9 - 13 September 2019 in Berlin, Germany and APECS is a partner to the congress.

The YES Congress in 2019 will be a special opportunity for early career scientists from all over the world to share their experiences, their science and culture, and to expand their skills. We will be offering numerous summer schools and a "Workshop on Global Geochemical Baselines and Resourcing" in the period before and after the congress. Different events ranging from invited keynote lectures, to "elevator pitches" and a "market of opportunities" will offer young talents the possibility to introduce themselves to potential future employers from industry, business, universities and public authorities, and to discover opportunities for training and research in Germany.

In 2019, the 5th YES Congress will have the theme "Rocking Earth's Future".

Global change confronts us with major challenges such as rapid population growth, increasing urbanization, global warming, soil destruction and water pollution. Globalization processes increase further our vulnerability. For early career researchers, the task is to ensure that humanity is prepared to tackle all these challenges in a smart and sustainable way. This requires hard facts, reproducible and transparent science and a sound commitment.

The YES Congress 2019 will attempt at "Rocking Earth's Future" by focusing on six large topical issues:

Ashes to Ashes - Understanding Earth Processes
Unboxing Earth - Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
Heritage Earth - Sustainable Resource Management
Society at Risk - Impacting Earth Phenomena
Brave New World - Advanced Technologies in Earth Sciences
Beyond Printing - Communicating Science

For those themes, we invite you to submit your session proposals. Session formats can be anything from traditional oral presentations and poster presentations, to roundtable discussions, panel discussions, interactive Q&A sessions, open discussion rounds, science slams, barcamps, PICO, field trips, elevator pitches or others. Be creative!

Submission deadline is 30 September 2018

The lead convener in each session proposal has to be an early career scientist!

Read the detailed call for sessions on the congress website and find out how to submit your session proposal. For questions please contact the organizing committee at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sentinel North announces the opening of the fourth Sentinel North excellence scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships competition, from September 1 to October 10, 2018.

These grants and fellowships aim to encourage the best candidates to undertake or pursue research activities within the Sentinel North research program in a transdisciplinary environment.

Master's scholarships from $15,000 / year, for 2 years
Ph.D. scholarships from $18,000 / year, for 3 years
Postdoctoral fellowships from $35,000 / year, for 2 years

Those scholarships & fellowships are open to candidates from all disciplines.

Candidates who stand out by the excellence of their academic record and the innovative and multidisciplinary potential of their research project are invited to submit their application.

Deadline to apply: October 10, 2018

Learn more about all Sentinel North training programs, and follow Sentinel North on Facebook and Twitter to know everything about upcoming offers and announcements.

Contact:

Marie-France Gévry, Coordonnatrice des programmes de formation - Training programs coordinator
T: 418-656-2131 poste (ext) 8910
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

apecs logo web APECS is currently involved in the EU Horizon 2020-funded INTERACT (International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic) project. One of our tasks has been to produce example introductory videos of some of the INTERACT research stations. Two of these have now produced, for:

Abisko Scientific Research Station (Sweden)
Villum Research Station (Greenland)

These videos are there to provide a brief introduction to each research station, what facilities are available, what research is carried out there, and other general information about the area.

Find out more about how APECS is involved in INTERACT here or the INTERACT project here.

We are pleased to announce that the 13th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Science (ISAES 2019) will be held during July 22-26, 2019, at the Songdo Convensia in Incheon, Republic of Korea. The symposium aims to bring together Antarctic earth scientists from different areas in order to gather and highlight their outstanding expertise and ideas.

Major themes of the symposium include:
1. Continental evolution of Antarctica
2. Antarctic solid earth structure and interactions with the cryosphere
3. Past and present permafrost changes in Antarctica
4. Glacial history of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean
5. Antarctic surface processes and landscape
6. Changes in the Southern Ocean
7. Climate change in the 21st century
8. Antarctica and the evolution of life
9. Remote sensing and satellite imagery
10. General Antarctic earth sciences

Call for session proposals
The Scientific Program Committee cordially invites you to submit session proposals. Each session will consist of 6-7 oral presentations lasting for 20 minutes (including Q&A session). Please submit your session proposals by November 30, 2018.

Session proposals should follow the below format. Proposals will be considered by their scientific merits and the significance of their respective themes. They will then be incorporated into the final program. Ten themes are proposed but session proposals with different themes may also be accepted.
Format
1. Title of the session and corresponding theme
2. Name of convener/co-convener (affiliation and email)
3. Session description (max. 200 words)
4. List of invited speakers and potential presenters

Contacts
Chair of the Local Organizing Committee: Dr. Jongkuk Hong (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Secretary: Mr. Sunhwi Kim (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) special report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) will be published in September 2019. APECS is coordinating the next review by early career experts that will take place between November and December 2018.

From last April, the APECS-IPCC working group went though the first Round of Review of this report, working with up to hundred international selected early career reviewers. This first Round was a success, and we published about it in Nature Correspondence in August. Participation recognizes you not only as an early career expert, but is also an exciting opportunity to gain valuable insight and training in how the scientific review process of such a report is conducted.

We are now looking for reviewers for the second round of review and encourage members from various career stages to participate, from advanced Master students, PhD students, postdoctoral researchers to early career faculty members! (If you do not fit in these categories and are interested in applying, please email us with a short explanation so we can determine eligibility.) If you want to participate, please fill out this online form, by no later than 8 October 2018 (23:59 GMT). Accepted participants will be assigned to a chapter and contacted by the end of October.

The second round of reviews will take place from 16 November 16 December 2018, so applicants should make sure they have the necessary amount of time available during this period. You need to be intimately familiar with the recent literature in your field and will need to review roughly 10 to 20 pages of the special report. These are not anonymous reviews, so this means you will be individually credited for your contribution, and your comments will be made a part of the public record. Further informations about the reviewing process will be given to the selected participants.

For further details on the general review process for the report go to: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/srocc/ . If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

PolarTREC(Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is currently accepting applications from researchers for teacher research experiences. Researchers are invited to submit an application to host a PolarTREC teacher in the 2019 Arctic field season and/or the 2019-2020 Antarctic field seasons.

IMPORTANT! Funding is pending for PolarTREC during the 2019-20 field seasons. ARCUS will keep researcher applicants informed of our funding status. If funding is secured, final matches should be made in December 2018 or January 2019.

Informational Webinar: A one-hour informational webinar for both researchers and teachers interested in the PolarTREC program will be held on Wednesday, 29 August 2018 at 2:00 p.m. AKDT (3:00 p.m. PDT, 4:00 p.m. MDT, 5:00 p.m. CDT, 6:00 p.m. EDT).

Webinar registration is available through the PolarTREC website at:

Webinar Registration

PolarTREC, a program of the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS), is a project through which middle and high school teachers, as well as informal science educators participate in polar research, working closely with scientists as a pathway to improving science education.

The program integrates research and education to produce a legacy of long-term teacher-researcher collaborations, improved teacher content knowledge and instructional practices, and broad public interest and engagement in polar science. PolarTREC projects focus on a wide variety of research activities occurring in both the Arctic and Antarctic, providing an outstanding opportunity for researchers to share their passion for polar science through topics that naturally engage students and the wider public.

Through PolarTREC, teachers spend two to six weeks in the Arctic or Antarctic, working closely with researchers in the field as an integral part of the science team. PolarTREC teachers and researchers are matched based on similar science interests and selected researchers will have the opportunity to interview top applicants and make final selections.

Teachers participate in an orientation and are trained extensively to meet the program requirements prior to the field season. While in the field, teachers and researchers communicate extensively with their colleagues, communities, and students of all ages across the globe, using a variety of tools including online journals, forums, podcasts, and interactive webinars from the field.

PolarTREC researchers must be at U.S. institutions. Applications from researchers on National Science Foundation (NSF) funded projects will receive priority in the selection process. Researchers should have secured funding for their research project prior to applying. If funding is pending and you would still like to host a teacher contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss your situation and future opportunities.

If you are interested in participating in PolarTREC, but are unable to apply during the application period, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss opportunities for future participation.

Researcher Webinar Registration deadline: Wednesday, 29 August 2018

Researcher Application deadline: Monday, 24 September 2018

Webinar registration is available through the PolarTREC website at:

Webinar Registration

Applications and additional information about researcher and teacher requirements can be found on the PolarTREC website at:

View PolarTREC Researcher Application Page

For further information, contact:
PolarTREC
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 907-474-1600

Do you know anyone who has made a meaningful impact to the scientific community in the North?

APECS Canada and the ArcticNet Student Association are looking to recognize a mentor who has contributed significantly over a period of several years to the mentoring and fostering of polar early career researchers in Canada.

We encourage nomination packages from a variety of backgrounds for this award, including academics, industry professionals, community members, Elders, educators, public servants, and anyone else that has made a meaningful impact on polar early career researchers.

For more information on the award and how to nominate a mentor, visit www.apecscanada.wixsite.com/ehpecs/mentor-award. The deadline for nomination package submissions is September 14, 2018.

Mentor Award Call 2018 English

Following from the success of our Summer 2018 Data Science Training, the NSF Arctic Data Center is excited to announce the Call for Applicants for our January 2019 Data Science Training. The training will be held January 14th - 18th, 2019, at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in Santa Barbara, California.

The training will provide Arctic researchers with an overview of best data management practices, data science tools, reproducible data analysis in R and Github, and concrete steps and methods for more easily documenting and uploading their data to the Arctic Data Center. To see a full list of topics, and to submit your application, please visit our January 2019 Training page.

This training targets beginner-to-intermediate R users, and Arctic researchers from all career stages and disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Accepted applicants will have airfare, accommodation, and meal costs covered during the training period.

Please feel free to share this call for applicants widely within your Arctic research community networks, and email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Kathryn Meyer, Community Engagement & Outreach Coordinator
Matt B. Jones, PI
Amber Budden, Co-PI

The Summer 2018 issue of Witness the Arctic is now published online. This issue includes a call for public comment on the Revised Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic; news from a recent study indicating an increase in amplified Arctic temperatures; news of the recently developed use of remote sensing to study beaver encroachment in Arctic tundra; news about the EarthScope Transportable Array; updates from the SEARCH program, USARC, the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2, the women in polar research panel discussion during POLAR2018, and the 2018 Anchorage Arctic Research Day; comments from ARCUS board members, Board President Audrey Taylor, and Executive Director Bob Rich; and a highlight of ARCUS member institution, the Woods Hole Research Center.

To read this issue, please go to: https://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/2018/1.

For questions, or to suggest articles for future issues, contact Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Following requests for more information on the process of nomination and what is required of members on the CLIVAR/CliC/SCAR Southern Ocean Region Panel, we are pleased to give full details below.

The CLIVAR/CliC/SCAR Southern Ocean Region Panel (SORP) is seeking nominations for four new members (self-nominations are welcome).

The panel is in particular need of nominees possessing expertise in:

global climate/Earth-system modelling;
open ocean measurements;
sea ice remote sensing;
sea-going chemical oceanography;

The inclusion of representation from across the nations and regions that participate in Southern Ocean climate science is a priority. At least one new member from Africa and from Asia are needed for this round of nominations.

SORP's terms of reference are given here: http://www.clivar.org/clivar-panels/southern

Nominations (including self-nominations) are through this link: http://www.clivar.org/news/open-call-new-clivar-members-1

The panel has in-person meetings every 18 months or so, the next one is due in 2020. SORP has video conferences about every 3-4 months, and members do a lot of their work by email.

Current activities include contributing to OceanObs19 papers, as well as regular reporting to CLIVAR, CliC and SCAR on ocean and climate research for the Southern Ocean.

The process of nominations is that they are collated by CLIVAR and then passed to the co-chairs to short-list. CLIVAR, CliC, and SCAR then make the final decisions on the members, taking into account balance issues such as geographic location, gender, and range of disciplinary expertise.

For more information about panel activities and the expectations for panel members, please contact one of the panel co-chairs, Inga Smith (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Riccardo Farneti (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Regards,

Riccardo and Inga

iassa logo1 The new issue of Northern Notes (Spring/Summer 2018) has been published!

This issue from the International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA) secretariat features:

Letters from the President and the Council
Report on IASSA activities in the Arctic Council
Arctic Horizons Final Report update
Arctic Science Agreement
National Inuit Strategy on Research
Reports from IASSA members on past, on-going and future events

Make sure to also check out the calls for papers, the listing of upcoming conferences and workshops, all the announcements / other news, and a listing of new publications related to Arctic social sciences.

Click here for the new Northern Notes!

The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) will convene an open webinar titled An Overview of MOSAiC: The Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate. This webinar will provide an overview of the interdisciplinary international MOSAiC program and ongoing work on the causes and consequences of an evolving and diminished Arctic sea ice cover.

Webinar Date and Time:
This event will be held on Tuesday, 11 September 2018 at:

9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. AKDT,
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. PDT,
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. MDT,
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. CDT, and
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT.

Webinar Program:

MOSAiC is a large interdisciplinary international program addressing an overarching question of "What are the causes and consequences of an evolving and diminished Arctic sea ice cover?" The centerpiece of MOSAiC is a year-long drift experiment from September 2019 to September 2020. In MOSAiC, models are being used to inform observations and observations will be used to enhance models. MOSAiC is taking an interdisciplinary approach with elements investigating the atmosphere, ice, ocean, ecosystem, and biogeochemistry. Observations will be conducted on three primary scales; the central observatory (5 km), the distributed network (50 km), and the large scale (1000s km). This presentation will give an overview of MOSAiC, with special attention on the sea ice program.

Webinar Speaker:

Don Perovich is a Professor at the Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College. His research is focused on the geophysics of sea ice, with particular emphasis on electromagnetic, thermodynamic, and morphological properties. A central element of his work is observing and understanding the role of the sea ice albedo feedback in the Arctic climate system.

More details, including registration instructions, will be announced closer to the event. The webinar will be archived and available online after the event.

For questions, contact:
Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The CLIVAR/CliC/SCAR Southern Ocean Region Panel (SORP) seeks nominations for four new members (self-nominations are welcome).

The panel is in particular need of nominees possessing expertise in:

global climate/Earth-system modelling;
open ocean measurements;
sea ice remote sensing;
sea-going chemical oceanography;

The inclusion of representation from across the nations and regions that participate in Southern Ocean climate science is a priority.

At least one new member from Africa and from Asia are needed for this round of nominations.

Current panel membership is listed t https://www.scar.org/science/sorp/contact/.

Nominations of women, members of under-represented groups, and early career scientists are encouraged.

Organizers announce a call for abstracts for the 2019 Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) Arctic Science Workshop. This workshop will convene 14-16 January 2019 in Helsinki, Finland.

Organizers invite studies on coupled atmospheric, ocean, sea ice, and land processes in the context of the latest Arctic observations, modeling, and prediction efforts, including the benefits to society on time scales from hours to seasonal.

This workshop is jointly organized by the Polar Prediction Project, its International Coordination Office, the International Arctic Science Committee, and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. It will bring together YOPP scientists to discuss first results from the Arctic Special Observing Periods, providing a vivid forum for exchange and networking.

Confirmed speakers include:

Elizabeth C. Hunke,
Jim Doyle,
Machiel Lamers,
John Marshall,
Pierre Rampal,
Ian Renfrew,
Greg C. Smith, and
Gunilla Svensson

Abstract submission deadline: 3 September 2018

For more information, go to:
Workshop homepage

For more information about abstract submission, go to:
Complete Call for Abstracts (PDF - 2,241 KB)

For questions, contact:
YOPP International Coordination Office
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

APECSSA Workshop APECS South Africa hosted their 1st workshop at the recent 5th SANAP/NRF PI Symposium. The symposium is organised every two years and open to any researcher and student involved in South African polar research. Since many of the APECS South Africa National Committee members were attending we decided to maximise on this opportunity to hold a workshop where we would spread the word about APECS & APECS South Africa, while also using the event to celebrate the 1st successful year as a NC.

The workshop was held on the evening of 14 August and was attended by approximately 40 people. Since APECSSA is a fairly new group within APECS, the majority of the workshop was used to introduce APECS and APECSSA to the participants.

We spoke about:

Who APECS is;
Who APECS South Africa is;
Advantages of joining APECS and APECS South Africa (we also spoke to PIs about the mentor program and got some promises to sign up);
Group activity/discussion on how to maximise attendance at conferences and networking from an established researcher's perspective, as well as an emerging researcher's perspective. Ian Meiklejohn from Rhodes University was kind enough to speak to the workshop participants from an established researcher's perspective. The APECS South Africa Chair (Christel Hansen) spoke from the view of an emerging researcher's perspective.
The workshop concluded with more information on joining APECS and/or the APECS South Africa NC.

APECS South Africa was able to hold the workshop at the Symposium due to the assistance of the sponsors (the South African National Research Foundation) and organisers (the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and the South African National Space Agency). Material from the workshop is available on our website; the various presentations given are available (collated) here.

APECS South Africa Workshop 2018 3

The aim of this Special Issue of remote sensing is to compile the latest developments in AVHRR pre-processing (calibration, geo-coding) and ECV retrieval. This considers regional time series based on Local Area Coverage (LAC) data in 1.1 km in nadir but also global applications using Global Area Coverage (GAC) data in 4 km spatial resolution. The main focus is on the retrieval and validation of time series related to the following ECVs: Lakes, snow cover, glaciers and ice caps, ice sheets, permafrost, albedo, land cover (including vegetation type), fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR), leaf area index (LAI), above-ground biomass, soil carbon, and fire disturbance. Additionally, papers describing new retrieval methods for the above-mentioned ECVs resulting in improved accuracy, which has to be documented with sound validation procedure are welcome. Furthermore, authors of methodological papers focusing on novel approaches to determine the uncertainty of the retrieved products are encouraged to submit their work, too.

Dr. Stefan Wunderle
Guest Editor

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 7 December 2018

Further information: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing/special_issues/AVHRR

During the last year, APECS has organised a group review of the next IPCC special report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, in which 75 Early Career Scientists were involved. This process was very instructive and we were able to compile more than 2000 comments that were submitted to the IPCC at the end of June. In light of this project, we believe that Early Career Scientists should have a greater role in the scientific review process, given that presently, Early Career Scientists account for only 6% of all reviewers.

A correspondence has now been published about this process in Nature.

The 2018 APECS World Summit was held in Davos, Switzerland, from June 17-18, as part of POLAR2018. In total 41 representatives from 22 countries participated in the first day, with sessions dedicated to facilitating local and national networks of ECRs and how to better serve APECS members. The second day, 110 participants from 24 countries joined for a workshop on interdisciplinary and inter-polar research. While the two days had different foci and different participants, common themes emerged through the whole event. These included: Recruitment and Retention of members; Career Development; Education and Outreach; and the importance of Interdisciplinary and Interpolar Research.

Word Summit 2018 - Day 1

Twenty one APECS National Committees were represented on Day 1 (June 17) of the APECS World Summit. The local APECS Switzerland representative Carla Perzmon welcomed APECS members to Davos. Several National Committees were invited make short presentations to initiate discussions about running large funded events; engaging with mentors; collaborating with national organisations; engaging members; and effective education and outreach. It was noted that many of the challenges outlined were also faced by other National Committees, and participants were reminded they can contact each other as valuable resources when solving problems locally.

There were two major outcomes from Day 1 of the APECS World Summit. First, it was noted that for some members it is useful to have a document certifying their involvement with APECS. In order to address this point, and to provide an incentive for recruitment and retentions of APECS members, the establishment of a voluntary APECS Development Program was proposed. An APECS Project Group will develop this proposal further, providing suggested requirements and a rationale for these.

Partnerships with other organisations were also discussed. Participants decided to establish an APECS Project Group to create a resource that outlines best practice for working with partners. This project group will contact partner organisations to seek examples of what has worked well, and develop best practice guidelines to be posted on the APECS website and used by APECS International, APECS National Committees, and organisations looking to collaborate with APECS on opportunities for ECRs.

The second day of the APECS World Summit (June 18) was open to all early career researchers attending POLAR2018, and had a focus on interdisciplinary research, collaboration and exchange. The day consisted of four plenary presentations, followed by two break out group sessions. The first break out session related to the development of soft skills, including data management and education and outreach, while the second break out session was focussed on research challenges and creating connections between participants and disciplines. The day concluded with a panel discussion on interdisciplinary, inter-polar research, and participants were encouraged to continue dialogue throughout the POLAR2018 conference. Many new connections were formed, and we look forward to seeing new friendships and professional collaborations develop in the coming years.

World Summit 2018 - Day 2

A more detailed project report with the outcomes of the meeting as well as more photos from the two days will be published on the World Summit website in the coming weeks.

(Photos by Stephen Curtain and Gerlis Fugmann)

INTERACT Transnational Access Call is open for projects taking place between March 2019 and April 2020

The EU H2020 funded INTERACT (International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic) opens a call for research groups to apply for Transnational Access to 43 research stations across the Arctic and northern alpine and forest areas in Europe, Russia and North-America. The sites represent a variety of glacier, mountain, tundra, boreal forest, peatland and freshwater ecosystems, providing opportunities for researchers from natural sciences to human dimension. Transnational Access includes free access (either physical or remote) for user groups/users to research facilities and field sites, including support for travel and logistic costs.

Overall, INTERACT provides three different modalities of access: Transnational and Remote Access that are applied through annual calls, and Virtual Access which means free access to data from stations, available at all times through the INTERACT VA single-entry point.

The call for Transnational and Remote Access applications is open on 13th August - 12th October, 2018, for projects taking place between March 2019 and April 2020. You can find the TA/RA Call information, stations available in the call, descriptions of stations and their facilities, and registration to the INTERACCESS on-line application system from the INTERACT website.

An on-line webinar will be held on 11th Sept at 15:00 (CEST) to provide information about the ongoing TA/RA call and for answering any questions related to the application process and TA and RA in general. The link to join the webinar is available on the INTERACT website.

For any additional information, please contact the Transnational Access coordinator Hannele Savela, hannele.savela(at)oulu.fi.

Apply to INTERACT Transnational Access to conduct research at the coolest places of the North!

APECS Spain welcomes all members to their Workshop in Madrid on September 4th. The workshop will be held in Spanish and will take place during the whole day. In the morning we will have a couple of talks about how Polar Research is organised in Spain and another talk about carrying out effective presentations in science. In the afternoon we will discuss the future and organisation of APECS Spain, experiences from other National Committees are very welcomed.

Attending the event is free but registration is required. Registration is done by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

All the information (in Spanish) can be found here: https://apecsspain.wordpress.com/2018/07/28/encuentro-apecs-spain/

iasc web Every year around December, IASC publishes our Arctic science calendar.

For graphics and photographs we depend solely on what the IASC community sends us. We are looking for new photographs for the publication of the 2019 Calendar, and other IASC publications such as the website, brochures, social media, and Bulletin. We welcome images depicting all areas of Arctic science: scientists in the field, animals, landscapes, everyday life in the Arctic, and more!

Although we are not able to pay for the image, we of course credit the photographer. The photographer also will receives a copy of printed material by mail. For print, the image quality must be around at least 3500 x 2500 pixels.

With each photo submission, IASC also requires:

A short description about what we see and background information on the project/research;
Location;
Name of photographer / Institute;
Contact information (email address and mail addresses).

Please upload your pictures and associated information here. (You can also send pictures along with the information written above via e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)

Thank you to all those who make the effort to send in photos. We usually receive more photographs than we can place and therefore have to make a selection based on quality, as well as geographical and thematic representation. We only notify the photographers who's contributions are selected publication.

Thank you!
Federica Scarpa
IASC Communications Manager
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Executive Organizing Committee for the Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) announce the release of the AOS 2018 Conference Statement. This statement summarizes the main conclusions and call to action from the 2018 AOS that convened 24-26 June 2018 in Davos, Switzerland.

During AOS 2018, participants from 26 countries focused on the Business Case for a Pan-Arctic Observing System. Demonstrating the value of Arctic observations, linked to relevant societal benefit areas, showed how long-term observing systems support decision-making from local to global scales.

The conference statement is based on the summaries of the working group deliberations and was reviewed during the final plenary session of the Summit.

To view to full conference statement, go to:
Conference statement webpage (PDF - 87.89 KB)

For more information about AOS 2018, including access to copies of presentations, go to:
AOS homepage

For questions, contact:
Ravi Darwin Sankar
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 403-220-5775

Maribeth Murray
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We would like to issue a call for papers for the thematic issue of the Annals of Glaciology on ‘Progress in Radioglaciology’.

The deadline for paper submission is 1 August 2019.

Accepted papers will be published online as soon as authors have returned their proofs and all corrections have been made.

The hard copy is scheduled for publication towards the end of 2019/beginning of 2020

The Associate Chief Editor for this issue is,
Dustin Schroeder (Stanford; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Scientific editors are
Rob Bingham (Edinburgh)
Don Blankenship (UTIG)
Knut Christiansen (Washington)
Olaf Eisen (AWI)
Gwenn Flowers (SFU)
Nanna Karlsson (GEUS)
Ala Khazendar (JPL)
Jonathan Kingslake (Columbia)
Michelle Koutnik (Washington)
John Paden (CReSIS)
Jeremie Mouginot (Grenoble)
Martin Siegert (Imperial)
more will be added as needed

Please go to https://www.igsoc.org/annals/call_4_papers/a81_call_4_papers.pdf for more information.

Due to strong interest and a number of requests, the deadline for the Arctic Biodiversity "Through the Lens" Photography Competition has been extended until 14 August 23:59 GMT. Below you will find further information about the competition.

One grand prize winner will receive a trip to beautiful Rovaniemi, Finland. Selected images will be displayed at the Arctic Biodiversity Congress 9-11 October 2018 in Rovaniemi, Finland, and be exhibited across Arctic countries.

The competition welcomes entries across four categories; landscape, biodiversity, peoples of the North and business and science in the Arctic. Young photographers are especially welcome to submit and the competition has special prizes for young photographers under the age of 18. Award-winning photographers Carsten Egevang, Gyda Henningsdottir, Einar Gudmann, Krista Ylinen and Lawrence Hislop will judge winning entries.

The eyes of the world are turning northwards. Arctic landscapes, wildlife, cultures and light have inspired people since time immemorial. The Arctic Biodiversity Through the Lens photography competition is intended to celebrate the beauty of the Arctic as experienced by photographers of all skill levels. Further information can be found at the Arctic Biodiversity Through the Lens Photography Competition and in the terms and conditions.

Please share and distribute this post among your colleagues, within your institution, and with anybody that shares our appreciation for Arctic biodiversity and photography.

Find more information and enter your photos at: https://photocontest.arcticbiodiversity.is/

Coastlines and People initiative scoping workshops - Application deadline 12 August!

Prospective participants are encouraged to apply to attend scoping sessions that will identify priorities for NSF’s Coastlines and People research initiative. Applications are due by Aug. 12 (11:59 pm local time). The workshops will be held from 26-28 September.

More information is available on the Coastlines and People scoping session Website https://coastlinesandpeople.org.

Four, simultaneous, three-day scoping sessions will be hosted by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and facilitated by Knowinnovation on NSF’s behalf. Workshop will be held in San Diego, Chicago, and Atlanta. A fourth “virtual” workshop will be scheduled on mountain time.

Applicants will be notified of their status by late August. Travel support will be provided for participants invited to attend.

More information and answers to frequently asked questions are on the scoping-workshop Website https://coastlinesandpeople.org.

APECS Turkey was founded in 2013 by Dr. Burcu Ozsoy (Director of ITU PolReC) In 2015 Turkish Students’ Polar Research Team (PolSTeam) was founded to have organic body with APECS Turkey. Since that time APECS Turkey is a growing family with undergraduate and graduate students plus public’s involvement.

APECS Turkey has a big E&O program, executed by PolSTeam members. During one-year period, APECS Turkey members usually visit about 30-60 primary, middle and high schools, make age orientated presentations about climate change and polar regions. Also APECS Turkey members organize public event and surveys.

To reach more children, we did teach 150 science teachers all around the Turkey and around half of those teachers founded polar clubs in their schools. (60 clubs * 10-20 students/per year) During their club times (1 hour each week for 20 weeks) they follow a curriculum designed and fully filled with sources by APECS Turkey members.

Another project, named “Educators Supporting Collaboration on Polar Regions Project (ESCoP)”, is supported by ITU PolReC to involve teachers to Arctic and Antarctic expeditions to improve their knowledge on polar regions and polar science. A national open call will be opened on August for the educators.

Additionally, APECS Turkey members are working with Ministry of Education to add more climate and polar issues to national curriculums for all grade students.

Some of the main problems of APECS NCs are funding, structure and reaching children. As of APECS Turkey, we would like to share our experiences on the topics

how APECS Turkey solved some of those difficulties
how can we improve the E&O program and adapt to other countries,

by hosting you in Istanbul on 3rd and 4th of October.

If you would like to attend the workshop, please fill the form.

ITU PolReC would like to support all participants for accommodation, lunches, dinners and coffee breaks. Also we are happy to inform you that ITU PolReC accepted to support 3 participants’ travel limited with 1000 USD each. All early career scientist, educators and polar E&O programs members are welcome to apply for travel grant by filling the form.

NCs or other organizations who would like to make presentations should send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Registration deadline: 31st of August 2018 - EXTENDED to 15 September!

APECS TURKEY WORKSHOP ON EDUCATION & OUTREACH

Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO) Summer School 2019:
Global Ocean State & Parameter Estimation: From Methods to Applications in Oceanographic Research

Synopsis: The Consortium for "Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean" (ECCO) will host a summer school for graduate students and early career scientists on global ocean state estimation in support of climate research. The school introduces the tools and mathematics of ocean state and parameter estimation and their application to ocean science through a mix of foundational lectures, hands-on tutorials, and projects. In doing so, the school aims to help nurture the next generation of oceanographers and climate scientists in the subject matter so that they may utilize the ECCO products and underlying modeling/estimation tools most effectively to further advance the state-of-the-art in ocean state estimation and ocean science.

Topics covered: Data assimilation (global & regional); state & parameter estimation; adjoint method; sensitivity analysis; algorithmic differentiation; ocean modeling; ocean dynamics and variability; ocean’s role in climate; global ocean observing system (satellite and in-situ); physics of sea level; ocean mixing; sea ice physics; ice sheet-ocean interactions; ice shelf dynamics; ocean tides; cyberinfrastructure & data analytics.

Dates: May 19 – 31, 2019

Location: Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA

Target audience: graduate students and early-career scientists

Application Deadline: December 17, 2018

For more information, confirmed lecturers, and how to apply, please visit:

https://www.eccosummerschool.org

The U.S. National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs (OPP) this month issued an updated Code of Conduct that restates important principles and expectations of professional conduct and acceptable behavior for all personnel who deploy to the Arctic or the Antarctic under OPP’s auspices.

The code is a “shared statement of commitment to uphold ethical, professional, and legal standards.”

The document states that the objective of participants’ presence in the polar regions “is to contribute to accomplishing the mission of the U.S. government while fully adhering to all applicable international and national legal and policy requirements, including those of the Antarctic Treaty system and the Arctic's state, local, and tribal governments.”

The code further emphasizes that “all personnel will treat others with dignity and respect, will exercise the highest level of professional and ethical behavior, and will work cooperatively to resolve differences” and that it is “everyone's responsibility to provide a safe workplace and to protect the polar environment.”

Read the document in its entirety here: https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/documents/policy/polar_coc.pdf

RDA Europe (https://rd-alliance.org/rda-europe) continues its series of support programmes is now running an Open Call to facilitate participation of 7 EU Early Career Researchers working with Data to the 12th RDA Plenary meeting in Botswana, held during the International Data Week 2018 (http://www.internationaldataweek.org/)

The second edition of International Data Week (IDW 2018) will be held on 5-8 November 2018 in Gaborone, Botswana bringing together data professionals and researchers from all disciplines and from all parts of the globe. Co-organized by CODATA, ICSU-WDS and RDA, this landmark event will address the theme of ‘The Digital Frontiers of Global Science’ and will combine the 12th RDA Plenary Meeting, the biannual meeting of the research data community, and SciDataCon 2018, the scientific conference addressing the frontiers of data in research.

RDA Europe is seeking applications from students and early career professionals from European higher education or research institutions with studies focusing on research data sharing and exchange challenges. The Early Career support programme will offer up to seven grants of maximum €1750 to cover travel expenses. To view all the call details and apply please visit https://grants.rd-alliance.org/OpenCalls/call-early-careers

Application period closes on 30 August 2018, 17:00 CEST and applicants will be notified of the outcome on the 21 September 2018.

Looking forward to your applications!

During the recent POLAR2018 conference in Davos, the inaugural meeting of the Pride in Polar Science Network occurred. This new network was formed by SCAR and IASC researchers to bring together the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer +) community and Allies (friends and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community) to celebrate diversity and inclusivity in polar research.

An anonymous, moderated mailing list, curated by SCAR, has been formed to help promote the network’s message and to highlight events that may be of interest to the members. Sign up here (we promise no spam): http://lists.scar.org/mailman/listinfo/polarpride

Additionally, the official Pride in Polar Science Twitter account was created: @PridePolar

The mailing list and group are open to anyone who would like to participate or stay informed and please forward these details on to anyone else who might be interested from the Polar Research community.

Thanks
the Pride in Polar Science Network

An ad hoc subcommittee of the Office of Polar Programs’ Advisory Committee, dealing with the U.S. Antarctic Program’s (USAP) Research Vessel Procurement, is seeking the participation of the research community in reviewing and assessing the science-mission requirements and operational capabilities of replacement Antarctic research vessels.

Those who may have received an invitation to take a survey on future requirements via Survey Monkey, may use the link in that email message. Those who did not, may take the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2LP2R6V. It should take about 30 minutes to complete.

The survey is open to NSF grantees and those at any federal agency who have experience aboard USAP vessels operating in the Southern Ocean and elsewhere in Antarctic waters.

The subcommittee wishes to have all surveys submitted by Aug. 6.

The vessels in the USAP's existing Antarctic research fleet--the Laurence M. Gould and the Nathaniel B. Palmer--are nearing the end of their design lives. The advisory committee is studying all alternatives to the existing arrangement and is examining whether or not existing vessel specifications from past exercises and reports describe ships which would adequately support future science in the Southern Ocean and along the Antarctic Peninsula and margin.

The subcommittee will propose updates, changes, and improved specifications which would best support future science-support needs and will make a recommendation to OPP.

The Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS) invite abstract submissions and registration for the 2018 ACUNS Student Conference. This conference will convene 1-3 November in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The theme of this year’s conference is Landscapes of Northern Knowledge: Peoples, Animals, and Environments. The goals of the conference will be to explore the interrelatedness of humanity and nature in the circumpolar world; understand circumpolar research in the context of surrounding cultural, biological, and ecological landscapes; and examine both the need for future research and the impacts present research has on the northern biome.

ACUNS 2018 is organized by students and provides a unique opportunity for young researchers to meet and exchange ideas with others who share similar academic.

Abstract submission deadline: 1 September 2018

For abstract submission and registration information, go to:
Registration and abstract submission webpage

For more information, including topical sessions and workshops, go to:
Conference homepage

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) is seeking comment from the public on the draft newly revised Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic. The Principles are directed at federally-funded researchers, though they may be useful to academic, state, local, and tribal researchers in the Arctic. Your comments would be most helpful by September 4, 2018. More information is available on the IARPC website

https://www.iarpccollaborations.org/principles.html

The Fulbright Scholar Program invites applications for the Fulbright Arctic Chair for U.S. Scholars grant. This three- to four-month position is open to scholars in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, and will be located in Norway.

The Arctic Chair will have the opportunity to work at any institution of higher education or research in Norway to research and teach within areas that are relevant to understanding of the Arctic and high north regions. The Chair is expected to engage with faculty inside and outside the host institution(s), give public lectures, and lead seminars, as well as supervise and mentor Master’s and PhD candidates.

Applicants must be a U.S. citizen with a scholarly focus on polar and high north issues, have a PhD or equivalent professional/terminal degree (including a master’s degree, depending on the field) as appropriate, five to 10 years of research and experience, and a significant publication and teaching record.

Application deadline: 1 August 2018

For more information, including application details, and to apply, go to:
Fulbright Arctic Chair webpage

For questions, contact:
Rena Levin
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: +47 22 01 40 10

ECR travel grants available for CLIVASk2k workshop (PAGES 2k project) “Climate Variability in Antarctica and the Southern Hemisphere in the past 2000 years”
4-5 September 2018,British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK

CLIVASH2k is a PAGES 2k project, which aims to improve our understanding of large scale modes of climate variability and the mechanisms and drivers of climate change in Antarctica, the sub-Antarctic and the wider Southern Hemisphere during the past 2000 years.

The workshop goals
The workshop is open to all. We want to engage a broad spectrum of the scientific community, including paleoclimate data gathers (such as ice cores, lake sediments, marine records, and terrestrial records), climatologists and climate modellers.
We especially encourage those who wish to be actively contribute to the CLIVASH2k project goals, including contribution to synthesis products and publications. The workshop will be informative but be prepared to get involved!
Our aim is to review and evaluate our current understanding of the drivers of Southern Hemisphere climate variability, through short presentations, posters and discussion sessions.

A full programme will be available on the CLIVASH2k webpage shortly.
http://pastglobalchanges.org/ini/wg/2k-network/projects/clivash

Register for this event
Standard registration fee £65 per person (plus fees)
Student fee (for students currently enrolled for a PhD) £15 per person (plus fees)
Click here to register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/clivash2k-workshop-tickets-46359412250
Registration includes morning and afternoon refreshments, buffet lunch and an evening dinner (4th September).

Registration deadline: 17 August

We are gearing up for usability testing of the new DataCite/re3data tool with the company DeveloperTown. This takes a great deal of coordination to make sure we have representatives from a variety of scientific domains and locations internationally. Our primary focus is researchers and those closely related for this test. Sophie Hou will be conducting additional usability testing at Summer ESIP that will mostly focus on repository staff and data managers, and other ESIP attendee stakeholders.

I’m asking you for assistance identifying researchers that would be willing to be interviewed as part of the DeveloperTown usability test. The total number of formal interviews will be about 30. Should we get more names, we will do our best to accommodate.

Please send your recommendations to Robin Dasler (DataCite Product Mgr for the Repository Finder Tool) with the following information (or as much as possible):

Name of recommended person
Email of recommended person
Primary domain affiliation of the recommended person
Role of that person in the domain (e.g., researcher, post doc, data curator, librarian)
Time zone where they reside/work
Link to their affiliation (e.g., institution, library, etc)
Contact notes – why they would make a great candidate. This should be no more than one or two sentences.

You can also register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdUWtOpeyOOouhx7b_gzwpV3HbfR3C2SZiC-0Kmoq_e0SIDuw/viewform

Interviews will be with staff from DeveloperTown and last approximately 20 to 30 minutes. They will be conducted with Zoom as the tool.

The DataCite/re3data team will be reaching out to your candidate to confirm their desire to participate and arrange for an interview. To make sure this goes smoothly, please let your candidate know of your recommendation and what to expect.

If you have any questions on the DeveloperTown usability test, please direct them to Michael Witt, or myself.

Thank you for your help in identifying interview candidates.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Director, Data Programs) and Michael Witt

University of Oulu logo rgb University of Oulu Geography Research Unit and Department of Cultural Anthropology are co-organizing UArctic Congress side event Career Strategies for Early Career Scholars: CVs, Cover Letters and The Job Search on September 3rd, 2018 in Oulu. Deadline for applications is on August 10th.

This hands-on career workshop aimed at early career scholars will take participants through the nuts and bolts of several key aspects of the academic job application process: searching for positions and writing the CV and cover letter. We will discuss several cutting-edge strategies for looking for academic jobs, and then show you how to craft your CV and cover letter so that they stand out and get noticed. We will also discuss how to efficiently communicate the most marketable aspects of your academic self. This event is designed specifically for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and others interested in pursuing academic careers in the social sciences and humanities. It will be led by a team of multi-disciplinary senior scholars from several universities.

Please send your application (contact information and what you expect from the workshop) before August 10th to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Arctic Expedition 2018 University of Helsinki and Helsinki Think Company are gathering together students interested in the Arctic to plan and carry out a meaningful event, campaign or a project that will communicate Arctic opportunities and challenges. International application deadline is on July 29.

As the Arctic region rapidly transforms due to dramatic climate impacts, new economic opportunities and environmental challenges present themselves across the Arctic. For example, the Arctic’s melting sea ice is a local problem that has global connections. As many scientists proclaim, what happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic. It affects us all.

Join us on the Arctic Expedition and create a meaningful iniative on Arctic sustainable economic opportunities or environmental challenges, and put it into action in your local region on Arctic Day in October 31st, 2018. For inspiration: you could create an documentary film week, a debate series or launch event for your Arctic related a business project or scientific publication! The Expedition 3-Day Bootcamp is organised parallel to the UArctic Congress 2018, on 5-7 September in Finland.

The event is free, but places are limited. Apply here.

Durham University This year’s Antarctic Science Conference will be hosted at Durham on 10th-12th September 2018 (the conference will run from Monday lunchtime to Wednesday lunchtime). The conference will include oral and poster presentations, and abstracts are invited on any aspect of Antarctic Research.

Further information can be found on the conference website. Registration is open and the website also contains details of the venue and accommodation booking: https://www.dur.ac.uk/uk-antarctic-science/

Abstract submission is open. Please go to https://www.dur.ac.uk/uk-antarctic-science/abstract/ where you will find details of posters, talks and a simple abstract template. Abstracts should be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Abstract submission will close on 9th August.

We welcome submissions on any area of Antarctic Science, and we particularly encourage Early Career Researchers to use this opportunity to present their work.

We look forward to seeing you in September.

Local organising committee

ESSEM COST Action ES1404: A European network for a harmonised monitoring of snow for the benefit of climate change scenarios, hydrology and numerical weather prediction

We would like to invite you to the workshop "Towards a better harmonization of snow observations, modeling and data assimilation in Europe", 30-31 October, 2018, Budapest, Hungary.

This workshop, organized by COST Action ES1404 (Harmosnow) http://harmosnow.eu, will bring together scientists, users and stake holders who contribute to harmonizing practices at the European and international scales in the domain of snow research and operational services. We invite submissions on all relevant practices including snow in-situ and remote observations, data distribution, modeling, data assimilation and education. The workshop is organized within 8 sessions with oral presentations (solicited and from submission) and posters.

Please see the details below and on the website http://harmosnow.eu/snowconference

We are looking forward to meeting you in Budapest.
Ghislain Picard, Ali Nadir Arslan, Katalin Gillemot

Venue:
The workshop will be held in Gellért hotel in Budapest in 30-31.10.2018. It is limited to 150 participants, for this reason registration is mandatory.

Important dates:
7 Septembre 2018: abstract submission deadline
21 Septembre 2018: acceptance for oral/poster
21 Septembre 2018: registration without abstract open
15 October 2018 : registration deadline (or up to 150 participants)
Abstract submission: http://harmosnow.eu/snowconference/registration

Sessions:
1. Intercomparison of measurement methods and assessment of measurement errors
2. Recommendations on measurement methods and instrumentation
3. Snow observation reporting and dissemination
4. Intercomparison of snow models and future of snow modeling across disciplines
5. Snow data assimilation methods in NWP, hydrology, and other disciplines
6. Representation of errors in NWP, hydrological and climate models
7. Actions and methods for training snow scientists and observers
8. Harmonization strategies across international organizations and other activities

Scientific committee:
Ali Nadir Arslan, Carlo De Michele, Patricia De Rosnay, Marie Dumont, Charles Fierz, David Christian Finger, Katalin Gillemot, Jürgen Helmert, Ladislav Holko, Ekaterina Kurzeneva, Martin Lange, Leena Leppänen, Nacho Lopez Moreno, Giovanni Macelloni, Ghislain Picard, Vera Potopová, Samantha Pullen, Martin Schneebeli, Anna Seres

Organizing committee:
General co-chairs: Ghislain Picard, Ali Nadir Arslan, Katalin Gillemot
Local organization: Katalin Gillemot, Anna Seres
Webmaster: Cemal Melih Tanis

Week of Webinars
Tuesday, July 17 @ 10am
Wednesday, July 18 @ 11am
Friday, July 20 @ 12pm

1. July 17 (10am ADT) Alaska Climate Webinar
Visualizing Climate Change: A Quick Guide to Online Tools from the Scenarios Network for Alaska and Arctic Planning
Nancy Fresco, SNAP Coordinator
SNAP offers online tools to allow you to view models and maps showing changes in temperature, precipitation, fire, sea ice, extreme events and other variables at the community or regional level. Join us to see what's available, and what's new.
More information and registration (https://accap.uaf.edu/SNAP_Tools)

2. July 18 (11am ADT) Virtual Alaska Weather Symposium
The NOAA Microwave Integrated Retrieval System (MiRS): Products, Applications, and Improvements
Christopher Grassotti, NESDIS STAR/SMCD
The presentation will cover the background of the MiRS retrieval approach, and then move on to discussion of retrieval products, user applications, and recent work aimed at scientific improvements.
More information and registration (https://accap.uaf.edu/VAWS_July2018)

3. July 20 (12pm ADT) July NWS Alaska Climate Outlook Briefing
Rick Thoman, National Weather Service
We will review recent climate conditions around Alaska, review some forecast tools and finish up the Climate Prediction Center's forecast for August and the remaining summer/early fall season.
More information and registration (https://accap.uaf.edu/July_2018)

Available online or in-person in 407 IARC/Akasofu building on the UAF campus.

General Webinar Information Here (https://accap.uaf.edu/webinars)

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) is seeking comment from the public on newly revised Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic.

IARPC is interested in all comments on the Principles document, including the core principles and sub-bullets describing the approaches that researchers are encouraged to adopt across all stages of research.

The core Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic are:

Be Accountable
Establish Effective Two-way Communication
Respect Local Culture and Knowledge
Build and Sustain Relationships
Pursue Responsible Environmental Stewardship

The IARPC Principles Revision Working Group revised the existing Principles for the Conduct of Research in the Arctic, adopted on June 28, 1990, and published by IARPC in volume 9, (Spring, 1995, pp.56-57) of the journal “Arctic Research of the United States” (https://www.arctic.gov/publications/related/arotus.html). The 1990 version has now been updated and renamed Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic, hereafter the Principles, to reflect current research disciplines and approaches in the Arctic. The Principles Revision Working Group prepared the draft revised Principles after a year-long process that included a comprehensive literature review and seeking and receiving diverse input from Alaska Native people, Federal and State and local agency representatives, and researchers by a variety of methods, including listening sessions at scientific conferences, through a Federal Register Notice, and targeted interviews with Alaska residents and researchers. The Principles are directed at federally-funded researchers, though they may be useful to academic, state, local, and tribal researchers in the Arctic.

More information is available on the IARPC website: https://www.iarpccollaborations.org/principles.html

Please submit comments in one of the following ways:

Submit a comment via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Submit a comment on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/iarpccollaborations)
Attend a listening session via teleconference or webinar on (July 31, https://iarpc.zoom.us/j/2069310090)
Comment through the Federal Register https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/07/11/2018-14802/request-for-feedback-on-the-interagency-arctic-research-policy-committees-
draft-principles-for
Representatives will solicit comments at the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AWSC) Quarterly Meeting (July 23-25) and the UIC Science Day (Aug. 2)
Contact the working group chairpersons Renee Crain (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Roberto Delgado (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to review and comment on the draft Principles. Your comments would be most helpful by September 4, 2018.

Kindest regards,
Renee Crain, NSF and Roberto Delgado, NIH
Chairpersons, Principles Revision Working Group

USAPESC new In conjunction with Polar Week this September USAPECS is organizing our third Polar Film Festival! The festival will showcase several short videos on topics related to the Polar regions to the public and broader APECS community. Films will be hosted each day digitally on our website, in accordance with each day’s theme.

This year’s themes are:

Tipping the Balance: Exploring rapid changes in polar ice cover
Polar Research, Fieldwork and Citizen Science
Melt: An Exploration of Life in the Polar Ice Pack
Polar Industries
Environmental issues in the Polar regions

If you would like to submit or suggest any short films or videos (1-30 minutes long) related to one of this year’s themes for viewing, please submit them using this google form: https://goo.gl/forms/zZ2i4S2wfjGOx8lq1. Submissions of independently created films (created by you or someone you know) are welcomed and encouraged. In the past, we’ve featured works ranging from feature films and documentaries to independently-produced videos, interviews and news reports, so we welcome a diversity of submissions. We are also looking for people to host in-person screenings this fall, so if you’re interested in helping to do so please indicate this as such on the film submission form or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We’ve held this event the past two years and had great turn out, so we hope to get similar participation this time. Last year’s videos can be viewed at usapecs.wixsite.com/usapecs/pff2017.

Kind regards,

USAPECS Board

Twitter (https://twitter.com/US_APECS)
Website (usapecs.wix.com/usapecs)
Email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Organizers invite session abstracts for the Fourth Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences. This conference will convene 6-9 January 2019 in Xiamen, China.

Conveners of the following session invite abstract submissions:

SESSION M3: The Arctic Ocean: Physical Processes and their Effects on Climate and the Ecosystem
Conveners: Peigen Lin, Robert S. Pickart, and G.W.K. Moore

The Arctic Ocean is undergoing dramatic change. Sea ice extent and thickness have been declining steadily, air temperatures have been rapidly warming, and the hydrological cycle has been accelerating. As a result of the enhanced ice loss, the Arctic Ocean is now more susceptible to dynamic and thermodynamic forcings. For example, the central Arctic has become more energetic due to the increased momentum transfer from the atmosphere to the ocean. At the same time, solar absorption has increased through areas of open water, while more heat is being fluxed from sub-polar latitudes into the Arctic via the ocean and atmosphere. Extreme conditions are becoming more frequent, including increased freshwater content in the Arctic, more common wind-driven upwelling and polynya formation, and larger levels of primary productivity and occurrences of under-ice phytoplankton blooms. The spatial and temporal variability of the Arctic Ocean strongly influences global climate via atmosphere-ocean interaction and Arctic-subarctic freshwater and heat fluxes. The loss of sea ice has had both local and remote effects on atmospheric circulation, including intensified storms and more frequent extreme weather conditions. Enhanced freshwater export from the Arctic into the Nordic Seas and Labrador Sea, in conjunction with the retreating ice edge, is thought to impact the meridional overturning circulation. In addition to effects on climate, new organisms may start to flourish in the warmer and fresher Arctic. For example, harmful algal blooms are now threatening regional ecosystems in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean. This session aims to understand the variations and dynamics of the physical processes in the Arctic Ocean and their interaction with the subarctic regions in both the Pacific and Atlantic sectors; climate responses to the declining sea ice, including atmospheric feedbacks and impacts on the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation; and role of physical processes in regulating the Arctic ecosystem.

Abstract submission deadline: 31 August 2018

For more information and to submit an abstract, go to:
Symposium homepage

We are glad to announce the 3rd edition of the postgraduate course Glaciology of the Southern Andes, by Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA- CONICET), which will be held in Mendoza, Argentina, from 6 to 10 of August 2018.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 18 July 2018

The course is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the physics of glaciers with examples from the Southern Andes. Due to his extent, the Southern Andes (22°S-54°S) span a broad range of both latitude and altitude. Which dictates an extensive variety of temperature and precipitation conditions, resulting in a significant climatic diversity that hosts numerous and different types of glaciers. We will exploit these differences to get a better understanding of the importance of glaciers and glacier changes in local to regional human activities.

Key topics include:

Climatology of the Southern Andes
The history of glaciology and glaciological discoveries along the Southern Andes
Glacier mass balance and hydrology in the Southern Andes
Glacier dynamics, surging and tidewater glaciers in the Southern Andes
Remote Sensing in glaciology
Glacier geology along the Southern Andes

During the course, lectures will be given each morning, and the concepts will we consolidate with computational exercises each afternoon, based on examples from the different climatic regions of the Southern Andes. Also, a field excursion of two days to the Parque Provincial Aconcagua will be organized in which all the student could get a closer look of the field techniques to need to retrieve glacier mass balance and dynamic data.

The course is taught in Spanish by glaciologists and climatologists from IANIGLA and is intended for postgraduate students with research's subject related with glaciology. Also, graduate students or technicians from public or private agencies related to the management of mountain hydrology or natural resource management of the Southern Andes are welcome to apply.

To apply, please fill the application form and send it with a copy of your CV in pdf (3 pages maximum) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Further information and application form at: https://www.mendoza-conicet.gob.ar/portal/paginas/index/glaciologia-de-los-andes-del-sur

The Swiss Polar Institute is excited to announce that the call for proposals for their latest project, the GreenLAnd Circumnavigation Expedition (GLACE), is now open.

The expedition will offer an unprecedented complete circumnavigation of Greenland in a single expedition over a 2-month period in August and September 2019, providing access to the remote and critically understudied Northern Greenland area.

The R/V Akademic Tryoshnikov (AARI, St Petersburg) will be available for the expedition after a partial refit. During the Northern Greenland section of the expedition, the Akademic Tryoshnikov will be escorted by the nuclear icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy.

The science framework of GLACE will entail four topics: Ocean, Atmosphere, Cryosphere, and Terrestrial. Collaboration between these topics, and interdisciplinary research towards a holistic view of the region, are particularly encouraged.

For more information on the call, eligibility and the application process, please see the information provided on the Swiss Polar Institute website: https://polar.epfl.ch/page-156957-en.html.

Deadline: 10 September 2018, 12:00 (Swiss time)

Applications have to be submitted online. To submit a proposal, click here, fill out the online form and upload the relevant documents (completed application form in PDF + annexes). Should you encounter any problem in the submission process, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

nsf logo The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Advisory Committee for Environmental Research and Education (AC ERE) invites input on possible environmental research and education directions to further advance national security and economic competitiveness.

The Committee has been interested in fundamental environmental research and education that also has societal utility. It has recently focused its attention on two major topics where there is broad consensus on the importance of the research to date, but where significant research questions remain. These topics are at the nexus of environmental science and engineering with economic growth and competitiveness, and the relationship of environmental factors to national and human security.

The Committee is particularly interested in approaches that promote convergent research across disciplines and sectors to address economic competitiveness and economic security.

To identify emerging research questions in these areas, the committee is reaching out to interested and knowledgeable members of the scientific community in all disciplines and interdisciplinary areas. Also of interest are views from professionals who are directly involved in decision-making or operational activities in these areas, and who therefore can provide a very practical perspective on high-priority research and education topics.

Input submission deadline: 5:00 p.m. ET, 20 August 2018

For more information and to read the associated Dear Colleague Letter, go to:
Announcement homepage

To submit input, go to:
Input submission webpage

For questions, contact:
Anthony Janetos
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Leah Nichols
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Bildschirmfoto 2018-07-11 um 16.17.26.png Do you teach glaciers and glaciation? If so, VR Glaciers and Glaciated Landscapes (https://vrglaciers.wp.worc.ac.uk/wordpress/) may be of interest.

VR Glaciers and Glaciated Landscapes is a new, free and easy-to-use resource that provides on-demand, simulated fieldwork to glaciers and glaciated landscapes. Its primary role is in supporting class- and lab-based teaching of glaciers and glaciation in schools, colleges and universities. It is NOT a replacement for real fieldwork, for which there is no substitute.

You can use the virtual fieldwork to create your own teaching resources (e.g. worksheets, mapping exercises). In due course, I will make available some of my own teaching resources, via the password-protected forum. Registration is required for the latter, but not for the virtual fieldwork.

This project will continue to be developed over the next 18 – 24 months. At the time of writing, there are virtual fieldtrips to the Swiss Alps (Arolla valley, Ferpècle valley, Moiry valley and the Lötschental valley) and the English Lake District (Helvellyn Range, Mosedale and Keskadale). Additional field trips will be added in due course, as will some guidance on interpretation and use.

You can find out more about VR Glaciers and Glaciated Landscapes in the flyer (pdf, ~4 mb), which you can download via the following link:
https://staffweb.worc.ac.uk/des/VGGL/VRGGL_Summer_2018_leaflet_web.pdf

The resource itself can be accessed here: https://vrglaciers.wp.worc.ac.uk/wordpress/

Financial support is gratefully acknowledged from the University of Worcester, the Quaternary Research Association and the British Society for Geomorphology.

If you have already visited the site in the last month or so, please note that: (i) the Arolla valley virtual fieldwork has been extended; and (ii) the Lötschental valley (Langgletscher) has been added.

This is a kind reminder that the deadline for submitting your contributions for the Awards for Young Researchers is approaching fast.

Deadline: 1st September 2019

https://www.ucm.es/gfam/young-researchers-award

The outstanding works will be published in two issues of the journal Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica.

Editors of Cryosphere Science Special Issue: David Palacios (Complutense University of Madrid), Jose M. García-Ruiz (CSIC), Marc Oliva (University of Barcelona), Jose María Fernández-Fernández (Complutense University of Madrid).

Editors of Research on Mountain Areas Special Issue: Nuria de Andrés (Complutense University of Madrid), Amelia Gómez-Villar (University of León), Luis Miguel Tanarro (Complutense University of Madrid), Jesus Ruiz-Fernández (University of Oviedo).

Young researchers in the process of presenting their PhD thesis or who have submitted it not before January 1, 2014 are encouraged to participate.

Please find here the guidelines of the award.

The next EGU General Assembly 2019 (EGU2019) will be held at the Austria Center Vienna (ACV) from 07 to 12 April 2019.

We hereby invite you, from now until 06 Sep 2018, to take an active part in organizing the scientific programme of the conference. You can do this at: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2019/provisionalprogramme

Please use this opportunity to suggest sessions with conveners and description.

NEW IN 2019

a) For the first time, the skeleton programme consists only of the programme groups and their sub-programme groups. The programme groups do not show sessions from last year. This means that all session proposals need to be submitted, also those on classic topics in the community.

b) The deadline for suggesting Union Symposia and Great Debates is 15 August 2018. Please see the guidelines (https://www.egu2019.eu/guidelines/us_and_gdb_guidelines.html) for more information.

POINTS TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN SUGGESTING A SESSION, SHORT COURSE, OR TOWNHALL MEETING

1) Session conveners
We strongly encourage convener teams to reflect (i) multiple countries and institutes, (ii) different career stages, and especially include early career scientists, and (iii) gender diversity. We ask for a minimum of two active conveners (1 convener and 1 co-convener) with a maximum of five conveners (1 convener and 4 co-conveners) per session. A new guideline for 2019 is a maximum of three (co-)convenerships total of which one as lead convener. We would like to point to the presentation rules for conveners (https://egu2019.eu/guidelines/convener_guidelines.html#solicited). Please check with all conveners that they agree to take part in the proposed session. Please see the convener guidelines at: https://www.egu2019.eu/guidelines/convener_guidelines.html

2) Session Programme Group (PG)
When making suggestions, explore the programme groups (https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2019/provisionalprogramme) and place your proposal into the PG that is most closely aligned with the proposed session's subject area. Please avoid submitting session proposals that are similar to sessions already suggested. In such a case, it is possible to suggest modifications to an earlier session proposal. If the subject area of your proposal is strongly aligned with two or more PGs, co-organization is possible and encouraged between PGs. Only put your session proposal into ONE PG. You will be able to indicate PGs that you believe should be approached for co-organization.

3) Inter- and Transdisciplinary Sessions (ITS)
EGU introduced the programme group Interdisciplinary Events (IE) in 2016 which is now renamed to Inter- and Transdisciplinary Sessions (ITS). ITS looks for links between disciplines in a coordinated and coherent effort, trying to create new approaches that would not be possible if handled separately. ITS highlights new themes each year and will also build themes from proposed sessions. If you plan to propose an Inter- and Transdisciplinary Session, please submit your proposal in programme group ITS and indicate other relevant programme groups for co-organization. For ITS sessions we kindly ask you to identify one other programme group that will become the scientific leader of the event. Accepted ITS sessions will be part of the session programme of the scientific leader in addition to the ITS programme. Please see the guidelines for more information at: https://egu2019.eu/guidelines/its_guidelines.html

4) Townhall and splinter meetings
From now until 17 Jan 2019 you can apply for townhall meetings. Townhall meetings offer an active discussion platform that is open to all interested participants to inform them of new opportunities and initiatives. All townhall meetings will be scheduled from 19:00 to 20:00. Splinter meeting rooms can be booked for smaller, targeted discussion groups. Splinter meeting booking is open from 15 Oct 2018 to 1 Mar 2019.

5) Session programme building
The EGU2019 Programme Committee will take into account all suggested sessions and use these to compile the final session programme as the basis for the call-for-abstracts. Conveners of approved sessions will be asked to actively promote their sessions and the public will be invited to submit their abstracts. This will be announced by a separate email.

6) Contact
If you have questions about the appropriateness of a specific session topic, please contact the programme group chair and/or the officers for the specific EGU2019 programme group: https://egu2019.eu/information/programme_committee.html

Please inform your colleagues about these opportunities. We look forward to receiving your suggestions. Thank you very much in advance.

In case any questions arise, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,

Olaf Eisen
President of the EGU Division on Cryospheric Sciences
CR contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
CR on Twitter: @EGU_CR
CR blog: http://blogs.egu.eu/divisions/cr/

Katja Gänger
Copernicus Meetings
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

On behalf of
Susanne Buiter (EGU2019 Programme Committee Chair)

The Arctic Frontiers 2019 (20-25 Jan 2019, Tromsø) Call for Papers is now open for abstract submission. Please have a look on the Arctic Frontiers webpage and attached pdf version.

They welcome abstracts addressing one or more of the topics further specified in the Call for Papers.

The deadline for abstract submission is the 25 September 2018.

The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) and the EU-PolarNet are organizing a stakeholder workshop on „Research Needs on Arctic Biology and Terrestrial Ecosystems“ on 12 October at the upcoming Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2018 (Rovaniemi, Finland, 9 - 12 October 2018). They are looking for 2 early career researchers to:

attend the Arctic Biodiversity Congress and especially the sessions on Freshwater Ecosystems and Terrestrial Ecosystems
summarize the results of these sessions
present the results of the sessions as introductory talks at the stakeholder workshop on 12 October

Travel and participation costs in the Arctic Biodiversity Congress will be covered for the two selected early career researchers.

You can apply for this opportunity if you:

are an early career researcher (up to 5 years past PhD)
are based in at a university / research institution in Europe
have a research background related to Arctic Freshwater Ecosystems and Arctic Terrestrial Ecosystems
are able to attend the Arctic Biodiversity Congress

To apply please send the following material to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by no later than 24 July 2018 at 16:00 GMT

CV
Statement of Interest detailing your:
- Research background
- Your motivation in attending the Arctic Biodiversity Congress and the Stakeholder Workshop organized by AMAP and EU-PolarNet
- Your thoughts on how you would contribute to the congress and workshop (beyond the required tasks listed above) and how this would benefit your career

In the new contribution to the Polar Prediction Matters dialogue platform, Lasse Rabenstein and Panagiotis Kountouris provide insight into a new sea-ice forecast product – Predictive Ice Images, or in short: PRIIMA.

Drift + Noise Polar Services GmbH (DNPS) is a start-up and spin-off company of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research. In the new contribution to Polar Prediction Matters, the DNPS managing director Lasse Rabenstein and its Head of Remote Sensing Panagiotis Kountouris describe their newly developed sea-ice forecast product: Predictive Ice Images (PRIIMA) may eventually become instrumental for tactical decision-making in and near ice-covered waters. The ESA kick-start project aims at combining high-resolution satellite images with lower-resolution operational sea-ice models. PRIIMA will thus be able to deliver ice forecasts with the resolution of a satellite radar image, as if the satellite recording of tomorrow would be available already today.

Read the new PPM article here.

You are most welcome to leave questions or comments to Lasse and Panagiotis in the Comment section below the article.

We invite you to join Cryo Connect, a non-profit gateway facilitating information exchange between cryo scientists, journalists, policy makers and everyone else with a professional interest in the cryosphere.

We aim to provide equal exposure to all scientist groups, including those that are currently underrepresented in the media and beyond, such as aspiring young researchers, women, and scientists from non-native English speaking countries. Scientists can sign up by listing their areas of expertise and contact information. Information seekers that contact Cryo Connect with specific questions will then receive a shortlist of those scientists that can provide answers.

Additionally, Cryo Connect provides a platform to push your science news to larger audiences, much like sending out your own personal press releases (however short they may be), for instance by tweeting @CryoConnect.

Like this CryoList - Cryo Connect is and always will be free and simple. You will not be spammed, will not be obliged to act on anything, and can unlist anytime. A team of scientists runs Cryo Connect and safeguards your best interests.

For the journalists and other information seekers among you: please also visit our website!

Our partners: AGU, APECS, ICIMOD, IGS, IMAU, Isaaffik, WSL.

All the best,
Liam Colgan, Inka Koch, Faezeh Nick and Dirk van As

Cryo Connect
CryoConnect.net

ArcticNet are pleased to announce the launch of the ASM2018 Photo Contest.

ArcticNet maintains a collection of photographs highlighting the spectacular beauty of the polar regions, and featuring scientific research, landscapes, wildlife, and northern communities. With a growing compilation of stunning images, the ArcticNet Polar Photography Gallery is now a resource for media, education and various research programs. ArcticNet remains committed to communicating the impacts of climate change in the Arctic and Antarctic to diverse international audiences and preserving a legacy of iconic and inspiring imagery for future generations.

The ASM2018 Photo Contest is a fantastic opportunity for Arctic researchers, students, partners and collaborators to share their photographic skills and most compelling images of the circum-Arctic, its peoples and their environment, flora and fauna and research activities.

We invite you to dive into your hard drives, cameras and computers, and send us your best shots!

The deadline for photo submission is Friday, 26 October 2018. Contest eligibility criteria and submission details are available on the ASM2018 website. Winners will be announced and photos showcased at the ASM2018 in Ottawa in December and over $1000 CAD in cash prizes will be awarded.

The Arctic Systems Workshop Organizing Committee invites comments on their consensus report, Opportunities and Challenges in Arctic System Synthesis: A Consensus Report from the Arctic Research Community. This report is a product of a set of Community Workshops for Synthesis Studies of the Pan-Arctic/Earth System that took place in New York City and Washington D.C. in 2016 and 2017.

These workshops were funded by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Arctic System Science Program and were dedicated to exploring the current state of affairs with respect to Arctic systems science and identifying potentially fruitful avenues of future research, and research investments, in this domain.

A consensus report from the workshop was created and is currently available for review and comment. The organizing committee welcomes comments to the report prior to its publication and delivery to NSF and other Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) agencies.

To ensure a full consideration, comments must be posted by the close of business on Monday, 16 July.

Comment submission deadline: Monday, 16 July 2018

To view the draft report and submit comments, go to:
Draft Report and Feedback Form

Sea Ice Prediction Webinar: Advancing Predictability of Sea Ice
Phase 2 of the Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN2)

Tuesday, 10 July 2018
9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. AKDT

Speakers:
Uma S. Bhatt, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Geophysical Institute
Cecilia Bitz, University of Washington, Program on Climate Change

The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) announces an open webinar titled “Advancing Predictability of Sea Ice” to provide an overview of its main activities and an overview of the SIPN Data Portal for sea ice prediction.

This webinar is designed for the sea ice research community and others interested in advancements in sea ice prediction. While this is an open event, attendees should be aware that the discussions will largely be of a technical nature.

Webinar Speakers:
Uma S. Bhatt, SIPN2 Principal Investigator (PI), is Chair of Atmospheric Sciences at University of Alaska Fairbanks, Geophysical Institute and Director of NOAA Cooperative Institute for Alaska Research (CIFAR). Her research on climate variability aims to understand how climate system components impact one another.

Cecilia Bitz, SIPN2 Leadership Team member, is a professor in the Atmospheric Sciences Department and Director of the Program on Climate Change and part of the Future of Ice Initiative, all at University of Washington. Her research interests include the role of sea ice in the climate system and high-latitude climate and climate change and global coupled climate modeling. Including integrations at very high resolution.

Webinar Program:
Uma Bhatt will present an overview of the SIPN2 project goals and an update on related activities to improve Arctic sea ice forecasts using a multi-disciplinary approach that includes modeling, new products, data analysis, and scientific networks.

Cecilia Bitz, will present an overview of the Data Portal for SIPN Forecasts project, funded by the Office of Naval Research and the development of products including model visualization and access to data processing.
Time for participant questions will follow the presentation.

This one-hour webinar will start at 9:00 a.m. AKDT (10:00 a.m. PDT, 11:00 a.m. MDT, 12:00 p.m. CDT, and 1:00 EDT) on Tuesday, 10 July 2016.

Further details including registration instructions, will be announced closer to the event. The webinar will be archived and available online after the event.

More information about SIPN2More information about SIPN2

Further information about Phase 2 of the Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN2)

More information about the SIPN Data Portal

For questions, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren at ARCUS
(This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

SCAR logo white background The deadline for applications for the SCAR Fellowships scheme 2018 has been extended until July 25th. This two week extension will be final and no further extensions will be considered.

The extension has been applied in response to a number of requests received from potential applicants, resulting in part from applications discussed at the recent Polar2018 meetings.

SCAR has worked with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists to provide an online form which can be used to ask questions about the application process, required documentation and eligibility etc., and which can also be used anonymously. The replies will be added to the FAQ section of the Fellowships webpages.

Executive Committee 2017 2018 The elections for the 2018 - 2019 APECS Executive Committee will be held in September 2018 for the term from 1 October 2018 to 30 September 2019.

APPLY for the APECS Executive Committee to help shape our organisation over the next year and help influence the future of polar research!

Application deadline: 7 September 2018 at 23:59 GMT

The APECS Executive Committee consists of five members, who are elected by the APECS Council to manage the day-to-day decisions of the organization. You can find information about the APECS Executive Committee on the APECS website including some general information, the list of current ExCom members; as well as summaries of their meeting notes.

Elections timeline:

7 September 2018 at 23:59 GMT: application deadline
10 - 18 September 2018: Review period within the APECS Council including Q&A call with APECS Council and ExCom applicants
19 - 23 September 2018: Voting period within the APECS Council
24 - 30 September 2018: Final vote count, review of results, transition process
1 October 2018: Announcement of the 2018 - 2019 APECS Executive Committee and President

The Executive Committee is a rewarding, but high-paced and work intensive committee and its members must be willing and able to contribute actively throughout their term (except of course during e.g. field work, exam periods, holidays). To apply you have to be an APECS member and have prior experience being engaged in APECS or equivalent.

Go to the Executive Committee Elections page to see the full election announcement including the eligibility criteria, how to apply and a more detailed explanation of the election process. If you have any questions, please contact the election committee at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Is this your first time you want to get active in APECS? If you have not previously been involved in APECS (or equivalent organization) and want to gain some experience, we encourage you to rather apply to the APECS Council. The APECS Council is the larger of the two leadership committees of APECS and its members work on various projects, coordinate APECS activities, and govern the organization. Unlike in the Executive Committee, no prior experience in APECS is necessary to join the APECS Council, and we encourage all APECS members to consider applying. Working with APECS as a Council member is a great first step towards becoming active and gaining experience in the APECS leadership. Application deadline for the APECS Council is already on 31 July 2018!

POLAR2018

Over 150 early career researchers recently show-cased their reserach as part of the poster competition held during the POLAR2018conference (Davos, Switzerland, 15-26 June). The well-deserved prizes (based on geographical region) were awarded at the closing ceremony. The competition was organised by APECS and coordinated by Ruth Vingerhagen on behalf of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) . We sincerely thank all the judges who contributed their time to judge the posters!

POLAR2018 poster winners

The six winning posters

Africa and Middle East
Winner: Luca Stirnimann, University of Cape Town, "The Island Mass Effect (IME) on carbon cycling in the plankton ecosystem around the Prince Edward Islands archipelago".
Runner-up: Daniela Monsanto, University of Johannesburg, "Genetic patterns at fine spatial scales: complex findings in a complex landscape".

Asia
Winner: Gautami Samui, ESSO-National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, "Nutrient cycling in supraglacial ecosystems in Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica".
Runner-up: Shridhar Jawak, ESSO-National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, "Mapping surface facies of selected alpine glaciers from Himalaya using worldview-2 imagery".

Europe
Winner: Sandra Brugger, University of Bern, "Five millennia of environmental dynamics from an ice core in the Mongolian Altai".
Runner-up: Ewa Poniecka, Cardiff University, "The secret life of bactiera: Ecological function in cryoconite hole environments".

POLAR2018 poster runnerup

The six runner-up posters

North America
Winner: Joel Singley, University of Colorado Boulder, "Sub-daily biogeochemical cycling in sediment of an ephemeral meltwater stream".
Runner-up: Mark England, Columbia University, "The contribution of internal variability to recent sea ice loss across the Arctic".

Oceania
Winner: Kara Layton, The University of Western Australia, "A newly discovered radiation of endoparasitic gastropods in Antarctica".
Runner-up: Wilma Huneke, University of Tasmania, "Deep bottom mixed layer instability drives variability of Antarctic slope front".

South America
Winner: Elisa Seyboth, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, "Isotopic-based warming effects on the northern Antarctic Peninsula ecosystem".
Runner-up: Sérgio Gonçalves Jr., Federal University of Paraná, "Aerosol integrated analysis in central west Antarctica: Brazilian standalone unit".

POLAR2018 poster winnerpeople

L to R: Luca, Sandra and Elisa, winners of Africa and Middle East, Europe and South America respectively. Hanne Nielsen, president of APECS presenting Luca with his award. Steven Chown and Larry Hinzmann, presidents of SCAR and IASC respectively, presenting Sandra with her award. Elisa.

A Call for Papers has been announced to invite contributions to a special issue on 'Antarctic Meteorology and Climate: Past, Present and Future' in Advances in Atmospheric Science.

The ongoing effort of the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) in the Antarctic provides a stimulus for a focused research effort on Antarctic meteorology and climate, i.e., a Special Observing Period will take place from mid-November 2018 to mid-February 2019, which will have intensified research activities, including enhanced synoptic observations. More comprehensive and precise observations, increased computing power and improving understanding of Antarctic meteorology and climate, suggest that we expect that coupling of the atmosphere, ocean and sea ice in numerical weather prediction will be achieved with sufficient skill as to become operational in coming years.

A special issue in Advances in Atmospheric Science will showcase recent and ongoing research progress in

1) Antarctic meteorology and numerical weather prediction and

2) Climate variability and change in the Antarctic.

The compilation of research papers in this special issue is expected to contribute to a more thorough understanding of issues in Antarctic meteorology and climate in the past, present and future.

Important dates:
Manuscript submission open: March 1, 2019

Manuscript submission deadline: August 31, 2019

Estimated publication time: January 2020

Submission URL: https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/aasiap

Please select: “Special issue: Antarctic”

More information can be found in the pdf announcement.

Bildschirmfoto 2018-06-29 um 10.51.26.png Under The Pole team is pleased to announce its new call for proposals for the Antarctic part of their third expedition named Under The Pole III "Twilight Zone 2017-2020", aboard WHY, led by Ghislain and Emmanuelle Bardout.

After the success of the two scientific programs conducted in the Arctic; and soon with the scientific programs in French Polynesia, Under The Pole is now launching this new call for projects to bring together new call for proposals in Antarctic.

The objective of this three-year expedition is to provide international scientific community with the opportunity to study the marine environment, the Arctic, the Pacific and the Antarctic, offering to embark aboard the polar sailing yacht of Under The Pole: the "WHY".

This represents a unique opportunity to explore and conduct research using the logistical skills and deep diving experience of Under The Pole. The call for proposals is launched and open to all public research institutions and industrials, and for any type of basic or applied research in the field of marine environmental sciences. The projects will be evaluated on the basis of a presentation pitch of your project submitted to the selection committee including the scientific and technical Managers of the expedition, as well as the independent experts.

Applications must be made by sending back the document "Call_Application_Form_Antarctic". In the folder "Call_For_Proposals_Antarctic", you will find the details of the expedition, the fields of research expected, the process of selection, the resources, the tools at disposal on board and other useful information (equipment of the ship, specialty diving, etc.).

Call for proposals: https://www.underthepole.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Call_For_Proposals_Antarctic_UTP_Eng.pdf

Call application form: https://www.underthepole.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Call_Application_Form_Antarctic_UTP_Eng.pdf

All our expeditions: https://www.underthepole.com

Deadline
As several scientists asked for a deadline extension, UTP team decided to let the Call open until 30th of August 2018. We invite applicants to apply as soon as they can and not to wait upon closure date.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Research Council of Norway are jointly organising a winter school on "The Arcitc Ocean: atmosphere, ice and ocean interactions - implications for future climate and human activities".

The event will be held at National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Reasearch, Goa from 28 Oct to 2 Nov 2018.

For further details, please visit http://iaws2018.ncaor.gov.in/index.php.

The flyer for the event can be downloaded here.

Student online applications due by 30 July 2018.

APECS is very pleased to announce our 2018 APECS International Mentorship Award recipients - Dr. Aleks Terauds and Dr. José Xavier! The mentorship awards were established in 2016 as a meaningful way to recognize the efforts of those mentors within the international polar science community, and to honor those who have devoted significant time and energy towards building a supportive community for early career professionals.

This year, we received several deserving nominations for both categories and it was genuinely difficult for our award committee to select the winners. Thank you to all of those who nominated mentors, and to the Mentorship Award committee members who handled the nomination and award process. Both Aleks and José have devoted significant time to training, advising, and assisting those at the start of their careers, as seen by the following highlights from both of their nominations:

Dr. Aleks Terauds (Australian Antarctic Division, Australia) is the 2018 recipient in the “member category”. APECS members were invited to nominate someone who has been an outstanding personal mentor to them in their career. Aleks was nominated by Jasmine Lee, Meagan Dewar, Hannah Wauchope and Jarod Hodgson, who emphasise that Aleks is an exemplary role model to early career Antarctic scientists across the world. They wrote that “Aleks is an approachable and engaged mentor… this approachability is a welcome relief, fostering a collegiate and collaborative dynamic,” and described him as “the perfect mix of academic support and career guide who has ensured that I already have a flourishing career.” Aleks makes time to support and provide opportunities to those in early career stages, and has helped to shape the career paths of many young researchers. He genuinely cares about integrating early career voices into the Antarctic community, and is invested in setting them up to successfully work with and contribute to policy-making. In addition, Aleks regularly contributes his expertise and time to APECS events, such as the 2017 APECS Oceania Symposium. APECS is therefore honoured to recognise Aleks with an APECS Mentor Award for the significant contribution he has made to fostering early career researchers.

Jose Xavier.jpg Dr. José Xavier (University of Coimbra, Portugal) is the 2018 recipient in the “APECS category”. APECS committees were encouraged to nominate a mentor who has made an outstanding contribution to the success of APECS, and José was nominated by several National Committee, including APECS Portugal, as well as several individual APECS members. They remarked upon the way he brings people together and “is constantly identifying and introducing ECRs to leaders in their scientific field and marking introductions,” and described APECS as “José’s second love, scoring close to science!” José is an excellent example of how APECS is now growing its own mentors. He has been actively engaged with APECS since our establishment in 2007, held a vital role in helping to develop our organisation, and over the years he has participated in numerous panels and workshops as a mentor. José is also dedicated to building capacity around the world, and has supported the creation of several APECS National Committees. In addition, he has mentored numerous students in his career - regardless of whether he was their supervisor or not - leading them to professional success. This support has ranged from guidance during Antarctic fieldwork to helping students learn how to best take advantage of time at international conferences, or to become better educators themselves. José is an enthusiastic communicator who inspires not only the people of Portugal, but also the entire APECS community with his infectious enthusiasm. We therefore congratulate José on a well-deserved award.

On behalf of all APECS members, we would like to sincerely thank José and Aleks for all that they have done as mentors for both our organization and so many early career researchers as individuals. The 2018 APECS International Mentorship Award is a small token of our gratitude for all of the time, wisdom, and passion they have shared. We look forward to working with both of them further in future. Both awards were handed out during the POLAR2018 Conference in Davos.

Mentors come in many guises – if there is someone who has made a difference in your career who you think deserves recognition, please do put them forward for next year’s awards. Nominations for the 2019 APECS International Mentorship Award will be announced early in 2019 on our website, and you can learn more about this year’s nomination process through our archived page.

Award Committee (2017-2018):

• José Queirós, University of Coimbra, Portugal (Chair)
• Julie Bull, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health / University of New Brunswick / University of Toronto, Canada
• Natalie Freeman, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, United States
• Laura Hobbs, University of Strathclyde / Scottish Association for Marine Science, United Kingdom
• Nadya Yanakieva, Bulgarian Antarctic Institute, Bulgaria
• Gabriela Roldan, Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
• Alex Thornton, ARCUS, United States
• Gerlis Fugmann, APECS / Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Germany (ex-officio)

Online Conference logo 2018 1 The 4th APECS International Online Conference was held on 16th of May 2018. 22 early career researchers presented over 4 sessions than ran over 17 hours to accommodate time zones across the world. This year’s theme was: “Butterfly Effect: Small Changes, Big Impact!.”.

APECS congratulates the three prize winners, all of whom have won funds towards future conference travel:

Arctic: Mariama Dryak, Climate Change Institute, Earth and Climate Sciences; University of Maine, “Understanding Ocean Forcing of Polar Glacier Change Using Remotely Sensed Iceberg Melt Data” (Session 3)
Antarctic: Amy Kirkham, University of Alaska Fairbanks, “How do hormones and the skin transcriptome influence molt in a polar pinniped?” (Session 4)
Innovative Communication: Allison Lee, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, “Antarctic Ambassadors Learning to Love Fjord Phytoplankton” (Session 4)

A very big thank you to our keynote speakers: Nicole Biebow (AWI) and Veronica Willmott (AWI) - Session 1, Margareta Johansson (Lund University) and Sarah Baatout (SCK•CEN) - Session 2, James Overland (NOAA/PMEL) - Session 3.

We are also grateful to all the presenters and volunteers who made the conference possible.

For links to the conference recordings, and to view all abstracts of the 2018 Online Conference on the APECS website.

We are delighted to announce that Elizabeth Orr (University of Cincinnati) has been selected to join the editorial board for the 1st issue of the State of Environmental Science in Svalbard (SESS) report published by SIOS (Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System). SIOS plans to publish the report in January 2019 during the SIOS Polar Night Week in Longyearbyen.

Elizabeth is currently a PhD student and her research focuses on the reconstruction of Quaternary landscape and glacial histories of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen. apecs logo web

The selection process was organised in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), who managed the applications and coordinated the work of independent, volunteer reviewers to evaluate and recommend the highest quality candidates. The final selection was made by SIOS.

V Symposium APECS-Brazil - Organizing Committee.jpg The V Symposium was held at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil from May 15 to 18, 2018. The event connected 68 researchers and students from 30 different institutions. It is important to emphasize that this is the only scientific meeting focused on polar science in Brazil. In the first day of event, the members of the APECS-Brazil ministered the mini-courses “Political and environmental aspects of the Antarctic treaty: structure and functioning of the Madrid protocol”, “Polar science in basic education: from scientific literacy to school practice”, “Pollution in the Antarctic environment” and “Antarctic mycology”. On this day, also had a scientific communication activity “Talking with Polar Scientists: Antarctic experience” that gave lectures to over 600 children of basic education activities. In the next three days, guest speakers gave lectures in the most diverse areas: archeology, mycology, parasitology, medicine, education, geology, geopolitics, marine biology, paleontology, botany, ecology, evolution and climate change were performed. The roundtable discussed the achievements of the APECS-Brazil, which for 10 years are promoting and disseminating knowledge about the Polar Regions in Brazil.

Also, during the symposium, the polar early career scientists presented the abstracts - oral and mini video. As a way to stimulate them, the best works presented were awarded at the end of the event.

We thank the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), APECS-International and the other supporters.

V Symposium APECS-Brazil - Oficial picture.jpg

APECS in collaboration with the Marine Ecosystem of the Southern Ocean (MEASO) and the IDEAL research center of Chile held a panel in Hobart Australia on April 8th. This panel was one of several workshops preceding the first MEASO conference. The two hour event discussed how early career researchers (ECR) can get involved in large international initiatives that are shaping Antarctic research and policy. Our panel covered topics such as: advantages/disadvantages of being involved, when and how to get involved as an ECR and best ways to make an impact on politics. The panel consisted of: Dr. Aleks Terrauds (AAD and chair of SCAR standing committee on the ATS), Indi Hodgson-Johnston (IMOS and ECR rapporteur for ATS and CCAMLR), Dr. Nadine Johnston (BAS and ICED program manager) and Dr. Stephen Nicol (UTAS and Australian delegation to CCAMLR). The panel was moderated by APECS ExCom member Jilda Caccavo. Twenty-two ECRs attended the panel.

According to our panelists ECR should try to get involved with these initiatives as soon as possible. They highlighted the many advantages participating in these groups, and noted that the only downside is that it is time consuming and represents an extra workload during your PhD or post-doc. However, all the panelists agreed that being involved is an excellent way to raise your professional profile and increase the impact of your research. Involvement in these large international initiatives would also give you plenty of opportunities for networking and influencing policy. The panel noted that there are many ways to get involved as there are many different initiatives. . The panel recommend looking for a group that matches your interests, be thy research, policy or career development interests, and becoming involved. The group noted that most scientific meetings and the Antarctic Treaty System require rapporteurs for their large meetings. Rapporteuring is an excellent opportunity to become more actively involved in the groups, network, and learn the very useful (and marketable!) craft of writing reports. The panel highlighted that organizations differ in how easy it is to get involved. For example, CCAMLR is more political and participants in CCAMLR process need to be invited into the group. Invitations can take the form of CCAMLR scholarships, internships or jobs such as, rapporteuring. Other organizations, like ICED, are more open and you only need to browse through their website and register yourself to participate. Finally, being involved gives you an outstanding platform for your research to impact policy. Many of the scientific organizations (like SCAR and ICED) have an established reporting chain to political bodies such as, CCAMLR and the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. High quality research with a crystal clear message is always helpful to impact policy. It is also helpful to cultivate relationships with policy makers who can carry your message into the decision making processes. Maintaining these relationships is time consuming, but it is a very effective way to ensure that your science influences policy. A less direct, but also effective way to have your research message reach policy makers is to engage in outreach and publishing “non-academic” abstracts for larger audiences (e.g. twitter, websites, etc.).

apecs logo web

APECS in collaboration with the Marine Ecosystem of the Southern Ocean (MEASO) and the IDEAL research center of Chile held a panel in Hobart, Australia on April 8th.

German-Russian Summer School: New Monitoring Technologies for environmental research and their application

26 - 31 August 2018, Potsdam/Schloss Schmarsow, Germany

Application deadline: July 1, 2018

Are you interested in learning more about how complex data on climate and landscape development are recorded, processed and utilized then apply for this extraordinary event. Twenty students (10 from each country) will finally be chosen to participate in the summer school.

Over six days you will attend stimulating lectures on latest research results and work intensely within smaller groups to experience the handling, management and visualization of terrestrial and airborne data, all under the supervision of noted scientific and engineering experts.
A full day will be dedicated to the use and application of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in science and how to plan and conduct a UAV-mission. Fields trips will complete the scientific programme.

Details on application and requirements can be found in the event flyer.

Announcing the 4th Kobe PCRC Symposium on “Achieving Sustainability in Arctic Resource Development:
The Role of International Law”

A Call For Abstracts by 31 July 2018 (first round)

Date: 17-18 December 2018 (two full day conference)
Venue: Kobe University, Japan

************************************************************

Invitation for Collaborative Research on Arctic/Antarctic Legal & Policy Issues
with JSPS Fellowship—Academic Year 2019

Interest must be indicated to the PCRC no later than 17 July 2018.

COSIMENA Summer School - "Modelling Climate Change from a Multidisciplinary Perspective:
How can we achieve climate resilience, sustainable mobility, and tourism in the MENA region?"

9 - 14 September 2018, Alexandria

Deadline for applications: July 1, 2018.

Call for application

Climate Variability in Antarctica and the Southern Hemisphere in the past 2000 years

Tuesday 4th- Wednesday 5th September 2018

British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK.

This is an open meeting (limited to 40 participants) to engage a broad spectrum of the scientific community working on climate variability in the southern hemisphere over the past 2000 years. It is open to paleoclimatologists working on a range of archives (such as ice cores, lake sediments, marine records, and terrestrial records), climatologists and climate modellers. Our aim is to review and evaluate our current understanding of the drivers of Southern Hemisphere climate variability, through short presentations, posters and discussion sessions.

The final programme will circulated following the CLIVASH2k kick-off meeting in Davos (http://pastglobalchanges.org/ini/wg/2k-network/projects/clivash/meetings/127-pages/1731-polar-18).

Registration deadline: 17th August

Travel grants: PAGES will support a small number of travel grants. Priority will be given to early career researchers (PhD students and early post-doctoral researchers) and those from developing countries.

Please indicate when registering if you require financial assistance and submit a justification and estimated costs.

Travel grant deadline: 3rd August

This joint workshop brings together the PAGES 2k project CLIVASH2k http://pastglobalchanges.org/ini/wg/2k-network/projects/clivash
and the SCAR research programme AntClim21 https://www.scar.org/science/antclim21/home/

We look forward to welcoming you in Cambridge!

Liz Thomas and Thomas Bracegirdle

On behalf of the CLIVASH2k and AntClim21 working groups

logo elmer ICE We would like to announce an Elmer/Ice beginner level course planned for this October in Finland. This will take place at the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, in Rovaniemi on Monday 22nd October 2018 and Tuesday 23rd October. Further information is available here:
https://www.csc.fi/web/training/-/elmerice_beginners_oct2018

An Elmer/Ice advanced users workshop will provisionally take place at the CSC-IT Center for Science from the morning of Monday 29th October 2018 until the afternoon of Wednesday 31st October. Further information is available here:
https://www.csc.fi/web/training/-/elmerice_workshop2018

There is also a news item about these events:
http://elmerice.elmerfem.org/102-elmer-ice-courses-in-october

There will be no fees, though attendees will be responsible for their own travel and subsistence costs.

These Elmer/Ice events take place before and after the Nordic IGS meeting in Rovaniemi, for which an independent announcement will be made closer to the time.

Regards,
Rupert Gladstone
Thomas Zwinger <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Olivier Gagliardini <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>

2018 AGU Fall Meeting It's the time of year for mass-advertising AGU Cryosphere sessions. To help in whatever small way I can with the unnecessary Inbox overload, here's a complete list of AGU 2018 Fall Meeting Cryosphere sessions in numerical order, including cross-listed sessions. Details, conveners and descriptions for each are found at: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm18/prelim.cgi/

C001 100 Years of Cryosphere

C002 Advanced understanding of the Arctic hydrologic system in a warming climate of Cryosphere

C003 Advancements in Measurement of Snow Water Equivalent using Coincident Ground and Airborne Data

C004 Advances in Ice Sheet-Ocean Interactions: From Measurements to Climate Impacts

C005 Advances in Observing and Modeling Ice Sheet and Ice Shelf Surface Mass Balance: Past, Present and Future

C006 Advances in Subglacial, Englacial, and Supraglacial Hydrology

C007 Advances in Understanding Processes at the Beds of Glaciers and Ice Sheets

C008 Altimetry of the cryosphere and polar oceans

C009 Atmospheric moisture in the Arctic climate system

C010 At the Front: Observations of Greenland’s Marine-Terminating Glaciers and the Processes They Reveal

C011 Beyond Ice Thickness: Using Radar Sounding to Understand the Dynamics of Glacier Systems

C012 Birth, Life, and Death of Icebergs

C013 Breaking the mold: New sensors, enhanced datasets, new tools and parameters from satellite passive microwave instruments

C014 Collaborative research to address changes in the climate, hydrology and cryosphere of High Mountain Asia

C015 Drivers of change in the high-mountain water cycle

C016 Dust, Black Carbon, and Other Aerosols in the Cryosphere

C017 Forty years of eyes on the planet: An uninterrupted record of earth remote sensing with satellite passive microwave instruments

C018 Glacier Monitoring From In-Situ and Remotely Sensed Observations

C019 Glacier Processes from Large-Scale Remote Sensing

C020 GRACE-FO and ICESat-2: NASA’s Newest Missions for Cryospheric Science

C021 How Technology and Exploration are Advancing Knowledge of the Polar Regions

C022 Ice Core Records of Environmental Change

C023 Integrating Observations and Models to Better Understand a Changing Arctic System

C024 Modeling of the Cryosphere: Glaciers and Ice Sheets

C025 Modeling of the Cryosphere: Seasonal Snow

C026 New data sources for the monitoring of polar ice sheets and their impact on ice sheet prediction

C027 Observing, Modelling, Diagnosing, and Predicting Hydrological and Earth System Change in Cold Regions

C028 Polar Climate: Processes & Predictability

C029 Preliminary discoveries from the 2015–2018 Shackleton Glacier deep field camp, Antarctica

C030 Putting Arctic Science to Work: Using Your Words to Reach Collaborators and Decision-makers

C031 Quantifying Spatial and Temporal Variability of Snow and Snow Processes

C032 Recent Advances in Monitoring, Measuring, and Modeling Snow Processes

C033 Remote Sensing of Sea Ice

C034 Remote Sensing of Seasonal Snow

C035 Reproducible science in water resources: cryosphere and hydrology

C036 Sea Ice and Snow under Change: Using In-Situ Measurements to Enhance Remote Sensing and Model Studies

C037 Sea ice-ocean-atmosphere interactions in the “New” Arctic and Southern Oceans

C038 Seasonal Sea Ice: Processes, properties, and linkages to ocean and atmospheric state across scales

C039 Societal Impacts of Global Cryosphere Change and Associated Mitigation and Adaptation Policies

C040 The Nye Lecture and Honored Member Presentations (not for submissions!)

C041 The Role of Ground Ice in Permafrost Hydrology and Geomorphology

C042 Visualizing the Dynamic Cryosphere

Cross-listed with Cryosphere:

A014 Arctic and midlatitude linkage: Causes and Effects

A015 Arctic Energy Balance and Relevant Atmosphere and Surface Processes: Current Understanding and Challenges

A017 Assessment, Enhancement and Integration of Arctic Observing Systems

A033 Climate Variability and Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction Over the North Atlantic

A041 Data Assimilation, Reanalysis, and Observing System Simulation Experiments: Theory and Applications

A046 Extratropical and High-latitude Storms, Teleconnections, Extreme Weather, and the Changing Polar Climate

A080 Observations and Predictability of Atmospheric Processes over Complex Terrain

A081 Polar Atmospheric Processes and Their Interactions with Land, Ice, and Ocean

A103 The Tropical vs. Polar "Tug of War" on the Atmospheric General Circulation Response to Climate Change

A111 Using emergent constraints to reduce uncertainty in projections of future climate change

B020 Comparative Organic Geochemistry of Soils and Aquatic Sediments: A New View in the 21st Century

B037 Impacts of winter climate change on hydrobiogeochemical dynamics of terrestrial and aquatic systems during the winter and shoulder seasons

B041 Interactions between hydrological and biogeochemical change in permafrost environments

B096 Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon to Climate Change

DI002 Advances in Computational Geosciences

ED014 Climate Literacy in Higher Education: Challenges, Opportunities and Engaging Diverse Populations

ED024 Connecting the World to the Poles through Science Communication, Education and Outreach

ED027 Cross-Cultural Scientific Investigation: Connecting Remote Sensors with Ground Sensors

EP039 Signatures of Climate Change in Surface Processes

EP042 The Past, Present and Future of Arctic Coastal Change

EP047 When rock meets water and ice - geomorphic and hydrologic response in periglacial Critical Zones

GC006 Advances in Understanding Causes and Consequences of High-latitude System Changes for Improved Sub-seasonal to Decadal Predictability

GC016 Attribution Science Advancements: Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Hydrosphere, Ocean

GC073 Permafrost Dynamics, Biophysical and Socio-Economic Linkages: Connecting Science to Policy

GC074 Quantifying and Decreasing Uncertainty in Projections of Future Sea Level Change

GC086 The global water cycle: linkages of ocean salinity with the atmosphere and terrestrial hydrology

GC090 The Third Pole Environment (TPE) under Global Changes

GH003 Arctic Geohealth: climate change and health impacts in northern high latitudes

G001 An Ongoing Transformation: High Resolution Topography in the Geosciences

G006 First Results from GRACE Follow-On: Continuing the GRACE Data Record

G011 Glacial Isostatic Adjustment and the Importance of High-quality Instrumental and Geological Constraints

G012 GRACE, GRACE Follow-On, and Beyond

G020 Satellite Geodesy for Climate and Atmospheric Research

G021 Scientific Applications Enabled by the International GNSS Service (IGS) and by Improvements to GNSS Products

H022 Applications in Snow Hydrology: Linking Seasonal Snow to Natural Processes and Society

H051 Ecohydrological Interactions with Precipitation

H103 Recent Advances in the Hydrologic Sciences

H110 Science and Applications Results Based on NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Satellite Mission Products and Validation Experiments

H119 The MacGyver Session: The Place for Novel, Exciting, Self-Made, Hacked, or Improved Sensors, Data Acquisition, and Data Transmission Solutions to Understand the Geosphere

IN016 Communicating Scientific Data Quality through the Lens of Uncertainty

IN041 Innovative Visualization Solutions Merging Earth Science Data Representations and Analytics

IN046 JPSS: Providing advanced global observations to improve knowledge and decisions by a global interconnected community

IN052 New Space: Results from Earth Observing CubeSat Missions

NG011 Stochastic Modelling in Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate Dynamics

OS001 Advances in monitoring and modeling of subsea permafrost

OS039 Sea Level Change and Coastal Impacts and Flooding

OS044 Unprecedented Bering Sea Ice Extent and Impacts to Marine Ecosystems and Western Alaskan Communities

PA015 Communication of Science - Practice, Research and Reflection

PP012 Development of the cryosphere: evidence from sedimentary records in the high latitudes

PP032 Quantifying Arctic System Change: Past, Present, and Future

PP033 Sea Level and Ice Sheet Reconstructions over Glacial Cycles

PP041 The North Atlantic region in the early icehouse world

PP045 Water Isotope Systematics: Improving Modern and Paleoclimate Interpretations

P020 From the Earth to the Moons: Unraveling the Geologic, Oceanographic and Chemical Mysteries of Ice and Ocean Worlds

P041 Science for a New Era of Lunar Exploration

P046 “The New Mars Underground”: Science and Exploration of a New Deep Frontier

S008 Environmental Seismology: A look at the short past, the current state-of-the-art, and the wide open future

U001 60 Years of Scientific Achievements in the Arctic and Antarctica: Looking Back, Looking Forward

V038 The Emerging Multidisciplinary Science of Fire and Ice: Understanding the causes, timing and consequences of planetary glaciovolcanism

Happy session perusing!

Mike Mc Ferrin

Reducing the Incidence of Suicide in Indigenous Groups - Strengths United through Networks (RISING SUN) announces the release of their suicide prevention toolkit.

Under the 2015-2017 U.S. Arctic Council Chairmanship, the RISING SUN initiative used a community-based and consensus-building process to identify common outcomes for evaluating suicide prevention efforts across the circumpolar north. Specifically, RISING SUN was designed to develop a web-based toolkit comprising the key correlates associated with successful suicide prevention interventions across Arctic states. This toolkit includes resources for individuals, families, communities, clinics, and national and/or regional organizations, such as donors, policymakers, and youth organizations.

The RISING SUN toolkit includes:

Information on the determinants of suicide across the Arctic,
A general introduction to suicide prevention efforts in circumpolar Indigenous communities,
Information on what can be done to alleviate this public health threat and practices from communities that have successfully implemented effective suicide prevention interventions,
A collection of prioritized outcomes and measures to assess the impact and effectiveness of suicide prevention interventions being implemented across the circumpolar Arctic, and
A strategy with good practices for using the toolkit.

For more information, go to:
RISING SUN webpage

Bildschirmfoto 2018-06-25 um 13.57.17.png

IASC’s International Science Initiative in the Russian Arctic (ISIRA) are pleased to announce the availability of registration fee support for UArctic Congress 2018.

The support includes registration for 10 Russian Early career scientists (320 Euro per student). The costs will be reimbursed after the congress based on receipts that the selected student provides (unfortunately, upfront payment is not possible).

Requirements for the funding:

Bachelor, Master and PhD students from the Russian institutions should have a proof of full-time student status (ID card or letter from your institution or program director) provided with the registration
Accepted abstract to present at the Scientific Program
The applicant should not have received IASC support in the past 18 months

Please submit your application or related questions to the email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. In the Email Subject please state “Your name, IASC student fellowship application”. Free form application should include the title of your accepted abstract and your contact information. Please attach a short 1 page CV with information about your education, working experience, and the number of publications with your application.

Application deadline is July 8th, 2018 at 23:59 GMT. Late applications will not be considered. No exceptions will be made.

Scientific Committee of the UArctic Congress 2018

Submit an Abstract

Further information at the workshop website.
Questions? Contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

“2018-2023: Enhancing Knowledge and Understanding of the Arctic”
At their annual meeting, the Council of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) approved a new strategic plan.

IASC’s core mission is to encourage and facilitate cooperation throughout the Arctic research community. Working to achieve this mission, this new plan is based on three scientific ‘pillars’ that provide direction for a necessary progression from knowledge production, to exchange, to action: Facilitating Arctic Research Cooperation, Promoting Engagement, and Ensuring Knowledge Exchange.

“Considering the profound changes currently taking place in the Arctic, a greater scientific understanding of the region and its role in the Earth system is needed. Importantly, this information must be passed on to policy and decision makers. IASC’s Strategic Plan will assist in this endeavor,” former IASC President Dr. Susan Barr said.

IASC‘s leadership and scientific working groups will now begin implementation of the plan. As IASC aims to serve the whole Arctic science community, IASC encourages the community to reach out to the members of the IASC Council and Working Groups to provide input and suggestions.

The full plan is available for download on the IASC website: https://iasc.info/strategic-plan

New IASC Leadership
In addition, the IASC Council elected a new president and two new vice-presidents to its Executive Committee. Congratulations to:

Larry Hinman (President, USA)
Henry Burgess (Vice-President, UK)
Paula Kankaanpää (Vice-President, Finland)

Vice-President Vladimir Pavlenko (Russia) was re-elected, and Vice-President Huigen Yang (China) continues.

As they begin and continue their four-year terms, the IASC Executive Committee operates as a board of directors and manages IASC’s activities between Council meetings; this group meets twice a year to discuss and evaluate science initiatives, look at new opportunities for international cooperation, prepare the agenda for Council meetings and review the budget.

2018 Bulletin
Last, but not least, IASC released its 2018 Bulletin, reporting on the IASC-supported activites over the past years. In it, the five IASC Working Groups (Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social & Human, Terrestrial) share exciting scientific highlights of their international and interdisciplinary work, IASC partners share their synergistic activities, and IASC leadership and Fellows share their perspectives on working with IASC.

You can download the new Bulletin, as well as previous issues, here: https://iasc.info/outreach/bulletin

All of these announcements are coming from the annual Arctic Science Summit Week, which is part of Polar2018 this year – an international science event bringing together the world’s leading experts and decision makers working in the Arctic and Antarctic, 15-26 June in Davos, Switzerland.

Foto World Summit Do you want to get (or remain) active in APECS and the APECS leadership? The applications for APECS Council 2018-2019 are open now! Application deadline is 31 July 2018 at 23:59 GMT

About the Council

The APECS Council is the larger of the two leadership committees of APECS. Its members work on projects (e.g. webinars, workshops, Polar Weeks), coordinate APECS activities, and govern the organisation.

The Council has two categories of members:

individual Council members (any APECS member who wants to serve on the APECS Council as an individual);
representatives from APECS National Committees and organisational members of APECS (i.e., partner organisations).

The 2018-2019 Council term is from 1 October 2018 through 30 September 2019. In September 2018 we will run several orientation webinars for new Council members and you will get an introduction to our Council project groups, so you are well prepared to start your term on 1 October.

More information on the Council, the Council member categories and their tasks, rights and responsibilities can be found in the Council Charter and on our Council pages. Please also get to know our current Council members and read notes of our meetings. No prior experience with APECS is necessary to join the Council, and we encourage all APECS members to consider applying!

Why should you get active in APECS? Being involved in the APECS Council provides you with opportunities to engage internationally and across disciplines with other early career researchers and professionals who are interested in the Polar and Alpine regions and the wider Cryosphere. Within our projects, you can develop valuable skills in project management, leadership and communication skills in a friendly and supportive environment that will help you in your future careers no matter if they will be in academia or non-academic professions. APECS Council members value the international networks they develop through the council, as well as the recognition and accomplishments through their work.

How to apply?

First time applicants

Individual Council Members: For first-time applicants and applicants who are not involved in the current 2017-2018 Council, if you want to join the 2018-2019 Council as an “individual Council member” please fill out this application form by 31 July 2018 at 23:59 GMT and send a photo of yourself to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

After you have submitted your application, our Council Chairs will be in touch with you to set up a short online meeting to talk to you about the Council. Please note that it is also possible to join the Council throughout the year, but applications received after the 31 July application deadline will only be processed after the start of the new Council term in October, and you will miss the training and orientation sessions for new Council members scheduled for September.

National Committee / Partner Representatives: For first-time applicants who have been nominated by an APECS National Committee or partner organisation to represent them on the APECS Council, please fill out this nomination form by 31 July 2018 at 23:59 GMT. Please note that the chair of your National Committee / partner organisation also has to send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by the application deadline to confirm that you will be their representative and that they will ensure that there is regular communication with their NC / organisational rep throughout the term.
Re-applications from current 2016-2017 Council members

The Council Chairs will send you information about how you can re-apply for the upcoming 2018-2019 term via email.

For both new applicants and returning applicants, the Executive Committee will vote on your application at the end of August and inform you of the outcome of your application.

If you have any questions, or you want any general information about the APECS Council please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We really appreciate all our APECS volunteers and their commitment to paving the way for the future of polar research!

About the Council

The Council has two categories of members:

individual Council members (any APECS member who wants to serve on the APECS Council as an individual);
representatives from APECS National Committees and organisational members of APECS (i.e., partner organisations).

How to apply?

First time applicants

Individual Council Members: For first-time applicants and applicants who are not involved in the current 2017-2018 Council, if you want to join the 2018-2019 Council as an “individual Council member” please fill out this application form by 31 July 2018 at 23:59 GMT and send a photo of yourself to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

After you have submitted your application, our Council Chairs will be in touch with you to set up a short online meeting to talk to you about the Council. Please note that it is also possible to join the Council throughout the year, but applications received after the 31 July application deadline will only be processed after the start of the new Council term in October, and you will miss the training and orientation sessions for new Council members scheduled for September.

National Committee / Partner Representatives: For first-time applicants who have been nominated by an APECS National Committee or partner organisation to represent them on the APECS Council, please fill out this nomination form by 31 July 2018 at 23:59 GMT. Please note that the chair of your National Committee / partner organisation also has to send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by the application deadline to confirm that you will be their representative and that they will ensure that there is regular communication with their NC / organisational rep throughout the term.
Re-applications from current 2016-2017 Council members

The Council Chairs will send you information about how you can re-apply for the upcoming 2018-2019 term via email.

For both new applicants and returning applicants, the Executive Committee will vote on your application at the end of August and inform you of the outcome of your application.

If you have any questions, or you want any general information about the APECS Council please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We really appreciate all our APECS volunteers and their commitment to paving the way for the future of polar research!

Do you want to get (or remain) active in APECS and the APECS leadership? The applications for APECS Council 2018-2019 are open now! Application deadline is 31 July 2018 at 23:59 GMT

About the Council

The Council has two categories of members:

individual Council members (any APECS member who wants to serve on the APECS Council as an individual);
representatives from APECS National Committees and organisational members of APECS (i.e., partner organisations).

How to apply?

First time applicants

Individual Council Members: For first-time applicants and applicants who are not involved in the current 2017-2018 Council, if you want to join the 2018-2019 Council as an “individual Council member” please fill out this application form by 31 July 2018 at 23:59 GMT and send a photo of yourself to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

After you have submitted your application, our Council Chairs will be in touch with you to set up a short online meeting to talk to you about the Council. Please note that it is also possible to join the Council throughout the year, but applications received after the 31 July application deadline will only be processed after the start of the new Council term in October, and you will miss the training and orientation sessions for new Council members scheduled for September.

National Committee / Partner Representatives: For first-time applicants who have been nominated by an APECS National Committee or partner organisation to represent them on the APECS Council, please fill out this nomination form by 31 July 2018 at 23:59 GMT. Please note that the chair of your National Committee / partner organisation also has to send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by the application deadline to confirm that you will be their representative and that they will ensure that there is regular communication with their NC / organisational rep throughout the term.
Re-applications from current 2016-2017 Council members

The Council Chairs will send you information about how you can re-apply for the upcoming 2018-2019 term via email.

For both new applicants and returning applicants, the Executive Committee will vote on your application at the end of August and inform you of the outcome of your application.

If you have any questions, or you want any general information about the APECS Council please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We really appreciate all our APECS volunteers and their commitment to paving the way for the future of polar research!

UKPN and APECS Russia Presidents Archana Dayal and Yulia Zaika meet at Polar2018 to continue to build links and collaborations between UK and Russia The UK Polar Network and APECS Russia, national committees (NCs) of APECS (Association of Polar Early Career Scientists), collaborated on organizing activities in 2017-18 with mutual interests benefiting early career researchers from the UK and Russia. The NCs organized 2 workshops in Moscow and Cambridge in February and March 2018, which saw an exchange of 20 Arctic early career researchers with a focus on learning about working in the Russian Arctic in the future. These were funded and organized in collaboration with the NCs national bodies - NERC Arctic Office, British Antarctic Survey, UK Science and Innovation Network, Marine Research Centre and Geography faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University and Embassies.

This resulted in some unique and great deliverables, including a publication of a joint opinion piece in Nature (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05340-5) and the creation of a website (https://ukrussiaarctic.wordpress.com/), a great resource in-the-making for further research and outreach opportunities.

In order to continue and build on this collaboration, the NCs have recently successfully submitted and won a joint funding bid to the Foreign Commonwealth Office for an interdisciplinary field course workshop in the Russian Arctic, to be organized in February – March 2019.

The NCs are extremely grateful to have been mentored by APECS Executive Committee and Council members over the years, who have provided their guidance and support in all their endeavors. They therefore commit to cooperate, foster links and build relationships for future scientific advancements and progress.

UK Polar Network President – Archana Dayal
APECS Russia President – Yulia Zaika

UKPN and APECS Russia polar early career researchers meet at Polar2018 for a meeting

The Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) is now accepting second round of applications for the Arctic Science Fellowship Program 2018.

The Program offers early career researchers from Arctic countries and researchers of Arctic indigenous heritage with an opportunity to cooperate with KOPRI scientists. The participants will be provided with a round-trip airfare, moderate stipend, and accommodation within the KOPRI facilities.

Application for the fellowship is open until July 27, 2018.

Further information on the program can be found on the following webpage:
http://www.kopri.re.kr/eng/html/comm/0501.html?mode=Vno=4e547ee696e5e902cedf2357e4effd02

For any query or submission of the application, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Researchers survey invite input, via the European Space Agency (ESA) project ARC-REACH (PDF - 168 KB), in order to evaluate feasibility to set-up a ship-based low-power long-range dynamic radio network in the Arctic, tailored for tracking of cargo and maritime activity, complemented with remote sensing of the environment. For this user survey, researchers are looking for input and cooperation from ship operators and the scientific research community active in the Arctic.

The objective of the ARC-REACH project is to have a validation of the following key questions:

Whether commercial shipping companies have the need of cargo tracking in the region and show a willingness to pay for the service,
Whether the proposed technological solution is cost-effective and is proven (on small-scale) to be reliable in a harsh environment, and
Whether the scientific community confirms the proposed low-power radio network has a cost positive effect on future remote sensing in the area.

For this project, researchers propose to install a small radio network on different ships (similar to a Wi-Fi router), which allows communication to different types of sensors, both on the ship as well with sensors in the close environment.

For more information and to take the survey, go to:
Survey homepage

NASA's Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment

The Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences for 2018 (ROSES-2018) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Research Announcement (NRA) invites Letters of Intent for research for Terrestrial Ecology: Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) – Phase 2.

The Terrestrial Ecology (TE) Program uses airborne and space-based observations to understand how Earth’s carbon cycle and terrestrial ecosystems respond to environmental changes and human intervention. The goals of the NASA TE Program are to improve understanding of the structure, function, and productivity of terrestrial ecosystems across the globe, their interaction with the atmosphere and hydrosphere, and their role in cycling the major biogeochemical elements and water. The program addresses the spatial and temporal variability of terrestrial ecosystem states and processes, how terrestrial ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles respond to and affect global environmental change, and what future changes might be expected in carbon cycle dynamics and ecosystems.

ABoVE Phase 2 research is solicited in four areas:

Analyzing remote sensing data collected during the 2017 ABoVE Airborne Campaign (AAC) to develop the data products required to improve understanding of ecosystem dynamics;
Developing a better understanding of the ecophysiological basis of the relationships between surface and satellite measurements of Solar Induced Fluorescence (SIF) for northern ecosystems and its link to ecosystem productivity;
Continuing research on the societal impacts of changes to Arctic and boreal ecosystems; and
Integrating research results from ABoVE into a coherent modeling framework to diagnose and predict ecosystem dynamics and the consequent societal impacts of changes to the ecosystem.

Phase 2 also includes the opportunity for a person (or persons) to serve as the ABoVE Science Team Lead(s).

Notice of Intent submission deadline: 18 June 2018

To submit a Letter of Intent, go to:
Submission webpage

For more information, go to:
Solicitation announcement

The World Meteorological Organisation and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, invites you to a meeting of the Satcom Forum, 9th-11th October 2018 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Satcom 2018 is a free event for scientists and engineers working in all areas of environmental science - including meteorology, hydrology, marine and polar science - who make use of satellite communications technology to collect or distribute data. It brings together people from the satcom industry, scientific equipment manufacturers, and scientists using the equipment in the field. It is a great opportunity to learn about what is available, and to share best practice.

They have already lined up a number of industry speakers, including representatives from Eumetsat, Orbcomm, Rock7 (specialist Iridium reseller) and Inmarsat, and hope to have as many of the commercial satellite networks represented as possible.

To register to attend the event, please use the following form: https://wiswiki.wmo.int/tiki-index.php?page=Satcom2018-reg

They are also looking for papers or posters on the use of satellite communications within environmental science. These could include descriptions of existing systems, suggestions for the industry for new products or services, or good or bad experiences and learnings from setting up satellite data collection systems.

To register for a poster or oral paper, please use the following form. https://wiswiki.wmo.int/tiki-index.php?page=Satcom2018-Poster

They hope to make decisions about which will be selected by the beginning of August.

Satcom 2018 is held in conjunction with the Meteorological Technology World Expo, at the RAI exhibition centre in Amsterdam. WMO can provide formal invitations to assist with visa applications if required. We regret that we cannot provide funding for travel costs for speakers or attendees.

Further details can be obtained from the WMO meeting page here https://wiswiki.wmo.int/Satcom2018

Photo Competition.jpg

As the Arctic Biodiversity Congress moves closer we would like to remind you to participate in the Arctic Biodiversity Through the Lens photography Competition.

One grand prize winner will receive a trip to beautiful Rovaniemi, Finland. Selected images will be displayed at the Arctic Biodiversity Congress October 9-11, 2018 in Rovaniemi, Finland, and be exhibited across Arctic countries.

The competition welcomes entries across four categories; landscape, biodiversity, peoples of the North and business and science in the Arctic. Young photographers are especially welcome to submit and the competition has special prizes for young photographers under the age of 18. Award-winning photographers Carsten Egevang, Gyda Henningsdottir, Einar Gudmann, Krista Ylinen and Lawrence Hislop will judge winning entries.

The eyes of the world are turning northwards. Arctic landscapes, wildlife, cultures and light have inspired people since time immemorial. The Arctic Biodiversity Through the Lens photography competition is intended to celebrate the beauty of the Arctic as experienced by photographers of all skill levels. Further information can be found at the Arctic Biodiversity Through the Lens Photography Competition and in the terms and conditions.

Deadline for entries: August 1, 2018 by 24:00 GMT.

Please share and distribute this post among your colleagues, within your institution, and with anybody that shares our appreciation for Arctic biodiversity and photography.

Thank you,
CAFF International Secretariat
Borgir, Nordurslod, Akureyri, Iceland
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (+354) 462-3350

SOOSLogo1a The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) are looking for one or two early career scientists for a new regional working group on the Weddell Sea - Droning Maud Land. The objective of the working group will be to coordinate the international long-term observation of the Weddell Sea – Droning Maud Land.

The selected candidates, will contribute to the work of the group helping among others with scientific / management input (e.g. discussions, workshop), and eventually writing papers and contribute to a special issue on present research in the Weddell Sea – Droning Maud Land.

This is a volunteer position for a term of minimum 3 years with no associated direct funding. However, if e.g. a workshop is organized, early career scientists of the working group will be considered first for available early career funding.

There will be a meeting of the working group in Davos at the POLAR2018 conference and those selected early career researchers, who are attending the conference are welcome to join this meeting. More information will be sent to the selected early career researchers before the conference. You can also apply for this opportunity if you are not attending the POLAR2018 conference.

To apply, you need to meet the following criteria:

early career researcher (up to 5 years past PhD)
previous experience in Southern Ocean research (ideally focused on the Weddell Sea - Droning Maud Land area)
Country restrictions: We welcome applications from early career researchers worldwide and especially encourage applications from Asia, South America and Africa. Due to the composition of the already existing group members, early career researchers from Germany and Norway are unfortunately not able to apply for this opportunity.

How to apply?

Please send the following information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by no later than 14 June at 23:59 GMT

your CV
Statement of Interest (max one page), including your research background, your motivation in joining the working group, and your thoughts on how you can contribute to the group and how this would benefit your career

We are announcing an exciting opportunity to work as project manager in the APECS International Directorate and the German Arctic Office at AWI!

The Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) is a member of the Helmholtz Association (HGF) and funded by federal and state government. AWI focuses on polar and marine research in a variety of disciplines such as biology, oceanography, geology, geochemistry and geophysics thus allowing multidisciplinary approaches to scientific goals. The AWI invites applications for a Project Manager to support its German Arctic Office and the APECS International Directorate Office, both based at the AWI research center in Potsdam, Germany.

You will be a member of both offices at AWI Potsdam, working 50% for the German Arctic Office and 50% for the APECS International Directorate Office. Your tasks will include but are not limited to: (1) supporting and assisting both offices in the management of projects and events including their planning, coordination and implementation; (2) helping with the communication and public relations of both offices, including assisting with the websites and social media and the development of promotional materials; (3) handling of administrative tasks for both offices including the maintenance of mailing lists and various financial and accounting tasks and reporting.

Application Deadline: 27 June 2018

The position is full-time and limited to two years. Please note that excellent written and oral German and English language skills are needed for this position.

More information about the requirements and the full position description are available in this PDF or on the AWI website.

About the German Arctic Office and APECS:

German Arctic Office: Established by AWI January 2017, in consultation with the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry for Education and Research, the German Arctic Office serves as an information and cooperation platform for German stakeholders from science, politics and industry. The office advises the Federal Government on Arctic issues and fosters Germany's participation in the Arctic Council's scientific activities. The German Arctic Office initiates and organizes national Arctic meetings and events in cooperation with partners from science, politics and industry, and supports the federal government in the representation of German Arctic research and policy at international conferences.

Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS): APECS is an international and interdisciplinary organization for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, early faculty members, educators and others with interest in Polar and Alpine Regions and the wider cryosphere. APECS aims to 1) create a network of polar researchers across disciplines and national boundaries to meet, share ideas and experiences, and develop new research directions and collaborations; 2) provide the opportunity for career development for both traditional and alternative polar and cryosphere professions; c) promote education and outreach as an integral component of polar research and to stimulate future generations of polar researchers. The International Directorate Office of the organization is funded and hosted by the AWI in Potsdam.

Bildschirmfoto 2018-05-31 um 13.53.09.png Indigenous reindeer herding youth win ‘Best in the World’ at 22nd Gourmand International Cookbook Award An international group of young indigenous peoples, with their food book entitled: “EALLU –Food, Knowledge and How We Have Thrived on the Margins” has won the overall Gourmand International Cookbook Award.

The winners were announced at the 2018 “Oscars of the cookbook world” in Yantai, China. In this unique and now acclaimed food book, a team of 50 young indigenous authors presented 14 different Arctic indigenous peoples´ food cultures in one volume, the first of its kind. There were hundreds of entries from entries from across the world, the EALLU food book faced stiff competition (´eallu´ means a herd (of reindeer) in the indigenous Sámi language, closely connected to the word ´eallin´ which means life), and was nominated in as many as 4 categories as well as the main prize itself - Best Food Book of the World, across all categories. The book was 1 of 16 nominees for the main prize, selected from contributions from 116 National States and was a delivery from the Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group project EALLU.

More information: http://www.sdwg.org/activities/sdwg-projects-2017-2019/arctic-indigenous-youth-climate-change-and-food-culture-eallu/

NSGG Postgraduate Research Symposium
Date: Monday 16th July 2018
Venue: School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds
Registration fee: £20 standard delegate rate, £15 concessions (students etc).

The Near Surface Geophysics Group (NSGG) invites submissions from postgraduate students for our 2018 Postgraduate Research Symposium. The event is hosted in the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds, by the School’s Institute of Applied Geosciences.

The NSGG is a special interest group of The Geological Society, with a remit of advancing, encouraging and supporting the study and practice of near-surface geophysics throughout the industrial and academic sectors. Our postgraduate symposia offer students of near-surface geophysics the opportunity to present their research to their peer group, plus a network of academic and industrial practitioners, in a relaxed and supportive environment.

We solicit abstracts from postgraduate students working in any aspect of near-surface geophysics, including environmental investigations, engineering, archaeology, forensic science, mineral exploration and geological processes. To mark the Geological Society’s “Year of Resources”, we will hold a special session featuring near-surface geophysical methods as applied to the characterisation of subsurface resources (e.g., energy, minerals, water) and their sustainable development (e.g., waste disposal, time-lapse monitoring).

The deadline for the submission of a 500-word abstract, plus 1 optional figure, is 17:00 on Friday 1st June 2018. Abstracts should be emailed to Dr Adam Booth (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.); a preference for oral (15+5 mins) presentation will be assumed unless poster format is requested. All presenters will be considered for the NSGG Best Presentation Award.

Delegates are required to register in advance, but payment can be taken on the day. Your registration fee includes lunch and refreshments, generously sponsored by Geomatrix Earth Science Ltd, and a post-symposium reception at the end of the day.

The detailed scope of the event can be found in the second entry on the NSGG meetings page - http://www.nsgg.org.uk/meetings/

We look forward to welcoming you to Leeds!

Bildschirmfoto 2018-05-31 um 13.46.00.png Via the ESA funded ARC-REACH project we are investigating the feasibility to set-up a ship-based low-power long-range dynamic radio network in the Arctic, tailored for tracking of cargo and maritime activity, complemented with remote sensing of the environment. The proposed service will use GPS for asset tracking, and the ship's’ satellite communications for linking the local radio network to the internet.

So, what do we actually propose?
We propose to install a small radio network on different ships (which is similar to a Wifi router), which allows to communicate to different types of sensors, both on the ship as well with sensors in the close environment. The radio network can range up to 10 km (!) and it provides connection to wireless sensors which work for many years without charging. The technology is proven as +5 M sensors are already connected in Europe.

Benefits of the new service for research and protection of the environment are multiple:

Tracking of individual containers and/or cargo for reduced risk in the fragile Arctic environment;
Cost-effective access for environmental research to remote data, which normally requires a much more expensive individual communication network.;

What do we ask you
At this stage, we are in a feasibility study, to evaluate if this proven technology can bring value to you. For this user survey we need the input and cooperation of ship operators and the scientific research community active in the Arctic .
In a second phase we target a small-scale validation of the concept during the summer 2018. Your participation in this validation phase is also important to us.

As a research platform of young researchers active in the Arctic, we would like to ask you 15 minutes of your time to complete the online survey that will allow us to evaluate the need, technical feasibility & economic viability of such a low-power long-range dynamic radio network through an analysis of:

your possible interests
your possible needs
your usability constraints

The online survey can be accessed via the following link: https://surveys.enalyzer.com?pid=p7m5cide

Off course you can forward this mail and our request to your partners, members.
Your and their input is valuable to us!

We will integrate all needs into the feasibility and demonstrator to show the global community we can make a difference in the Arctic region. Through cooperation, we can make a change. So do not hesitate and support us in the change.

Here you find a summary and presentation of the project, with an overview of the rationale behind the study and the possible benefits of the service.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have remaining questions or need additional input.

“Polar Region Geosystems,” a new Theme in Geochemistry, Geophysics,
Geosystems (G-cubed)

Submissions are now open to “Polar Region Geosystems,” a new Theme in the journal Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (G-cubed): https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/15252027/call-for-papers.html

A G-cubed Theme is like a special issue, except that every paper is published without delay, as soon as it is accepted and typeset, following G-cubed speedy review process. Past G-cubed Themes have been successful in bringing together and highlighting state-of-the-art research on an important topic. (The Themes are now also referred to as G-cubed Special Collections or Special Sections.) The “Polar Region Geosystems” runs for two years, with submissions currently open until 1 May, 2020.

The Theme will include papers on the Arctic, Antarctica and their surroundings from all disciplines of geochemistry, geophysics and geosystems, with topics ranging from the structure and dynamics of the lithosphere and underlying mantle to tectonics and crustal dynamics, nature and origins of intra- and inter-plate volcanism, and ice-sheet dynamics, among others. Submissions will undergo normal external peer review, and the accepted manuscripts will be up to G-cubed usual high standards: technically solid, of broad interest and with a focus on understanding the Earth as a system. This Theme/Special Collection aims to serve as a focal point for important new papers in Polar research.

Organizers:
Fausto Ferraccioli (British Antarctic Survey)
Carmen Gaina (University of Oslo; CEED)
John Goodge (University of Minnesota)
Sergei Lebedev (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies)
Douglas Wiens (Washington University)

Bildschirmfoto 2018-05-31 um 11.10.15.png The Quantarctica Project (http://quantarctica.npolar.no/) at the Norwegian Polar Institute would like to invite you to an open side meeting at POLAR 2018 in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday, 21 June from 12:30-14:00 in 'A Dischma'. You can view the full POLAR 2018 Side Meetings schedule here: https://www.polar2018.org/side-meetings-osc.html.

In this meeting, we will briefly show some of the many new layers, features, and improvements in the recently-released Quantarctica version 3, before handing the floor to a series of Antarctic researchers at various career stages in diverse scientific disciplines who will demonstrate how they use Quantarctica for planning, fieldwork, analysis, map and figure design, and education. This meeting will also offer an opportunity to engage with the Quantarctica Project Team and other Quantarctica users to ask questions, give feedback, and brainstorm or develop new map ideas.
Quantarctica was developed by and for the Antarctic community, and this meeting is open to all current and - (we hope!) - future users.

Quantarctica enables anyone to analyze high-quality open-access scientific data, plan logistics, and create production-quality maps and figures - on any operating system, free of charge. Quantarctica version 3 was released in early 2018 and adds new features and over 150 new data layers spanning the breadth of Antarctic research and operations, from glaciology and geology to environmental management and social science.

Polar Week logo2 01 APECS hosted the 12th International Polar Week from 19-25 March 2018. Polar Week is a series of international events with the goal of promoting the science that takes place in polar latitudes. This March, our theme was #PolarPride with a focus on appreciating APECS members from all aspects of polar sciences. We have fantastic members and wanted to show our pride! Our goal was to provide a range of activities where members could interact, participate in professional development training, and showcase their research. We also hoped to recognize individuals that are traditionally underrepresented either because of what they study or because of systemic issues of diversity within polar sciences. Overall, we had good engagement with members during this Polar Week, especially on social media, and you can find a summary of the specific activities below.

March Polar Week 2018 was a huge success. Read the report about the main activities that took place on the APECS website. We thank the Polar Week planning group for all their hard work! Stay tuned for more activities during the next Polar Week from September 17 - 23, 2018.

We’re excited to be hosting a new webinar on Data Management Essentials presented by Gabrielle Alix (Data Manager) and Chantal Risdale (Project and Outreach Coordinator) from the Canadian Cryospheric Information Network/Polar Data Catalogue. This webinar is all about good data management practices and will be held on Thursday June 7th from 11:00-12:15 am EST/3:00-4:15 pm UTC.

Title: Data Management Essentials

Abstract: Data Management is increasingly required by funding agencies in several nations around the world. Most researchers are familiar with this new requirement, but many do not know how to prepare data for archiving properly. CCIN/PDC has worked closely with the Polar data community in Canada and internationally to develop guidelines based on stakeholder feedback, as well as implementing data archiving for a number of Canadian national research programs, and so we are well positioned to help others understand and implement them effectively. This webinar will help students and researchers understand why data management is important, what the best practices are, how best to undertake it, as well as address concerns about sharing data. We believe that through education and training, data contributors are capable of attaining success through preparation proactively, rather than reactively.

Data Management CCIN PDC Webinar Poster.jpeg

APECS and the organizers of the 2018 North Pacific Arctic Conference (NPAC)held from 15 – 17 August 2018 in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States with the theme "Arctic 2030 and Beyond – Pathways to the Future" are looking for early career researchers to join their sessions.

In total we need for the following four conference sessions one early career researchers each:

Session II: The Future of Arctic Ocean Cooperation
Session III: Climate Change in the Arctic: Future Directions for Adaptation
Session IV: Trends in Arctic Resource Extraction and Logistics – Global Drivers and Regional Conditions
Session V: The SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and Agenda 2030 in the Arctic

Click the "read more" button below to read a more detailed description about the four conference session and their framing questions.

The selected early career researchers would participate in the conference

as panelists in one of the sessions
as contributors to the published NPAC 2018 Proceedings and
as participants of the general discussion and contributors to the social media output of the conference and potential published policy briefs
contribute a 5 - 7 page summary document

All selected early career researchers would receive the following funding support:

Airfare to Honolulu from their home location
Per Diem Ground Transportation
Other Travel Costs
They are included in all NPAC 2018 programs, events and special dinners

Who can apply?

To apply for this opportunity, you have to be early career researchers (US citizen or international) based at a US institution (university, research institution or other institution where they are engaged in a professional career with Arctic perspectives)
working on a research topic that fits the topic of the session you apply for

How to apply?

Please send the following information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by no later than 11 June at 23:59 GMT

your CV
The session you want to apply for
Statement of Interest (max one page), including your research background, your motivation in joining the conference, and your thoughts on how you can contribute to your preferred session and how this would benefit your career

APECS and the Polar Climate Predictability Initiative (PCPI) are looking for six early career researchers to be included in their leadership structure (one in each of their six themes).

The PCPI is an initiative of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), whose goal is to improve the understanding of the predictability of climate and the effect of human activities on climate. The PCPI has a focus on polar regions and their role in the global climate system and aims to improve predictability of the climate system on all time scales by improving our understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms and their representation in climate models. The PCPI includes 6 themes:

Improve knowledge and understanding of past polar climate variations (100+years)
Assess reanalyses in polar regions
Improve understanding of polar predictability on seasonal to decadal timescales
Assessing model performance in the polar regions
Model error
Improve understanding of how jets and non-zonal circulation couple to the rest of the system in the Southern Hemisphere

You can see a more detailed description of each theme here. Each of the themes is led by two senior researchers, and we will be adding one early career researcher for each of the six themes. The early career researcher will then work in close cooperation with the two senior researchers on the development of the themes.

The position advertised will last for a 2 – 3 year term. These are volunteer positions with no associated direct funding. However, if e.g. a workshop is organized, PCPI tries to fund attendance of early career scientists and the selected early career researchers for each of the themes will be considered first for available funding.

There will be a meeting of the participants in the PCPI themes at the Polar2018 conference in Davos and those selected early career researchers, who are attending the conference are welcome to join this meeting. More information will be sent to the selected early career researchers before the conference. You can also apply for this opportunity if you are not attending the POLAR2018 conference.

Who can apply?

early career researchers (which is for this opportunity within 10 years of the PhD!) with an already completed PhD
Research background that fits at least one of the themes of the PCPI

How to apply?
To apply please send the following information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We will be starting to review applications on 9 June 2018, so please apply before that.

Your CV
The theme(s) you would like to join
A Statement of Interest letter detailing
- Your research background
- Your motivation in joining the PCPI and theme(s) you selected
- Your thoughts on how you can contribute to your preferred theme(s) and how this would benefit your career

The APECS International Directorate Office will only share your application data with the selected group of reviewers deciding on the applications and with the leadership and theme chairs of the PCPI. The data will not be shared with any other third party.

Important Information for all APECS members:

As you may have heard the new General Data Protection Regulations (“GDPR”) in the European Union comes into effect on 25 May 2018. Since our international Directorate Office is based in the EU (Germany) and to ensure our compliance with the new regulations for our mailing list, you will have to re-confirm your APECS membership and that you want to continue receiving updates from APECS, regardless of whether you are in the EU or not..

Please note that if you do not re-confirm your membership, we will no longer be allowed to email you after 25 May and will have to remove you from our mailing list and delete your personal information.

To update your settings and confirm that you want to stay an APECS member and receive our email updates, all of you have received an email from APECS earlier today with a big blue “I want to remain an APECS member” button. All you have to do is to click this button, check the information we have stored from you (update it if necessary), read our new data use permission text, check the box where it say "Yes, I want to be an APECS member and receive APECS emails" and then click the "Update Profile" link at the bottom of the form. This all takes only a few seconds and can also e.g. be done from a mobile device: please take a moment and update your profile immediately and by 25 May.

If you have not received this email from APECS, please check also your spam folders and if you still have not received it, you have to re-register for APECS on our Join APECS page.

If you cannot re-confirm your membership by 25 May, the “I want to remain an APECS member” link above will remain active until end of June 2018. After that you can only re-subscribe by filling out our membership registration form on the APECS website.

If you so far have not been an APECS member yet and want to subscribe, we have updated our membership registration form and you can access it on our Join APECS page.

APECS is strongly committed to protecting the data of our members so we see compliance with the new regulations in the EU, where our international office is based, as extremely important. Besides the current changes on the APECS membership and mailing list, the APECS leadership is actively working on a new data policy for APECS and our activities, which will be published in the coming weeks.

If you have any questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Best regards,

Gerlis Fugmann (Executive Director of APECS) and Hanne Nielsen (APECS President 2017-2018) on behalf of the APECS Executive Committee

Polar wildlife – connecting ecology, health and disease issues in a changing world
Side meeting, Polar 2018, Davos, June 15th 8:00-17:00

Organizers: Thierry Boulinier (CEFE CNRS-Université Montpellier, France), Susan Kutz (University of Calgary, Canada), Andres Barbosa (CSIC – Natural History Museum-CSIC Madrid, Spain), Meagan Dewar (AHEaD, Federation University, Australia)

Wildlife species are of critical ecological and socio-economic and importance in Polar Regions, yet in the current context of global change they are experiencing increasing health challenges and the persistence of many species is uncertain. A better understanding of wildlife health status, including the diversity of pathogens and ecology of infectious and non-infectious diseases (e.g. toxins, immunity, and stress), is critical in order to anticipate, manage, and mitigate wildlife health issues at the poles.

The aim of this workshop is to identify key scientific knowledge gaps in wildlife health and disease and to foster new research initiatives and collaborations at the interface between ecology and diseases in Polar Regions, (Arctic, Antarctic and sub-Antarctic). We will discuss the importance of including parasites and disease issues in biodiversity observatory networks in polar areas. The implications of some wildlife diseases for human populations in polar areas will also be addressed. Twenty years ago the first workshop about wildlife diseases in Antarctic provided several recommendations on research and monitoring needs. Main outputs of this workshop will include updating the recommendations from the 1998 Antarctic wildlife disease workshop, discussion of protocols for wildlife disease and health surveillance in both Arctic and Antarctic, and identification of major research and monitoring gaps for wildlife health in both regions.

Workshop outline:
The workshop is open to anybody with interest on the topic. It will include invited contributions and time for discussions. Some of the participants, notably some invited early career scientists, are supported by funding from the Terrestrial Working Group of IASC.
08:00- 08:15 Welcome
08:15-10:30 Monitoring wildlife diseases in polar areas: why, what and how?
10:30-11:00 The/coffee break
11:00-12:00 Wildlife Health and ecology - global issues and case studies
12:00-13:30 Break for lunch
13:30-16:00 Break-out groups and general discussion

1) The conservation of polar wildlife biodiversity for the health of the poles
2) Priority concerns and knowledge gaps with respect to polar wildlife health: threats to polar wildlife health and sustainability
3) Solutions: How do we address these concerns to ensure healthy and sustainable polar wildlife?

16:00-17:00 Conclusion-Perspectives

The meeting organized with support from IASC (Terrestrial Working Group) and SCAR-EGBAMM Working Group of Health Monitoring of Birds and Marine Mammals

On Wednesday 16th May, SCAR hosted a lunch function for the Heads of Delegation of the Antarctic Treaty Parties, Observers and Experts to celebrate its 60th Anniversary.

The lunch was entitled The Road Ahead for Antarctic Science. A View from 60 Years of Science Facilitation and was supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

SCAR 60th lunch at ATCM 2018

SCAR President Steven Chown gave a short overview of the history of SCAR and particularly its major science facilitation and advice successes. He then focussed on the future, noting that two major scientific challenges face the Antarctic community as a whole:

Understanding the future of the West and East Antarctic Ice Sheets and what this means for sea level rise;
Investigating the ways in which marine and terrestrial systems of the Antarctic will respond to global and local challenges, and what actions should be taken to conserve the region’s ecosystems and species.
He noted that addressing these challenges is in the global interest.

Speaking for the United Kingdom and New Zealand, Ms Amy Laurenson, Head of the Delegation of New Zealand to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, recognised the immense contribution SCAR has made to the work of the Antarctic Treaty system. Ms Laurenson noted the global significance of the outcomes of Antarctic science and the increasing public interest in them. She underscored the important role of the Antarctic community in conveying Antarctic science to the broader global community, including in the context of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. In closing, Ms Laurenson wished SCAR a happy 60th Anniversary and many fruitful years to come.

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Will you need an ice core or an access hole drilled in a glacier or ice sheet in the coming decade? If so, please read on and send us your input!

Each year in the spring the Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) of the U.S. Ice Drilling Program works with its Science Advisory Board and with the research community to update the IDPO Long Range Science Plan. This Plan identifies the science in the coming decade that will require the use of ice drilling technology and expertise for the community. This also drives the formation of other plans, for example the IDDO Long Range Drilling Technology Plan. The plans provide the basis for multi-annual planning for the actions and drill development projects of IDPO-IDDO and others, and the plans give the funding agencies advance notice of upcoming community science needs.

If you will need an ice core or a hole drilled in a glacier or ice sheet in the coming decade, or a rock core from under shallow glacial ice, please make sure that the high-level articulation of your science is captured in the current draft update of the IDPO Long Range Science Plan!

Please read through the draft Long Range Science Plan and send corrections, updates, or additions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ASAP or not later than May 30, 2018.

Submission deadline: 30 May 2018

To download the working draft, please visit:
https://icedrill.org/about/resources.shtml#scienceplan

Contact/Replies: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

--------------------------------------------
U.S. ICE DRILLING PROGRAM
Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO)

The North Slope Science Initiative (NSSI) invites applications and nominations for its Science Technical Advisory Panel. Panel members are appointed for a three-year term.

The 15-member panel of scientists and technical experts plays a critical role for the NSSI and its Oversight Group by providing advice and other forms of assistance concerning scientific research and monitoring activities related to energy development on Alaska’s North Slope.

Panel membership may include representatives of the oil and gas industry, subsistence users, holders of traditional ecological knowledge, conservation organizations, academia and other research institutions, and other entities.

Panel members may possess technical expertise in one or more of the following areas: North Slope traditional and local knowledge, landscape ecology, petroleum engineering, civil engineering, geology, botany, hydrology, limnology, habitat biology, wildlife biology, biometrics, restoration ecology, sociology, cultural anthropology, economics, ornithology, oceanography, fisheries biology, climatology, or other relevant areas of expertise.

Application and nomination deadline: 27 May 2018

For instructions and the nomination form, select 2018 from the Year drop-down list at:
Documents webpage

For more information, go to:
NSSI News Release (PDF 61 KB)

For questions, contact:
Lisa Gleason
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 907-271-3335

We have extended the deadline of the submission to special issue ‘Polar Climate Change: Driving Processes, Extreme Events, and Global Linkages’. The new deadline is on 31 May 2018.

Although we have received five papers and another five manuscripts will be coming this May. We need more manuscripts for this special issue. You are welcome to contribute to this issue.

Advances in Polar Science (APS) will publish a special issue with the theme ‘Polar Climate Change: Driving Processes, Extreme Events, and Global Linkages’ as a lasting outcome of the workshop, held in October 2017 at Hohai University, Nanjing, China. This issue will be part of APS Volume 29 and will be issue number 3 of 2018 (Series no. 72) as general issue.

We have four Guest Editors for this issue, Zhaomin Wang (Hohai University, China), Kent Moore (University of Toronto, Canada), Annette Rinke (Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Germany) and John Turner (British Antarctic Survey, UK). Assistant Editors are Mr. Xiaoliang Ling and Dr. Jing Huang (full time staff of Editorial Office). English editing service will be provided free of charge if needed.

This is a thematic issue so we must insist on strict adherence to the following deadlines.

31 May 2018 ― deadline for submitting a manuscript for this issue.
31 July 2018 ― deadline for the submission of final accepted paper.
Accepted papers will be published online for open access as soon as authors have returned their proofs and all corrections have been made.
The hard copy is scheduled for publication in September 2018

For more information, please go to APS website: http://www.aps-polar.org/.

All the best

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Editorial Office of Advances in Polar Science

Durham University will be hosting this year's UK Antarctic Science Conference on 10th-12th September 2018 (the conference will run from Monday lunchtime to Wednesday lunchtime). The conference will include oral and poster presentations, and abstracts are invited on any aspect of Antarctic Research.

Further information can be found on the conference website, which will be updated shortly with details of registration, abstract submission, and accommodation booking: https://www.dur.ac.uk/uk-antarctic-science/

The conference dinner will take place in Hatfield College on the evening of Tuesday 11th September. Accommodation has been reserved in nearby Collingwood College. Other accommodation options are available for those who wish to make their own arrangements.

Durham is a spectacular cathedral city with a rich heritage. Narrow cobbled streets wind their way around the rocky peninsula to the majestic Norman cathedral and castle, which are a designated World Heritage Site. The city is well served by motorway access, Durham railway station and Newcastle International Airport (30 minutes by car, 1 hour by rail).

Save the date in your diary!

We look forward to seeing you in September.

Mike Bentley, on behalf of the local organising committee

Michael Hambrey photo The 2018 SCAR Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research has been awarded to Professor Michael Hambrey, Emeritus Professor of Glaciology, Aberystwyth University, UK, for his distinctive insights into the field of glaciology and of particular note the application of our understanding of modern glacial processes to interpreting ancient glacial sequences. Michael Hambrey's work was acknowledged as often the first thorough analysis in a particular sector, but if not, it was invariably groundbreaking.

After receiving the news about his award, Michael commented "I am delighted and honoured to receive the 2018 SCAR Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research. I have been fortunate to investigate modern glaciers in many parts of the world, and be able to use the knowledge gained to interpret older glacial sequences in Antarctica and elsewhere. This work could not have been undertaken without the wonderful collaboration I have had from colleagues around the world, notably the Antarctic community, with whom it has been a pleasure to work. I thank them for their contribution, and the SCAR Executive Committee in making this award."

The SCAR Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research is awarded in recognition of sustained contributions to research over a career. Selection is based on a person's outstanding contributions to knowledge and the impact of their work on understanding the Antarctic region, the linkages between Antarctica and the Earth system, and/or observations of and from Antarctica. Nominees are welcomed in all areas of Antarctic and Southern Ocean research. A distinguished career in providing scientific advice to policy- and/or decision-makers is also considered a demonstration of excellence in Antarctic research. Awardees should have a distinguished professional career history and have demonstrated involvement in SCAR activities.

Professor Hambrey's application, led by Professor Julian Dowdeswell, was considered by an independent medal committee and approved by the SCAR Executive Committee. The medal will be awarded at the XXXV SCAR Meeting, during the Polar2018 Conference Dinner in Davos on the 21st of June 2018. Michael Hambrey joins a distinguished group of past recipients of this Medal including Robert Dunbar (2016), Steven L. Chown (2014), John Priscu (2012), John Turner (2010), Angelika Brandt (2008), and Paul Mayewski (2006).

For more information on SCAR Medals, please see https://www.scar.org/awards/medals/overview/.

The Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Lab is happy to announce our spring 2018 request for Incubator-project proposals.

For this round of funding, we have identified the following topics as emergent areas of need in the Earth science community, and for this RFP, project proposals that address these areas will be given priority.

Proof-of-concept for emerging technologies slated for operational use.
Modernization of Earth science workflows using open source, machine learning and/or cloud computing.
Data provenance to advance data-driven decision making.

Projects have a 6-8-month duration. A typical budget for Lab projects is $7,000, however, larger budgets will be considered with the firm limit that costs may not exceed $10,000.
Deadline for submission is May 30, 2018.

You can read the full solicitation here: http://www.esipfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/May-2018-Request-for-Proposals.pdf

Questions? Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Guest editors invite manuscript submissions for a special issue of the journal Remote Sensing titled Remote Sensing of Dynamic Permafrost Regions.

Manuscripts should highlight the use the multitude of remote sensing platforms and sensors available for describing permafrost region characteristics and dynamics. Submissions that focus on multiple spatial and temporal scales as well as the integration of permafrost region field studies with remotely sensed data are welcome. Guest editors are particularly interested in submissions that deal with ice-rich permafrost landscapes and quantification of thermokarst and thaw-related landscape dynamics. Contributions that demonstrate the development of new techniques, data products, and/or highlight the challenges of remote sensing in permafrost regions are also encouraged.

All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles, and short communications are invited.

For planned papers, a title and short abstract (approximately 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on the website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere, except for conference proceedings papers.

Manuscript submission deadline: 1 June 2018

For more information about the special issue and to submit a manuscript, go to:
Special issue webpage

For information on manuscript preparation and related matters, go to:
Instructions for authors

For questions, contact:
Benjamin M. Jones
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Annett Bartsch
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Guido Grosse
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Home We are looking for nominations for the EGU medals and awards.
More specifically, the EGU Division on Cryospheric Sciences awards two prizes each year:

-The Louis Agassiz Medal is reserved for individuals in recognition of their outstanding scientific contribution to the study of the cryosphere on Earth or elsewhere in the solar system. http://www.egu.eu/awards-medals/louis-agassiz/

-The Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award recognizes scientific achievements in the field covered by the cryospheric division, made by an early career scientist.

Please consider submitting a nomination. The medal will only be awarded if at least three nominations will be put forward.

The final deadline for nominating candidates for both of these awards is 15 June 2018.

For more information on proposing candidates and on the selection process, please see:
http://www.egu.eu/awards-medals/proposal-and-selection-of-candidates/

The awards will be presented at the EGU General Assembly 2019 (7 – 12 April) in Vienna.

Nominations for all the Medals and Awards should be submitted on-line:
https://www.egu.eu/login/?next=/user-area/nominations/form/

Before submitting a nomination, please take a look at our checklist to make sure your nomination and supporting documents satisfy the EGU requirements:
http://www.egu.eu/awards-medals/checklist-for-submitting-nominations/

Bildschirmfoto 2018 05 17 um 14.58.56 SCIENCE COMMUNICATION LIGHTNING TALKS
For Effective Interdisciplinary Collaboration In Arctic Research

May 22, 2018, 1600 UTC

www.iarpccollaborations.org/webinars

To most effectively solve challenging science questions in Arctic research, scientists must team up across traditional disciplinary boundaries. The IARPC Collaborations platform enables these interdisciplinary connections through its open meetings and website. However, communication across disciplines is challenging due to discipline-specific standards and vocabularies. To build the communication capacity and collaborative research potential of the next generation, IARPC Collaborations offers an online training program for outstanding early career scientists. During this public webinar, these early career scientists will present lightning talks on various topics in Arctic research designed to connect and network with scientists from other disciplines and lay the groundwork for forming new interdisciplinary collaborations. Join not only to see examples of effective science communication and network outside of your discipline, but also to learn more about future science communication training and networking opportunities through IARPC Collaborations’ new science communication forum.

Sam Darling, McGill University, Building capacity for research towards local sustainable development

Jolie Gaeris, Simon Fraser University, Does the amount and type of carbon in a large Arctic river change during the spring flood?

Sappho Gilbert, Yale University, Food insecurity, diet shifts and chronic disease in Canada’s Arctic

Jamie Lee, University Centre of the Westfjords / University of Akureyri, Applying Local Knowledge to Sustainable Use Policy of Seaweed in Iceland

Kaitlin Mattos, University of Colorado, Low-tech alternatives for clean water and sanitation for rural Arctic communities

Sara Pedro, University of Connecticut, Environmental contaminants in Arctic-invading killer whales

Neelu Singh, Mangalore University, National Centre For Antarctic and Ocean Research, India, Continents to poles: journey of pollutants

Further inforamtion can be found here.

Winnipeg symposium logo The first circular for the 'International Symposium on Sea Ice at the Interface', due to be held 18–23 August 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is now online.

The IGS Sea Ice symposium is usually very popular and we are expecting many delegates. To help us in planning for the meeting and ensure all the logistics are ready we ask you to PLEASE REGISTER YOUR INTEREST. That will give us an idea of the number of attendees. And that way you'll receive all communications relating to the symposium. So please go to https://www.igsoc.org/symposia/2019/winnipeg/ and register your interest to attend.

You can access the first circular at the same location.

SCAR logo white background The Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR) is an international, interdisciplinary body that brings together scientists from around the world for information sharing and research collaboration [details here: https://www.scar.org/about-us/scar-overview/]. A key mechanism of SCAR’s work is the suite of “Scientific Research Programs” that are established for fixed periods of time (typically 6-8 years) to catalyze and organize collaborations around particular topics deemed of critical importance by the scientific community. [See the current list of SRPs here: https://www.scar.org/science/srp/]. The current suite of Programs are nearing the end of their designated lifetimes, and a next generation of Programs are now being explored. These will be actively discussed at the 2018 SCAR meetings (https://www.polar2018.org/ ), and final choices will be voted on at the 2020 SCAR meetings. Right now is a key window for helping to shape and steer these choices, and your input to this process is most welcome.

On May 24th at 1:00-2:30 pm edt, we will hold webinar [hosted by some leading U.S. representatives to SCAR: Terry Wilson, Deneb Karentz, David Bromwich] to discuss this program development opportunity and the ways that you can best contribute to this process.

You are encouraged to join us for this discussion, and can register through following link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/webinar-helping-to-shape-the-next-generation-of-scar-scientific-research-programs-tickets-45907474492

If you are interested in this topic but not available on the 24th, we do hope to record the webinar and make it available for viewing at a later date (details TBD). And if you are already quite familiar with SCAR and the SRP process, and would like to go ahead and contribute your suggestions on this matter, you can do so at the following site: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4360797/SCAR-SRP-Survey

Feel free to share this invitation with others who you think may be interested, especially students and early career scientists.

Organizers invite poster abstracts for the 2018 Arctic Observing Summit (AOS). This conference will convene 24-26 June 2018, immediately following POLAR 2018, in Davos, Switzerland.

The Arctic Observing Summit is a biennial event, designed to bring together those interested, to advance the design, implementation, coordination, and long-term operation of an international network of Arctic observing systems.

Abstracts are invited for poster presentations that highlight important issues and facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas to design, build, implement, expand, and provide long-term support for an international Arctic observing systems network.

Ideally, poster presentations should focus on these key themes selected for the upcoming AOS, but other topics that are relevant for AOS are welcome.

Themes include:

Theme 1: The Business Case for a pan-Arctic Observing System,
Sub-Theme 1: The need for the Observing System,
Sub-Theme 2: Implementing and optimizing a pan-Arctic Observing System,
Sub-Theme 3: Operating Observing Systems and Networks, and
Other: Email organizers to discuss other topics prior to submission to ensure inclusion in AOS 2018

Abstract Submission deadline: 30 May 2018

For more information about the conference, go to:
AOS 2018 homepage

For more information about themes, go to:
AOS 2018 theme and sub-themes

For more information about abstracts and to submit a poster abstract, do to:
Poster abstracts submission form

For questions, contact:
Ravi Darwin Sankar
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 403-220-5775

Maribeth Murray
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Panel Discussion: From Entering the Field to Taking the Helm,
Perspectives of Women in Polar Research
In Coordination with POLAR2018
Wednesday, 20 June 2018 | 12:30-2:00 pm
Room C Aspen, Congress Centre Davos

More Information & Online Registration

This lunch panel discussion, with complimentary bag lunch, will explore the accomplishments, challenges, quality of work experiences, insights, recommendations, and prospects for women in polar research. Panelist perspectives will range across career levels, identities, professional specialties, and poles of interest. Topics on the agenda include achieving inclusivity in polar research, opportunities for networking and mentorship, and how inclusivity influences the quality of polar research and research experiences. The panelists will reflect upon ways to support women in polar research now and in the future.

Participation will be limited to the first 275 registrants. All POLAR2018 attendees are welcome and registration is required.

Organizers of the event are Sandy Starkweather (U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Renuka Badhe (European Polar Board), Sara Bowden (Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee), and IASC.

For questions, please contact:
Sandy Starkweather or
Meredith LaValley

Sponsors include the International Arctic Science Committee, Tinker Muse Prize, Arctic Research Consortium of the United States, United States Arctic Research Commission International Association of Cryospheric Sciences, Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, and an anonymous private donor.

Clic logo1 The World Climate Research Programme is soliciting offers to host an International Project Office (IPO) to coordinate its cryospheric activities from 1st January 2019 onward.

Prospective host institutions and sponsoring organizations are invited to view and download the full call for hosting the CliC IPO from https://www.wcrp-climate.org/news/wcrp-news/1319-call-for-expressions-of-interest-to-host-the-wcrp-international-project-office-for-the-climate-and-cryosphere

Letters of intent to host the CliC IPO should be sent to Dr Mike Sparrow (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by 1st September 2018.

Thank you and with best regards,
Gwenaelle on behalf of the CliC IPO

Background information:
The Climate and Cryosphere Core Project (CliC) of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) serves as the focal point for climate science related to the cryosphere, its variability and change, and interaction with the broader climate system.

All WCRP IPOs, including CliC, will play a paramount role in refining and implementing WCRP’s upcoming 2019-2029 strategy, including their own strategic contributions to the programme.

CliC activities have resulted in a wealth of cutting-edge research, valuable data products, and innovative use of models to project changes in the Polar Regions and other frozen areas globally.

Past host institutions of the CliC office have consistently benefited from elevated international exposure as well as increased leverage in national and international funding and partnership opportunities. The CliC International Project Office can act as a focus for cryosphere research in its host institution and country and through its network, infrastructure and expertise, can facilitate international research collaboration.

Arctic Research Seminar Series - Arctic Indigenous Scholars Seminar
Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) & Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska
Date/Time: Wednesday, 23 May from 12:00-1:30 p.m. ET

Speakers:Rosemary Ahtuangaruak & Theresa Arevgaq John

Seminar Title:Empowering Arctic Indigenous Scholars and Making Connections: Perspectives from Rosemary Ahtuangaruak of Nuiqsut, Alaska and Theresa Arevgaq John of Nelson Island, Alaska

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) and Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska will host a joint seminar by Rosemary Ahtuangaruak and Theresa Arevgaq John as part of the 2018 Arctic Indigenous Scholars program. The event will be held in the ARCUS D.C. office at 1201 New York Avenue, NW Washington D.C. on Wednesday, 23 May 2018 from 12:00-1:30 p.m. ET.

This seminar will be available as a webinar live-stream for those unable to attend in person.

Registration is required for this event.

To register for the event, go to:
ARCUS D.C. Arctic Research Seminar Series homepage

The Empowering Arctic Indigenous Scholars and Making Connections program creates a space for Indigenous scholars to educate and inform policy- and decision-makers engaged in Arctic Issues while visiting Washington, D.C. and provides a platform for traditional knowledge holders to share their expertise with the wider Arctic research community.

This joint Arctic research seminar & webinar will feature presentations by each of the 2018 Arctic Indigenous Scholars:

Rosemary Ahtuangaruak is an Inupiaq activist. Rosemary is a graduate of the University of Washington Medex Northwest Physician Assistant Program. She has fought tirelessly for the health and protection of her people and of the Arctic’s unparalleled wilderness that has sustained her culture for thousands of years. Rosemary is a former mayor of Nuiqsut and currently serves on the board of the Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope, the regional tribal government for the North Slope, and is an executive council member of the Alaska Inter–Tribal Council. She received the 2009 Voice of the Wild Award from the Alaska Wilderness League and is a founding board member of REDOIL (Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands).
Theresa Arevgaq John is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cross-cultural Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Theresa has authored numerous academic articles and a co-author of a book, Yupiit Yuraryarait: Yup’ik Ways of Dancing, and has presented her work at dozens of local, national, and international professional conferences. She currently serves on the National Advisory Council on Indian Education and the International Indigenous Women’s Forum, and is a former member of the Alaskan State Council Arts and the former Chair of the Traditional Native Arts Panel. She is also the recipient of the Governor's Distinguished Humanities Educator Award and Alaska State Library Award. Theresa received her B.S., M.Ed., and Ph.D. from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
This 1.5 hour event is a brown-bag lunch that will be held in the ARCUS D.C. office (1201 New York Avenue, NW Washington D.C. Fourth Floor). Cookies and beverages will be provided.

A live webinar is also available to those unable to attend in person. Instructions for accessing the event online will be sent to “Webinar Only” registrants.

For those of you on Twitter, we also invite you to join us in live-tweeting the event using the hashtag #ARCUSwebinar.

For more information about the Arctic Indigenous Scholars program, go to:
Arctic Indigenous Scholars homepage

For questions about the Arctic Indigenous Scholars Program, contact:
Lisa Sheffield Guy
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For questions about the Arctic Research Seminar Series, contact:
Brit Myers
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AWI and USGS, with support from GFZ and the University of Potsdam, are jointly organizing the 15th International Circumpolar Remote Sensing Symposium (ICRSS) in Potsdam, Germany, from September 10-14, 2018. The theme of the 15th ICRSS is "Polar Regions in Transformation - Climatic Change and Anthropogenic Pressures".

The abstract deadline has been extended and the submission portal is still open.

NEW: Abstracts Due Date Extended to 31 May 2018

NEW: Confirmed keynote speakers so far:

· Charles Miller, NASA / JPL: Deputy Science Lead, Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)
· Tobias Bolch, University of Zurich, Switzerland: Leader of the research group "Mountain Cryosphere"
· Martha Raynolds, University of Alaska Fairbanks: Research Associate in the Alaska Geobotany Center
· Thomas Krumpen, Alfred Wegener Institute: Research Associate in the Sea Ice Physics Group

NEW: Updated Scientific Program and Event Outline:

• Conference Website: https://alaska.usgs.gov/science/geography/CRSS2018/index.php

Conference Focus: Earth's Polar Regions feature cold-climate environments characterized by unique landscapes, biota, and processes. Many of these features and dynamics are Cryosphere-driven and either are already subject to or have the potential for fundamental and rapid changes in a warming world. Earth observation technologies provide crucial tools to understand and quantify these changes. This symposium deals specifically with remote sensing applications in the polar environments, both Arctic and Antarctic as well as the third pole (high mountain regions).

We are looking forward to seeing you at the symposium,
Guido Grosse (AWI, Chair) & Ben Jones (USGS, Co-Chair)

Executive members of the Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) seek public review of short statements for the AOS2018.

Executive members of the Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) invite public review and discussion of short statements submitted for the AOS2018 conference, to convene 24-26 June 2018 in Davos, Switzerland.

In preparation for the Arctic Observing Summit 2018, executive members of AOS invited community input in the form of short statements and poster presentations. Articles have been submitted for public review and discussion.

Thematic Working Groups have been preparing synthesis documents to report on the state of Arctic observing under each theme, and to identify linkages among themes, remaining gaps, needs and priorities, and to generate discussion around solutions, implementation, community engagement, and international cooperation.

For more information and to download the short statements, go to:
Statements for public review

For questions, contact:
Ravi Darwin Sankar
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 403-220-5775

Maribeth Murray
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ice Core Young Scientists (ICYS) is seeking expressions of interest to join the committee.

ICYS is an informal, international network of early career scientists dedicated to the study of polar and alpine ice cores and ice core-related sciences.
Our purpose is to foster personal connections among young scientists from around the world, in order to build a supportive ice core science community and to inspire future collaborations.

More information can be found at our homepage http://pages.unibe.ch/icys and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/icecoreys.

Please send your EOI to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Best wishes
ICYS Organizing Committee

Do you know anyone who has made a meaningful impact to the scientific community in the North?

We encourage nomination packages from a variety of backgrounds for this award, including academics, industry professionals, community members, Elders, educators, public servants, and anyone else that has made a meaningful impact on polar early career researchers.

For more information on the award and how to nominate a mentor, visit https://apecscanada.wixsite.com/ehpecs. The deadline for nomination package submissions is September 15, 2018.

Cheers,

Jacqueline Hung
APECS Canada-ASA Mentor Award Committee Chair

On behalf of the APECS Canada-ASA Mentor Award Committee 2018-2019:
Enooyaq Sudlovenick, University of Prince Edward Island
Kamil Chatila-Amos, University of Guelph
Samuel Gagnon, Université Laval
Kate Snow, Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Ex-officio)
Marianne Falardeau, McGill University (Ex-officio)

mentor

In short: 100s of Swedish potatoes, 10s of delicious cinnamon rolls, 29 enthusiastic students, 26 fascinating lectures, 13 excellent lecturers, 10 hands-on practicals, 7 kind sponsors, 1 brilliant training school!

The Polar Prediction School was held from 17-27 April 2018 at the beautiful Abisko Scientific Research Station in northern Sweden. It brought together 29 students from nine different countries and at various career stages, from early PhD students through to post-docs. The programme for the school was designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the main aspects related to polar weather and climate prediction. It included theoretical lectures, practical exercises, meteorological fieldwork, and a dedicated science communication programme.

PPS2018 group

The lectures and exercises covered polar weather, chaos and predictability, polar lows, polar ocean forecasting and sea-ice modelling, sea-ice prediction and predictability, limits of predictability, data assimilation and reanalysis, model verification in polar regions, remote sensing of the cryosphere, polar boundary layer dynamics, polar mid-latitude linkages, as well as air-sea exchange and turbulence.

To introduce the students to various observational techniques as well as the challenges related to making these sorts of measurements in high latitudes, they conducted practical exercises based on data obtained from a micrometeorology mast. The mast was erected on the first full day of the training school by the students on the surface of the frozen Lake Torneträsk, a 5-minute walk away from the research station.

Radiosondes were also launched each day and the soundings were uploaded to the Global Telecommunication System, which is used in operational forecasts. In addition, a mini intense observational period was held on one day where radiosondes were launched every six hours. This was to study the diurnal cycle of the polar boundary layer at the site, even though the weather conditions at the time were not ideally suited to this.

mast setup

Soft skills training was provided through a dedicated science communication programme, with six evening sessions and an afternoon of final presentations. These sessions were run by Jessica Rohde of the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee and specifically designed for early career researchers. Topics covered included how to distil information, tailoring messages for specific audiences, using social media, and slide design.

The students put what they learnt directly into practice through the brief informative videos (‘FrostBytes’) about their research that they worked on during the school. On the final afternoon each student presented their work and this was recorded. The videos will be made available on the APECS and APPLICATE websites.

Daily weather briefings were also made by the students each evening. They were asked to provide an overview of the day’s weather, to compare the previous day’s forecast with the observed radiosounding they made, and to analyse forecasts for the coming days using global and regional products. The briefings were an opportunity for the students to learn to interpret weather forecasts in complex polar mountain environments, such as where Abisko is located, and to better understand how today’s models perform in such regions. Furthermore, they led to interesting discussions about model skill and uncertainty in polar regions.

A diverse course such as the Polar Prediction School, bringing together a wide set of students and lecturers, helps build and maintain the community needed to address the polar prediction problem, which is inherently multi-disciplinary. Overall, the school was a great success and we recommend this model be used for any future schools for early career researchers.

The Polar Prediction School 2018 was organised as part of the EU Horizon 2020-funded APPLICATE project, in cooperation with the World Meteorological Organization’s Polar Prediction Project (PPP) in occasion of the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP). It was also generously supported by the World Climate Research Programme's (WCRP) Climate and Cryosphere project (CliC), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), and the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR).

SCAR Medal James McClintock Profile The 2018 SCAR Medal for Education and Communication has been awarded to James McClintock, Professor at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA, for his important research and educational efforts with their emphasis on Antarctic climate change and impacts on a unique marine biology. The award also acknowledges their focus on increasing awareness of the uniqueness of Antarctica, the protection of its ecosystems, and the inherent value of sustaining it. These represent a sustained commitment to communicating the understanding of Antarctic issues to both his peers and to the general public.

After receiving the news about his award, James commented "I am both honored and thrilled to have been selected for the inaugural SCAR Medal for Education and Communication. This recognition is not only personally rewarding, but will further enhance opportunities for me to speak and write widely on the uniqueness of Antarctica, the importance of protecting its diverse marine ecosystems, and especially its capacity to focus public attention on the global issue of anthropogenic climate change."
SCAR logo white background
The SCAR Medal for Education and Communication is awarded for the first time in 2018. It acknowledges excellence or innovation in, and sustained commitment to, (a) communicating Antarctic research, (b) making a significant contribution to educating the next generation of Antarctic researchers, or (c) contributing to building new capacity in SCAR member countries. Nominees have a significant record of achievement in terms of the quality, effectiveness and creativity of their engagement in one or more of these three key areas of education and communication.

Professor McClintock's application, led by Charles Amsler, was approved by the SCAR Executive Committee. The medal will be awarded at the XXXV SCAR Meeting, during the Polar2018 Conference Dinner in Davos on the 21st of June 2018.

For more information on SCAR Medals, please see https://www.scar.org/awards/medals/overview/.

Please join us in celebrating the important contributions of Professor James McClintock.

Permafrost Young Researchers Network PYRN awards to the best poster and the best oral presentation of young scientists presenting their research during EUCOP 2018. Sign up for evaluation no later than June 01.

The permafrost young researcher network (PYRN) will honor the best poster and the best oral presentation of young scientists presenting their research during the 5th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP 2018) in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France. We strongly encourage all young researchers (up to 6 years after completing the PhD) to sign up for evaluation using the following link:

https://goo.gl/forms/v1uWu8K8DjaJOdq32

Please make sure to signalize that you are running for the PYRN award by placing the “running for the PYRN award” logo (found in the registration form online) on your poster header/title slide of your presentation.

PYRN and the EUCOP 2018 local organizing committee

Bildschirmfoto 2018-05-15 um 12.56.15.png Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR) is a Government of Canada agency that is seeking your input to inform our next 5-year Research Plan and broader agency-wide Strategic Plan. This is your opportunity to provide input that will help guide POLAR’s future funding, programs and activities over a 5-year period beginning in 2020. You can find out more about the development of these Plans here.

We want input from you!This Call for Input is open until May 31, 2018.
You can participate online via the following links:
English/French: https://ca.research.net/r/polar-polaire
Inuktitut: https://ca.research.net/r/Inuktitut-polar
Inuinnaqtun: https://ca.research.net/r/Inuinnaqtun-polar

If you prefer to complete this Call for Input by fax or mail, please send a message to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact us by phone at 613-943-8605.

We encourage you to forward this message to others who may be interested in providing input.

About Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR):
POLAR is a Government of Canada agency with a mandate to advance knowledge of Canada’s North, strengthen Canada’s leadership on polar research and related issues, and provide a research hub at the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) campus in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. You can find out more about POLAR and the work that we do here.

Eu Arctic Cluster In partnership with the European Polar Board (EPB), APECS organises a series of webinars that aim to connect polar research and policy. The webinars are aimed at polar researchers, policymakers and other professionals at all career stages.

The fourth EPB-APECS webinar will be held 13:00-14:00 (UTC) on Tuesday 5th June 2018.

Kristina Bär, EU-PolarNet Communications Officer, will introduce the EU Arctic Cluster and how it is bringing together EU-funded polar research projects to jointly maximise their impact.

The EU Arctic Cluster is a network of Horizon 2020 and a Framework Programme 7 funded Arctic projects, with APECS being involved in four of them. Currently it comprises eight projects: APPLICATE, ARICE, Blue-Action, EU-PolarNet, ICE-ARC, INTAROS, INTERACT and NUNATARYUK. The Cluster thus merges a broad spectrum of research and coordination activities - ranging from the most up-to-date findings on permafrost and sea ice, from enhancing observation to improving predictions, and from networking research stations to coordinating access to icebreakers.

The EU Arctic Cluster's objective is to bring the insights from various areas of expertise together in order to provide one entry point to EU funded Arctic research. Jointly the Cluster aims to provide policy-relevant information and support the EU in implementing its integrated policy for the Arctic.

To join the webinar, please register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kqUmTRS4QP-IdG8D5NLmSQ

Details of all webinars in the EPB-APECS series, including recordings and summaries, can be found here.

apecs logo web The Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) are looking for an early career scientist to join the editorial board for the State of Environmental Science in Svalbard report. Application deadline is on 25 May!

SIOS is a consortium of international institutions with research infrastructure in and around Svalbard. SIOS is building an integrated observing system for long-term measurements addressing Earth System questions.

Starting in 2018, SIOS will produce an annual State of Environmental Science in Svalbard (SESS) report. The report will summarise the state of current knowledge of key Earth System Science (ESS) parameters and analyse how these parameters influence one another. The SESS report will outline the work that has been done in the previous year within the SIOS cooperation to optimise the observing system and recommend research priorities for the following year(s).

The first issue of the SESS report will be published in two steps. A preliminary report will be published online in early summer; its chapters will be subject to an open review. A final report will be based on the reviewed chapters and additional contributions and will be released during the Polar Night Week in Longyearbyen, 14-17 January 2019.

SESS report

The editorial board consists of three persons, two of which are senior researchers from SIOS member institutions. We would like to appoint an early career scientist as a third member of the editorial board.

The tasks of the editorial board are:

review received contributions
invite additional contributors
organise a scientific review process ‘light’
merge all contribution to a coherent report (synthesis work)
develop a layout and design profile
prepare the SESS report release
prepare promotion material

The editorial board works in close cooperation with scientific and communication advisors within the SIOS community.

Applicants should:

have an education background within Earth System Science
be available during the next 8 months and the Polar Night Week
have an interest in editorial activities
be an active team player
be fluent in oral and written English

We offer an excellent opportunity

to gain insight in the editorial work of scientific reports
to influence the development of the SESS report, both in content and layout
to build a network with diverse fields of arctic research within Earth System Science

The applicant is expected to attend board meetings (mainly on video) and the Polar Night Week in Longyearbyen 14-17 January 2019. Travel costs will be refunded.

SIOS expects the work of the editorial board to commence right after the appointments are made (beginning of June). The time period of appointment to the editorial board is limited to the completion of the first issue of the SESS report (January 2019). There may be the opportunity to continue on the editorial board, depending on the decisions made by the SIOS Board of Directors.

The application and selection process is coordinated by APECS. If you are interested in applying, please send the following information by no later than 25 May 2018 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.:

CV
Statement of interest (max one page), including
- your research background
- your motivation in joining the editorial board for the SESS report
- your thoughts on how you could contribute to the editorial work and how this work would be beneficial for your career

If you have questions about the position, please contact SIOS directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Terry Wilson SCAR Medal The 2018 SCAR Medal for International Coordination has been awarded to Professor Terry Wilson, Professor at the Ohio State University, USA, for her long-standing contributions and leadership of the Solid Earth sciences within SCAR. Terry Wilson's contributions were acknowledged with outstanding service noted as SCAR Vice-President, Chief Officer and heading the “Dynamic Earth” component of the Horizon Scan activity. Along with wider national and international leadership roles beyond SCAR, her commitment to supporting the next generation of researchers through a wide range of international training schools were particularly appreciated.

After receiving the news about her award, Terry commented "I am delighted and surprised! I have learned through SCAR the many ways that international and interdisciplinary perspectives and participation leverage science and result in greater excellence and global impact. Working together with international colleagues has been an inspiration and a pleasure in my career – this recognition is thus especially gratifying, and I am greatly honored to receive the SCAR Medal for International Scientific Coordination."

The SCAR Medal for International Coordination is awarded for outstanding and sustained contributions to international cooperation and partnerships. Nomination of persons who have advanced SCAR's mission to initiate, facilitate, co-ordinate and encourage international research activity in the Antarctic region are encouraged. Awardees should have a distinguished professional career history. A record of recognition of international activities by their peers, including prizes, honorary degrees, and other awards, demonstrating the person's impact. The relevance of such coordination work should be demonstrated, for example with regard to capacity building, products of use to the wider community, data and information, etc.

Professor Wilson's application, led by Matt King, was considered by an independent medal committee and approved by the other SCAR Executive Committee members. The medal will be awarded at the XXXV SCAR Meeting, during the Polar2018 Conference Dinner in Davos on the 21st of June 2018. Terry Wilson joins a distinguished group of past recipients of this Medal including Heinrich Miller (2016), Chuck Kennicutt and Rasik Ravindra (2014 joint award), Ian Allison (2012), Alan Cooper and Robert Rutford (2010 joint award), Claude Lorius (2008), and David Walton (2006).

For more information on SCAR Medals, please see https://www.scar.org/awards/medals/overview/.

Please join us in celebrating the important contributions of Professor Terry Wilson.

Arctic Research Seminar Series
Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS)
Date/Time: Friday, 11 May from 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET

Speaker: Elizabeth Arnold, University of Alaska Anchorage and Harvard Shorenstein Center Fellow.

Presentation Title: "The Face of Climate Change in the Arctic: The National Media's Role in Public Disengagement"

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) announces the next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Elizabeth Arnold, University of Alaska Anchorage & Harvard Shorenstein Center Fellow. The event will be held in the ARCUS D.C. office at 1201 New York Avenue, NW Washington D.C. on Friday, 11 May 2018 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET. This seminar will also be available as a webinar live-stream for those unable to attend in person.

Registration is required for this event.

Register for this event online

The ARCUS Arctic Research Seminar Series brings leading Arctic researchers to Washington, D.C. to share the latest findings and what they mean for decision-making. These seminars will be of interest to federal agency officials, congressional staff, non-governmental organizations, associations, and the public.

This seminar titled “The Face of Climate Change in the Arctic: The National Media's Role in Public Disengagement” will focus on Arnold’s own experience and current research of media coverage on the human impacts of climate change in the Arctic.

Elizabeth Arnold is a former National Public Radio (NPR) Political Correspondent, an Associate Professor of Journalism at the University of Alaska, and the producer of arcticprofiles.com. For twenty years she was a familiar voice on Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and a regular presence on PBS Washington Week, covering Congress, the White House, and the American West. Arnold has received numerous awards, including a duPont Columbia Silver Baton and the Dirksen Award for Distinguished Reporting of Congress. Over the last decade, she has reported on the ecological and human impacts of global warming from some of the most remote areas of the Arctic. She is currently a Fellow at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy where she is researching the role of the press in effectively communicating climate change.

This event is a brown-bag lunch that will be held in the ARCUS D.C. office (1201 New York Avenue, NW Washington D.C. Fourth Floor). Cookies and beverages will be provided.

A live webinar is also available to those unable to attend in person. Instructions for accessing the event online will be sent to webinar registrants prior to the event.

For those of you on Twitter, we also invite you to join us in live-tweeting the event using the hashtag #arcuswebinar.

More information

For questions, contact:
Brit Myers
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

APECS International Online Conference 2018: “Butterfly Effect: Small Changes, Big Impact!”

Conference Date: 16 May 2018 (06:55 GMT to midnight GMT)

Event Format: Online conference (webinar)

Registration is now open for audience members to participate in the conference! It is completely free to attend from the comfort of your home or office!

How to register? Please register separately for each session of the conference you wish to attend. Once you register you will receive a unique attendance link for each of the sessions you registered for in your email inbox. Please use the attendance links to join the conference as an audience member on 16 May, 2018 and please check that you are using the correct link for each session you wish to join. Please register as early as possible but no later than 30 minutes before the session starting time in order for you to receive your attendance link via email. Sessions are limited to 100 participants each. Note that session timings are subject to change so do keep an eye on the schedule in the run-up to the conference.

Session 1 (06:55 GMT - 08:40 GMT): Session 1 Registration Link
Session 2 (09:40 GMT - 12:10 GMT): Session 2 Registration Link
Session 3 (15:40 GMT - 17:10 GMT): Session 3 Registration Link
Session 4 (22:00 GMT - 24:00 GMT): Session 4 Registration Link

This year’s theme, “Butterfly Effect: Small Changes, Big Impact!,” challenges polar scientists to communicate the impacts of changes occurring in and connected to polar and alpine regions, including their environment, local communities, science methods, and policy and education.

What to Expect: Presenters will address this topic in relation to a wide range of research, including Atmosphere and Climate, Biology, Cultural, Education, Science Communication, Geology, Environmental, Cryosphere, History, Oceanography and Policy research. Audience engagement is encouraged, with time for questions at the end of each presentation.

The detailed conference programme including all abstracts can be found on the APECS International Online Conference Website.

During POLAR2018 we are offering the opportunity for a small group of Early Career Researchers (ECR) to have an informal lunch with the morning's two plenary speakers. If you wish to have the chance to take part in this opportunity please fill in this form by 3 June! Participants will be drawn by lots from the applications received. This event is sponsored by SCAR and IASC and organised by APECS.

Plenary Speakers and abstracts

The 2018 Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica has been awarded to Professor Michael Meredith, leader of the Polar Oceans programme at the British Antarctic Survey.

This highly prestigious prize is awarded in recognition of his outstanding interdisciplinary and international leadership in the quest to understand the role of the Southern Oceans in controlling regional and global climate via changes in ocean circulation. His research focus aims to reduce uncertainty in scientific predictions for a future world, and to provide policy makers with science-based assessments of how these issues will affect the everyday lives of people in decades to come.

In accepting the award Professor Meredith said,
“This is a tremendous honour, and I am both humbled and proud to receive this prize. Antarctic research plays a critically important role in understanding our changing world. I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with fantastic colleagues within British Antarctic Survey and across the international polar sciences community. This award is an endorsement of our collective research effort, and I am hugely grateful to the Tinker Foundation and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research for selecting me as this year’s recipient.’

Professor Meredith was a co-founder and inaugural co-Chair of the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS), and he led the design and implementation of a £10M research programme that is unravelling the role of the Southern Ocean in changing global climate. He is currently Coordinating Lead Author for the Polar Regions chapter in the upcoming IPCC Special Report on Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate.

Caroline Kronley, President of the Tinker Foundation added,
“We are delighted to congratulate Dr. Meredith on receiving the 10th Tinker-Muse Prize. His outstanding research reinforces the significance of Antarctic science for the entire planet and its inhabitants. The Tinker Foundation is proud to join SCAR in celebrating his accomplishments to date and investing in his continued leadership going forward”.

The US $100,000 international prize, awarded by the Tinker Foundation and administered by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, is presented annually to an individual whose work has enhanced the understanding and/or preservation of Antarctica.

apecs logo web UArctic logo new The APECS-UArctic Science Communication Workshop is organized in connection with the UArctic Congress 2018 in Oulu, Finland on 3 September 2018. Participants will be expected to work on tasks throughout the duration of the congress. Deadline for applications is on Sunday 13 May 2018.

The workshop will focus on four topics:

Storytelling as a tool for science communication
Using social media for science communication
Videos as a tool for science communication
Communicating with the Media

The workshop will include both introductory lectures and also hands-on practical parts. In addition to the workshop day, the participants will receive a task to use the skills gained during the workshop during the UArctic Congress (incl. conducting interviews). More information will be communicated to successful applicants before the workshop. The results of the workshop and message from Oulu will be communicated at the Helsinki welcoming reception on Thursday evening (Sep 6th).

As the workshop is limited to max 25 participants, you will have to apply for it. Application deadline is on Sunday 13 May 2018. We will let applicants know if they are accepted to participate in the workshop by 25 May so that successful applicants can still register for the UArctic Congress before its early bird registration deadline. The workshop is open to students at all levels as well as for other early career scientists.

To apply and to find more information about workshop, please visit workshop webpage.

Dear APECS Germany members,

APECSGermany Logo Over the last ~21 months we as APECS Germany initiated several very successful events all over Germany, some of which you might have heard of via our website or facebook-page. However, all this was only possible through our board-members, many of which are now actively involved since July 2016. Just last summer, we established some official terms of reference (see http://apecsgermany.wixsite.com/apecsde/about) to ensure that a thought-through future continuation of our network is possible. One major puzzle piece of that is a board full of motivated young scientists, but for that we are of course relying on a more or less steady inflow of new board members, and that’s where you come into play!

The new board-term will start very soon in May 2018, and we happily invite you to join the board of our network so that you can bring your ideas into action!One of the very first tasks in a new board term will be the election of a new leadership team consisting of one chair and three co-chairs. However, we understand if there are question marks about being active in such a network, so in order to give you an overview on what exactly we`re doing and what we did in the past you are all invited to an informal online-presentation and a Q&A via the Zoom-Meeting-platform on May 8th, 2018 at 3 P.M.

You can join this meeting using the following link: https://zoom.us/j/353220763

Please drop us a short line whether you’re interested to join on May the 8th, but please feel free to also join on short notice. Some of our current board members will be online and answer any upcoming questions regarding our past work.

We’re very much looking forward to hearing from you!

Cheers, Andi
On behalf of the APECS Germany board

The EU Project ARICE (Arctic Research Icebreaker Consortium)opens now a call for ship-time proposals to access the icebreakers CCGS Amundsen, RV Sikuliaq and PRV Polarstern. This call will remain open until the 5th of July 2018.

Applications are welcome from international teams of researchers and industry partners from all career stages. Female applicants are encouraged to apply.
Check full eligibility criteria and funding conditions at: https://www.arice.eu/apply-for-ship-time

The access to PRV Polarstern is offered in the frame of the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) Expedition, the first year-round expedition into the central Arctic exploring the Arctic climate system. Specific access regulations to PRV Polarstern in the frame of MOSAiC apply. Further information at https://www.arice.eu/apply-for-ship-time

NOTE: Proposals submitted to ARICE for PRV Polarstern will require a Confirmation of Endorsement from MOSAiC, a process which is encouraged to be started by potential applicants as soon as possible, as the endorsement process is expected to take 3 weeks from the submission of the request for endorsement until endorsement is confirmed. Detailed information is available at https://www.arice.eu/apply-for-ship-time

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The International School of Space Science of the Consorzio Interuniversitario per la Fisica Spaziale organizes a Course on “The Polar Upper Atmosphere: from Science to Operational Issues”, to be held in L’Aquila, Italy, 17-21 September 2018, directed by G. De Franceschi, M. Mendillo, C. Mitchell.

The goal of the school is to foster excitement and encourage involvement of the next generation of space researchers in studies of the geospace environment of Polar Regions. The importance of these regions is rapidly growing due to modern society’s dependence on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) services and products, strongly affected by ionospheric variability at high latitudes. Topics will focus on the infrastructures for multi-instrument monitoring, data management from sub auroral to polar latitudes, the need for specialized models of the upper atmosphere, and the development of mitigation algorithms to improve GNSS services and products. The school is mainly addressed to graduate and post-graduate students with enthusiastic interest on this topic. Students-teams will be organized through an “inside team building” activity scheduled on the first day of the school. This initial activity will formulate, under the supervision of experts, the “first iteration” of student-led project proposals. The establishment of the student-teams aims to both stimulate the interaction among the new generation of scientists from different countries and furnish the preliminary tools to build successful project proposals. On the final day the students-teams will present their project results and participate in their evaluation by the School Program and Organization Committees.

Applications are due before May 6, 2018.

For more information visit http://www.cifs-isss.org/ or send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We are pleased to announce the fourth UK Sea level and Coastal Change Field Conference (SLaCC) in partnership with the Quaternary Research Association. This meeting will take place in Fort William with field excursions to the coastline of Northwest Scotland, lead by Prof. Ian Shennan.

Please see the first circular and the meeting website for details: https://www.dur.ac.uk/geography/slacc/2018-fort-william/

Registration is now open (deadline: 29th June) and the deadline for abstract submission is Thursday 31st May.

Postgraduate attendance is encouraged and supported with reduced delegate fees, courtesy of funding support provided by the QRA

On behalf of the organisers, Sarah Woodroffe and Rob Barnett, we look forward to welcoming you to sunny Scotland this September!

@SLaCC_QRA

IEEE-sponsored Antarctic and Southern Ocean Forum for Engineering, Science and Technology (ASOF-fest).

This is a 4-day symposium designed to bring scientists and engineers together to solve polar engineering problems.

Location: CSIRO Auditorium, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Dates: 14 to 17 August, 2018
Website: https://asof2018.ieee.org/
Abstracts deadline: 31 May 2018
Early Registration: 27 June 2018
Flyer: https://asof2018.ieee.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/04/Flyer_ASOF-fest-2018_2.pdf

Carleton University’s Institute on the Ethics of Research with Indigenous People (CUIERIP) will hold its 5th annual week-long summer program in Ottawa from June 3rd to the 8th, 2018. It is a six-day immersive experience devoted to learning about good practices in ethical research with First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities.

CUIERIP’s mission is to provide a collaborative and safe learning environment for faculty, students, community members, and professionals working on Indigenous issues and research ethics.

CUIERIP is led by Carleton Faculty, research ethics professionals and community leaders. Presiding Elders guide all participants.

CUIERIP’s 2018 theme: “Story keeping and the story bundle”. Story bundles, a concept that pertains to Western and Indigenous ethical considerations around being a story-keeper, or more specifically, the person who brings the experiences and stories of others forward. During the week-long institute, we will consider the distinctions between different types of stories, the protocols/ethical considerations around who can carry/disseminate stories, historic and contemporary examples of storykeepers, examples of how carriers adapt to the evolution of ever-changing stories, what researchers need in their storybundles, and how a story bundle is developed, maintained and utilized.
Registration for the 2018 Institute is now open.

For more information about CUIERIP 2018, please visit our website: https://carleton.ca/indigenousresearchethics/.

We are inviting Session Proposals for the 2018 ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM2018) until Friday, May 18, 2018.

In a year of possible renewal of the Network, ArcticNet and its partners invite Northern researchers, stakeholders and decision-makers to the ASM2018 at the Ottawa Shaw Centre between December 10-14, 2018.

The ASM2018 will bring together leading researchers, students, Northerners including Inuit, First Nations and Métis peoples, policy-makers, private sector representatives and media to address the numerous environmental, social, economic and political challenges and opportunities as a result of climate change and modernization in the Arctic.

Call for Sessions

The ArcticNet ASM2018 Organizing Committee welcomes proposals for Topical Sessions of interest to the Northern research community. Proposals should identify at least two co-Chairs planning to attend the Conference. Session proposals including Early Career Researchers as co-Chairs are encouraged. Session proposals should include an informative title (max 150 characters) and a short description (less than 2500 characters). Descriptions should be broad enough to include all interested researchers, regardless of affiliation or research background. Please submit session proposals online using the session submission form, also available on the ASM2018 website.

General Topics

The ASM2018 will be the largest national venue for scientific exchange across a broad range of Arctic research disciplines in natural, human health and social sciences. General topics to be addressed include, but are not restricted to:

• Monitoring, Modeling and Predicting Circumpolar and Regional Arctic Systems
• Ocean and Atmospheric Fluxes through the Arctic
• Sensitivity and Change of Cryospheric Systems
• Tracking and Predicting Socio-Economic, and Cultural Change in the Arctic
• Rapid Arctic Transitions and Impacts on Infrastructure and Planning
• Community Adaptation and Vulnerability in the Arctic Regions
• Mapping the Arctic Ocean, Continental Shelves and Margins
• Arctic Marine and Terrestrial Ecosystem Structure, Biodiversity and Services
• Coastal Processes and the Vulnerability of Communities, Infrastructures and Resources
• Assessing, Understanding and Monitoring the Health of Ecosystems and Humans in the Arctic
• Legal, Political, Security and Navigation Issues in Opening Arctic Waterways
• Sustainable Development and Prosperity in the Arctic
• Adapting New Technologies to the Advantage of Arctic Research and Monitoring
• Arctic Data Management, Access and Integration
• From Knowledge to Decision and Policy-Making
• New Research Priorities listed in the ArcticNet 2018 Call for Letters Of Intent

Visit the ASM2018 website:

Information will soon be available on the Conference, venue, lodging, registration, sponsor/exhibitor opportunities.

Please post and circulate this announcement among your networks.

We look forward to seeing you in Ottawa!

Warm regards,

Leah Braithwaite
Executive Director - ArcticNet

The Arctic Data Center is soliciting requests for proposals for a Synthesis Working Group. Proposals are due May 23, 2018.

To promote the analysis and synthesis of Arctic data, as well as to inform ongoing development of the data repository, the Arctic Data Center is soliciting requests for proposals for a Synthesis Working Group, with research to begin by October 2018. Funding of up to $54,600 is available to support one Working Group, hosting two meetings of 3-5 days, with approximately 15 participants each at the Arctic Data Center in Santa Barbara, California, over an anticipated 1-1.5 year period. Proposals must focus on Arctic-related research issues, and primarily (but not necessarily exclusively) involve the analysis and synthesis of data contained within the Arctic Data Center Repository.

This year we request that all synthesis proposals explicitly address factors related to one or more human dimensions of the Arctic experience, in addition to environmental aspects. These can include synthesis investigations into social-cultural processes, economic factors, Arctic indigenous peoples’ perspectives, etc., relative to the unique biophysical challenges of life in the Arctic region.

For more information and to submit a proposal, visit https://arcticdata.io/proposals/. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.

SecNet logo apecs logo web

Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic Countries website

When we conduct research in the Arctic we are visitors in someone else's homeland: people who live there all year round, who have unique knowledge and wish to be involved in research concerning their land and ways of life. In this pair of webinars, arising from conversations at the 2017 Siberian Environmental Change Network (SecNet) workshop (arranged in cooperation with INTERACT), two speakers will build on their personal experiences to highlight ways in which researchers can successfully engage with local communities, from a Canadian and a Russian perspective.

Webinar 1: Dr. Sandra Juutilainen, University of Waterloo
When: Friday 4 May, 16:00 GMT (12 noon Toronto) Register here!

Meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities in research: Canadian exemplars

Abstract TBC

Webinar 2: Lidia Rakhmanova, PhD in Sociology, Sociologist of the Center of Sociological Research, the State Hermitage Museum, associated member of the Sociological Institute of FCTAS RAS
When: Thursday 10 May, 13:00 GMT (16:00 Moscow) Register here!
Please note this webinar will be held in Russian.

Исследовательская этика: границы «поля» и границы ответственности

Вебинар посвящен вопросам этики, встающим перед исследователем, начиная с кабинетной работы, а затем - в полевых исследованиях, во время анализа и публикации данных. Мы поговорим о том, зачем учитывать этические принципы тем ученым, для которых основной предмет исследования лежит за пределами сообщества, и как "человеческое" вплетено в связи различных природных, экономических, технических, физических феноменов окружающей реальности. Как связаны открытость местному сообществу коренных жителей и язык концептов, на котором мы зачастую говорим? Как сохранить уважительную дистанцию и, при этом, наладить партнерские отношения? Что нужно учитывать, делая ставку на многолетние полевые исследования в одном и том же микрорегионе? Всегда ли, имея в виду практическую пользу от исследований в области благополучия и здоровья населения, а также развития поселков в целом, мы учитываем нужды, желания, и ценности, скрытые в сознании местных жителей? В чем отличие работы с сообществом в западноевропейской, американской и канадской традиции от ситуации в российской науке? И, наконец, как взаимодействовать с сообществом местных жителей, если оно порой разорвано или отсутствует как таковое?
Research ethics: boundaries of the “field” and limits of responsibility

This webinar is dedicated to ethics issues that arise before the researcher starting from the stage of development of the program of study, in the field, during the analysis and publication of data. We will talk about why it’s important to consider ethical principles for those scientists, for whom the main subject of research is not focused on the community itself, and how human is intertwined in connection with various natural, economic, technical, physical phenomena of the surrounding reality. How is openness to the local indigenous community linked and the language of concepts that we often speak? How to maintain a respectful distance and, at the same time, to establish partnership? What should be taken into account when betting on long-term field research in the same micro-region? Do we always take into account the needs, desires and values that are hidden in the minds of the local people, keeping in mind the practical benefits of research in the field of welfare and health of the population, as well as the development of settlements in general? What is the difference between working with the community in the Western European, American and Canadian tradition from the situation in Russian science? And, finally, how to interact with a community of local people when a community is sometimes split to parts or even absent?

Rush your 75th Eastern Snow Conference abstracts to completion. Deadline for abstracts has been extended to 23 April 2018.

The preliminary program for the 75th Eastern Snow Conference is posted on the ESC website https://www.easternsnow.org. Registration, lodging and other information is posted under Annual Meeting.

The 75th Eastern Snow Conference will be 5-8 June 2018 at the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction, Climate Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, USA College Park, MD.

Early registration ends 1 May.
The lodgings options deadlines are coming up in early May.

Dr. Louis W. Uccellini, NOAA Assistant Administrator for Weather Services and Director National Weather Service, will be the keynote speaker at the 75th ESC Banquet. Dr. Uccellini has published more than 60 journal articles and chapters in books, and is known for coauthoring the widely acclaimed two-volume book, Northeast Snowstorms.

The scientific program is open to sessions on theoretical, experimental, remote sensing, modeling and operational studies of snow, ice, and winter hydrology. This year's theme is "SNOW PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE". The ESC has only plenary (oral and poster viewing) sessions, allowing time to view and discuss the research of each participant. You are invited to submit an abstract for an oral or a poster presentation (please indicate type). (An abstract template is available on the website.) An abstract of 200-250 words should be submitted by 23 April 2018 to the Program Chairman Dr. George Riggs (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

2018 AGU Fall Meeting

The deadline for submitting session proposals for the AGU Fall Meeting is April 18 at 23:59 EDT. https://fallmeeting.agu.org/2018/session-proposals/

The Cryosphere Focus Group presently has 12 submitted session proposals, which you can view here:
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm18/preliminaryview.cgi/Program1676

Please have a look. If you don’t see a place for your permafrost, sea ice, lake and river ice, seasonal snow, glacier or ice sheet science, we hope you will consider submitting a session proposal.

Remember that, as there were last year, alternative session formats will also be offered this year: https://fallmeeting.agu.org/2018/session-proposals/alternate-session-formats/.

New this year will be tutorial talks that you can find described here: https://fallmeeting.agu.org/2018/session-proposals/tutorial-proposals/

Thanks for your help in crafting an exciting and diverse program for this year’s Fall Meeting, in Washington, DC.

Your representatives to the AGU Fall Meeting program committee,

Adam Winstral
WSL-SLF

Arctic Continuities
There is a common way of describing the Arctic – the region, its people and resources – in terms of rapid change and constant transformation. Climate change, scramble for the world’s diminishing natural resources and the rather newly emerged concern for local cultures and knowledge, among others, have contributed to the repeated constructions of the Arctic as something that is constantly in flux. Undeniably, the Arctic and its people have witnessed radical changes. However, the prevailing rhetoric of change dismisses a great deal of what has held its ground, the traits of continuity that make the Arctic what it is. The persistence of northern ways of life, local and indigenous cultures and the practices of using and benefiting from the region’s renewable resources are some of the examples of this continuity. Equally recurring are perceptions and preconceived ideas of the Arctic as a global frontier, as a region rich with exploitable resources and a wilderness to be protected.

The Northern Political Economy symposium of 2018 invites scholars from a range of disciplines to reflect on the elements of continuity in the Arctic and the ways in which continuity and change mesh. Among other questions, the symposium asks to what extent the view of Arctic as a central stage for change works to effectively gloss over powerful continuities, such as the lingering of colonial and exploitative practices and hierarchical center-periphery relations.

Keynote speaker
Kirsten Thisted, University of Copenhagen

Greenlandic Exceptionalisms

Kirsten Thisted is an Associate Professor in the Minority Studies Section, Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen. She has conducted cross-disciplinary research in literature, linguistics, media and history. Her research has focused especially on Greenland. In her talk she will reflect on change as a constant factor in the history of Greenland.

Deadline for proposals
Please send your abstract (max. 250-words) with your name, title, affiliation and contact information by 28 June 2018 by email to Marjo Lindroth (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Programme
The programme will include a keynote talk, presentations by the participants and discussions on the basis of presentations. A symposium dinner will be organized.

Confirmations of acceptance will be sent by early July the latest. The final programme will be announced by 8 August.

There is no participation fee and the the organizers will cover the costs of meals during the seminar. Please note that the symposium participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs.

More information
The symposium is organised by the Northern political economy/Sustainable development research group, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland.
Symposium organizing team: Heidi Sinevaara-Niskanen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Marjo Lindroth (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

The U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability Program (U.S. CLIVAR) announce the release of a publication titled Arctic Change and Possible Influence on Mid-Latitude Climate and Weather – A U.S. CLIVAR White Paper.

Members from a U.S. CLIVAR Working Group and a recent workshop have published a white paper on Arctic change and possible influence on mid-latitude climate and weather. This report brings together experts in the fields of atmosphere, ocean, and cryosphere sciences to assess the rapidly evolving state of understanding, identify consensus on knowledge and gaps in research, and develop specific actions to accelerate progress within the research community.

To view or download the publication, go to:
Publication webpage

For questions, contact:
Kristan Uhlenbrock
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 202-787-1682

The MDPI journal Remote Sensing recently launched a special issue on “Remote Sensing of Glaciers at Global and Regional Scales", which is now open for submission. We would like to invite those of you working in this field to submit an article to this special issue by 28 February 2019.

This special issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of recent and upcoming advances in the application of satellite remote sensing to monitoring changes in the state of the Earth's mountain glaciers and ice caps, at regional and global scale. This excludes the main ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland, but we do welcome studies focusing on their peripheral glaciers and ice caps, including the Antarctic Peninsula.

For more information about the Special Issue, and potential topics, please see:

http://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing/special_issues/Glaciers

Last year, a highly interesting special issue with a similar focus was published, edited by Frank Paul (University of Zurich) and colleagues. An overview of the papers published in this issue can be found here:

http://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing/special_issues/remotesensing_glaciers

For information on manuscript preparation and related matters, please see the instructions for authors:

http://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing/instructions

Remote Sensing is an open access journal, with a 2016 impact factor of 3.244 and a 5-Year Impact Factor of 3.749. All submissions will be subject to a pre-screening and peer review.

If you have any further queries about the Special Issue -- its scope, review process, article processing charges, etc. -- please do not hesitate to contact me (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Kind regards, the guest editors

The Arctic Horizons has released the Final Report for the Arctic Horizons project. This final report synthesizes the future research priorities that emerged over the course of the project.

The goal of the current Arctic Horizons project was to assemble community input and recommendations on re–envisioning the mission, scope, future priorities, and resource needs of the Arctic social sciences research community.

The objectives of the project were to:

Organize, develop, and conduct five regional, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary workshops that integrated expertise from various fields, geographic locations, Indigenous communities, and stakeholder groups to develop a renewed vision of Arctic social sciences and identify key priorities and resource needs in the field for the future;
Design and support a broad, inclusive discussion of research priorities, scope, and mission in the Arctic social sciences;
Make recommendations to funders and policy makers who support/should support Arctic research; and
Produce the final report for the Arctic research community or for Arctic research funders that synthesizes relevant findings on the vision, mission, scope, and priorities of the Arctic social sciences community based on a sixth “synthesis” workshop.

To access and download the report, go to:
Arctic Horizons Final Report

IARPC Collaborations Webinar Series: Creating a National Scientific Mission: The Nansen Legacy Project. The Nansen Legacy project breaks new ground in national-scale Arctic research collaborations, forming a national team representing nearly Norway’s entire marine Arctic expertise including 130 scientists, 50 new recruiting positions and Norway’s new research icebreaker. This $97 million project for the exploration and understanding of Norway’s ice-covered water and adjacent Polar Ocean commenced in 2018 and will run for six years. This unique collaboration required the development of new evaluation and financing strategies, challenging research institutions and government. It presents a step towards the future cooperation between the five arctic coastal states in order to comprehend the entirety of the Arctic Ocean. Webinar featuring Dr. Paul Wassman commences April 24, 2018, 12:30 PM Eastern Time.
More info at https://www.iarpccollaborations.org/webinars.html.

As part of the opportunity to renew the ArcticNet Network of Centres of Excellence through the 2018 NCE Competition, ArcticNet is pleased to announce a Call for Letters of Intent(LOI) with submissions due June 5, 2018.

LOI Applications from all eligible Canadian researchers whose expertise is applicable in the North are welcome and new applicants are strongly encouraged to submit. Priority will be given to proposed projects with multidisciplinary teams and appropriate partners. Geographically, ArcticNet includes the Inuit Nunangat and, as part of its renewal, is proposed to extend to include the Yukon, the continental Northwest Territories and the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut.

Successful LOI will be used to demonstrate the potential breadth and depth of the ArcticNet Research Strategy in its submission to the 2018 NCE Competition. Decisions on LOI applications will be announced by 29 June 2018. Successful LOI teams will be invited to submit Full Proposals by 15 November 2018. (Note that preparation of Team Full Proposals will need to be undertaken prior to ArcticNet NCE 2019-2024 funding being secured.)

We invite those interested in submitting an LOI application to carefully read the following documents regarding research priorities, eligibility and evaluation criteria, and the LOI submission process :

- Call for Letters of Intent (2019-2024)

- 2018 Review Guidelines

- Letter or Intent Application Form

ipa logo with white frame It has been 25 years since the Conference on Periglacial Processes in Granada (1993), where the IPA-Spain group was created. The group joined the International Permafrost Association (IPA) one year later. Since then, successive IPA-Spain meetings took place until, and in 2007, the Spanish and Portuguese groups of the IPA began their collaboration, which was reflected in six Iberian conferences, the latest one held in 2017. In parallel, researchers from IPA-Spain and IPA-Portugal have advanced in the scientific knowledge about permafrost and periglacial geomorphology in Iberian and other mountain ranges, as well as in Polar Regions.

On the occasion of this event, it has been proposed that a Special Issue be published in the prestigious journal Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, sponsored by the IPA (impact factor 2.815 in the 2016 Journal Citation Reports®).

The aim is to update knowledge on cold geomorphological processes, including permafrost, in mountain environments where these are restricted to the highest altitudes. To this end, scientific research papers focusing on the study of periglacial geomorphology and permafrost in the Iberian massifs and in other mountains of the Mediterranean region, as well as in other mountain areas of low- and mid-latitudes where these processes are marginal (e.g. high inter-tropical mountains) will be considered for publication.

Researchers interested in participating in this Special Issue should send an e-mail with a brief abstract (max. 200 words) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 20 April, also indicating the title of the contribution and its authors.

The papers sent for the Special Issue must follow the format of the journal (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/10991530/homepage/forauthors.html). The originals can be sent only through the journal’s platform, between 1 September and 31 December 2018.

We are looking forward to receiving your contributions.

Jesús Ruiz-Fernández and Marc Oliva

PYRN renews its current Executive Committee (ExCom), Council and National Representatives for the next two years (2018-2020) beginning after EUCOP2018. This is your chance to get involved in an international network of young experts aiming to organize and foster the future generation of permafrost researchers.

The following positions in the ExCom are open for application:

• President

• Secretary

• Person responsible for next International Conference on Permafrost organization

• Person responsible for next Regional Conference on Permafrost organization

• Newsletter

• Social Media

• National Representatives Coordinator (also acts as the Council Chair)

• APECS liaison

All ExCom positions and their functions are summarized on our website (https://pyrn.arcticportal.org/about-us/constitution-bylaws). Do not hesitate to contact us (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if you have further questions.

To submit your application, please use the following form:

https://goo.gl/forms/4kE4SMWh1vyjoZiY2

Your application should include a short description (max. 350 Words) of your motivation and why you are interested in PYRN and becoming part of the ExCom, Council or National Representative.

Please submit your application until 01 May 2018.

The current ExCom will collect all nominations and elect candidates into the new ExCom. Nominees will receive a notification on 31 May 2016.

On June 23rd, in connection with the Young researchers Workshop at EUCOP2018 in Chamonix, France, PYRN organizes a general assembly where the new ExCom will be introduced. Attending the EUCOP is no criteria for a nomination.

We are looking forward to your application.

Yours sincerely,

The PYRN Executive Committee

Date/Time: Wednesday, 18 April from 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET
Speaker: Hong Nong, Institute for China–America Studies
Presentation Title: Examining the Implications of China’s Arctic Policy White Paper

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) announces the next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Dr. Hong, Executive Director of the Institute of China-America Studies. The event will be held in the ARCUS D.C. office at 1201 New York Avenue, NW Washington D.C. on Wednesday, 18 April 2018 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET. This seminar will also be available as a webinar live-stream for those unable to attend in person.

Registration is required for this event.

This seminar, titled Examining the Implications of China’s Arctic Policy White Paper, will explore China's Arctic strategy and policy goals through the lens of a new white paper released by the State Council Information Office of China in January.

Dr. Hong is Executive Director and Senior Fellow of Institute for China–America Studies. Dr. Hong holds a PhD of interdisciplinary study of international law and international relations from the University of Alberta, Canada and held a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the University’s China Institute. She was International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)-Nippon Fellow for International Dispute Settlement (2008-2009) and Visiting Fellow at the Center of Oceans Law and Policy, University of Virginia (2009) and at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law (2007). Dr. Hong is concurrently a research fellow with the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, China, and China Institute, University of Alberta, Canada. Her research takes an interdisciplinary approach to examining international relations and international law, with focus on International Relations and Comparative Politics in general; ocean governance in East Asia and the Arctic; law of the sea; international security, particularly non-traditional security; and international dispute settlement and conflict resolution.

This event is a brown-bag lunch that will be held in the ARCUS D.C. office (1201 New York Avenue, NW Washington D.C. Fourth Floor). Cookies and beverages will be provided.

A live webinar is also available to those unable to attend in person. Instructions for accessing the event online will be sent to webinar registrants prior to the event.

For those of you on Twitter, we also invite you to join us in live-tweeting the event using the hashtag #arcuswebinar.

For more information and to register for the event, go to:
ARCUS D.C. Arctic Research Seminar Series homepage

For questions, contact:
Brit Myers
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thank you for all the great submissions to the APECS Polar Week Photo Contest 2018 "My #PolarPride"! After all the votes are in, we are happy to announce the winner in each category:

Category: Working Environment

1st Prize: Sarah Baatout, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Belgium

Description: Health, drugs & environment monitoring, & school connections at Belgian Princess Elisabeth station in Antarctica as analog for
human space exploration.

Sarah Baatout

Category: Research and Laboratory

1st Prize: Gustavo Souza dos Santos, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil

Description: Antarctic macroalgae in exposition at the Summer School in Pharmaceutical Sciences 2018, showing to undergraduate students from different states of Brazil the importance of Polar Science.

Gustavo Souza dos Santos

Organizers announce an extended deadline for abstract submissions and registration for the 5th Polar Prediction Workshop. This workshop will be held 7-9 May 2018 at the Agora Hydro-Quebec in Montreal, Canada.

The workshop will focus on:

Polar predictability from subseasonnal to interannual timescales,
Sea ice prediction,
Operational and research efforts, and
End user needs and the capacity of the scientific community to address these needs.

In addition, reviews for the Sea Ice Outlook project and other initiatives related to polar predictions will be discussed.

An important outcome of the workshop will be a consensus forecast statement synthesizing predictions of September mean Arctic sea ice extent, and sea ice conditions during the Arctic shipping season for key regions, the Northwest Passage, and Northern Sea Route shipping corridors. Participants are invited to contribute to any or all of these forecasts using a form that will be circulated to registrants and posted online, and are encouraged to highlight these predictions in their presentations.

Operational forecasters and forecast users are invited to participate.

Extended abstract submission and registration deadline: Friday, 13 April 2018

For more information, go to:
Workshop homepage

For questions, contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP) announces a webinar titled Understanding the Arctic Through A Co-Production of Knowledge. This webinar will be presented by Carolina Behe from the Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska and Raychelle Daniel from the Pew Charitable Trust. The webinar will take place 10:00-11:00 a.m. AKDT, Wednesday, 11 April 2018.

The webinar will be available online or in-person at the Akasofu building, Room 407 on the University of Alaska campus.

Webinar Summary:

The Arctic is changing at an accelerated rate due to climate change and increased anthropogenic activity. Given the rate of change, never has it been more important to work toward a holistic understanding of the Arctic’s interconnecting systems. A co-production of knowledge framework will provide the holistic view and comprehension needed to inform effective and adaptive policies and practices. The presenters will underscore the role and value of different knowledge systems with different methodologies and the need for collaborative approaches in identifying research questions. The important components that form a co-production of knowledge framework will be presented.

For more information and instructions on connecting to the webinar, go to:
Webinar homepage

For questions, contact:
Tina Buxbaum
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Snow Measurement Field School, January 7 – 10, 2019 || Bozeman, MT

Application Deadline: August 1st

CUAHSI is pleased to partner with iSWGR to offer the Snow Measurement Field School, a 4-day field school on making and analyzing snow measurements.

Course Objectives
This course will give fundamental training to students in making and analyzing snow measurements including depth, density, water equivalence, grain size and shape, stratigraphy, temperature and hardness. Students completing this course will be able to perform high-quality fieldwork and design studies making snowpack measurements.

By the end of the course, students should be able to do the following:

Excavate and prepare a snow pit.
Measure profiles of density, snow temperature, grain size, and hardness.
Characterize stratigraphy and layering, snow surface roughness, and snow grain types.
Use a Federal snow sampler, an avalanche probe, a Magnaprobe, and other snow measurement equipment.
Design their own experiment for sampling snow based on specific scientific objectives.

Eligibility
The course is aimed at undergraduate and graduate students, post-docs, professionals and senior scientists, modelers and remote sensers that will make snow measurements as part of their research, or use snowpack data in their research. There are no required prerequisites, but students should be physically able to spend days outside being active in the snow.

How to Apply

Applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. EDT on August 1, 2018 via the following Google Form. Applications will be reviewed by course instructors and are evaluated based on the following criteria: clarity of learning takeaways from course; course relevancy to thesis work and/or job; and potential to contribute to university and general science community. Applicants will be notified of acceptance on August 16, 2018.

Visit the event website for additional information on the course and how to apply.

Questions?
Contact Elizabeth Tran at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A new contribution to the forecast user dialogue platform Polar Prediction Matters is online.

Please read in this new article by Lawrence Hislop, Executive Director of the global Climate and Cryosphere project (CliC) of the WMO World Climate Research Programme, about the outcomes of a workshop that was held during the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø, Norway in January 2018. A cross-section of sea-ice forecasters from Europe and North America along with key forecast user representatives from the private sector had been invited to Tromsø to discuss issues and opportunities of current sea-ice forecasting systems and how to better meet stakeholders’ needs.

See here for the new PPM article.

The European Polar Board (EPB) and EU-PolarNet are pleased to announce the launch of the European Polar Infrastructure Database. The database, which includes detailed information on European stations, vessels and aircraft available for Arctic and Antarctic research, provides a valuable information source to support the planning of polar research fieldwork and an up to date inventory of European logistical capabilities in the polar regions. The database is fully updateable, with infrastructure managers able to access and manage information on their facilities, and new facilities can be added.

The European Polar Infrastructure Database was compiled by the EPB in collaboration with EU-PolarNet, with data provided by the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP), the International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic (INTERACT), and EUROFLEETS2. Work on the database was led by Yves Frenot (Institut Polaire Francais Paul Emile Victor (IPEV)) and Gonçalo Vieira (University of Lisbon (IGOT-UL)) through their work in the EU-PolarNet project. Other contributors to the development of the database were Luis Encalada (IGOT-UL), Carla Mora (IGOT-UL), Joseph E Nolan (EPB), and Renuka Badhe (EPB).

To access the European Polar Infrastructure Database, visit http://www.europeanpolarboard.org/news/article/news/european-polar-infrastructure-database-launched/.

SCAR logo white background Since the introduction of plastic materials in the 1950s, global production has increased more than 500 times. Evidence of plastic debris in both Polar Oceans suggests that they have already spread across the world, and are thus recognized as one of the most important worldwide threats for oceans. However, while there has been a great deal of research into plastic pollution in the more populated regions of the world, little is known about the Polar regions. This is an emerging and timely area of research which necessitates a co-ordinated scientific focus.

The aim of the workshop is to initiate a SCAR Plastic Action Group to:

Collate information on plastic pollution in the Antarctic and Arctic regions.
Assess occurrence, distribution, source and fate of plastics (nano, micro and macro) in Polar regions.
Estimate current levels of pollution in the poles and evaluate the impact on the ecosystem.
Generate a Best Practice protocol for plastic collection and analysis in the Polar regions.

The workshop is open to scientists from different disciplines with interest in the processes regulating the distribution, magnitude and ecosystem impact of plastic debris in Polar environments. Experts on marine plastic debris policy change and mitigation are also welcome.

Sunday, June 17, 2018
9am - 12pm
Room: B Pischa
Open to anyone

Meeting Flyer

What: The Arctic Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) Science Workshop
When: January 14-16, 2019
Where: Finnish Meteorological Institute in Helsinki, Finland.

Jointly organized by the Polar Prediction Project and its International Coordination Office (ICO), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), The workshop will bring together YOPP scientists to present and discuss the first results from the Arctic Special Observing Periods in winter and summer 2018, providing a vivid forum for exchange, networking, and interaction. Studies of coupled atmospheric, ocean, sea ice, and land processes will be addressed to share feedback on the latest Arctic observations, modelling and prediction efforts including their benefits to society on time scales from hours to seasonal.

More information on the workshop including session topics will be announced soon. Please direct any questions to the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Click here for a PDF version of the first circular.

CAFF green The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council, is seeking a coordinator to organize the work in the African Eurasian Flyway under the Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI). The African Eurasian (AFEU) Flyway Committee Coordinator is a 100% role designed to be taken on by someone familiar with bird conservation in the region and who has experience in working with diverse stakeholder groups. This position will be divided between 60% focussed on AFEU flyway and 40% focussed on AMBI issues across the flyways, and will be based at the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat located in Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

Responsibilities:

Coordinate the AFEU committee and a multi-stakeholder planning team as necessary
Develop a flyway ‘crosswalk’ for the AFEU region
Develop an AMBI AFEU Implementation Strategy
Work with AMBI Chair, Coordinator and CAFF Secretariat to coordinate activities within AMBI
Liaison with partners in the region to help facilitate projects as directed by the flyway committee
Travel to relevant meetings to represent AMBI interests
Assist in organizing AMBI events in the region
Fundraise for both AMBI and the coordinator position

Qualifications:
The following specifies the qualifications, experience and expertise required:

General Qualifications:

Ability to communicate proficiently in English. Proficiency in other languages spoken in the flyway are beneficial, but not mandatory.
Ability to work collaboratively with others in a cross cultural environment.
Familiarity with issues of Arctic migratory bird conservation in the flyway.
A working understanding of the Arctic Council and CAFF, including roles and objectives
Experience and ability to host meetings, manage documentation, develop information flow and management of a team.
Experience in writing scientific summaries and reports.
Location within the relevant Flyway preferred, but not mandatory.
Ability to travel to relevant meeting at international locations.

General Professional Experience:

Previous experience working to advance global migratory species and/or conservation initiatives.
Advanced degree in relevant field including conservation, biology, communications, international relations, governance, etc.
Recent experience developing international conservation teams.
Knowledge of the indigenous peoples in the flyway and experience working with indigenous peoples groups
Recent experience managing a cross cultural team.

Assignment Specific Professional Experience:

Familiarity with AMBI Work Plan and objectives.
In-depth knowledge of policy framework in the flyway as it pertains to conservation, migratory species, development, human well-being and other fields of relevance to conservation.

Timeframe of commitment – May 2018 to May 2019, with the possibility of an extension. You will be expected to travel internationally to up to three meetings during this timeframe, including attending the Arctic Biodiversity Congress in October 2018 in Finland.

Location: The position will be based at the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat located in Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

Pay – The AFEU Coordinator will be an individual consultant to be contracted directly or through a legally incorporated company. The compensation for this position is €60,000 for 12 months 1.0 FTE.

AMBI - The Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI) is a project designed to improve the status and secure the long-term sustainability of declining Arctic breeding migratory bird populations. Arctic-breeding birds use many different flyways to move from Arctic breeding grounds to overwintering or stopover sites at lower latitudes. Many bird populations are declining at an unprecedented rate for variety of reasons: http://www.caff.is/arctic-migratory-birds-initiative-ambi.

AFEU - The AMBI AFEU Committee consists of representatives from Norway, BirdLife International, the African Eurasian Waters Agreement (AEWA), and the CAFF Secretariat. The AMBI African Eurasian Flyway (https://www.caff.is/arctic-migratory-birds-initiative-ambi/african-eurasian-flyway) covers priority conservation issues and actions relating to migratory Arctic-breeding birds from with a focus on habitat conservation and preventing unsustainable harvest. Supporting the protection of habitat in West Africa for migratory bird species is a major focus of the work under the AEF. Other priorities include ensuring sustainable populations of Lesser White-fronted Geese are protected in collaboration with the AEWA secretariat.

To apply for this position, apply with you CV (max 4 pages) and a letter of interest outlining why your skills match the position.

Deadline for submissionApril 15, 2018 by 24:00 GMT. All applications should be sent to Tom Barry, the Executive Secretary at the CAFF International Secretariat via tom [AT] caff [DOT] is.

Canada and Iceland Flags We are pleased to announce that Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR) is seeking applications for its Canada-Iceland Arctic Research Exchange Program. Successful applicants are able to conduct Arctic research at several sites in Iceland to establish links between Canadian and Icelandic Arctic researchers.

The pilot exchange is designed for Masters or PhD students attending universities in Canada or Iceland. The pilot exchange is targeted to occur in 2018, involving one researcher from each country travelling to an Arctic research station in the other country for a 3-6 week period.

The closing date for Canadian applications is April 12, 2018. For more details about the exchange, please find more information about the Call for Applications:

https://www.canada.ca/content/canadasite/en/polar-knowledge/canada-iceland-arctic-research-exchange-program.html

Canadian Applicants must submit their applications to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by the deadline to be considered.

Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR) is a Government of Canada agency established on June 1, 2015. POLAR’s mandate is to advance Canada’s knowledge of the Arctic and strengthen Canadian leadership in polar science and technology.

Research Data Science Winter School - A Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia)

Are you an early- and mid-career researcher (EMCRS) looking to improve your data skills and become more effective at using data for your research?

The Australian Academy of Science, in association with Software Carpentry, CODATA and RDA, would like to invite you to submit an expression of interest to participate in the Research Data Science Winter School at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, on 12-15 June 2018.

The Research Data Science Winter School’s program is based on the successful International Summer school on Research Data Science. It features 2 days of hands-on sessions by Software Carpentry, followed by 2 days of tutorial based sessions on Research Data Management, Research Computational Infrastructure and key considerations when using data for your research.

Who can apply?
Application are open to EMCRs from different disciplines who already have experience collecting and analysing data, but are looking to take their data skills to the next level.
The theme of the school will be Smart Cities and EMCRs whose research aligns with theme will likely find it most useful. This includes, but is not limited to, researchers working in the following areas:

urban informatics
social sciences
demographics
environmental sciences
health sciences
open science

We encourage applications from EMCRs working in and around the above-mentioned disciplines. We particularly encourage expressions of interests from EMCRs who meet any of the following:

identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
are based in regional areas
work outside the university sector.

Find out more about this opportunity and the eligibility criteria. Please submit your expression of interest before Sunday 8 April. If you require any further information about this opportunity please contact us at 02 6201 94 88 or via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Research Data Science Winter School is part of the Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia).

APECS Italy is proud to support the NET project, in which ten students from the Istituto Tecnico Industriale Statale “Max Planck” high school in Treviso (Italy) become involved in scientific research about climate change in the Arctic environment. The purpose of the project is to expose students to the various issues and techniques involved in climate change research at the poles, and how knowledge gained from polar research on climate change can inform climate change decisions back home in Italy. Following the field portion of the work, the students will gain experience in science communication and outreach by preparing presentations of their experience that will be shared with the public. In order to secure the last funding needed to support this project, NET is sponsoring a crowdfunding campaign, more information about which can be found at the following website (in Italian) https://schoolraising.it/progetti/net/.

The Arctic Data Center is soliciting requests for proposals for a Synthesis Working Group, with research to begin by October 2018. Funding of up to $54,600 USD is available to support one Working Group, hosting two meetings of 3-5 days, with approximately 15 participants each at the Arctic Data Center in Santa Barbara, California, over an anticipated 1-1.5 year period. Proposals must focus on Arctic-related research issues, and primarily (but not necessarily exclusively) involve the analysis and synthesis of data contained within the Arctic Data Center repository.

This year we request that all synthesis proposals explicitly address factors related to one or more human dimensions of the Arctic experience, in addition to environmental aspects. These can include synthesis investigations into social-cultural processes, economic factors, Arctic indigenous peoples’ perspectives, and other topics relating to the unique biophysical challenges of life in the Arctic region.

Visit https://arcticdata.io/proposals/ for more details and to apply.

Proposal submission deadline: 23 May 2018

The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) announces a call for nominations of new Science Steering Committee (SSC) members. The SSC is comprised of 12 members, each serving a three-year term, with the option to a second term. Nominations from all disciplines and research backgrounds are welcome. Self-nominations are also welcome.

SEARCH is a collaborative program of Arctic researchers, funding agencies, and others that facilitates synthesis of Arctic science and communicates the current understanding to help society respond to a rapidly changing Arctic.

SEARCH seeks nominations of candidates that are broad and cross disciplinary thinkers, good communicators and consensus-builders, and have a strong commitment to the SEARCH vision.

SSC members are expected to:

Guide overall directions of SEARCH implementation;
Promote and communicate SEARCH activities and plans;
Provide guidance to the Executive Director, action teams, and working groups;
Work with the Executive Director to establish strong partnerships;
Approve annual SEARCH work plans and reports; and
Be active participants in SSC meetings (four or more per year) and working groups.

Nominations should include:

Name,
Affiliation,
Contact information,
Area of expertise,
Curriculum vitae,
A brief statement of why the person would be an asset to the SEARCH program,
Confirmation that the nominee would consent to serve.

Nomination submission deadline: Monday, 31 April 2018

Nominations should be sent to:
Brit Myers, ARCUS
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For questions about the SEARCH program, please contact:
Brendan Kelly, SEARCH Executive Director
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

To learn about other opportunities to get involved in SEARCH program activities, visit:
SEARCH involvement information

For further information about the SEARCH program, visit:
SEARCH homepage

Organizers invite registration and applications for stipends for the 13th Workshop on Antarctic Meteorology and Climate. This workshop will convene 16-19 July 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin.

This workshop will bring together those with research and operational/logistical interests in Antarctic meteorology, forecasting, and related disciplines. The annual activities and status of the Antarctic Meteorological Research Center, Automatic Weather Station, and Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System efforts will be addressed, and feedback and results from the user communities will be solicited. This workshop will also be a forum for current results and ideas in Antarctic meteorology, numerical weather prediction, and weather forecasting. There will be discussions on the relationships among international efforts and Antarctic forecasting, logistical support, and science.

Papers and posters on these topics are welcome.

Short abstract submission deadline:11 June 2018.

Stipend support for students and early career scientists are being provided by the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences via Madison College. Support will be five stipend awards of approximately $300. Preference will be given to under-represented groups and applicants from countries with developing Antarctic programs.

To apply for a stipend, applicants must submit a one-page curriculum vitae, a brief (one page) statement of the benefit of attendance and how the applicant will contribute to the workshop, and the applicant's budget.

Stipend applications should be sent to Matthew Lazzaraat This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Stipend application deadline: 15 April 2018

Registration deadline: 25 June 2018

For more information, go to:
Workshop homepage

To information about stipends, go to:
Stipend webpage

To register, go to:
Workshop registration webpage

For questions about the workshop, contact:
Carol Costanza
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 608-261-1429

ISSW (International Snow Science Workshop) 2018, 07-12 October 2018

For the first time in Austria and for the third time in Europe we proudly announce the upcoming event of 2018 the 22th ISSW (International Snow Science Workshop). It is the world's largest conference on snow and avalanches and its success lies in the motto: 'A Merging of Theory and Practice'

Unlike any other symposium, the ISSW promotes an international and interdisciplinary exchange between experts in the snow community. The thematic focus lies on current advances in snow and avalanche science, case studies and innovative technologies at an international level.

We encourage all interested parties to enrich the ISSW in Innsbruck not only by their participation, but also by contributing in the form of oral or poster presentations. Until 23th April the submission of short abstracts is possible in all four conference languages.

Simultaneous translation will be provided during the conference in English, French, German and Italian.

Learn more about the conference by visiting http://issw2018.com/en/or follow us on Facebook (ISSW 2018 - International Snow Science Workshop).

- The ISSW2018 Committee -

We are excited to announce our EGU co-sponsored training school on “Glaciers, moraines and climate: identifying, dating and extracting paleoclimate data from evidence of past glacier change”, which will take place in Inchnadamph in the Scottish Highlands from 13 to 16 August 2018.

Our main aim is to encourage early career (PhD or Postdoc) researchers to integrate different (e.g. geomorphological, sedimentological, chronological, limnological) lines of paleoglaciological evidence. Often, the impact of such inter-disciplinary approaches is greater than the sum of its parts, advancing the potential of paleoglaciological evidence to understand climate change.

Are you interested? Then more information is available at http://eguecrmoraineworkshop.strikingly.com/ including how to register. The registration deadline is 13 May 2018.

Your organizing committee:

Sven Lukas, Jostein Bakke, Clare Boston, Natacha Gribenski, Susan Ivy-Ochs & Willem van der Bilt

APECS Canada Logo web The 6th Queen’s Northern Research Symposium will be held on Thursday April 12th, and broadcast as a webinar presentation by APECS. The three keynotes for this year’s event include:

Valerie Michaelson of Queen’s University (Department of Public Health Sciences and School of Religion),
Elyn Humphreys of Carleton University (Department of Geography and Environmental Studies), and
Daniel Fortier of Universite de Montreal (Department de Geographie).

The day also includes a variety of talks on reconciliation in Canada’s North, Arctic contaminants, and vegetation responses to the warming Arctic.

Participants can view the event for free from 8:30 am to 2:45 pm EST via webinar; register for the webinar here (https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hhV5ssh8RR6c0TVh4Mve-g) to receive an access link to the event. For those interested in this event but unable to attend, this presentation will be recorded and published on the APECS vimeo site (https://vimeo.com/apecs) at a later date. For more information about the Queen’s NRS, visit queensnrs.wordpress.com.

Your APECS Canada (ehPECS) Board

The AGU Cryosphere Section Executive Committee reminds you that it is time to nominate your colleagues for the Cryosphere Early Career Award (10 years post-degree) and Nye lecturer. Award nominations are due Sunday, April 15, 2018. Instructions for the nominations can be found below. AGU encourages diversity across awards and requires nominees to abide by AGU’s Ethics Policy (https://ethics.agu.org/).

Keep up to date on the latest AGU Cryosphere news on our Facebook Group and website.

Sincerely,
Lora Koenig, Cryosphere Section President elect
Tavi Murray, Cryosphere Section President
Sinead Farrell, Cryosphere Section Secretary

Instructions for nominating the Cryosphere Early Career Award: http://honors.agu.org/sfg-award-lecture/cryosphere-early-career-award/. Submissions for this award go through the AGU system.

Instructions for nominating the Nye Lecturer: http://honors.agu.org/sfg-award-lecture/john-f-nye-lecture/
Please send Nye Lecturer nomination packets directly to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for review by the Awards Committee.

More detailed information: Cryosphere Early Career Award

The Cryosphere Early Career Award is given annually to one honoree (no more than 10 years post-degree on 1 January of the year in which the award is to be presented) in recognition of significant early career contributions to cryospheric science and technology.
NOMINATION PACKAGE REQUIREMENTS (2 pages max for each item)

Nomination letter outlining the nominee’s significant contributions;
Nominee’s curriculum vitae;
At least one but no more than three copies of published peer-reviewed papers or published technical reports which illustrate the nominee’s contributions; and
Two additional letters of support – preferably on letterhead; diverse supporters are strongly recommended.
OPTIONAL: Nominee’s selected bibliography, which should begin by briefly stating the candidate’s total number and types of publications and specifying the number published in AGU publications

Nye Lecture Criteria for Nominee Proposals
a. The candidates history at producing relevant, cutting-edge science in any sub-discipline of cryosphere sciences research, as well as how the candidate’s prominent research would complement the Nye Lecture’s history
b. The candidate’s merit as a prominent member of the cryosphere sciences community
c. The candidate’s merit as an engaging, effective speaker to an audience of non-specialists.

Nominations should be limited to no more than 2 pages (with reasonable formatting choices) including the name, area of expertise, and potential lecture topics of the nominee. We actively encourage diversity in nationality, race, gender and career stage in nominees. Nominations may be submitted by a single individual or multiple individuals, but are limited to a single submission per individual per year. Nominations for the Nye Lecturer are to be submitted to Lora Koenig, (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) before or on the posted deadline.

IASC Medal 2018: Dr. Oran Young

Dr. Oran Young.jpeg The IASC Medal is awarded in recognition of exceptional and sustained contributions to the understanding of the Arctic. This year, IASC recognizes Dr. Oran Young's Outstanding Achievement to Understand Arctic Institutional Dynamics, International Regimes, and Environmental Policy.

Dr. Young is professor emeritus and co-director of the Program on Governance for Sustainable Development at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California (Santa Barbara). He has an outstanding record of oral and written contributions in Arctic governance and international collaboration, with over 100 articles, multiple dozens of books and book chapters in outlets such as Science, Nature, Foreign Policy, International Organization, World Politics, and Global Environmental Politics. Dr. Young has maintained broad community service including participation as an IASC vice-president from 1994-2000 and sustained advocacy for inclusion of social sciences in multiple organizations towards a holistic approach to Arctic studies. During his esteemed career he facilitated the development of the Arctic Council, the University of the Arctic, and other Arctic governance groups. Oran´s work has had high-level impacts in the Arctic Council, especially through the Sustainable Development Working Group, IASC logo.jpg as well as through involvement in a range of Arctic stakeholders collaborations, communities, and the scientific community. Dr. Young has also mentored over 50 graduate students, including 25 PhD students, and seven post-doctoral scholars. Based on his continuous and extremely productive career focus on Arctic environmental affairs, resource management and international regimes, and the human dimensions of Arctic change, IASC is honored to award Dr. Oran Young the 2018 IASC Medal.

Dr. Young will receive the Medal and deliver a keynote lecture at Polar2018 in Davos, Switzerland.

IASC would like to thank this year's Medal Commitee for their service: Jackie Grebmeier (Chair), Joan Nymand Larsen, Tetsuo Ohata, Allison Fong, and Josef Elster.

POLAR2018 logos travel award Kopie In February 2018, the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) in cooperation with the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Tinker Foundation, the US National Science Foundation, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the UK Science & Innovation Network Nordics, the Antarctic Science Ltd. and the Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) Project of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) announced the availability of travel awards for the POLAR2018 (15-26 June2018, Davos Switzerland), including Arctic Science Summit Week 2018 & IASC Business Meetings, XXXV SCAR Biennial Meetings, SCAR/IASC Open Science Conference, and 2018 Arctic Observing Summit.

We received a total of 346 applications for this process and due to the high quality of the applications it was very difficult to make a decision. All applications were reviewed by two reviewers each via a blind review process. Final recipients were then determined from the resulting ranked list keeping in mind as wide as possible country spread.

Through this generous financial support from all contributing organizations, we were able to fund 91 applicants from 27 countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States). All recipients have been notified and have accepted their awards. Congratulations to all recipients!

Thank you again to all the funders for making this incredible support possible. Also a big thank you to the reviewers who took their time to help us evaluate all these applications.

We are looking forward to seeing many of you in Davos!

More information on the awards can be found on the APECS website.

Alaska Climate Webinar Series - Understanding the Arctic Through A Co-Production of Knowledge
Carolina Behe, Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska
Julie Raymond-Yakoubian, Kawerak, Inc.
Raychelle Daniel, The Pew Charitable Trust
Wednesday, 11 April 2018, 10-11:00 am AKDT

To register for the webinar, please follow the registration link available at: https://accap.uaf.edu/coproduction

The Arctic is changing at an accelerated rate due to climate change and increased anthropogenic activity. Given the rate of change, never has it been more important to work toward a holistic understanding of the Arctic’s interconnecting systems. A co-production of knowledge framework will provide the holistic view and comprehension needed to inform effective and adaptive policies and practices. We underscore the role and value of different knowledge systems with different methodologies and the need for collaborative approaches in identifying research questions. We will present the most important components that form a co-production of knowledge framework.

Available in-person in IARC/Akasofu 407 on the UAF Campus or online

Registration and more information available at: https://accap.uaf.edu/coproduction

The U.S. Antarctic Program Data Center (USAP-DC, http://www.usap-dc.org/) supports investigators funded by the National Science Foundation in documenting, preserving, and disseminating their research results. We register datasets in the Antarctic Master Directory (AMD) to comply with the Antarctic Treaty; facilitate submission of datasets to long-term archives. The data center is operated as part of the IEDA facility which provides a number of other data services and tools for research in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

This webinar will introduce the different services that USAP-DC offers including the submission of datasets to the repository, data publication and long term archiving, registration of NSF-funded projects with the Antarctic Master Directory (AMD), searching for datasets hosted by USAP-DC and using map-based search and visualization tools for other Antarctic data hosted by IEDA including for bathymetry/topography data, Southern Ocean cruise data and GeoMapApp.

The Webinar begins at 3pm Eastern (12 pm Pacific) on Tuesday, May 8th, 2018. The webinar is expected to last about 45 minutes.

To join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone use the link https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/831611429

You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (312) 757-3121

Access Code: 831-611-429

The webinar is open and registration is not required, but if you are interested in attending, please fill out this form at
https://goo.gl/forms/03Yk37pfiONdP2WT2
We will use this information to adapt the webinar to the interests of the audience.

Arctic Data Center staff will be at POLAR 2018 in Davos, Switzerland, to introduce best practices for data management planning, metadata quality, and ensuring data longevity and interoperability. Arctic Data Center staff will also demonstrate tools for data provenance, automating data submissions, and the Arctic Data Center’s web-based data editor.

All three sessions are open sessions during the Open Science Conference, so join the sessions.

Session 1: Data Management Planning Bildschirmfoto 2018-04-04 um 11.09.26.png

Introduction to the Arctic Data Center
Data Life Cycle
NSF Standards and Policies
Tools for Writing a Data Management Plan

Tuesday, 19 June 2018
12.30pm – 2pm
Room A Schwarzhorn

Session 2: Best Practices for Data & Metadata Submission

Storing and Preparing Data in Open Source Formats
Stability, Longevity, Interoperability
Metadata Best Practices & Automated Metadata Quality Checks

Thursday, 21 June 2018
12.30pm – 2pm
Room A Schwarzhorn

Session 3: Publishing Data with the Arctic Data Center

Web-based Submission
Automating Submission for Large Datasets
Data and Software Provenance at the Arctic Data Center

Friday, 22 June 2018
12.30pm – 2pm
Room A Schwarzhorn

Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences - 57382nd Edition - ISBN: 9780123750440, 9780123744739 Graduate Students and Early Career Scientists - Opportunity to Earn Money, Enrich Your Background, and Get Scholarly Credit

Elsevier is producing a third edition of the Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences, and Kirk Cochran, Henry Bokuniewicz and I are serving as co-Editors-in-Chief. The Encyclopedia has gone through two previous editions, in 2001 and 2009. In most cases, articles (generally <4000 words) in the 2nd edition were simply reprinted from the first, so most are ~17 years old. A goal for the 3d edition is to update all articles (as well as to include new ones on topics not included in the previous editions). We have been able to get original authors to update about half the articles, but roughly half remain.

The cryosphere-related sections that have articles needing updating include:

Ice-induced Gouging of the Seafloor
Ice-Ocean Interaction
Ice-shelf Stability
Icebergs
Sea Ice Overview
Sub-sea Permafrost
Under-ice boundary layer

I also have a few on climate-change related topics, for which some of you may have expertise:

Abrupt Climate Change
Economics of Sea Level Rise
Fisheries and Climate
Heat transport and climate
Regime Shifts
Sea Level Change and
Southern Ocean Fisheries

We are asking for your help. If your research area touches on the areas listed above, we invite you to look through the articles and provide guidance on updating. The articles are short- a few pages- so can be worked through relatively quickly. There are several ways to update an article:

1) if the article is basically OK, you might simply update the “Further Readings” given at the end of the article, or

2) if there have been major advances since the article was written, you can add a section titled “Recent Developments”, in addition to updating the “Further Readings”.

Each article that is updated in the 3d edition will have a “Change History” footnote indicating what changes have been made.

3) A final option is to write a new article based on your research area. This would be an overview of the sort that might be the introduction to your thesis. If you are interested in that option, please talk with us to see how it might fit in.

Author credit summary.

Option 1. Updating Further Reading only.

The updater will need to provide a change history and be credited in the footnote. Original authorship will remain with previous author(s).

Option 2. Add new section on Recent Developments and update Further Reading.

The updater will be listed as a co-author. The updater will need to provide a change history and will be mentioned in the footnote as well.

Option 3. Write a new article- full author credit. You can also suggest a new topic.

For any of these options, you will get $100 for each article you update, and access to the full contents of the Encyclopedia (~450 articles) when it is published (2019) provided you agree to Elsevier’s contributor agreement. Email me (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if you are interested and I will provide further information.

Please contact me as soon as possible if you are interested. And thanks for considering this!!

Dr. Patricia L. Yager
Professor, University of Georgia
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

logo SERCE As you register to attend the POLAR 18 conference organised by SCAR in Davos this June, please consider signing up to attend the SERCE ('Solid Earth Response and influence on Cryospheric Evolution') side meeting, which will take place immediately prior to the main conference.

The role of SERCE is to facilitate research on interactions between the solid Earth and the cryosphere (https://www.scar.org/science/serce/serce/). Our side meeting is open to all and will be relevant to anyone interested in the solid Earth (if you're attending POLAR 18 then we assume you are also interested in the cryosphere...).

During the meeting we will report on recent activities supported by SERCE (including a report from the Antarctic Heat Flux that is taking place this week), outline and discuss plans for future SERCE-supported activities, update on recent research that addresses the scientific aims of SERCE, and invite discussion of plans for the future direction of SCAR's Scientific Research Programs (of which SERCE is currently one, others listed here: https://www.scar.org/science/srp/).

Details of POLAR 18 side meetings are listed here:
https://www.polar2018.org/side-meetings-scariascassw.html
Registration for the SERCE side meeting is free; sign up when you register for the main conference.
The SERCE side meeting will take place 2-4pm, in room A Sertig, on Sunday 17th June.

Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like to suggest points for discussion during the meeting. In particular, we have recently appointed an Early Career Researcher rep (cc'd), so please get in touch with her if there are ECR-facing activities or issues that you would like us to discuss.

Best wishes,
Pippa Whitehouse and Matt King (SERCE joint chief officers)
Nadya Yanakieva (SERCE ECR rep)

nsf logo

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Engineering Directorate, in collaboration with the Biological Sciences, Computer and Information Science and Engineering, and Geosciences directorates, has issued a "Dear Colleague" Letter (DCL), Signals in the Soil (SitS), to encourage submission of Early-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) proposals for early-stage, high-risk, high-reward research on technologies, models, and methods to better understand dynamic soil processes, including interactions of the macro- and microbiomes with soil nutrients, the rhizosphere, and various abiotic and biotic processes within the soil.

This DCL also encourages proposals that include topics relevant to both the DCL and the NSF "Rules of Life" Big Idea and submissions of Research Advanced by Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering (RAISE).

Researchers interested in submitting a SitS EAGER or RAISE proposal must first submit a SitS Research Concept Outline, as described in the DCL. Selected submitters of these Outlines will be invited to submit full EAGER or RAISE proposals for funding consideration.

Research Concept Outlines are encouraged for research that addresses any of the themes to monitor soil properties over time and space for various managed or unmanaged applications, which may include monitoring soil properties for environmental, agricultural, or construction purposes.

Themes include:

Sensors: Novel sensors and other materials for sensing soil biological/metagenomics, chemical, or physical characteristics to monitor soil health and changes in properties under different uses, and to address needs for inexpensive sensors buried for long time periods in highly variable soil conditions;
Wireless Systems: Advances in wireless communications to collect and transmit data from sensors buried in soils over extended periods of time;
Advanced Cyber Systems and Data Analytics: New methods for data fusion and analytics of sensor measurement outputs (data visualization and reporting tools, etc.); and
Modeling Soil Ecosystems: Next-generation models of soil biological, chemical, and/or physical components, making use of new sensing and data communications capabilities that can describe interactions among soil biological, chemical, and physical processes at different temporal and spatial scales.

Other topics that meet the goals of this DCL, but are not included in these four themes, are also strongly encouraged.

Research Concept Outlines should be no longer than two pages, be submitted by 13 April 2018 and contain the following information:

Title of the SitS research;
The suggested directorate(s) that may be interested in the topic. For a RAISE topic, more than one program must be listed, and there should be a clear link to each of those programs. Please note that these program listings are just suggestions. Multiple programs will view these Research Concept Outlines to determine programmatic fits;
Description of and justification for the proposed research;
Names and affiliations of researchers; and
Contact information of the researchers (emails and phone numbers).

The Research Concept Outline should not exceed two pages and must be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Research Concept Outlines deadline: 13 April 2018

For more information, go to:
Complete Dear Colleague Letter

For questions, contact:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SCRiM: a transdisciplinary research network for Sustainable Climate Risk Management

We are accepting applications for the 6th Annual Summer School on Sustainable Climate Risk Management, which will take place 30 July - 3 August 2018 at Penn State.

The Network for Sustainable Climate Risk Management's (SCRiM) annual summer school is designed to foster opportunities for collaboration between scholars and practitioners while providing a solid foundation in the broad, multidisciplinary knowledge, tools, and methods of the diverse fields participating in the network.

A key focus of the workshop will be developing a common vocabulary to help foster enhanced cross-disciplinary communication, catalyzing the potential for future research and decision support collaborations. Participants will also gain hands-on experience with key methods and tools including:

use of simple models in a transdisciplinary framework
analysis of relevant datasets
values-informed robust decisionmaking

This program is targeted at all postdocs, advanced graduate students, and early-career professionals in the decisionmaking and policy communities who are working on issues related to climate risk. Potential candidates representing NGOs and state or local agencies are strongly encouraged to apply.

In most cases, lodging, meals, registration, and travel costs will be fully covered for participants. International applicants are welcomed.

Apply by Saturday 8 April 2018

Program details: http://scrimhub.org/opportunities/summer-school/

Administrative Support Coordinator
Network for Sustainable Climate Risk Management (SCRiM)

Bildschirmfoto 2018-04-04 um 10.27.25.png The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) invites proposals for the Climate Adaption Fund 2018 Grant Program. Grants will be one to two years in length, beginning in December 2018.

This program provides grants to U.S.-based non-profit conservation organizations with approved IRS 501(c)(3) status. Grants can be awarded for projects only within the U.S. and U.S. territories. Public agencies, tribal governments, and universities may partner on proposals submitted by an eligible non-profit conservation organization or work as paid contractors on funded projects.

New this year, the Climate Adaptation Fund is inviting applications for projects that implement joint mitigation and adaptation (JMA) approaches. This new category for proposals is not a requirement for funding, but is in addition to our continuing priority to support wildlife adaptation projects in both urban and rural landscapes.

A strong proposal to the Climate Adaptation Fund will feature a wildlife conservation project with the following characteristics:

Designed with climate adaptation as a core goal or outcome of the work;
Proposes conservation goals and actions that are grounded in the best available science;
Conducts on-the-ground implementation, not research or planning;
Focuses on the functionality of ecosystems rather than conserving individual species;
Designed for long-term conservation impact;
Creates the potential for impact at a landscape scale; and
Uses strategic, targeted communications activities to amplify adaptation outcomes.

It is strongly recommended that applicants review the Applicant Guidance Document for information on programmatic priorities and guidelines for writing proposals.

Applicants must register their organization and complete the online pre-proposal application form.

Pre-proposal application deadline: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 6 April 2018

To read the full Request for Proposals, go to:
Climate Adaptation Fund RFP

For more information, go to:
Program Information

Reminder: 30 April 2018 ― deadline for submitting a manuscript to Special Issue ‘Polar Climate Change’

As you know, Advances in Polar Science (APS) will publish a special issue as a lasting outcome of this workshop ‘Polar Climate Change: Driving Processes, Extreme Events, and Global Linkages’, held in October 2017 at Hohai University, Nanjing, China. It is our great honor to have invited four Guest Editors for this issue, Zhaomin Wang (Hohai University, China), Kent Moore (University of Toronto, Canada), Annette Rinke (Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Germany) and John Turner (British Antarctic Survey, UK). This issue is expected to be published in September of 2018, will be part of APS Volume 29 as general issue.

To know its details, please click the link: http://www.aps-polar.org/news/details/M171215000002MtPw.

We look forward to your submission of new manuscripts to this special issue. We encourage you to share this announcement broadly with interested colleagues.

Would you please complete and return the Feedback Sheet? I am looking forward to your reply at your earliest convenience.

Mr. Xiaoliang Ling

Assistant Editor
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.aps-polar.org
Online Submission: https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/apsci
Tel 86-21-58713642

Bildschirmfoto 2018-04-04 um 09.26.47.png In connection with the upcoming SCAR POLAR2018 in Davos, we invite you to a side meeting of the “AntArchitecture” consortium on *Friday 15 June* 11:00-16:00, A Forum (House A).

AntArchitecture is the name of a proposed new science programme in SCAR whose underpinning goal is to use radar-imaged information on the internal structure of the Antarctic Ice Sheet - i.e., its internal architecture – to inform palaeoclimatic reconstruction and ice-sheet modelling of the future contributions of the ice sheet to global sea level. A first meeting of the group was held in Edinburgh in July 2017, and the scope and outcomes of that meeting are available here:

http://www.sages.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/BINGHAM-R-EDi-2017-AntArchitecture-Workshop-Final-Report.pdf

For the AntArchitecture side meeting in Davos, we anticipate discussion following the general outline below, but this is flexible depending on attendees and interest:

1) Progress with tracing or otherwise recording the internal structure of the Antarctic Ice Sheet.

2) Development of workflows for recording, homogenising across surveys, and visualising subsurface information.

3) Identification of regions with good/bad information on internal structure of the ice.

4) Applications: linking ice core age-depth profiles, Oldest Ice, modelling accumulation, ice flow.

5) What do (a) ice-sheet modellers, (b) palaeoclimate researchers / ice-core scientists, and (c) possible other users (?) need as products from AntArchitecture?

PLEASE NOTE that the day of the workshop is the Friday BEFORE the Open Science conference in the following week, and that to attend you must register for the ASSW or other meetings and workshops (30 CHF) – for this you do get free coffee and a lunch, you’ll also be registered for other side interesting side meetings over the same weekend (e.g. AntClim21, SERCE…), and you get the chance to enjoy a nice weekend in Davos before the Open Science conference starts!

If you plan to attend the workshop (calling all icy geophysicists, palaeoclimate researchers, modellers…) please can you email us in advance to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and give an indication of whether you’d like to contribute some slides.

Very best wishes,

Rob Bingham (University of Edinburgh), Olaf Eisen (Alfred Wegener Institute), Nanna Karlsson (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland – GEUS), Joe MacGregor (NASA Goddard), Neil Ross (Newcastle University), Duncan Young (University of Texas at Austin)

Buffalo symposium logo Online registration is now open for the 'International Symposium on Timescales, Processes and Glacier Dynamics' to be held 3–8 June 2018, in Boulder, Colorado, USA.

Early Bird rates apply until 22 April 2018. The second circular is posted on the IGS website.

Financial support is available for US based students or recent graduates (after 2012).

True to tradition, the oral and poster sessions will be interlaced with plenty of exciting activities to bring the participants together.

Special highlights include:
· a mid-symposium trip to the Niagara Falls,
· a pre-dinner tour exploring Buffalo’s hottest microbreweries,
· a banquet dinner at Hotel Henry, an iconic architectural landmark of Buffalo and
· a post-symposium glacial geology and landscape excursion to visit western New York’s world-famous drumlin fields and wineries.
· the presentation of the Richardson Medal to Julie Palais
· a special display dedicated to University of Buffalo's past excellence in ice core science with Chet Langway and the world’s largest ice core library

The symposium will also feature a lecture presented by Sebastian Copeland, the award-winning photographer, adventurer and environmental activist, and the author of 'Arctica: The Vanishing North'.

Important information:
- Abstract submission is open until 23:59 GMT on 9 April 2018.
- Early registration deadline is extended until April 22, 2018.
- Application deadline for early career support is 12 April, 2018.
- Book your accommodation ASAP

We have been able to negotiate some extensions on deadlines for booking accommodations. The deadlines for when we have to release the rooms are as follows.

Hilton Garden Inn April 13th
The Hotel Lafayette – April 8th
The Holiday Inn Express – May 3rd, 2018
Embassy Suites – May 3rd

The symposium venue is the Hotel Lafayette so presumably it will be popular.

Please go to https://www.igsoc.org/symposia/2018/buffalo/ to register online, submit your abstract, view the second circular and get the information on the student funding.

PAIS-logos-2
As you register for POLAR2018 in Davos, please take note of a side meeting ‘Paleobathymetry and Paleotopography of Antarctica and Greenland’ that takes place during the Open Science Conference. This workshop is largely focussed on ongoing work for Antarctica under the umbrella of the PAIS (Past Antarctic Ice Sheets) SCAR working group (https://www.scar.org/science/pais/pais/) as a way to generate better palaeo boundary conditions for the community to use in their investigations and modelling studies. We also hope that there might be interest in considering palaeotopographic and palaeobathymetric reconstructions for Greenland and are keen to have discussions that cross both poles.

The workshop will be held on Tuesday 19th June at 6:30-9:30 pm in room B Rinerhorn & Strela (this is immediately after the opening reception so we will have a ‘relaxed’ discussion).

We anticipate discussion following an approximate agenda as outlined below but we will be flexible depending on group interest:

1) Outline of process and progress on Antarctic palaeobathymetry compilation.
2) Outline of process and progress on Antarctic palaeotopography reconstruction.
3) Discussion of how to deal with intermediate timeslices (e.g. times in between reconstructions)
4) Is there interest in a Greenland palaeotopographic/palaeobathymetric reconstruction?
5) What do modellers need from us? Format? Particular timeslices of interest in relation to particular sensitivities?
6) From palaeotopography to palaeolandscape and palaeoceanography – adding context to the reconstructions (e.g. climate, vegetation, ocean circulation etc.) –we are hoping all sorts of people might want to use these products – not just ice sheet modellers so it will be helpful to discuss what the polar community might like to do with such reconstructions.

If you will attend our workshop (it’s free!) then it would be useful if you can email me (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) to indicate you will attend (and provide a sentence of where your interest lies) but otherwise, if you are registered for the Open Science Conference then you will all be most welcome.

Regards,
Stewart Jamieson and Karsten Gohl (Co-chairs SCAR-PAIS palaeobathymetry-palaeotopography group)

There are two key Southern Ocean Observing System-related events in the lead-up to the main POLAR2018 science conference that we would love to invite you to.

1. Southern Ocean data hack – calling scientists and data managers
Come and play with the SeaView data team. They’ve mashed together a Southern Ocean Data Collection species presence-absence data from all through the water column, together with physical oceanographic datasets from GO-SHIP/WOCE, Argo, and SOCCOM floats. Bring your own data, or explore the data they’ve already brought together for you. The data managers in the room will help you explore correlations and opportunities to develop new publication opportunities. This session is open to physicists, biologists, and everyone in between.

The Southern Ocean data hack will be held on Sunday, 17 June 2018, 8am – 4pm in Room B Strela. For more details, contact Steve Diggs on sdiggs [at] ucsd.edu

2. Polar Federated Data Search Working Group
This is one for the data managers – the Polar Federated Data Search Working Group is a new body to advise polar data management groups (SOOS, SCADM, and ADC) on opportunities to develop better tools to aggregate metadata records and developed federated searching tools. Please join us for an update on our progress so far and to help us plan our next steps.

We’ll be meeting on Monday, 18 June, 8am – 4pm in Room B Strela. For more details, contact Pip Bricher on data [at] soos.aq

Take this as a friendly reminder to get registered now, if you’re planning to join us there. If you are planning on attending any of the side meetings (15-18 June) you’ll also need register for that, for an added 30CHF.

Best regards,

Joana Beja
BAS liaison officer,
ORCHESTRA Programme data manager,
Changing Arctic Ocean Programme data manager,
Requests Officer,
SOOS-DMSC co-chair

British Oceanographic Data Centre
National Oceanography Centre
6, Brownlow Street
Liverpool
L3 5DA
T: 0151 795 4886
Fax: 0151 795 4912

Who will be the next winner of Science and SciLifeLab’s Prize for Young Scientists?

The Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists is now open for entries! This is the sixth year that Science and SciLifeLab will present this award, which offers four recent PhD graduates a life-changing opportunity.

Recent doctoral graduates in the life sciences may submit a 1000-word essay based on their thesis work. Four winners — in the categories of Cell and Molecular Biology,
Ecology and Environment, Genomics and Proteomics and Translational Medicine — will be selected for this international award. Make sure your recent PhD graduate doesn’t miss out on this opportunity!

Application deadline: July 15th, 2018

The winners will:

Have their essay published by Science
Receive up to 30,000 USD in prize money
Be honored in Stockholm, Sweden in December

APPLY NOW!

Permafrost Young Researchers Network This is a reminder about the PYRN Workshop that will be held June 22 - 24 in conjunction with EUCOP5 (June 24 - 29) in Chamonix. Program outlines are provided on the EUCOP website: https://eucop2018.sciencesconf.org/resource/page/id/4.

Detailed information will be released in the coming weeks, so please check for updates!

We encourage all young researchers (within 6 years after their PhD) and students interested in attending the workshop to register through the EUCOP booking system: http://events.congres-chamonix.com/event/registration?eventid=21&langue=UK before April 30th, 2018.

This workshop is free of charge!!

If you need any further information, please contact Florence Magnin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We are looking forward to seeing you in Chamonix.

Florence Magnin,
On behalf of the PYRN ExCom

Home Bildergebnis für Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) SCAR logo white background

Three leading Antarctic organisations today announce opportunities for early-career researchers. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) are working together to attract talented early-career researchers, scientists, engineers and other professionals to strengthen international capacity and cooperation in fields such as climate, biodiversity, conservation, humanities and astrophysics research.

Antarctic Organisations Launch Fellowships and Scholarship Opportunities for 2018

SCAR and COMNAP have again joined forces to launch fellowships for early-career researchers. SCAR will offer 3 to 4 fellowships of up to USD $15,000 each for 2018 and COMNAP will offer up to 1 fellowship with funding of up to USD $15,000. The fellowships enable early-career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating partnerships that last for many years and over many Antarctic field seasons. Note that the application process for SCAR and COMNAP fellowships are now separate and the eligibility criteria differs. The deadline for SCAR and COMNAP fellowship applications is 11 July 2018.

The SCAR and COMNAP schemes are launched in conjunction with the Scientific Scholarship Scheme of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). The CCAMLR Scholarship provides funding of up to AUD $30,000 to assist early-career scientists to participate in the work of the CCAMLR Scientific Committee and its working groups over a period of two years. The objective of the scheme is to build capacity within the CCAMLR scientific community to help generate and sustain the scientific expertise needed to support the work of CCAMLR in the long-term. The deadline for CCAMLR scholarship applications is 1 October 2018. All three schemes are being jointly promoted by the three organisations.

Background information:
For more information on SCAR and COMNAP Fellowships, visit the SCAR website at: www.scar.org/awards/fellowships/information/
or the COMNAP website at: www.comnap.aq/SitePages/fellowships.aspx.

For information on CCAMLR Scholarships, visit the CCAMLR website at: www.ccamlr.org/en/science/ccamlr-scientific-scholarship-scheme

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR)
www.scar.org
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+44 1223 336550

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is an inter-disciplinary body of the International Council for Science (ICSU). SCAR is charged with initiating, developing and coordinating high quality international scientific research in and from the Antarctic region, and on the role of the Antarctic region in the Earth system.

SCAR Science Groups represent the scientific disciplines active in Antarctic research. They conduct the scientific business or SCAR and provide regular reports. In addition to carrying out its primary scientific role, SCAR also provides objective and independent scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings and other policy-oriented organizations, on issues of science and conservation affecting the management of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

The Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP)
www.comnap.aq
Contact: Michelle Rogan-Finnemore, Executive Secretary
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+64 3 369 2169

COMNAP brings together the National Antarctic Programmes of 30 Antarctic Treaty countries. Formed in 1988, the purpose of COMNAP is to develop and promote best practice in managing the support of scientific research in Antarctica. It does this by: Serving as a forum to develop practices that improve effectiveness of activities in an environmentally responsible manner; Facilitating and promoting international partnerships; Providing opportunities and systems for information exchange; and Providing the Antarctic Treaty System with objective and practical, technical and non-political advice drawn from the National Antarctic Programmes' pool of expertise.

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
www.ccamlr.org
Contact: Andrew Wright, Executive Secretary
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+61 3 6210 1111

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was established by international convention in 1982 with the objective of conserving Antarctic marine life. CCAMLR is an international commission with 25 Members, and a further 11 countries have acceded to the Convention. Based on the best available scientific information, the Commission agrees a set of conservation measures that determine the use of marine living resources in the Antarctic. CCAMLR practices an ecosystem-based management approach. This does not exclude harvesting, as long as such harvesting is carried out in a sustainable manner and takes account of the effects of fishing on other components of the ecosystem.

The following positions in the ExCom are open for application:

• President

• Secretary

• Person responsible for next International Conference on Permafrost organization

• Person responsible for next Regional Conference on Permafrost organization

• Newsletter

• Social Media

• National Representatives Coordinator (also acts as the Council Chair)

• APECS liaison

To submit your application, please use the following form:

https://goo.gl/forms/4kE4SMWh1vyjoZiY2

Your application should include a short description (max. 350 Words) of your motivation and why you are interested in PYRN and becoming part of the ExCom, Council or National Representative.

Please submit your application until 01 May 2018.

The current ExCom will collect all nominations and elect candidates into the new ExCom. Nominees will receive a notification on 31 May 2016.

On June 23rd, in connection with the Young researchers Workshop at EUCOP2018 in Chamonix, France, PYRN organizes a general assembly where the new ExCom will be introduced. Attending the EUCOP is no criteria for a nomination.

We are looking forward to your application.

Yours sincerely,

The PYRN Executive Committee

Highlight your research, program, organization or ideas: Submit a poster abstract for AOS 2018

The fourth Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) will be held in 2018 (June 24-26) in Davos, Switzerland in conjunction with POLAR2018. Your input and contributions in the form of poster presentations are welcome to highlight important issues and to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas to design, build, implement, expand, and provide long-term support for an international Arctic observing systems network. Ideally, poster presentations should focus on these key themes selected for the upcoming AOS, but other topics that are relevant for AOS are welcome:

Theme: The Business Case for a Pan-Arctic Observing System

Sub-Theme 1: The Need for the Observing System
Sub-Theme 2: Implementing and Optimizing a Pan-Arctic Observing System
Sub-Theme 3: Operating Observing Systems and Networks

Presentations that include research results, overviews of initiatives or programs, highlights from ongoing organizations or groups, reviews of priorities or challenges, or proposed solutions for sustained and coordinated Arctic observing, are welcome.

Abstract submission deadline: Friday, 30 March 2018

For information about poster abstract submissions, go to:
Poster abstracts submission form

For information about conference themes, go to:
Conference theme and subthemes webpage

For more information, go to:
Conference homepage

For the past two years, the SOOS Data Management Subcommittee (DMSC) has pursued projects to increase the visibility of and access to all types of Southern Ocean data. These projects include the successfully-launched SOOSmap and popular DueSouth, which aid in the discovery of circumpolar datasets and upcoming field plans.

The SeaView Team is has produced a Southern Ocean data package which brings together critical Southern Ocean datasets in combination with key oceanographic analysis tools. To do this, the team is hosting a workshop and would like to partner with you over the next two months to make this project a success. You, as a member of APECS, are invited to collaborate on this Southern Ocean data aggregation and exploration effort with the goal of supporting the next generation of scientific research. We need your help and expertise to make this project a success.

Benefits for your participation include a jump start on new collaborations, data support for especially interdisciplinary oceanographic research towards faster publication, and expert support and tools built for data intensive analyses based on your research questions. Successful outcomes from this workshop include initiating collaborative research among participants resulting in one or more publications.

The one day workshop will be held in association with the POLAR18/Davos Meeting on Sunday, June 17. Activities will include hands-on evaluation and use of the Southern Ocean data package (including SOCCOM and newly-discovered Antarctic mooring data) in the context of your research questions. Oceanographic data managers will be available for personalized and expert support. Once this project is complete, the aggregated datasets will be re-published through SOOSmap with all participating scientists credited as co-authors.

Limited travel support is available for participating scientists, students are encouraged to apply.

—-
SeaView is an NSF-funded consortium of ocean data repositories making integrated, science-ready data collections in common formats. To date, driven by input from end-user workshops and interviews, SeaView has produced three data collections, each available as ODV collections, and via a THREDDS server to support R, Matlab, and Python users. Each includes data from multiple repositories around different themes (the Pioneer Array/Mid Atlantic Bight region, the Bermuda Atlantic Time Series, and the Hawaii Ocean Timeseries.)

If this is of interest, please reply to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your questions or comments by Friday, April 6, 2018.

- On behalf of the SOOS DMSC and SeaView Team

SCAR logo white background The SCAR Remote Sensing Action Group has limited funds available to support one (or more) early-career researchers working with drones in Antarctica and presenting the results at the POLAR 2018 Conference (XXXV SCAR Biennial Meeting) in Davos/Switzerland.

In addition to the Open Science Conference, we are organizing a meeting to discuss the use of drones and satellites for Antarctic biology.
The meeting will take on Sunday, 17th June 2018, 8am to 11am, House A, Room Schwarzhorn.

If you would like to apply, please send the following information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by 15th April 2018:

Name and affiliation
Status (graduate student or PhD student)
Title of the presentation
Motivation for participating

More information can be found here: https://scar.org/scar-news/remote-sensing-news/funding-polar2018/.

EGU logo The European Geosciences Union (EGU) will b apecs logo web e meeting again in Vienna, Austria, from 8-13 April 2018 for the General Assembly. The annual meeting is the largest gathering of geoscientists in Europe, with events and sessions covering a wide range of polar and cryospheric activities.

If you are planning to attend please consider joining us for all three of the early-career social events that APECS is co-organizing. Attachedis also a list of some of the polar-related sessions, organized by day.

Polar & Cryo Pre-icebreaker
Sunday 8 April
16:00–18:00
Cafe Merkur
Florianigasse 18, 1080 Vienna, Austria
Facebook event

Polar & Cryo Midweek Meetup
Wednesday 11 April
19:30–23:30
Zwölf-Apostelkeller
Sonnenfelsgasse 3, 1010 Vienna, Austria
Signup:
Facebook event

Session SC3.4/CL6.05/CR8.10/OS6.3
Polar science career panel (EGU Cryosphere and APECS) (co-organized)
Tue, 10 Apr, 12:15–13:15 / Room -2.85

On Thrusday 22nd March, APECS Norway held their first in-person event in Oslo at the univeristy's science library. The event coincided with the APECS Polar Week. It was a successful evening with keynote speakers (Lars Eivind Augland, UiO; Bob Paquin, Canadian International Arctic Centre and Andy Kääb, UiO) and a "PolarPitch" where audience members, who came from a range of disciplines and career stages, gave a two minute introduction to their work. We then headed for pizza downtown.

Please get in touch with us (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if you would like to help organise a future event with APECS Norway around the country.

Pictures clockwise from bottom left: Keynote speakers Lars Eivind Augland, Andy Kääb and Bob Paquin. APECS Norway committee members Pierre-Marie Lefeuvre, Grace Shephard and Ruth Vingerhagen.

APECSNorway polarweek Mar 2018 01

APECSNorway logo

We are pleased to announce the winner of the APECS Norway logo competition!

Our new logo was designed by Kyle Mayers, the Vice-President of the UK branch of APECS - UK Polar Network. As Kyle explains "The inspiration for the image idea came from a trip I took earlier this year to Tromsø, and seeing the Northern lights, which was a really special experience! It is also something people usually ask about when they think of Norway (although in Bergen the clouds are usually in the way)! The mountain is a great symbol of Norway, but also polar regions (Arctic, Antarctic and alpine) so I thought it was a a nice all encompassing image!". We agree, and here provide the original black version as well as a white background version - tusen takk, Kyle.

We would like to again sincerely thank all the participants for their entries!

Thank you for the 58 amazing photos that were submitted for our APECS International Polar Week March 2018 #My PolarPride Photo Contest! Now it is time for YOU to vote on your favourite photos in each of the two categories.

How to vote? Click through the photos on our photo contest website and note their number and photographer name. And then fill out the two voting polls below.

Voting poll for "Working Enviornment" category: http://pollmaker.vote/p/C5GWL74Q
Voting poll for "Research and Laboratory" category: http://pollmaker.vote/p/7Y66XICS

You can only vote once in each category! Voting will close on 27 March at 23:00 GMT. The winners will be announced afterwards as soon as the voting results have been verified.

Webinar title: Glaciology in the St. Elias Mountains of Yukon, Canada: science, logistics and surprises
By Dr. Gwenn Flowers, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada

Summary: The St. Elias Mountains of Yukon, Canada, are home to vast icefields, surging glaciers and some of the highest peaks in North America. Since 2006, Gwenn and her research group at Simon Fraser University have been carrying out glaciological field work in this area to investigate surface mass and energy balance, glacier response to climate, glacier thermal structure, ice dynamics and outburst floods. This webinar will highlight some of the research results, illustrate the role of funding and logistics in defining the research, and touch on the opportunities and challenges associated with field-based studies in this relatively remote area.

Please register for Glaciology in the St. Elias Mountains of Yukon, Canada: science, logistics and surprises on Wednesday April 11th, 2018 at 4:00 PM GMT here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2F7JMn4zRAOwBltkedstug.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

The timescales of the evolution of continental-scale ice masses and the processes that drive them are research topics in an increasing number of scientific disciplines, including paleoclimate, biology, and hydrology, and glaciology. The 2018 IGS Symposium on glacier dynamics, presented in an interdisciplinary sense, will bring together these broad research themes. The meeting will address glacier dynamics through the lens of timescales (from subannual to millennial) and specific physical processes that drive glacier change, both of which require insights from multiple fields, such as glaciology, geology, paleoclimate.

Abstracts are solicited across five central themes:

Physical processes that occur on a range of timescales relevant to glaciers and ice sheets, including long-term (~100 kyr) evolution of ice masses
Comparison of the observational record to model output in order to attribute changes to specific processes
Distinguishing natural variability from indications of glacier or ice-sheet instability
Links between paleoclimate records (100–100,000 year timescales) and modern observations or models of glaciers and ice sheets
Techniques for incorporating new physical processes into glacier, ice-sheet, or coupled-system models

The symposium will build on the thematic topics listed above through presentations that link paleoclimate research to modern glaciers and ice sheets. More information, including schedule, setting, and excursions, is available at https://www.igsoc.org/symposia/2018/buffalo/buffalo2ndcirc_web.pdf.

A special issue of Annals of Glaciology, themed “Timescales and Processes of Glacier Dynamics”, will accompany the conference.

Please submit your abstract at https://www.igsoc.org/abstracts/a78/. Abstract submission deadline is April 3.

Co-constructing Sustainability in the Arctic:

Collaboration among regional and local governments, Indigenous organizations and researchers in sustainable development in the Arctic
JUNEAU, ALASKA, SEPTEMBER 18-22, 2018

The Arctic-FROST research coordination network is pleased to announce the availability of travel awards for Early Career Researchers to attend The Fifth Arctic-FROST network meeting and Early Career Scholars Workshop in Juneau, Alaska (USA) on September 18-22, 2018.

Arctic-FROST: Arctic FRontiers Of SusTainability: Resources, Societies, Environments and Development in the Changing North is a new NSF-funded international interdisciplinary collaborative network that teams together environmental and social scientists, local educators and community members from all circumpolar countries to enable and mobilize research on sustainable Arctic development, specifically aimed at improving health, human development and well-being of Arctic communities while conserving ecosystem structures, functions and resources under changing climate conditions. nsf logo

The theme of the Annual Meeting and Early Career Scholars Workshop is on Community Sustainability in the Arctic. Papers could deal with (1) Indigenous and local communities and organizations approaches to sustainable development, (2) sustainable development within policy frameworks at regional and local levels, (3) models of collaboration between regional, local and Indigenous governing entities for sustainable development.

The main focus question of the conference is “What models of collaboration among researchers and regional and local governments and Indigenous organizations can lead to sustainable development in the Arctic?”

All participants:
(1) Will present their work at the Annual Meeting (all papers/presentations will be published online and considered for inclusion in the Arctic-FROST edited volume and/or in Polar Geography)
(2) Will participate in discussions and round tables with leading sustainability science researchers
(3) Will participate in the Workshop activities immediately following the Annual Meeting

Eligibility: an applicant shall be
(1) early career scholar (5 years since PhD) or current graduate student;
(2) Arctic-FROST network member by registering at www.uni.edu/arctic/frost
(3) prepared make an oral presentation on the subject related to sustainability and/or sustainable development in the Arctic or Sub-Arctic regions at the meeting and
(4) available to participate in all conference and workshop activities.

We accept applications from eligible applicants from all countries, disciplines and institution types. Applications from Indigenous scholars and Arctic residents are especially encouraged.

Funding: Arctic-FROST will cover full cost of attendance including travel and accommodations normally up to $3,000. Typically funds will be paid after the travel is completed; based on the reimbursement claim. The participants will be expected to comply with NSF travel requirements.

Application Deadline: April 20th, 2018

Application: submit extended abstract of your paper (500-750 words), short biosketch (1 page), statement of interest in workshop participation (1 page), register as Arctic-FROST member at www.uni.edu/arctic/frost.

Send your applications and inquiries to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (copy to both emails).

United Nations logo Please find attached a UN call for scientists, engineers, economists and policy analysts to contribute to a UN report on the impacts of rapid technological change on the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). You may want to consider the following types of contributions focused on one or more of the questions listed in this announcement below:

Written, informal responses highlighting empirical evidence and your views grounded in the literature (peer-reviewed references and background papers); and/or
Short science-policy briefs comprising abstract, outline of empirical facts and issues, and policy recommendations. The briefs are limited to a maximum of 1600 words including tables and figures. Annexes are not included in the word count. Upon review and acceptance, the brief will be published.

We are looking forward to your submissions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., as soon as possible and hopefully no later than 29 March 2018. Late submissions will be considered, but please let us know as soon as possible what you plan to submit and by when. All contributors will be acknowledged and submitted ideas will be considered.

This work aims to focus on rapidly emerging technologies that progress so fast and have such broad-ranging socio-economic and environmental impacts so they pose serious challenges for institutions to adapt. Examples include - but are not necessarily limited to - highly interdependent, emerging technology clusters in the areas of automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, nanomaterials, and various digital technologies. The present call is in follow-up to UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/72/242 on the “Impact of rapid technological change on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals” which requested the UN Technology Facilitation Mechanism to present its findings, with an evidence-based approach, at its 3rd Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation” (New York, 5-6 June 2018). An Expert Group Meeting in Mexico city from 26 to 27 April 2018 will be a milestone in the process.

Please feel free to share the call with relevant scientists, engineers, economists and policy analysts – within your organizations and beyond, including younger scientists and research students.

As part of POLAR’s function to enhance research opportunities in Canada's Arctic and to collaborate with the international research community, POLAR is seeking applicants for the Canada-Finland Bioenergy Researcher Exchange Program. This exchange is a pilot project that could develop into an ongoing longer-term exchange program. Below are the details of the exchange, and links to the Call for Applicants document and Registration Form.

What: An exchange program between bioenergy early career scientists in Canada and Finland

Where: Yukon College, Whitehorse, Yukon and Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) in Joensuu, Finland.

Who can apply: PhD-students or scientists holding a PhD degree not older than five years, employed by a university or research organization in Canada or Finland

Deadline to Apply: March 23, 2018

For more information: https://www.canada.ca/content/canadasite/en/polar-knowledge/canada-finland-bioenergy-researcher-exchange-program.html

Call for ApplicationsCall for Applications
Application FormApplication Form

iasc web We are seeking to fill a few more positions for an IASC-funded focus group discussion at the POLAR2018 meeting in Davos, Switzerland. See details below:

Improving our understanding of extreme events in the Arctic using a cross-disciplinary approach.
IASC-funded focus group discussion at the POLAR 2018 conference in Davos, Switzerland (19th-22nd June, 2018).

The dramatic changes in the Arctic over recent decades have attracted widespread scientific and public attention. An increasingly important issue related to this is the rising prevalence and severity of extreme events in the Arctic.

To reconcile the gap between the needs and current efforts of the scientific community surrounding extreme events in the Arctic, and how they relate to various Arctic science sub-disciplines, we are hosting a multi-day focus group discussion at the POLAR 2018 meeting in Davos, Switzerland in June 2018: Improving our understanding of extreme events in the Arctic using a cross-disciplinary approach.

Dates:
A side meeting room has been booked for the evening of Tuesday 19th (6.30pm - 8pm), and lunchtime on Thursday 21st (12.30pm - 2pm) and Friday 22nd (12.30pm - 2pm) June (in A Sertig, at the conference center). A free lunch will be provided!

We wish to encourage applications only from those who can attend all three meetings, although we do appreciate some people might need to leave early or arrive late because of other commitments. The focus group discussions will be written up shortly after the meeting. We thus expect some input (email correspondence) from participants before and after the meeting.

Application:
We are looking to recruit scientists whose expertise span the field of Arctic science including, but not limited to, the themes of the IASC working groups: Atmospheres (e.g. extreme weather event attribution), Cryosphere (e.g. sea ice/land ice response), Marine (e.g. rapid shifts in Arctic circulation/ecosystems), Social & Human (e.g. impacts on indigenous Arctic communities), Terrestrial (e.g. rapid permafrost thawing, coastal erosion). The discussion group will be kept small (~12-15 participants) to encourage active involvement from all participants in the discussions.

We encourage interested applicants to email Alek Petty (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) ASAP with the short application form (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wYtKOKYlIm3MyJg5FlsUizOEoTUJNowP/view?usp=sharing) completed and attached. Brief statements will suffice!

Funding:
The discussion group has received funding from the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), however we expect that the majority of participants were already planning on attending the POLAR 2018 meeting and have funding to do so.

Regards,

Alek Petty (Cryosphere WG)
Thomas Armitage (Marine WG)
Manisha Geneshan (Atmospheres WG)
Jim Overland (Marine WG)

web apecs APECS Panel - Placing your research within the big picture Opportunities for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to be involved in large international initiatives

When: Sunday 8th of April 2018 from 13:30 to 16:30

Where: Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies (flexspace), University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Hobart, Australia

Organized by: Association of Polar Early Career Scientists

Co-organized by: MEASO2018, IDEAL research center

Registration Link

Over the past decade many large international initiatives have been developed to address the significant environmental and climatic changes impacting the Southern Ocean, to further our knowledge and to influence international policy. Initiatives and organizations such as SOOS, ACE Expedition, Southern Ocean Research Partnership and ICED are leading interdisciplinary and international research efforts to better understand the causes and impacts of changes in the Southern Ocean. These initiatives are influencing international policy on climate change, fisheries, and environmental practices. But how can you as an ECR get involved in these international initiatives and how can your research influence international policy in the Southern Ocean?

APECS will be hosting a panel session to address how Early Career Researchers can contribute to and participate in large international initiatives within the Southern Ocean. Our panel will address questions such as:

What are the knowledge gaps that an ECR can partially answer within international initiatives (SCAR, SOOS, etc.)?
What opportunities are there for ECRs to be involved in large international initiatives?
How can an ECR work (thesis, manuscripts …) have a greater impact within global/international initiatives?
How can networking help ECRs become part of large international initiatives?
How can an ECRs work influence policy and how can ECRs get involved/gain experience in Southern Ocean Policy?

Panel:

Dr. Aleks Terauds (Australian Antarctic Division)
Indi Hodgson-Johnston (University of Tasmania)
Dr. Nadine Jonhston (British Antarctic Survey)
Dr. Stephen Nicol (University of Tasmania)

15th International Circumpolar Remote Sensing Symposium — September 10-14, 2018 - Potsdam, Germany

This symposium deals specifically with remote sensing applications in the polar environments, both Arctic and Antarctic.

The theme of the 15th ICRSS in Potsdam, Germany, is Polar Regions in Transformation - Climatic Change and Anthropogenic Pressures.

This symposium will be of interest to scientists, scholars, and industry and government professionals involved in studying and quantifying Arctic and Antarctic Change, renewable and non-renewable resource management, and development of new technologies and methods targeting remote sensing observations of polar environments. The symposium will provide a platform for the exchange of current applied research and best practices, the presentation of new technology and further innovation, and the advancement of international co-operation in the circumpolar regions of the world.

Please see here the flyer with the first call for papers as well as the website for details.

The Arctic Data Center invites applications for their 2018 Data Science Training for Arctic Research. This workshop will convene 13-17 August 2018 in Santa Barbara, California.

This five-day workshop will provide Arctic researchers with an overview of best practices in data management, training in data science tools, and concrete steps and methods for documenting and uploading data and metadata to the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Arctic Data Center.

Workshop topics will include:

Arctic Data Center and NSF Standards and Policies;
Data management plans;
Effective data management for data preservation, including storing and preparing data in open source formats, stability, longevity, interoperability, and metadata;
Publishing data at the Arctic Data Center, including web-based submission and automating submission for large data sets;
Data and metadata quality; and
Provenance for data and software.

Space for this workshop is limited. Early career and established researchers from the Arctic research community are encouraged to apply.

Applicants must complete the online application form. The application form requests basic demographics in addition to a two-page curriculum vitae and information about research background and data science training and skills. Preference will be given to applicants who perform NSF-funded Arctic research.

Application deadline: 5:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, 30 March 2018

To apply, go to:
Workshop application form

For more information, go to:
Workshop homepage

Fifth International Summer School for Students and Young Scientists, 7-21 July 2018:

"Natural and human environment of Arctic and Alpine areas: relief, soils, permafrost, glaciers, biota and life style of native ethnic groups in a rapidly changing climate"

About the school: The Fifth International Research-Educational Summer School “Natural and human environment of Arctic and Alpine areas: relief, soils, permafrost, glaciers, biota and life style of native ethnic groups in a rapidly changing climate” will start in the cozy city of Tomsk. This famous cultural center has been named “the Siberian Cambridge”. There will be 2 days for the field excursion to the High Altai (1200 km South from Tomsk). This will cross different landscapes, such as south taiga, sub-taiga, forest-step, step, mountain taiga, mountain meadow, mountain tundra, glacial and periglacial areas. Participants will observe different geographical provinces, such as West-Siberian Plain, Piedmont Altai, North Altai, High Central Altai and High South-East Altai. All this will provide an opportunity to become acquainted with a great variety of landscapes, different types of reliefs and paleogeographical relics, well-expressed geological structures and evidences of earthquakes, amazing biodiversity in wild ecosystems, unique archaeological objects and the dynamic variety of nomadic populations. The main part of the School will be held at the Aktru Research Station of the National Research Tomsk State University. The Station was founded by M.V. Tronov, the distinguished scientist and Professor of the Tomsk State University, who is a founder of the Siberian Glaciological Scientific School. There will be various field excursions as well as lectures at the Station and in its surroundings.

The two-day journey back to Tomsk will repeat the trans-zonal excursions. Other interesting places will then be seen and elucidated in the lectures.

Please see the booklet or website for further information.

V Symposium APECS-Brazil: Achievements and challenges in a decade of changes in the national and international scenario
15 - 18 May 2018, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil

In is fifth edition, the APECS-Brazil symposium brings not only updates and new findings in polar science, but also celebrates the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Brazilian APECS committee and the last International Polar Year. We hope to stimulate important reflections and discussions about the achievements of our association and the challenges that we will face from now on.

Registration: Registration is open and should be done through the APECS Brazil website

APECS members have reduced registration fees.

More information https://www.apecsbrasil.com/a5th-symposium-apecs-brazil/

Organizers invite registration for the 2018 Arctic Summer Institute titled Arctic Law, Science, and Policy. This pass/fail, two credit or Certificate of Completion course will take place 18-22 June 2018 in Portland, Maine.

The goal of the course is to provide students with an interdisciplinary knowledge base and the tools to practically and responsibly participate in Arctic affairs.

Climate models predict that within ten years the Arctic will be virtually ice-free for at least several weeks during the year and the pace appears to be accelerating. Abrupt climate change is producing Arctic warming and generating new shipping routes, business opportunities, and access to resources in ways that affect states, Indigenous peoples, the Arctic environment, and more. Effective participation in this new Arctic requires a unique combination of knowledge and skills.

Course topics will include:

Arctic science
Law of the Sea,
Maritime shipping,
Geographic information systems,
Maritime history,
Indigenous peoples,
North Atlantic trade,
Governance and environmental Regulation,
Geopolitics and maritime security, and
Arctic Public Engagement.

Registration deadline: 15 May 2018

For more information, including how to register, go to:
Course homepage

For questions, contact:
Arctic Futures Institute
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Webinar date/time: Friday, 6 April 2018, 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) Collaborations invites attendance for a webinar titled Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend. This webinar will be held via Zoom Video Conferencing at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, 6 April 2018.

Webinar Summary:

In this webinar, a dentist and an archaeologist team up to reveal one of the least-known animals in the world, including the purpose of its mighty tooth. William Fitzhugh, Director of the Arctic Studies Center at Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (SMNH) and Martin Nweeia, Dentist and Clinical instructor at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, will guide attendees through Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend, both an exhibit at the SMNH and a companion book by Fitzhugh and Nweeia. In addition to an exhibit tour, the two will present collaborations between Inuit and scientific communities that are deepening our knowledge of the narwhal and revealing a picture of a changing Arctic.

For more information and instructions on how to join the webinar, go to:
IARPC Collaborations Webinar Series homepage

For questions, contact:
Jessica Rohde
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 206-931-0090

ICAT organizers are happy to announce that they again will this year run the 2 ECTS points Ice Core Analysis and Techniques (ICAT) PhD school at the Centre for Ice and Climate, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.The PhD school will run between September 24-29th 2018.

ICAT aims to educate a new generation of ice core researchers and foster a collaborative environment for future glaciological projects. This course will educate young scientists regarding new methods developed for the analysis of ice cores with regard to climate research, with dedicated theoretical and laboratory exercise sessions.

They hope that you will help advertise this exciting PhD school to PhD students and junior postdocs who conduct ice core analysis or are users of ice core data (glaciological, oceanographic, climate modelers, earth scientists).

More information in the link: http://www.iceandclimate.nbi.ku.dk/outreach/icat-phd-school-2018/ or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LECTURERS INCLUDE Margit Schwikowski, Carlo Barbante, Johannes Freitag, Thomas Blunier, Anders Svensson, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, Christine Hvidberg, Paul Vallelonga, Mai Winstrup, Sune Olander Rasmussen, Bo Vinther, Helle Astrid Kjær, and more…

APPLICATION: Submit your application by June 1st 2018. You will be notified of the decision of the Selection Committee by July 1st, 2018. More on the application here: http://www.iceandclimate.nbi.ku.dk/outreach/icat-phd-school-2018/how-to-apply/

REGISTRATION FEE: The course has a registration fee of 100 euro, which will cover lectures, excursion, social and lunches.

Swedish Polar Research Secretariat

The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), are seeking three early career researchers (ECR) from Nordic countries to participate in the upcoming Way Forward: Knowledge Gaps in Nordic Arctic Research Workshop from 30 - 31 May 2018 in at Hanaholmen in Espoo, Finland.

apecs logo web The workshop is sponsored by the Swedish Ministry of Higher Education and Research and NordForsk and will be organised by the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat with the support of Hanaholmen – The Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre as a part of the Swedish Presidency programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers 2018.

The workshop aims to identify urgent research areas and present Nordic Arctic research collaborations. A group of renowned Nordic and international scientists will identify knowledge gaps and research challenges that the Nordic countries, in international collaboration, are particularly apt to develop into world leading Arctic research. The results aim to contribute to sustainable development for the people in the Arctic, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and give an enhanced understanding of the global implications of a changing Arctic. Furthermore the workshop aims to provide input to the Arctic Science Ministerial in Berlin, October 2018.

The workshop is expected to produce a report consisting of white papers on three preset research themes. The report will support NordForsk and other Nordic funding providers in prioritising in Arctic Research and will be thoroughly disseminated to relevant authorities in the Nordic countries, EU, and international partners.

The three scientific themes are:

Arctic data and global modelling: What data gaps are the most crucial to get a better disciplinary and interdisciplinary understanding of Arctic past, current and future in the Arctic? What global consequences do these data gaps create?
Arctic strategies and social innovation: How do Arctic societies respond to climate change and pollution? What are the challenges and opportunities for adaptation strategies and social innovation at the local level? How can traditional indigenous knowledge contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of Arctic and northern environment and communities?
Sustainable use of Arctic resources: How to foster sustainable use of national and common Arctic resources for e.g. energy, shipping, fishing, and tourism? What are the crucial questions in regional and in international contexts to implement Sustainable Development Goals?

We will select three early career researchers to attend, one for each of these three themes.

Applicants should:

be from an institution / organisation in a Nordic country (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Åland and Greenland)
have an Arctic research background fitting into one of the three themes of the workshop
be a PhD candidate or Postdoc / early faculty member within five years of completing their PhD (with deductions for periods of parental leave)

The selected ECRs will be provided funding for travel, hotel and food expenses.

If you are interested in applying, please send the following by no later than 28 March 2018 (extended deadline!) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

CV
Statement of Interest (maximum length one page) addressing
- your research background
- how your research interests fit into one of the three themes
- why you would like to attend the workshop
- what you would like to contribute to the discussion
- why attending the workshop would help your career

If you have questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Image result for Hanaholmen logo

Theme 1: The Business Case for a Pan-Arctic Observing System
Sub-Theme 1: The Need for the Observing System
Sub-Theme 2: Implementing and Optimizing a Pan-Arctic Observing System
Sub-Theme 3: Operating Observing Systems and Networks

The submission form is now OPEN!
The abstract submission deadline is 30 March.

On behalf of the AOS Executive Organizing Committee and our partners, thank you for your contributions!

We are announcing an exciting opportunity to work as part-time scientist in APECS International Directorate at AWI for the ARICE project!

The Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) is a member of the Helmholtz Association (HGF) and funded by federal and state government. AWI focuses on polar and marine research in a variety of disciplines such as biology, oceanography, geology, geochemistry and geophysics thus allowing multidisciplinary approaches to scientific goals. The APECS International Directorate in Potsdam, Germany, invites applications for a Scientist (Arctic research) (50%) to coordinate the APECS tasks of the ARICE project.

The Arctic Research Ice Breaker Consortium (ARICE) is a recently funded EU-Horizon2020 project to improve the capacities for marine-based research in the ice-covered Arctic Ocean. The project includes a consortium of fifteen partners from thirteen countries and will run for four years from 2018 – 2021. The project aims to better coordinate the existing polar research fleet by offering scientists access to six research icebreakers and collaborating with the maritime industry. APECS, hosted by AWI, is a member of the consortium and is leading the work package on educating a new generation of polar researchers and professionals by creating educational materials and performing training activities.

You will be a member of the APECS International Directorate Office at AWI and will be coordinating the APECS tasks of the ARICE project which include but are not limited to organising, content development, coordination and evaluation of in-person and online training courses and resources on research and soft-skills topics related to ARICE (including a summer school for early career researchers and professionals and several webinar series), participating in ARICE project meetings and contributing to other APECS activities as needed. You will support and work with a group of volunteers as part of the project tasks. The position is temporary part-time (50%) and limited until the end of 2021. It will be based in Potsdam, Germany.

Application deadline is 3 April 2018.

More information about the requirements and the full position description are available in this PDF or on the AWI website.

Vignette_ENG-300x250[1].jpg Université Laval's Sentinel North program announces the opening of the third Sentinel North excellence scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships competition, from March 1 to April 10, 2018.
These grants and fellowships aim to encourage the best candidates to undertake or pursue research activities within the Sentinel North research program in a transdisciplinary environment.
New this year, Master’s scholarships add up to the Ph.D. scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships already offered in previous competitions.
Candidates who stand out by the excellence of their academic record and the innovative and multidisciplinary potential of their research project are invited to submit their application.

Deadline to apply: April 10, 2018

Learn more about all Sentinel North training programs: http://www.sentinelnorth.ulaval.ca/en/training-programs and see the flyer. Follow Sentinel North on Facebook and Twitter

Contact:
Marie-France Gévry, Training programs coordinator
T : 418-656-2131 ext. 8910 | C : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

nsf logo The National Science Foundation’s Engineering Directorate, collaboration with the Biological Sciences, Computer and Information Science and Engineering, and Geosciences directorates, has issued a “Dear Colleague” Letter (DCL) to encourage submission of Early-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) proposals to conduct research related to technologies, models, and methods to better understand dynamic soil processes. It also encourages proposals that include topics relevant to both the DCL and the NSF "Rules of Life" Big Idea and submissions of Research Advanced by Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering (RAISE).

The DCL notes that soils “are the foundation of terrestrial ecosystems that support economic prosperity and provide services that are essential for humanity” and that “[e]xisting knowledge of dynamic changes in soils under the Earth's surface is hampered by lack of observation capabilities for widespread measurement of key variables over large areas and long periods of time.”

Researchers who are interested in submitting a SitS EAGER or RAISE proposal must first submit a SitS Research Concept Outline, as described in the DCL. Selected submitters of these Outlines will be invited to submit full EAGER or RAISE proposals for funding consideration.

Read the DCL in its entirety here: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18047/nsf18047.jsp
Questions should be directed to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Related image KOPRI is pleased to announce the initiation of the KOPRI Arctic Science Fellowship Program.

The Program is designed to promote research collaboration in the Arctic, and provide future generation scientist with networking and research opportunities. They invite prospective candidates to submit applications for the fellowship.

The 2018 Arctic Science Fellowship Program offers early career researchers from Arctic countries and researchers of Arctic indigenous heritage with an opportunity to cooperate with KOPRI scientists. The participants will be provided with a round-trip airfare, moderate living expenses, and accommodation at KOPRI guesthouse.

Please refer to the announcement for further details of the program.

In order to be eligible, the candidate should be from an Arctic country, i.e. Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.

For any query or submission of the application, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Application deadline: April 2, 2018

US APECS is organizing a Reddit Science AMA for Polar Week (March 19-23). The idea is to have several early career researchers in polar fields available to answer questions from the public over the course of a one-day period. They have done similar events before, making it on to the front page of Reddit Science.

US APECS is also launching a blog on their website featuring different post 'series' relevant to early career researchers. The first series will be focused on science communication. Posts will relate individual researchers' science communication experiences (e.g. science communication experiences, outcomes, advice for science communicators, what worked/didn't work) to other young scientists, and should include details on what you think makes communication experiences effective, exciting and inclusive. If you are interested in writing for the blog post series, or know someone who might be, please contact Mariama Dryak (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for more information.

Fully Funded Transnational Access to the Research Icebreakers CCGS Amundsen, RV Sikuliaq and PRV Polarstern

The EU Project ARICE will open a call for ship-time proposals in early April 2018 to access the icebreakers CCGS Amundsen, RV Sikuliaq and PRV Polarstern. This call will remain open for three months. Specific information on the access to CCGS Amundsen and RV Sikuliaq (including operational areas) will be available at call opening.

APECS International Polar Week March 2018 will be from March 19-25! Polar Week is a series of events happening globally, with the goal of promoting the science taking place in polar latitudes.

This March, our theme will be #PolarPride with a focus on appreciating APECS members from all aspects of polar sciences. We have fantastic members and want to show our pride! We also hope to recognize individuals that are traditionally underrepresented either because of what they study or because of systemic issues of diversity within polar sciences. We will focus on celebrating YOU, the members of APECS through a series of fun and professional activities:

Photo/Image Contest (with prizes!)
Webinars, chosen by YOU on the following topics: Harassment in the Field and Proposal and Grant Writing
Blog series throughout the week showcasing outstanding APECS members
Live Online #PolarPride Party
#PolarPride on Twitter
Biotweeps
Polar Haikuon Social Media
and many more activities!

We encourage APECS members and National Committees to organize their own activities and to submit details via the Polar Week website!

To find out more about the events and how to participate, please visit our Polar Week website. If you have any questions, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The call for proposals for the Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship award is now open. This grant, worth €150,000, offers an exceptional opportunity for a young scientist to carry out research in East Antarctica while operating out of zero emission Princess Elisabeth research station.

The Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship is a joint initiative of the Baillet Latour Fund and International Polar Foundation. This award aims to promote scientific excellence in Antarctica and underscores the crucial role polar science plays in furthering our understanding of the Earth and how it functions.

This fellowship is open to post-doctoral and doctoral researchers from any country in the world who are within 10 years of obtaining their PhD and working in one of four fields (1) atmospheric sciences (2) geology (3) glaciology and (4) microbiology (excluding marine).

Fellowship Information Flyer

Deadline for applications is 15 May 2018.

Please feel free to contact the International Polar Foundation for any question about the award.

More information and how to apply, go to www.polarfoundation.org/projects/detail/baillet_latour_fellowship.

Contact:
Antarctica Fellowship Secretariat
International Polar Foundation
Fondation d'utilité Publique
42B, Rue des Veterinaires bte 1
B-1070 Brussels, Belgium
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

www.facebook.com/intpolarfoundation/ @PolarFoundation

This is to make you aware of a planned special issue in The Atmosphere on the “Cryosphere in around Regional Climate Models”.

In case you’re interested in the representation of the atmosphere-cryosphere interface in either online/fully coupled or offline applications you might consider to submit your work to this special issue. A range of further applications are welcome as well. You’ll find more detailed information on http://www.mdpi.com/journal/atmosphere/special_issues/cryophere_climate_models.

Submission deadline is 15 September 2018.

The TraitTrain logo of a stylised leaf leading up a mountain The 4th TraitTrain International Plant Functional Traits Course will be held at the University Centre in Svalbard, Norway, 16-27 July 2018.

The TraitTrain International Plant Functional Traits Courses offer a hands-on experience with collecting and exploring plant functional traits data in a real-life field research project setting, along with an introduction to the use of plant trait data in climate-change research and ecosystem ecology.

The TraitTrain4 course will be held at Longyearbyen on Svalbard, Norway (in the High Arctic, at 78°N), 16-27 July 2018. The fieldwork will be carried out at different locations in and around Adventsdalen, both along local bioclimatic gradients such as elevation (0–300m a.s.l.) and in different pre-existing field experiment locations related to climate, grazing pressure, and nutrient availability in high-arctic ecosystems. Participants will be introduced to the environmental, ecological, and taxonomic diversity of the region, and will be involved in one of the following projects:

Assessing the role of climate and biotic factors in determining plant community leaf trait composition
Assessing how temperature variation and leaf functional traits influence leaf ecophysiology
Using a trait-based approach to assess how local plant communities and populations respond to experimental climate and grazing treatments
Measuring how functional trait composition influences ecosystem functioning by measuring CO2-flux within and across plant communities.

Image result for university of Bergen The course is aimed at graduate students – both MSc and PhD – and will give a broad introduction and hands-on experience with trait-based ecology. You will work with international instructors, in teams, and collect data in the field to address a specific research question. You will gain practical experience in measuring plant functional traits and learn standard protocols and several methods. You will become familiar with taking measurements using ecophsyiological equipment including the LiCor 6400 and LiCor 7500. You will learn about the structure and analysis of trait data, be introduced to best practice data management and reproducible coding, as well as having the opportunity to analyse and interpret data yourself.

To apply, send a short personal statement as to why the course fits into your goals and aspirations, as well as your CV to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by the 1st of April 2018 and rank the four projects above in the order of your interest.

Please visit the website for further information.

SCRiM: a transdisciplinary research network for Sustainable Climate Risk Management

Applications are now open for the 6th Annual Summer School on Sustainable Climate Risk Management, which will take place 30 July - 3 August 2018 at Penn State.

The Network for Sustainable Climate Risk Management's (SCRiM) annual summer school is designed to foster opportunities for collaboration between scholars and practitioners while providing a solid foundation in the broad, multidisciplinary knowledge, tools, and methods of the diverse fields participating in the network.

use of simple models in a transdisciplinary framework
analysis of relevant datasets
values-informed robust decisionmaking

In most cases, lodging, meals, registration, and travel costs will be fully covered for participants. International applicants are welcomed.

Apply by Saturday 8 April 2018

Program details: http://scrimhub.org/opportunities/summer-school/.

Organizers invite abstracts for the 5th Polar Prediction Workshop. This workshop will be held 7-9 May 2018 at the Agora Hydro-Quebec in Montreal, Canada.

The workshop will focus on:

Polar predictability from subseasonnal to interannual timescales,
Sea ice prediction,
Operational and research efforts, and
End user needs and the capacity of the scientific community to address these needs.

In addition, reviews for the Sea Ice Outlook project and other initiatives related to polar predictions will be discussed.

An outcome of the workshop will be a consensus forecast statement synthesizing predictions of September mean Arctic sea ice extent, and sea ice conditions during the Arctic shipping season for key regions, the Northwest Passage, and Northern Sea Route shipping corridors. Participants are invited to contribute to any or all of these forecasts using a form that will be circulated to registrants and posted online, and are encouraged to highlight these predictions in their presentations.

Operational forecasters and forecast users are invited to participate.

Abstract submission deadline: 31 March 2018

For more information, go to:
Workshop homepage

For questions, contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has funded a workshop to bring scientists and experts together to discuss the new era of Arctic science enabled by the availability of high-resolution commercial satellite imagery. Participants will address questions that help drive new science and satellite collection strategies to report in a long-term science community-driven plan. To find out more, please visit https://www.pgc.umn.edu/events/nsf-arctic-smallsat-announcement-may-2018/.
nsf logo
When: May 21-22, 2018
Where: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Host: Polar Geospatial Center

Application Deadline: March 30, 2018

Application Requirements:
1-2 page document with your contact information describing the new Arctic science enabled by commercial and SmallSat imagery. Also, a shapefile or KMZ describing the geographic extent of the requirement and the optimal times for collection can be included.

Please email your files as attachments to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Abstract submission for the 1st Polar Microbes Symposium, May 14-17 2018 in Finland has been extended to March 19, 2018. Please find the abstract submission form below. Applications covering different cryospheric environments as well as the techniques other than ‘omics’ are encouraged!

Apply here: http://tiny.cc/polarmicro18

United States Permafrost Association

The U.S. Permafrost Association will provide four travel grants for U.S.-based students and post-graduate researchers (within twi years of their terminal degree) to attend the 2018 European Conference on Permafrost in Chamonix, France. Successful applicants will receive $500. Travel grants will be awarded based on the merit of applications and their application to permafrost science and engineering. The applicant must be first author on a permafrost-related research presentation.

Preference will be given to applicants who are current members of both USPA and the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN). Undergraduate students are encouraged to apply. Apply at http://www.uspermafrost.org/.

To view previous USPA travel grant award winners, see http://uspermafrost.org/education/UPEF/.

To renew your membership, please visit http://www.uspermafrost.org/.

The application deadline is March 23, 2018. Award winners will be notified by early April 2018.

Questions? Email Dan Vecellio at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Model Arctic Council 2018 coordinating committee announces that it has extended the deadline for applications to the Model Arctic Council 2018 in Rovaniemi to March 18, 2018. They welcome applications from students interested in Arctic studies! Please see the full announcement, and visit their website at www.uaf.edu/mac for further information and the application.

APECSGermany Logo On March 25th (3-6pm) we`ll have an APECS Germany Workshop on “Getting involved in Polar Organizations: Opportunities and Challenges” in Rostock, Germany.

During the workshop we will navigate the acronym jungle of polar sciences and explore ways to engage in international polar organizations. What possibilities and opportunities are there for groups and individuals? What challenges need to be overcome for young scientists as well as for organizations such as the German Society for Polar Research (DGP)?

The Workshop is embedded into the International Polar Conference and free of charge. If you are interested to participate, please write an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Arctic Council Working Group in celebration of the Arctic Biodiversity Congress invite you to participate in the Arctic Biodiversity Through the Lens photography Competition.

One grand prize winner will receive a trip to beautiful Rovaniemi, Finland. Selected images will be displayed at the Arctic Biodiversity Congress October 9-11, 2018 in Rovaniemi, Finland, and be exhibited across Arctic countries.

The competition welcomes entries across four categories; landscape, biodiversity, peoples of the North and business and science in the Arctic. Young photographers are especially welcome to submit and the competition has special prizes for young photographers under the age of 18. Award-winning photographers Carsten Egevang, Gyda Henningsdottir, Einar Gudmann, Krista Ylinen and Lawrence Hislop will judge winning entries.

The eyes of the world are turning northwards. Arctic landscapes, wildlife, cultures and light have inspired people since time immemorial. The Arctic Biodiversity Through the Lens photography competition is intended to celebrate the beauty of the Arctic as experienced by photographers of all skill levels. Further information can be found at the Arctic Biodiversity Through the Lens Photography Competition and in the terms and conditions.

Please share and distribute this post among your colleagues, within your institution, and with anybody that shares our appreciation for Arctic biodiversity and photography.

Thank you,
CAFF International Secretariat
Borgir, Nordurslod, Akureyri, Iceland
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (+354) 462-3350

Online Conference logo 2018 3 no day Abstract submission for the APECS International Online Conference 2018, “Butterfly Effect: Small Changes, Big Impact!” has been extended to 9th March, 2018 at 22:00 GMT. More detailed information on the call for abstract, the presentation formats, abstract guidelines as well as the abstract submission form can be found on the APECS International Online Conference 2018 website.

There are three opportunities for recognition this year! We will award prizes for the best Arctic and Antarctic Oral Presentations and another for best Innovative Communication!

In the continuation of the International and Regional conferences convened by the International Permafrost Association, the 5th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP 2018) will be held in Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France, 23th June - 1st July 2018. The conference aims at covering all relevant aspects of permafrost research, engineering and outreach on a global and regional levels.

The conference registration is now open: https://eucop2018.sciencesconf.org/resource/page/id/6

Note that the deadline for Early Bird Registration Rates is 1st April 2018.

Waiting to welcome you in Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France, from 23th June to 1st July 2018,

Best regards,
The Local Organizing Committee of the EUCOP 2018

Chandy Nath web The Executive Committee of SCAR is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Chandrika Nath as SCAR Executive Director.

Dr. Nath will move, from her position as Acting Director of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) in the United Kingdom, to SCAR in mid-June 2018, on a part-time basis, taking up the position full-time from the start of July.

Dr. Nath has a D.Phil. in high energy particle physics from the University of Oxford, worked as a glaciologist for the British Antarctic Survey between 1998 and 2002, and has since taken various roles in POST. Dr Nath has considerable experience in the evidence-based policy environment, capacity building in the area of research evidence for policymaking, and in the communication of science outcomes to diverse audiences. SCAR logo white background

Dr. Nath brings to the Executive Director’s position, strategic leadership, effective team-building skills, experience in the development of evidence-based policy, and a breadth of capability spanning the natural and social sciences.

On behalf of the entire SCAR community, the Executive Committee extends a warm welcome to Dr. Nath at a time when the Polar Regions are gaining ever more importance on the global stage.

Even though it the Polar Prediction School is taking place in April the weather can still be cold in Abisko. Expect temperatures between +5C to -10C so please bring warm clothes (hats, gloves, warm jackets, themal underwear, warm shoes, etc.). We will be spending some time outdoors for the fieldwork so it is important you are dressed accordingly.

Sunday (22nd April) will in large part be a free day, except for launching some radio sondes. This means you will be able to take advantage of the beautiful nature around the Abisko Research Station. There are opportunities for cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, ice-climbing, ice fishing, etc.). You may want to consider bringing some relevant equipment with you if want to - or there may be the chance to rent some equipment in Abisko.

nsf logo The National Science Foundation has issued a "Dear Colleague" letter inviting researchers to submit proposals in FY 2018 to advance "Navigating the New Arctic" (NNA), one of NSF's 10 Big Ideas (https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/big_ideas/index.jsp).

Through NNA, NSF will build on its leadership in supporting Arctic science and observations to advance understanding of, and predict the rapid and complex environmental and social changes in, the Arctic region and to provide the tools and knowledge that will enable resilience for a globally-significant part of our world.

NNA research proposals may focus on topics such as:

· Establishment of observational research sites, observational platforms, or networks of sites to document key aspects of the changing Arctic coupled across terrestrial, marine, glacial, atmospheric and social systems.

· Studies to understand and forecast changes in the biogeochemical, geophysical, ecological and social processes occurring in the new Arctic. These can include human responses and adaptations as they intersect with environmental change.

· Studies of feedbacks between the design and engineering of urban and rural civil infrastructure and changes in natural ecosystems such as thawing permafrost and sea-ice retreat and social systems, such as increasing marine commerce.

· Studies that advance Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education through Arctic research activities.

Proposal submission deadline: 1 May 2018

Read the letter in its entirety here: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18048/nsf18048.jsp.

The Research Council of Norway and the department of Scientific and academic cooperation of the Institut français de Norvège (French Embassy in Oslo) announces the launch of the Åsgard programme 2018.

This programme comes is composed of two different calls:

Åsgard-Research is designed for researchers willing to develop collaborations between France and Norway. It funds a one-week stay in France, allowing the researcher to meet counterparts in universities and research institutions.
Åsgard-Innovation is designed for professionals working in technology transfer structures, clusters etc. and aims at exchanging good practices as well as creating new collaborations. It also funds a one-week stay in France.

The programme of visits will be established with the help of the Institut français who will suggest relevant contacts.

Applications are open from February 15th to March 15th. The stay has to take place in 2018. The list of laureates will be published on our website at the end of March.

Feel free to contact us for more information regarding this programme and to share this call!

Information and application.

Thinking about submit your photos for the open IASC Photo Call? Do it now!

IASC will soon be selecting pictures for the cover and contents of the 2018 IASC Bulletin. In addition to all your awesome pictures of Arctic flora, fauna, and landscapes, IASC is particularly interested in pictures where we can show our community at work, in the Arctic.

Gathering some ice samples? Interviewing an Arctic community member? Driving a snowmobile? Sharing a meal with the next door research station? Yes, these are exactly the pictures we are looking for! Just make sure the people in your picture agree to be there, too.

With each photo, IASC requests:

• a short description about what we see and background information on the project/research;
• place;
• name of photographer / Institute;
• contact information.

You can upload your pictures here, along with the information detailed above (in a standard text format). Images should be at least 3600 pixels wide.

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact the IASC Communications Manager, Federica. For more information on IASC’s publications and work, please visit www.iasc.info.

If you want your photos to be considered for the 2018 Bulletin, make sure to upload them before April 3rd 2018.

Call for Webinar Registration - Arctic Research Seminar Series

Date/Time: Tuesday, 6 March from 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET
Speaker: Marlene Laruelle, George Washington University
Presentation Title: Russia's Arctic Ambitions: Domestic Factors and Foreign Policy Strategies

To register for the event, go to:
ARCUS D.C. Arctic Research Seminar Series homepage

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) announces the next Arctic Research Seminar Series event featuring Marlene Laruelle from George Washington University. The event will be held in the ARCUS D.C. office at 1201 New York Avenue, NW Washington D.C. on Tuesday, 6 March 2018 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET.

This seminar will also be available as a webinar live-stream for those unable to attend in person. Instructions for accessing the event online will be sent to webinar registrants prior to the event.

Registration is required for this event.

This seminar, titled Russia's Arctic Ambitions: Domestic Factors and Foreign Policy Strategies, will discuss the dominant role that domestic factors play in Russia's foreign policy stances for the Arctic.

Marlene Laruelle is Research Professor of International Affairs and Associate Director of the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. Marlene explores contemporary political, social and cultural changes in Russia and Central Asia through the prism of ideologies and nationalism. On Russia's Arctic, Marlene has authored Russia's Strategies in the Arctic and the Future of the Far North (M.E. Sharpe, 2013), and edited New Mobilities and Social Changes in Russia's Arctic Regions (Routledge, 2016). Marlene is co-Principal Investigator on several grants from National Science Foundation and Belmont Forum studying Arctic urban sustainability.

This event is a brown-bag lunch that will be held in the ARCUS D.C. office (1201 New York Avenue, NW Washington D.C. Fourth Floor). Cookies and beverages will be provided.

For those of you on Twitter, we also invite you to join us in live-tweeting the event using the hashtag #arcuswebinar.

For questions, contact:
Brit Myers
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

IT'S TIME TO VOTE!!

Here are the fantastic submissions from our APECS members! Please vote for your favourite option here by March 6th: http://pollmaker.vote/p/Q4VLZO6J

The APECS Norway National Committee will make the final decision soon after.

While the options are 'anonymous' we would like to thank (in no particular order) Nathalie Carrasco, Ruth Vingerhagen, Kyle Mayers, Sian Roberts, Pierre-Marie Lefeuvre, Morgan Ip, Denis Migulin/APECS Sweden, and Constanza Rojas.

The Second International Young Scientists Forum on Soil and Water Conservation and ICCE symposium 2018 "Climate Change Impacts on Sediment Dynamics: Measurement, Modelling and Management” will take place 27-31 August, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.

The conference will address:

Challenges/actions of soil and water management in the changing world
Mechanism/processes and modelling of soil degradation
Innovation of technology of soil and water conservation
Ecologicalrestoration and regionalsustainable development
How to play the roles of youth in soil and water conservation
Climate change as a driver of erosion, sediment dynamics, and river morphology transformation
Influence of climate change on water quality and drinking water treatment and supply
Erosion and sediment transport models and river basin management tools

The World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWAC) will select 10 papers as Outstanding Youth Paper Award from the presentations submitted by young people who is not older than 40 years by the end of 2018. Each awardee will win $1000 (USD) prize and may get some reduction of expenses during the Forum. The awarded paper will published in the journal International Soil and Water Conservation Research(ISWCR) which is hosted by Elsevier.

More information can be found at conference website.

Безымянный

The second Baikal International Scientific and Practical Conference and a school for scientific youth "Snow cover, atmospheric precipitation, aerosols: technology, climate and ecology" will take place 25 June 2018 - 30 June 2018 in the Khuzhir village located on the Olkhon island, Lake Baikal.

The objectives of the conference: to create a platform for discussing of current knowledge about snow cover, atmospheric precipitation and aerosols; to increase the level of information exchange, both within the scientific community and between the organizations of the research sector and the commercial sector; expansion of methods and tools for scientific interaction and information exchange, both within the framework of individual scientific directions, and also of interdisciplinary nature, improving the quality of life in the regions.

TOPICS

Methods, means, methodology for studying the physicochemical properties and composition of the snow cover, atmospheric precipitation, aerosols.
The impact of climate change and anthropogenic activity on the properties and characteristics of snow cover, atmospheric precipitation, aerosols.
Assessment of the influence of snow cover, atmospheric precipitation, aerosols on natural, socio-economic systems and human health.
Modeling of atmospheric processes, climate change, atmospheric chemistry and snow cover characteristics.
Design, construction, operation of buildings, structures and roads in snow regions.
New approaches to reducing man-made emissions and environmental restoration.
Evaluation of the results of environmental protection in the snow territories and in the Baikal region on the basis of the study of snow cover, atmospheric precipitation, aerosols.
Natural and anthropogenic factors that determine changes in the gas and aerosol composition of the atmosphere.
Cryosphere and biosphere.
History and philosophy of scientific research on the subject of the conference.

More information can be found at conference website.

With ongoing environmental changes in polar regions during the last couple of decades, the Arctic, Antarctic, and High Mountains (the “third pole”) have become a focus for sustained research. Planning and implementation of research projects in the polar regions often involve many uncertainties, including large budgets, complicated logistics, unique risk management, and international collaboration. While these issues need to be considered by operating personnel, there is an increasing demand to employ professional project managers and community managers able to support their colleagues’ operations in the polar regions.

In this regard, we have developed the following survey to learn about the demanded expertise and knowledge of project management and community management professionals as well as the most common challenges they face when implementing their projects.

We therefore request you to help us by taking this survey at https://goo.gl/RL78qg, it should take less than 10 minutes in total of your time. The survey will be open until March 18th, 2018.

Any further questions should be directed to Kirstin Werner (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Luisa Cristini (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

We thank you very much for your time and help with this survey.

With best wishes,

The Survey Developers:
Renuka Badhe (European Polar Board),
Luisa Cristini (APPLICATE),
Sven Lidström (Norwegian Polar Institute),
Allen Pope (International Arctic Science Committee),
Alexey Pavlov (Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) network),
Kirstin Werner (Year of Polar Prediction),
Yulia Zaika (Lomonosov Moscow State University)

IGS would like to issue a call for papers for the thematic issue of the Annals of Glaciology on ‘Progress in Cryoseismology’.

The deadline for paper submission is 1 January 2019.

We have an esteemed team of scientific editors led by Fabian Walter who will be assisted by Doug MacAyeal and a host of prominent experts in the field.

Please go to the website: https://www.igsoc.org/annals/call_4_papers/cryoseismology/ for full details including a full list of editors, the theme and topics of this exciting issue.

Call for Community Input - Arctic Observing Summit 2018

Extended deadline: 4 March

The Organizing Committee for the Arctic Observing Summit 2018 is seeking input on the topics under discussion at the Summit in the form of brief statements. More details on the AOS process and specific guidance on input sought are provided below. The theme for the Summit is The Business Case for a pan-Arctic Observing System.

Community input can highlight important data, management, or logistical needs or gaps, explore emerging opportunities, address a current challenge, present new initiatives or technology that can contribute to Arctic observing (including global programs), or review on-going observing activities or issues that are relevant for the development, application, operation, or support of a sustained Arctic observing network.

To allow for the broadest participation possible, the submission deadline has been extended even further, to 4 March 2018. In addition, funding has been made available by IASC and others for early career researcher and Indigenous researchers of any career stage at Polar2018, including the AOS. The application process is being administered by APECS, and the deadline is February 28.

For more detailed information on themes and submissions, please visit the AOS website. Instructions for short submissions are available here.

We also encourage you to submit poster presentations to the AOS. Early-bird registration and accommodation are open for Polar2018 until the end of March!

SCAR logo white background Recognising that many of the community are still on field work, the deadline for nominations for the 2018 SCAR Medals has been extended and will now close on
6 March 2018.

The SCAR Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research is awarded for sustained research contributions over a career. Selection is based on a person's outstanding contributions to knowledge and the impact of their work on understanding the Antarctic region, the linkages between Antarctica and the Earth system, and/or observations of and from Antarctica. Nominees are welcomed in all areas of Antarctic and Southern Ocean research.

The SCAR Medal for International Coordination is awarded for outstanding and sustained contributions to international cooperation and partnerships. Nomination of persons that have advanced SCAR's mission to initiate, facilitate, co-ordinate and encourage international research activity in the Antarctic region are encouraged. Nominees should have a distinguished professional career history and a record of recognition of international activities by their peers including prizes, honorary degrees and other awards that demonstrate the person's impact.

The SCAR Medal for Education and Communication will be awarded for excellence or innovation in, and sustained commitment to, (a) communicating Antarctic research, (b) making a significant contribution to educating the next generation of Antarctic researchers, or (c) contributing to building new capacity in SCAR member countries. Nominees should have a significant record of achievement in terms of the quality, effectiveness and creativity of their engagement in one or more of these three key areas of education and communication.

To encourage nominations and ensure an open, fair and transparent selection process, recipients of the medals are selected by committee. There are no age restrictions or limits on nominees and no higher education degree requirements - everyone is eligible to be nominated. However, self-nominations are not accepted.

For further details and to nominate someone for a SCAR Medal, please go to the SCAR Medals section.

To see the past winners, visit the Awardees page.

POLAR serves as a point of contact for the international polar research community for research opportunities in Canada's Arctic and to collaborate with Canadian researchers in the Antarctic. The Canada-Denmark Arctic Research Station Early Career Scientist Exchange Program is a pilot project that could develop into a program that promotes a longer-term exchange of ideas and information, and could be used as a model for other international partnerships. POLAR is committed to inspiring, motivating, and supporting students to continue their education and pursue a career in science and technology, which includes supporting the next generation of researchers.

Where: The Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) campus in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut and Arctic Station in Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland

Who can apply: PhD-students or scientists holding a PhD degree not older than five years, employed by a university or research organization in Canada or Denmark

Included: Travel to each research station and accommodation are provided free of charge

Deadline to Apply: March 23, 2018

Check out the call on POLAR’s website for more information:
https://www.canada.ca/content/canadasite/en/polar-knowledge/canada-denmark-arctic-research-station-early-career-scientist-exchange-program.html

For more information:

Call for Applications
Application Form

SCAR logo white background

SCAR's GRAPE Expert Group (GNSS Research and Application for Polar Environment) announces the 2018 school "Polar Upper Atmosphere: from Science to Operational Issues", to be held at the International School of Space Science in L'Aquila, Italy on 17-21 September 2018.

The school is mainly aimed at graduate and post-graduate students with an enthusiastic interest in this topic. The goal of the school is to foster excitement and encourage involvement of the next generation of space researchers in studies of the geospace environment of Polar Regions. The importance of these regions is rapidly growing due to modern society’s dependence on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) services and products, strongly affected by ionospheric variability at high latitudes. Topics will focus on the infrastructures for multi-instrument monitoring, data management from sub auroral to polar latitudes, the need for specialized models of the upper atmosphere, and the development of mitigation algorithms to improve GNSS services and products.

Some financial support is available for a limited number of students. Applications, including a brief curriculum vitae, should be made through the school website's application page. The deadline for applications is 5 May 2018.

For more information, visit the International School of Space Science website: http://www.cifs-isss.org/

The course is co-sponsored by SCAR’s GRAPE Expert Group.

APECS-EPB Webinar: ESA's Human Research Programme

15 March 2018 at 15:00 GMT

Speaker: Jennifer Ngo-Anh, Head of the Human Research Office at the European Space Agency (ESA)

Registration Link

On Thursday 15th March 2018, Jennifer Ngo-Anh, Head of the Human Research Office at the European Space Agency (ESA), will give a webinar on 'ESA's Human Research Programme', including an overview of ESA's work at Concordia research station in Antarctica. The webinar is the third in a series of webinars organised by APECS and the European Polar Board (EPB).

Details of previous webinars in the EPB-APECS series, including links to recordings, can be found here.

APECS Canada Webinar1 Kopie APECS Canada is excited to be hosting their first webinar of 2018! Join us on February 28th from 1-3pm EST to hear Dr. Jennifer Provencher present on her experiences collaborating with northern communities to form research partnerships. The presentation will be followed by a Q+A session. Dr. Jennifer Provencher is currently a W. Garfield Weston Post-Doctoral Fellow in Northern Research at Acadia University. For more information about Jennifer’s research, check out her website: jenniferprovencher.com.

Title: Working with Northern Communities to Build Collaborative Research Partnerships: Perspectives from an Early Career Researcher

Abstract: Working with northern communities is a part of Arctic research in Canada. I will discuss my experiences from my graduate and post-doctoral work as a natural scientist working with communities in Nunavut, Nunavik and the NWT. I will talk about how early career researchers can engage with communities, co-develop research questions, and create meaningful training programs with communities. This will include discussing opportunities, mechanisms, and barriers to engaging in community collaborative research in northern Canada. I will also expand on some ideas from a co-authored essay (Tondu et al. 2014, Arctic), and talk about specific examples of how I implemented these practices in my own work as an ecologist.

Register for this webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xgj_T-bgQhG1nmkTsCHMbA

Nominations are now accepted for the APECS International Mentorship Award 2018!

APECS would like to recognize and honour the efforts of their mentors within the international polar science community. There are 2 award categories, which have been created to acknowledge the time and energy that mentors dedicate to early career researchers each year, and their efforts in building a supportive community.

APECS International Mentorship Award 2018 Categories:

“Member category”: APECS members are encouraged to nominate a mentor who has been an outstanding mentor to them during their career.
“APECS category”: APECS members, committees (including National Committees) and project groups are encouraged to nominate a mentor who has made an outstanding contribution to their APECS committees, activities or the organisation as a whole

The nomination process is open until 15 April 2018. More information about the award and nomination instruction you can find on the APECS website. Only complete nomination packages are accepted.

Fjord sediment archives in the northeastern North Atlantic
7-8 April 2018, Vienna, Austria

This workshop will gather a broad spectrum of scientists willing to share their expertise and develop original concepts on the identification and reconstruction of post-glacial paleoclimate changes and coastal geohazards based on fjord sediment archives. It will stimulate the submission of a Full IODP proposal for the October 2018 deadline, as an extended and reviewed version of the IODP 915-Pre proposal “Fjord sediment archives in the northeastern North Atlantic”.

Norwegian and Svalbard fjords communicate with the Norwegian Sea and Greenland Sea/Fram Strait, respectively, and constitute extensions of the open ocean towards land. Changes in their modern hydrology and sedimentary budget are related to changes in the volume transport and physical-chemical signature of Atlantic and Arctic-derived water masses circulating over the continental margin, to the seasonal development of sea-ice such as in coastal Svalbard, as well as to processes acting on the hinterland such as precipitation variations and the dynamics of tidewater glaciers (when present). Finally, fjords are characterized by frequent mass-movement events whose understanding is of vital importance given their catastrophic impacts on coastal infrastructures and human lives.

The general paucity of high resolution, continuous, coupled marine and continental records of Holocene environmental changes in the northeastern North Atlantic region since the initial demise of the NW European ice-sheets has precluded any firm understanding of (1) high and low frequency behaviors, and the impact in this region of internal modes of the climate variability such as NAO and AMO, (2) interactions with external climate forcing acting over short and long time-scales, (3) the coupled ocean/cryosphere/atmosphere dynamics and the connections between marine and continental climates, (4) the synchronicity and trigger mechanisms of past mass movements in high latitude coastal environments of Northwestern Europe.

These four overarching themes will be thoroughly debated throughout the workshop in the form of keynotes and open discussions covering a wide range of disciplines and topics related to the motivation and objectives of “FANA”.
This recently endorsed MagellanPlus workshop will be organized as a pre-EGU event, in order to guarantee the participation of key scientists who will also be attending the General Union Meeting from April 9th, 2018.

Registration:
Scientists interested in contributing to the workshop are invited to submit an expression of interest by 15 March 2018 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Researchers will be accepted based on their research interest related to the scientific goals of the workshop. Applicants will be informed on the outcome immediately after deadline. Early Stage Researchers are particularly welcomed to apply.

The workshop will take place at hotel ARCOTEL KAISERWASSER Vienna within walking distance to the EGU convention Center. It will be limited to 30 pp. max.
All participants will be offered a two nights single bedroom package (arrival April 6th, departure April 8th) + catering. Travel costs to Vienna will be under the sole responsability of the participants.

Organizer:
Jacques Giraudeau, CNRS – Université de Bordeaux, France. On behalf of IODP 915-Pre co-proponents.

10th International Geochronology Summer School: Dating techniques in environmental research

Date: 02 - 07 September 2018
Location: Klosters (Switzerland)
Webinfo: http://www.geo.uzh.ch/en/units/gch/geochronologysummerschool.html

Topics to be covered in lectures, excursions and workshops include dating techniques such as numerical methods (radiocarbon, exposure dating with cosmogenic nuclides, OSL, 137Cs, 210Pb, etc.), dendrochronology, anthracology, archaeomagnetic dating, palaeolimnology, as well as relative methods like soil weathering and Schmidt-hammer technique.

List of Lecturers:
Holger Gärtner (WSL), Paolo Cherubini (WSL), Markus Egli (Univ. of Zurich), Susan Ivy-Ochs (ETH Zurich/Uni Zurich), Dennis Dahms (Univ. Northern Iowa), Irka Hajdas (ETH Zurich), Olga Solomina (Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geography), Jérôme Poulenard (University Savoie Mont Blanc), Eileen Eckmeier (LMU University of Munich), Rolf Kipfer (EAWAG), Evdokia Tema (Univ. of Torino), Pierre Valla (Univ. of Bern), Nathalie Dubois (EAWAG), Kurt Hanselmann (ETH Zurich) and others.

The Summer School is open to young researchers (PhD students and Post-Docs) worldwide.
Participation is competitive and will be limited to a maximum of 20.
The registration fee (720 CHF) includes accommodation (room sharing required),
half board and lunch, field trips and teaching material.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 30 April 2018
Registration: http://www.geo.uzh.ch/en/units/gch/geochronologysummerschool/registration.html

On behalf of the organizers

International Summer School.jpg

International Summer School on the Polar Climate System

21 - 25 May 2018 Hohai University, Nanjing, China

This summer school is aimed at postgraduate students and early career scientists who would like to obtain a solid grounding in polar climate system science, with a particular focus on the atmosphere, ocean and sea ice and their interactions.It is desirable that attendees have a basic knowledge of the workings of the climate system, with experience in meteorology, oceanography or the cryospheric sciences. The school will consist of a series of lectures by world-leading experts in polar science, who will deal with the maintenance of the polar climates, their role in the global system, links to lower latitudes, modelling, change over recent decades and how the system my change over the next century. There will also be practical sessions involving analysis of observations and model output.

The organising committee consists of Prof Zhaomin Wang (Hohai University), Prof John Turner (British Antarctic Survey), Prof Kent Moore (University of Toronto), Prof Xiangdong Zhang (University of Alaska Fairbanks), Prof Annette Rinke (Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany).

Limited funding is available to support the attendance of a number of students.

For further information please contact Prof Zhaomin Wang, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Ms Mengting Yin, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Call for Applications and Abstracts: Arctic Field Summer School 2018
Arctic Coastal Environments in Rapid Transition

Dates: 29 May - 9 June 2018
Locations: Utqiaġvik, Alaska and Fairbanks, Alaska

Application and abstract submission deadline: 28 February 2018

Organizers invite applications for their field school, a part of the International Partnerships for Excellence in Education and Research (INTPART) project "Arctic Field Summer Schools: Norway-Canada-USA collaboration." This opportunity is open only for U.S.-based graduate students enrolled at U.S. universities and the international partners will advertise separately. This field school is tentatively planned for 29 May to 9 June 2018 and be primarily based in Utqiaġvik, Alaska (formerly Barrow).

During this second field school, students will participate in and learn about remote sensing and ground-based field observations in Utqiaġvik, Alaska. The overall theme of the school is the study of processes of the Arctic coastal environment at the intersection between the marine, terrestrial, atmospheric, and cryospheric environments using ground-based and remote sensing observations. The course will be primarily based in and near the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and will be conducted in close collaboration with Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC) Science, where participating students will receive introductory lectures and collect in-situ and remote sensing data to be analyzed in collaboration with their instructors. Students will formulate a project jointly with instructors and work on their project for the duration of the field school. Participants will make an oral presentation and submit an individual or group report at the end of the school, and will be able to earn credits for participation based on an assessment of the work.

The class will be offered as a two-credit University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) summer course and students willing to earn credits need to enroll for the class in advance. Travel grants (amounts will be determined later) will be issued by the International Arctic Research Center (IARC) to help offset or fully cover travel costs to Utqiaġvik, Alaska, as well as local costs and accommodation.

Applicants must submit a one-page motivation letter that outlines how this course fits into his/her graduate study and career plans, a curriculum vitae, and a recommendation letter from his/her current supervisor.

Applications should be submitted via email to Tohru Saito at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more information, go to:
Arctic Field Summer School 2018 webpage

For questions, contact:
Vladimir Alexeev
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 907-474-6430

Tohru Saito
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Call for Webinar Registration: Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation Program
National Science Foundation
23 February 2018
1:00-2:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

Registration deadline: 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, 22 February 2018

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites registration for a webinar titled Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation Program. This webinar will convene 23 February 2018 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

This solicitation focuses upon the integration of the data and software elements of advanced cyberinfrastructure. By integrating two major and long-running NSF program solicitations, Data Infrastructure Building Blocks (DIBBs) and Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation (SI2), under a single umbrella called Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation (CSSI), NSF seeks to enable funding opportunities that are flexible and responsive to the evolving and emerging needs in integrated data and software cyberinfrastructure.

The goal of the integrated CSSI program is to create a cyberinfrastructure (CI) ecosystem that spans all levels of the data and software stack and scales from individual or small groups of innovators to large community resources. The program addresses all aspects of cyberinfrastructure, from embedded sensor systems and instruments, to desktops and high-end data and computing systems, to major instruments and facilities. The program will continue to nurture the interdisciplinary processes required to support the entire data and software lifecycle, and will successfully integrate development and support with innovation and research. Furthermore, the program will result in the development of sustainable CI communities that transcend scientific and geographical boundaries. The program envisions partnerships among academia, government laboratories, and industry, including international entities, for the development and stewardship of a sustainable infrastructure that can enhance productivity and accelerate innovation in science and engineering. Integrated education activities will play a key role in developing and sustaining the cyberinfrastructure over time and in creating a workforce capable of fully realizing its potential to transform science and engineering.

For more information and to register for the webinar, go to:
Complete webinar announcement

To view the full solicitation, go to:
Related NSF solicitation

For questions, contact:
Amy L. Walton
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 703-292-4538

NSF Solicitation for Proposals: Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation
Data Infrastructure Building Blocks and Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation

Full proposal deadline: 5:00 p.m. submitter's local time, 18 April 2018

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites proposals for a Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation (CSSI) umbrella program that encompasses the long-running Data Infrastructure Building Blocks (DIBBs) and Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation (SI2) programs. This solicitation focuses upon the integration of the data and software elements of advanced cyberinfrastructure.

This particular CSSI solicitation requests only Elements and Framework Implementations classes of awards, which include:

Elements (Data Elements or Software Elements) that target small groups that will create and deploy robust capabilities for which there is a demonstrated need that will advance one or more significant areas of science and engineering; and
Framework Implementations (Data Frameworks or Software Frameworks) that target larger, interdisciplinary teams organized around the development and application of common infrastructure aimed at solving common research problems faced by NSF researchers in one or more areas of science and engineering, resulting in a sustainable community framework serving a diverse community or communities.

Up to 15 Element awards and 13 Framework Implementations awards are anticipated, subject to the availability of funds.

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

Universities and Colleges: Universities and two- and four-year colleges (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in, the U.S. acting on behalf of their faculty members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic institutions;
Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies, and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities; and
NSF-sponsored federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) may apply, provided that they are not including costs for which federal funds have already been awarded or are expected to be awarded.

For more information, including additional proposal requirements and guidelines, go to:
View full solicitation

For questions, contact:
Marc Stieglitz,
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 703-292-2461

Summer 2018 Field Course: Arctic Alaska Vegetation - 14-30 June 2018
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Registration begins: 12 February 2018

For more information and to register, please go to:
http://www.uaf.edu/summer/sessions and see the Summer School flyer.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) announces a 17-day summer field course in Arctic Alaska Vegetation. Open to undergraduate and graduate students interested in Arctic biology and ecology, the 3-credit course will be held 14-30 June 2018.

The class includes 2 days of classroom instruction and local field trips in the Fairbanks area before a 13-day field excursion to Alaska's North Slope. The course wraps up with 2 days for student presentations and local field trips in Fairbanks at the end. The field excursion will have a strong emphasis on Arctic environments, local people, and field sampling. Students will learn about Arctic vegetation, soils, landforms, permafrost, geology, wildlife, and land-use. The class will travel along the latitudinal transect from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, which traverses boreal forest, alpine, and Arctic biomes. Students will undertake an independent research project of their choosing.

Eleven days will be spent camping at different locations along the route. We will also stay 2 nights at Toolik Field Station, a world-renowned Arctic research station. Guest instructors will discuss Arctic ecology, permafrost, life in Arctic communities, and environmental issues related to oilfield development and other aspects of Arctic social-ecological systems.

The cost of transportation and meals during the field excursion is included in the course fee, as well as lodging at Toolik Field Station and on UAF’s campus. (Students are responsible for meals during the 4-day campus portion of the course.) Students will need to bring all-weather clothing including winter jackets and rubber boots, and a warm sleeping bag. Expedition tents will be provided.

The course is limited to 12 undergraduate and/or graduate students. To register or for more information, go to http://www.uaf.edu/summer/sessions. A $500 non-refundable deposit is required by 15 April 2018. The balance of the course payment is due 15 May. International students must submit an International Student Summer Application and supporting documents by 15 March 2018 (see http://www.uaf.edu/summer/whoareyou/new/international/).

Pre-requisites: 6 credits of fundamentals in biology or related science disciplines and permission of instructor.

Call for Applications - Research and Monitoring Projects
Rif Field Station, Melrakkaslétta and Raufarhöfn, Iceland

Application deadline: 2 April 2018

Rif Field Station invites applications for research and monitoring projects from scientists, university students, or groups interested in using the station's facilities for research and monitoring projects during 2018. The station is situated in the village of Raufarhöfn. Raufarhöfn is located in the northern-most part if Iceland in a low Arctic area called Melrakkaslétta peninsula.

The station's main objectives are to promote and enhance research and monitoring in Melrakkaslétta based on the area's unique natural environment; collect, track, and share information; and support the local community through education and guidance on environmental management.

This opportunity offers possibilities for research and monitoring within the field of natural science (e.g. vegetation, bird life, freshwater biology, coastal ecosystems, geology, and geomorphology) and human-nature interactions. Organizers offer accommodation and working facilities for handling of specimens and materials along with a small office space with internet access.

Well-developed student projects deemed relevant for the area and that meet the station's objectives, but are partially-funded or without funding, have the possibility of gaining free access to the station.

Rif Field Station is part of International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic (INTERACT) and has been chosen as one of three stations within the research network to start implementing and testing the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) of the Conservation of the Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF). The station is supported by six Icelandic research institutions and the Norðurþing municipality.

Applications should be submitted via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Application information is available at: Applications webpage

For more information, go to:
Complete Call for Applications (PDF 860.21 KB)

For questions, contact:
Jónína Sigríður Þorláksdóttir
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: +354-856-9500

The Director of ESIP Lab, Annie Burgess, is pleased to announce the 2018 Raskin Scholarship for students or early-career scientists in Earth science informatics.

In March 2012, the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) lost long-time member, Rob Raskin. Rob was soft-spoken, easy-going, wise and an Earth science information partner extraordinaire. Rob was a mentor to many aspiring Earth science data professionals. In collaboration with Rob’s family, ESIP remembers Rob and his dedication to support the next generation of Earth science data and technology leaders through the Robert G. Raskin Scholarship.

Details in Brief:
Award: $5000/year + Travel to the 2018 ESIP Summer Meeting
Eligibility: Student, Graduate Student, Early Career (5-years post degree)
Application Deadline: April 2, 2018

For more details on eligibility and how to apply, please visit their website.

2018 Ocean Sciences Meeting Program Directors from NSF’s Office of Polar Programs Arctic Sciences Section will provide an overview of recent and upcoming news of interest to the research community. Topics will include staffing changes in the Arctic Section, proposal pressure in 2017 versus 2016 without proposal deadlines, and upcoming opportunities at NSF of interest to Arctic researchers. NSF anticipates giving a brief presentation with the bulk of the time devoted to questions and discussion.

For more information visit: https://agu.confex.com/agu/os18/meetingapp.cgi/Session/39059.

Girls on Ice Switzerland is a tuition free program for teenage girls 15-17 years old and is one of the expeditions offered by Inspiring Girls Expeditions. We run wilderness science expeditions different from typical technical mountaineering courses or science "summer camps" in that we truly integrate the wilderness challenge with the intellectual challenge. Inspiring Girls Expeditions are taught by teams of professional scientists, artists, and mountain guides.

Girls on Ice Switzerland is hosting an instructor workshop for future expedition leaders. We also want to inspire new partner programs to expand Inspiring Girls Expeditions to other languages, countries and regions, so we can offer this experience to more girls. Erin Pettit, the founder and director of Inspiring Girls Expeditions, will be in Switzerland to lead this workshop.

We are looking for female scientists who are interested in teaching existing Inspiring Girls Expeditions, or who are interested in taking leadership roles in developing new programs based on the successful Inspiring Girls philosophy. For example:
- Girls on Ice: in your language/country
- Girls on Rivers / in Rain Forest / on Volcanoes / in Snow /... : linking kayaking, mountaineering, hiking, skiing with geomorphology, ecology, chemistry, physics, geology or snow science.

Also - if you are an artist or guide who is interested in teaming up with a scientist to develop a program, we can provide help with connecting potential leadership teams.

Please visit http://www.inspiringgirls.org/instructor-workshop-switzerland for more information on the workshop.

The workshop takes place in Switzerland from 11th to 14th of June, 2018. Workshop and accommodation costs are covered by Girls on Ice Switzerland. Travel costs to and from the course location are the responsibility of the participants. If the number of participants is larger than we expected, we might charge a small fee for accommodations.

If you are interested in participating please send your full application via this form until 30th of March, 2018. Let us know why you want to participate and how you could contribute to Inspiring Girls Expeditions. The application should contain your interest in Inspiring Girls Expeditions or new project ideas (Wilderness and Intellectual/Scientific context, Educational philosophy) and your experience in the field of teaching and wilderness.

We will review applications as they come in and we will stop accepting applications when all spots are filled.

Topic: Hemispheric Asymmetry in Climate

Venue: Finse Arctic Research Center, Hardangervidda National Park, Norway.  

Dates: 17th-28th September, 2018

Application deadline: 10 March 2018 - application form can be found here: https://goo.gl/forms/RBOxDCQXYXLfegnc2

Target: Advanced PhD candidates and early career scientists.

Goal: To mix students and lecturers with empirical and dynamical training within climate science and focus on understanding the basic principles and dynamics relating to asymmetries in climate.

Price: All local expenses (such as accommodation, food and field work) on site are covered by the summer school, but participants have to cover their travel to Norway themselves.

Key topics to be included:
- hemispheric asymmetry in the mean climate
- asymmetry in deep water formation
- hemispheric phasing of Quaternary climate changes
- bipolar seesaw (leads and lags)
- spatial and temporal manifestations of rapid climate changes

Confirmed lecturers: David Battisti (University of Washington), Jake Gebbie (WHOI), Patrick Heimbach (UTexas/MIT), Kerim H. Nisancioglu (UiB/UiO), Øyvind Paasche (UiB), Tore Furevik (UiB), Iselin Medhaug (UiB/ETH Zurich).

Check for continuous updates on list of lecturers and program: http://www.uib.no/rs/acdc

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/108883495
Facebook: https://facebook.com/acdcsummerschool
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#acdcsummerschool

The Advanced Climate Dynamics Courses (ACDC) are yearly summer schools organized by the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research (University of Bergen) in collaboration with the University of Washington, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the University of Texas at Austin with support from the Centre for Internationalization of Higher Education (SiU) and the Research Council of Norway. Partners for this year’s summer school include Harvard University, McGill University, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and IBS Centre for Climate Physics.

For contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Flyer

Best regards, on behalf of the ACDC team!

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) marks six decades of successful international collaboration. Since its first meeting in The Hague on 3-5 February 1958, SCAR has grown an international network of thousands of scientists who share a common ambition to carry out Antarctic science for the benefit of society.

With a membership representing the scientific communities of 43 countries, SCAR is instrumental in initiating, developing and coordinating high quality international scientific research in the Antarctic and the Southern Ocean. As an inter-disciplinary committee of the International Council for Science (ICSU) SCAR provides objective and independent advice to international bodies such as the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Antarctica and the Southern Ocean have a fundamental role in regulating processes such as climate and carbon uptake, and research in the Antarctic is crucial to understanding processes of global significance and to advancing science. Additionally, rapid changes are occurring in parts of Antarctica that could open the continent to a new level of activities in the coming decades. Antarctic governance, administration and environmental protection must be based on scientific data.

Since 1958, SCAR has been central in defining the vision and goals of science in Antarctica and has facilitated the implementation of Antarctic science by promoting international and transdisciplinary collaborations. The provision of scientific advice, identification of opportunities, and the facilitation of collaboration are the core elements of SCAR’s essential mission.

SCAR President, Steven Chown said: “In the last 60 years, Antarctic scientists have made astonishing discoveries that have changed how we view our changing world. These discoveries have influenced global policies to ban the use of ozone-depleting chemicals; to protect Southern Ocean ecosystems while managing commercial activity; and have informed international discussions on climate change. No one nation can achieve this alone and SCAR is proud of its international leadership role in shaping the Antarctic research agenda.”

Sixty years ago, the International Geophysical Year drew world attention to the importance of continuing international Antarctic collaboration. Today, governments around the world are working together to combat climate change and adapt to its effects. SCAR is very well placed to inform and enable intergovernmental initiatives to chart a new course (in the global climate effort) through its continued ambition for a coordinated international approach to Antarctic science.

Chown added: “Antarctica is changing rapidly. An iceberg of about 5800 square km broke off from the Larsen C Ice Shelf in September 2017: a prelude to the shelf’s eventual disappearance. The Pine Island Glacier continued its rapid retreat, along with that of some 80% of the glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula. Melting land ice contributes to global sea level rise. Antarctica may contribute more than a metre of sea level rise by 2100 and 13 metres by 2500.

“The area of Antarctic sea ice decreased by 20% below the mean for 1981-2010 in 2016, and stayed 10% below the mean in 2017. The shells of the plankton at the base of the food chain are at risk from spiralling concentrations of carbon dioxide, potentially harming Southern Ocean food-webs. These current, worrying observations make SCAR’s international research collaboration more urgent that ever, as we continue our journey into the Anthropocene.”

SCAR is moving into its seventh decade and has grown substantially in membership – from 12 original members in 1958 to 43 currently. It is now well-established as an internationally recognized and influential organization. This has only been possible through the engagement and support of thousands of researchers from around the world that comprise the
SCAR Antarctic scholarly community, together with the support of the SCAR member organizations. SCAR invites everybody to celebrate its 60th birthday!

SCAR will celebrate its 60th year at its 35th Meeting and the Open Science Conference (POLAR2018) at Davos in Switzerland from June 15-26 June 2018.

For more information on SCAR, see the 60th Anniversary Fact Sheet (104 KB), and browse the SCAR website.

For versions of this press release in languages other than English, please go to the 60th Anniversary folder in the SCAR Library.

cv3 outnow The Norwegian Polar Institute is proud to announce the release of Quantarctica 3, the latest version of its free, cross-platform compilation of GIS software and high-quality Antarctic scientific data.

Quantarctica 3 is the result of a two-year dedicated development effort. Thanks to the work of the Quantarctica Project Team, Editorial Board, and feedback from hundreds of users around the world, this version is Quantarctica's biggest release yet, adding:

Eight new themes with over 50 new datasets in over 100 new layers: Atmospheric Science, Biology, Environmental Management, Geology, Ice Cores, Oceanography, Sea Ice, and Social Science
New additions and updates to the pre-existing Geophysics and Glaciology categories
The Quantarctica Data Catalog (http://quantarctica.npolar.no/data-catalog), where you can view preview images, metadata, and citation information for every dataset
Northward expansion of Quantarctica's project boundary to 40°S, including subantarctic islands
Improved and expanded basemap, terrain, and satellite imagery layers
Updates, resolution improvements, and stability enhancements to datasets from v1 and v2
New features in QGIS and significant enhancements to project stability, speed, and usability

Quantarctica was developed with the feedback, assistance, and experience of dozens of early-career researchers. It's not an exaggeration to say that you are by far our most enthusiastic group of users. We hope that version 3 gives you the tools you need to stand out from the crowd.

Visit http://quantarctica.npolar.no/ to download the latest version. And please consider sharing the news and your own Quantarctica-made creations on social media- #quantarctica, #qgis , and @norskpolar are good things to tag!

And as always, if you have any questions, comments, bug reports, or cool maps, send us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Quantarctica is made for and by the Antarctic community - we could not have created this new version without you. We look forward to seeing Quantarctica in use on the ice and in many figures in the years to come!

Happy Mapping,
The Quantarctica Project Team
George Roth
Anders Skoglund
Kenichi Matsuoka

This year the Arctic Frontiers 2018 poster session was held on 24 January and, new this year, in the city centre at the Scandic Ishavshotel. A team of judges helped evaluate the posters across the four themes: Aquaculture in the High North in times of change; Circumpolar Safety, Search and Rescue Collaboration; Resilient Arctic Societies and Industrial Development; and The New Arctic in the Global Context. With more than half of the nearly 70 posters being from early career researchers and the excellent quality of posters, the competition was tough! In the end, after a difficult decision, the three winners were chosen. The excellent prizes sponsored by Arctic Frontiers were awarded at the Science Conference dinner also at the Scandic Ishavshotel. A warm congratulations to:

1^st prize: Emmelie Åström – Trophic relationships and community structure at cold seeps in the Barents Sea
2^nd prize: Chloé Maréchal – Wasting disease assessment in the northern sub-Arctic seagrass beds
3^rd prize: William Hatchett – Reinforcing Reinforcement: Reinforcement in Fucus distichusand Fucus serratus

Arctic Frontiers 2018 Poster Awards2 Kopie

Photos: Alberto Grohavaz

Continuously growing in popularity, this year’s edition of Arctic Frontiers Science for Schools, organized by APECS and the Science Centre of Northern Norway, brought together well over 100 students from five different schools in Tromsø. Living above the Arctic circle means the kids are very familiar with ice and snow, but most of them have so far not had the occasion to see what scientific research really entails. Scientists from five different countries, either living in Tromsø or abroad, shared their first-hand experiences of what it’s like to do research in Polar environments – whether it be drilling ice cores, investigating the rich sea life through diving or deep-sea cameras, or learning about permafrost through cartoons. They were amazed by the beautiful underwater photography of Peter Leopold and fascinated by Kirstin Werner explaining how ocean sediment cores can be used to say what the climate was like thousands of years ago. Thanks to Polona Itkin and Anja Rösel they also nearly all got a chance to saw through a real piece of sea-ice and find out just how salty it really is!

After the presentations and hands-on experiences it was the turn of the students to impress us with their excellent posters. Grade 10 classes presented their projects on Tuesday and Thursday, while the more advanced grade 12 class presented the experiments they had carried out on Wednesday. For many of them this was the very first time they presented a poster at a mini scientific conference – and they did an absolutely fantastic job! The level of English was just astounding, not to mention their enthusiasm as well as the well-thought out research projects.

The excellent quality of all the projects meant that for those of us serving as judges we had an extremely difficult task on our hands! We evaluated the posters and learnt a lot from the students through our discussions about their topics of choice, which ranged all the way from understanding the impact of climate change on different Arctic species through to whether munition from the local shooting range was polluting nearby freshwater streams.

After some very difficult decisions, we chose one winner from each day of the event. They were: My name is carbon, black carbon (Tuesday); Heavy metal seaweed (Wednesday); and An ocean of problems (Thursday). The overall winners of the Grade 10 classes was An ocean of problems. There is definitely enormous potential in the next generation of scientists!

We want to warmly thank all the great speakers who volunteered their time to be part of the Science for Schools event: Anja Rösel, Polona Itkin, Charlotte Havermans, Julie LePage, Kristin Werner, Peter Leopold, Lawrence Hislop, and Mona Fuhrmann.

Arctic Frontiers Science for Schools 2018 small

Photos: Alberto Grohavaz

APECS organized a fascinating panel discussion on Tuesday 23 January during the Arctic Frontiers conference entitled “Adventures in the Field”. Inspired by the work that APECS is doing as part of the INTERACT project, the panel discussion focused on what it takes to do fieldwork in the Arctic. Four speakers, with many years of experience between them, shared many of their stories, anecdotes, and advice with an enthusiastic audience of over 40 people. Ingrid Wiedman(University of Tromsø) shared her experience of doing fieldwork from research vessels and how one needs to ensure excellent planning and communication when one is a scientific cruise leader. Alex Messerli(Norwegian Polar Institute) also highlighted how important it is to have detailed plans as well as several backup plans. She pointed out how essential it is to have a good field team that is well-informed and aware of each of their responsibilities. Morten Rasch(University of Copenhagen) shared a few stories from his perspective as station manager and leader of the INTERACT station manager’s forum. Being well prepared to go out into the field makes the station staff’s lives much easier, and is particularly important in view of safety and avoiding any possible rescue operations. Morten also highlighted how as early career researchers one should focus on the smaller and ‘relatively easy’ to obtain funding opportunities that are available, for example, the INTERACT transnational access programme. Svein Mathiesen(International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry) gave an excellent overview of how fieldwork in the Arctic, particularly through working with local communities, had changed his life. He shared several very funny anecdotes as well as much good advice. A healthy discussion with the audience rounded off a well-appreciated and interesting hour talking about adventures in the field!

Arctic Frontiers2018 panel Kopie

APECS will be hosting several events to celebrate the APECS International Polar Week from March 19-25th. Our theme this year will be #PolarPride with a focus on appreciating APECS members from all aspects of polar sciences. We have fantastic members and want to show our pride! We also hope to recognize individuals that are traditionally underrepresented either because of what they study or because of systemic issues of diversity within polar sciences.

During Polar Week, we will be hosting a number of events from a photo competition to social media gatherings to blog posts. One of the events we hope to hold are webinars that directly relate to our theme of #PolarPride. We would love your opinion of which topics to discuss. Please choose your favorite topic with the poll linked below and let us know if you have any questions at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The deadline for submitting a response is February 17th. We hope to see you all at our upcoming events.

Webinar Poll: https://goo.gl/zfZs5s

Thank you,

The Polar Week Organizing Committee

Call for Webinar Registration: Arctic Research Seminar Series
Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS)

Date/Time: Monday, 12 February from 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET
Speakers: Roberto Delgado and Andrea Horvath Marques
Presentation Title: Promoting Research on Mental Health, Resilience, and Wellbeing in the Arctic

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) announces the next Arctic Research Seminar Series event featuring Roberto Delgado and Andrea Horvath Marques, both from the National Institute of Mental Health/National Institutes of Health (NIHM/NIH). The event will be held in the ARCUS D.C. office at 1201 New York Avenue, NW Washington D.C. on Monday, 12 February 2018 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET.

This seminar will also be available as a webinar live-stream for those unable to attend in person.

Registration is required for this event.

This seminar titled Promoting Research on Mental Health, Resilience, and Wellbeing in the Arctic will provide an overview of research and other activities supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that aim to improve the mental health and wellbeing of Arctic residents.

Roberto Delgado works in the Office for Research on Disparities and Global Mental Health (ORDGMH) and the Office of Rural Mental Health Research (ORMHR) at the NIMH/NIH, supporting the Institute's efforts to reduce mental health disparities both within and outside of the United States. In this capacity, Roberto is coordinating RISING SUN, an Arctic Council initiative with the goal of producing a toolkit that enables communities, governments, and key stakeholders to measure the effectiveness of suicide prevention interventions among Indigenous Arctic communities. Roberto is also a co-lead of the IARPC Health and Well-being Collaboration Team, participates in the U.S. Arctic Policy Group, and contributes to international working groups on biodiversity and sustainable development for the Arctic Council. Roberto's areas of interest include Arctic Indigenous peoples' issues, basic research, environmental conservation, public health, science policy, and social sciences.

Andrea Horvath Marques serves as Chief of the Mental Health Disparity Program at the NIMH/ORDGMH. Andrea is trained as a psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and public mental health researcher. An experienced psychiatrist and public mental health research professional, Andrea manages a grant portfolio focused on suicide prevention in Native American and Native Alaskan communities and coordinates NIMH efforts related to Mental Health Disparities research and co-leads the NIMH's Mental Health Equity Workgroup. Andrea supports the ORDGMH Global Mental Health Program by serving as a Project Scientist for the Research Partnerships for Scaling Up Mental Health Interventions in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Andrea has earned an Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) with specialization in Psychiatry and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychiatry from the University of São Paulo's School of Medicine, and has earned a Masters of Public Health from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

This event is a brown-bag lunch that will be held in the ARCUS D.C. office (1201 New York Avenue, NW Washington D.C. Fourth Floor). Cookies and beverages will be provided.

A live webinar is also available to those unable to attend in person. Instructions for accessing the event online will be sent to webinar registrants prior to the event.

For those of you on Twitter, we also invite you to join us in live-tweeting the event using the hashtag #arcuswebinar.

To register for the event, go to:
ARCUS D.C. Arctic Research Seminar Series homepage

For questions, contact:
Brit Myers
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

EU funds an Arctic Research Icebreaker Consortium, which will provide researchers with improved access to research icebreakers.

[Bremerhaven, 6th February 2018] Fifteen partners from thirteen countries including two North American partners from USA and Canada have joint forces to improve the capacities for marine-based research in the ice-covered Arctic Ocean. In the project “ARICE- Arctic Research Icebreaker Consortium”, they aim at better coordinating the existing polar research fleet, at offering scientists access to six research icebreakers and at collaborating closely with the maritime industry. The European Commission funds the project, which is coordinated by the German Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), with 6 million Euros. The project kick-off meeting takes place at the German Maritime Museum in Bremerhaven 6th to 7th February 2018.

See here the full press release: Making the Arctic accessible for excellent science

Lisa Lesoto Dr. Loseto has been a solid presence in arctic science for several years, and when not in the field, is often found in households and harvesting camps across the north. Her attention to the well-being of northern residents, coupled with her commitment to ensure that Indigenous peoples are involved in the science and study of traditional foods, make her a visible and honoured member of the arctic science community.

One of the central components in Dr. Loseto's impeccable reputation is her drive to serve as a mentor to early career scientists. A work colleague to Dr. Loseto, Dr. Robert Young, says this about her mentorship:

"Since 2008, Lisa has mentored and contributed to the training of over more than 20 northern students through her beluga health research program. These students have had the opportunity to work with her in the field, to travel to Winnipeg to work for periods in the lab as well as to scientific conferences where they were exposed to a range of Arctic research. Many of her students were given the opportunity and guidance necessary to present posters or make presentations on their research projects. Her mentoring efforts have had a profound impact on these students. It has inspired them to gain a new insight into the value of their environment, research and its importance to northern communities. Her leadership has also instilled a sense of self confidence in these students that has contributed to successful careers in range of professions, including polar research, for most of her students. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has benefited because Lisa's approach to research and training has created a highly successful community-based monitoring program and a leader in incorporating traditional ecological knowledge into research and management decision making.

Dr. Loseto has also mentored and trained 18 students at a number of academic institutions. The range in students has been broad and includes supervision and mentoring of high school, postsecondary, graduate (MSc and PhD) students as well as post-doctoral fellows. The mentoring opportunities for these students have been quite varied ranging from field work and conferences to developing highly innovative laboratory techniques and statistical modeling approaches."

One of the greatest and most unique aspects of Dr. Loseto's mentoring approach is found in her commitment to ensure that students are able to connect their work with Indigenous communities and to involve these communities in many phases of the science process. This necessary approach highlights cooperation and strong community-based involvement, which is an essential component in how science is conducted across the Arctic.

Dr. Loseto, congratulations on being recognized as a leader in arctic science mentorship. Your work is commendable, and your commitment to engendering both students and community members is exemplary!

Online Conference logo 2018 3 no day The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is proud to announce the 4th annual APECS International Online Conference to be live-streamed on 16 May 2018. This year’s theme, “Butterfly Effect: Small Changes, Big Impact,” challenges polar scientists to communicate the impacts of changes occurring in and connected to polar and alpine regions, including their environment, local communities, science methods, and policy and education.

The Poles are dynamic and complex regions, vulnerable to the effects of climatic and other changes, and inextricably linked to the rest of the globe. The concept of the butterfly effect was originally coined by Edward Lorenz to illustrate how a tornado could be affected by minor changes, such as the flapping of butterfly wings far away and several weeks earlier. This concept also has broader applications. For example, a change in the mid-latitudes can effect changes at the Poles and vice-versa; minute temperature changes can significantly impact local communities or ecosystems; the development of new scientific methods and technologies can generate answers to outstanding questions and open new fields of research; in the wake of shifting global politics, a small alteration to a document can modify treaty impacts and lead to significant consequences; a small act in your community, such as sharing your science at a local school, can inspire and mold future visions for our planet.This year, APECS challenges the scientific community to make an impact by presenting the large and the small of their research ideas, methods, and outcomes: a short presentation in our one-day virtual event can have a significant impact, both on you and the audience of the 4th APECS International Online Conference!

Abstract submission is now open until 2 March 2018 at 22:00 GMT. More detailed information on the call for abstract,the presentation formats, abstract guidelinesas well as the abstract submission formcan be found on the APECS International Online Conference 2018 website.

We will award three prizes this year for the best Oral Presentations (Arctic and Antarctic) and the best Innovative Communication!

apecs logo web

iasc web SCAR logo white background APECS, SCAR and IASC are organizing an Early Career Research Poster Award. If you would like to be included in this competition, please fill in this form. There are no strict definitions of 'early career'; SCAR and IASC generally consider early career to be within 5 years of a terminal degree, but we trust your judgement! You will be judged on both the visual AND oral presentation of your poster, and you should therefore plan to be present at your poster during the relevant poster session.

In order that the poster competition is a success, we require the help of volunteer judges (of all career stages, as long as you are not entered in the competition!). As a judge, you will be asked to evaluate and provide constructive feedback on a handful of posters using a set of defined criteria. Your help would be very much appreciated by the ECRs! Please also fill in this form if you would be able to help at one or more of the poster sessions.

The Call for Abstracts for the UArctic Congress is now open until March 16, 2018. We welcome submissions to more than fifty science sessions to be held in Oulu from September 5 and concluding in Helsinki on September 7, 2018.

We look forward to seeing you all in Finland for an excellent series of presentations and discussions.

Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Website: https://congress.uarctic.org/program/science-section/call-for-abstracts/

The Office of Polar Programs (OPP), which manages the U.S. Antarctic Program, has issued a policy statement that affirms that the program "is committed to providing a safe and respectful work environment, free of any form of harassment."

The document notes that "harassment can take many forms" and provides definitions of behaviors that are deemed unacceptable, including "any unwelcome verbal or physical conduct" under the heading of "harassment." It also separately defines behaviors that constitute "sexual harassment."

The document is signed by senior OPP officials, as well as a senior representatives of the Program’s logistical support contractor and senior officers of military units that provide logistical support to the program.

The policy encourages members of the Antarctic community who may feel that others are violating the principles and standards laid out in the document to report the objectionable behavior "as soon as safely possible."

Read the document in its entirety here: https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/documents/policy/Non-harassment%20Affirmation%20Policy%202018.pdf.

POSTER youngresearch The Complutense University of Madrid, through its research group of PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY IN HIGH MOUNTAINS (GFAM), and Guadarrama Monitoring Network (GUMNET) in collaboration with the scientific journal Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica / Geographical Research Letters (https://publicaciones.unirioja.es/ojs/index.php/cig), opens a call for the "Young Researcher Innovation Award in Cryosphere Science and Mountain Areas".

Young researchers in the process of presenting their PhD thesis or who have defended it not before January 1, 2014 are encouraged to participate.

Research topics should be encompassed in one of the two main fields:
a) Cryosphere Science (glaciology, permafrost, snow cover, frozen soils, glacial and periglacial geomorphology, biological processes in frozen areas, etc).
b) Research on Mountain Areas (meteorology, climatology, tectonics, geomorphology, volcanism, soils, biogeography, torrential dynamics, natural hazards, geoheritage, management issues, territorial planning, etc).

All the information (manuscript submission, contacts, awards, key dates etc) are available at:

http://www.ucm.es/gfam/young-researchers-award

You may also contact:Prof. David Palacios ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )

TRAVEL GRANT OPPORTUNITY (pending final NSF approval)
SCAR Open Science Conference
POLAR2018
Davos, Switzerland; 19-23 June 2018

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Open Science Conference (OSC) is held every two years and will be in Switzerland from 19-23 June 2018 (https://www.polar2018.org). The XXXVth SCAR OSC will be held in conjunction with POLAR2018, and bring together scientists from around the world with interests in both Antarctic and Arctic science. The OSC is an excellent opportunity to present and discuss the most recent and important results of research in polar disciplines.

Travel Grant Opportunity: Applications for partial travel support (up to ~$1800; e.g., airfare, meeting registration fees, per diem, lodging or other documented travel expenses) are sought from students, post-doctoral researchers and other scientists at US institutions. Preference will be given to early career investigators (students and those within 5 years of completing PhD). Individuals from underrepresented groups in the sciences (i.e., women, persons with disabilities, blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians) are encouraged to apply. Funding will be provided by the National Science Foundation Division of Polar Programs (pending final approval).

Eligibility: 1) You must be employed by/enrolled in a US institution, funding cannot be provided to anyone at a non-US institution. 2) You must present a talk or poster on Antarctic research at the 2018 SCAR Open Science Conference. 3) Applicants may not have access to current NSF grants with travel funds already designated for attendance at the SCAR OSC.

Application: The application form is available at https://goo.gl/forms/SyppDbQUGyboCDjP2. Reimbursement of funds will require submission of receipts after travel is completed. Air travel must be purchased through a US-flag carrier (no exceptions). Travel advances are not possible, and credit card statements are not valid as receipts.

Deadline for Applications: 1 March 2018

Questions: Contact Deneb Karentz (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), University of San Francisco

SCAR logo white background iasc web POLAR2018 The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS)in cooperation with the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) are pleased to announce the availability of travel support for the POLAR 2018 Conference (15 - 26 June 2018, Davos Switzerland).

Travel support via this process is currently available for:

Early career researchers up to 5 years past PhD with an Arctic and / or Antarctic and / or Cryospheric research focus (an allowance will be made for career breaks such as parental leave)
Indigenous researchers of all career stages(defined as researchers who are of Arctic Indigenous heritage, in particular those represented by the Arctic Council Permanent Participants)

APECS will be administering the funds provided by IASC and SCAR and will coordinate the application and distribution process of the funds on behalf of these organisations. We are continuing to work with other polar organisations to raise additional funds and encourage our partner organisations to get in touch with the APECS Secretariat at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you want to take advantage of having your early career travel funds for the conference distributed via this APECS-led application process.

These travel awards will only be able to cover part of your travel costs and the costs will be reimbursed after the meeting based on receipts that you provide (unfortunately, upfront payment is not possible).

Please read the more detailed announcement text and requirements for the funding and submit your application via the online form on the APECS website.

Application deadline for the Travel Awards will be on 28 February 2018 at 23:59 GMT. Late applications will not be considered. No exceptions will be made.

If you have any questions please contact the APECS Secretariat at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UK Russia Workshop2018 The National Committees of APECS in Russia (APECS Russia) and the UK (UK Polar Network), NERC Arctic Office, The Faculty of Geography Lomonosov Moscow State University, Marine Research Center of Lomonosov Moscow State University in partnership with the UK Science and Innovation Network in Russia and the British Embassy in Moscow will held the UK-Russia ECRs workshop devoted to the Arctic research priorities and collaborations on 1-2 March 2018, at Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.

The Workshop will get together 50 participants including 40 early-career researchers to discuss the ongoing bi-lateral research projects and future priorities for joint scientific collaborations, and possibilities to build longstanding partnerships.

Links to APECS Russia: https://vk.com/apecs.russia
Links to UKPN: http://polarnetwork.org/

The I (first) International Youth Scientific and Practical Conference «Arctic research: from extensive to integrated development» will be held in Arkhangelsk on 26-28 April 2018.

The conference consists of 4 main sections:

Human in the Arctic
1.1. Social and economic development
1.2 Human health
1.3 History and Culture
Natural and resource potential of the Arctic
2.1 Mineral resources
2.2 Forest and land resources
2.3 Water resources and animal resources
Arctic ecosystems and environmental protection
3.1 Environmental safety and environmental management
3.2 Organisms and their habitats
Technological development of the Arctic
4.1 Industry and infrastructure
4.2 Construction and power engineering
4.3 Information technology

Working languages are Russian and English.

The work of the conference will take place in the form of plenary sessions, sectional sessions and poster sessions. The age of the speaker should not exceed 35 years, but senior colleagues and scientific supervisors of young scientists may take part as co-authors of the publication. For people who do not have a PhD degree it is necessary to provide a scanned review from the scientific supervisor.

The conference proceedings will be published by the beginning of the conference.

Participation in the conference is free of charge.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask by e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Registration form can be found here.

The Northern Science Award is presented annually to an individual or a group who have made a significant contribution to meritorious knowledge and understanding of the Canadian North. In the spirit of the last International Polar Year (2007-2008) the Northern Science Award recognizes the transformation of knowledge into action.

This year marks the 33rd anniversary of the award, which comprises the Centenary Medal, which was created to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the first International Polar Year, 1882-1883, and a prize of $10,000.

The deadline for nominations is January 31st 2018.

For more information, visit the Polar Knowledge Canada website at https://www.canada.ca/en/polar-knowledge/fundingforresearchers/awards.html.

The International Summer School at the University of Oslo (http://www.uio.no/english/studies/summerschool/) is pleased to offer a 6-week Masters level course, "A Changing Arctic." The highly interdisciplinary course consists of a series of lectures, both by UiO staff and external guests, covering a wealth of issues related to the Arctic domain as well as excursions and public outreach.

This course aims to enhance knowledge and understanding of the Arctic natural habitat, including its changes over time and plausible future trajectories, and to increase awareness about how those changes affect legal developments, political tensions, and international governance challenges. Students will learn about the uncertainties in scientific data and models and will be trained in the use of analytical tools and models that help to describe and diagnose governance challenges and to identify and assess response options. The course also provides understanding of international law rules governing the Arctic region, with particular focus on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

This year the school will be held from June 23-August 3 at the Blindern Campus in Oslo. The course includes a final examination and group and individual presentations, worth 15 ECTS (Credits).

Scholarship applications close by 1 February.
Self-financed applications close by 1 March.

More information about the course and the International Summer School application process can be found here:
http://www.uio.no/english/studies/courses/iss/summer-school/ISSMN4030/ or you can check out the course Blog and the public outreach assignments https://achangingarctic.wordpress.com/.

COST action ES1404 on snow (http://harmosnow.eu) will arrange a spring school on snow, focusing on snow data assimilation. The training school will be held in Bormio, Italy in March 12-16, 2018.

Deadline is January 26, 2018!

Objectives
To learn and discuss the state-of-the art and developing snow data assimilation methods for NWP, hydrology and detailed snowpack models:

Importance of snow data assimilation for forecast and applications
Availability, uncertainties and usage of observations for the models
Methods of objective analysis and data assimilation
Using of observations for model evaluation

Target audience

PhD and graduate level students who want to learn data assimilation methods for snow
Modellers who want to advance their skill in data assimilation and understand the snow observations better
Observation specialists who want to learn how the observations are used in models

The participants should have a basic knowledge in snow physics and numerical methods. Applicants from COST inclusiveness countries (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Serbia and Turkey) are welcome

Funding
COST will cover all local expenses including accommodation, food and the field trip. The flight tickets and local transport (up to 300 euros) will be covered by application when necessary. In special cases the travel budget can be extended.

Contents
Lectures, practical exercises and a field trip on:

Introduction to NWP/hydrology/snowpack models and their snow data assimilation
Methods of data assimilation
Snow observations applicable for data assimilation in the models
Snow-related applications

Credits
COST ES-1404 considers that the school programme is equivalent to 3 ECTS.

For application procedure, see the school flyer:

School flyerSchool flyer
Preliminary program, topics and trainers

Please send your motivation letter and CV to Cemal.Melih.Tanis at fmi.fi and Ekaterina.Kurzeneva at fmi.fi.

We are is pleased to announce the second field school as a part of the International Partnerships for Excellence in Education and Research (INTPART) project “Arctic Field Summer Schools: Norway-Canada-USA collaboration”. The second field school is organized by the University of Alaska Fairbanks and is tentatively planned for May 29 to June 9, 2018.

The “Arctic Field Summer School” is primarily funded by the Research Council of Norway (NFR) and the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (SIU), under grant agreement number 261786/H30 (http://cirfa.uit.no/intpart-project-to-cirfa-arctic-field-summer-school). The project supports research and education collaboration among UiT-the Arctic University of Norway, the International Arctic Research Center (IARC) of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), USA, and the University of Calgary (UC), Canada. Through a series of summer schools, the project engages graduate students in exploring science questions related to Arctic challenges.

During this second field school, students will participate and learn about remote sensing and ground-based field observations in Utqiaġvik, Alaska (formerly Barrow). The overall theme of the school is the study of processes of the Arctic coastal environment at the intersection between the marine, terrestrial, atmospheric and cryospheric environments using ground-based and remote sensing observations. The course will be primarily based in and near the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and will be conducted in close collaboration with UIC Science (Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation), where the participating students will receive introductory lectures and collect in-situ and remote sensing data to be analyzed in collaboration with their instructors. Students will formulate a project jointly with instructors and work on their project for the duration of the field school. The participating students will make an oral presentation and submit an individual or group report at the end of the school, and will be able to earn credits for participation based on an assessment of the work. The class will be offered as a two-credit UAF summer course and students willing to earn credits need to enroll for the class in advance.

Travel grants (amounts will be determined later) will be issued by IARC to help offset or fully cover travel costs to Utqiaġvik (Barrow), Alaska, as well as local costs and accommodation. Please send your 1-page motivation letter that outlines how this course fits into your graduate study and career plans, CV, and a recommendation letter from your supervisor.

Important: This opportunity is open only for US-based graduate students enrolled at US universities and the international partners will advertise separately.

For further information or to apply, please contact Mr. Tohru Saito (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Application deadline is February 28, 2018.

We cordially invite you to submit a paper to our “Research Topic” in Frontiers in Earth Science. For this special issue, we aim to compile a collection of articles devoted to the topic “Paleoceanographic Conditions in High Northern Latitudes during Quaternary Interglaciations” (see abstract below). We expect our “Research Topic” to include papers based on various sedimentological, faunal and (organic) geochemical methods. Please note that the journal is willing to assist with removing any barrier to publishing and has developed solutions regarding publishing fees, including numerous institutional agreements that cover the publishing costs, as well as waivers for those without funding. For more information on these solutions, please click here.

What advantages will you have when publishing your paper in our Research Topic?

Manuscripts published in Research Topics have higher visibility and have a trend for higher citations compared to solo submissions;
All Frontiers in Earth Science articles are fully Gold Open Access with a CC-BY license, so authors retain the copyright to their articles;
Frontiers in Earth Science upload articles online as soon as they are accepted for publication without any embargo period;
Our “Research Topic” has its own dedicated web page: Paleoceanographic Conditions in High Northern Latitudes during Quaternary Interglaciations;
Participation in a Frontiers “Research Topic” helps to engage the community and stimulate discussion;
There is opportunity to publish articles in a free Gold Open Access eBook;
Our “Research Topic” is being announced simultaneously through three popular sections of the Frontiers Earth in Science journal: Biogeochemistry, Geochemistry, and Quaternary Science, Geomorphology and Paleoenvironment which will attract more attention to its publications.

How to proceed with submitting a paper?

Please notify us vie email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) about your intention to write a paper for our “Research Topic”.

Submit your abstract before 01.02.2018 through the “Research Topic” web page Paleoceanographic Conditions in High Northern Latitudes during Quaternary Interglaciations; and your paper before 28.07.2018.

With best regards,

The editors, Evgenia Kandiano, Tom Cronin, Kirstin Werner, Juliane Müller

Abstract:
Current climate warming is dramatically amplified in high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, notably through sea-ice retreat and melting of the Greenland ice sheet. These processes, in turn, trigger feedback mechanisms affecting ocean temperature and circulation. These oceanographic mechanisms and interactions with sea ice, the atmosphere and adjacent land areas need to be investigated in order to understand the extent and further development of the ongoing climate change.

Paleoceanographic reconstructions of past interglacial periods in high northern latitudes can provide useful insights and scenarios for future climate prediction. However, such reconstructions in subpolar and polar environments involve multiple challenges due to a strong influence of melt water, quantifying temperature calibrations, restricted species’ compositions in many biological groups, and others. Significant recent advances in developing new paleoceanographic methods (especially in the field of geochemistry and biogeochemistry) and elaborating existing methods allow for evaluation of past changes in seasonal sea-ice extent, salinity, and ocean circulation. Paleo-temperature estimations of surface, subsurface and bottom waters also have been considerably improved.

In this Research Topic, we welcome contributions exploring oceanic environments in high northern latitudes during the pronounced Quaternary interglacial periods, especially Marine Isotope Stages 11, 9, 5e, and 1, by means of various paleoceanographical methods, from paleontological to biogeochemical. Suborbital and millennial-scale reconstructions of oceanic conditions and circulation are especially encouraged.

Please consider submitting papers that advance the understanding of seasonal snow to the special issue in Water Resources Research. In addition to regular research articles, WRR provides the option to submit a short format data paper (about a unique dataset) or a short format technical report (about a new sensing technology), and some of these may be very appropriate for this special issue. Also, papers that are not related to the SnowEx field campaign are also very welcome.

Call for Papers for “Advances in remote sensing, measurement, and simulation of seasonal snow”

Snow is critically important to human welfare, affecting water supplies, security, economics, energy and climate. Understanding seasonal snow cover is critical to understanding the fate of frozen ground, glaciers, and sea ice. Global snow reserves are rapidly changing, but we currently lack effective means for accurately tracking snow amounts and how much they are changing. With this special issue, we encourage contributions that increase our understanding and capabilities with regards to sensing and simulating snow amounts across a wide range of environments and spatial scales. Research on data collection and analysis, instrumentation, calibration and validation, modeling (both hydrologic and radiometric), and synergistic applications of snow remote sensing data for improved understanding of other earth processes are all welcome. We encourage contributions related to NASA’s multi-year SnowEx project, designed to advance capabilities and plan for a near-future space mission to monitor global seasonal snow water equivalent.

Manuscripts should be submitted through the GEMS (http://wrr-submit.agu.org/cgi-bin/main.plex) website. For additional information please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Submission Deadline: September 1, 2018

An excellent and exciting opportunity awaits university students interested in the Arctic and Arctic affairs. University of Lapland and University of Oulu (Finland), in cooperation with the Model Arctic Council Thematic Network, will host a Model Arctic Council 2018 in October 29 – November 2, 2018 in Rovaniemi, Finland.

The call for participation can be found here. Bildschirmfoto 2018-01-25 um 09.54.17.png

Bildschirmfoto 2018-01-25 um 09.45.12.png Please see below and attached re: winter issue of the Journal of Ocean Technology (JOT) and opportunities to get involved. Feel free to distribute to your professional networks.

Mitigating Risks in the Arctic Region (V13N4)
The winter 2018 issue of the Journal of Ocean Technology – with guest editors Professor Aykut I. Ölcer and Associate Professor Dimitrios Dalaklis of the World Maritime University (a postgraduate maritime university founded by the International Maritime Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations) in Malmö, Sweden – will expand global knowledge in relation to the Arctic Region’s truly pristine environment and promote the understanding of newly emerging technologies and regulatory efforts that are paving the way towards responsible ocean utilization and management.

Would you like to share your research and experiences in this area with our readers? The Journal of Ocean Technology is inviting the submission of technical papers, essays, and short articles. Further details and submission deadlines can be found in attached PDF.

Organizers invite applications for the Software Carpentry and Introduction to High-Performance Computing Workshop. This workshop will convene 16-17 June 2018 during the Polar2018 conference in Davos, Switzerland.

This free two-day workshop is designed for polar scientists interested in learning tools for data analysis and computation using high-performance computing. Prior programming experience helpful, but is not required.

Topics will include:

Python programming
Shell scripting
Git and version control
High-performance computers
Best practices in data management and reproducible research

Graduate students and other early career researchers particularly encouraged to apply.

The workshop is free but space is limited, apply by filling out this form before 10 February 2018.

Workshop Flyer

Bildergebnis für UAF logo Reminder of the upcoming application deadline for the Fifth International Summer School in Glaciology organized by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF), and to be held in McCarthy, central Alaska, from 5 to 15 June 2018.

The course will provide a comprehensive overview of the physics of glaciers and current research frontiers in glaciology with focus on quantitative glaciology and remote sensing. The course is open to 28 graduate students from around the world targeting primarily early stage PhD students who perform glacier-related research.

It will be taught by faculty of UAF’s glaciology group and several invited guest instructors from outside Alaska: Andy Aschwanden, Ed Bueler, Mark Fahnestock, Regine Hock, Martin Truffer (UAF); Kelly Brunt (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), Matthew Hoffman (Los Alamos National Lab), Mike Loso (National Parks Service Alaska), Erin Worthon (USGS Tacoma).

Application deadline: 25 January 2018
(note the deadline has been moved back a few days)
If you have sent your application already, but not received a confirmation, please resend. There is a small risk that some applications have been lost due to an email issue a few days ago).

Summer School Sponsors:
NASA, The Norwegian-North American Glaciology Exchange Program RemoteEx, International Glaciological Society (IGS), International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS), Frontiers in Earth Sciences, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks

See for further information: http://glaciers.gi.alaska.edu/courses/summer-school/2018

SCAR logo white background An essay by Professor Tim Naish on "What does the United Nations Paris Climate Agreement Mean for Antarctica?" was recently published in the New Zealand Antarctic Society journal 'Antarctic'. The essay covers the subject of Prof Naish's SCAR Lecture to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting held in Beijing, China in May 2017.

Naish, T., 2017. What does the United Nations Paris Climate Agreement Mean for Antarctica? Antarctic 35(4), 46-51

The article is available to download, by kind permission of the New Zealand Antarctic Society, from the SCAR Library: https://www.scar.org/scar-library/search/policy/science-to-policy/4967-un-paris-climate-agreement-antarctica-naish

The slides and text of Prof Naish's ATCM SCAR Lecture 2017 are available through the SCAR Library: https://www.scar.org/antarctic-treaty/atcm-presentations/3483-scar-lecture-2017/

For more information on the New Zealand Antarctic Society, please visit their website: https://antarcticsociety.org.nz/.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) and the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) Alaska invite applications and/or nominations for two Arctic Indigenous scholars. A scholar can be any person who is an expert within their own knowledge system. No formal education is required.

The selected scholars will travel to Washington, D.C. for three to five days and will facilitate meetings with officials at relevant U.S. government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other groups. Scholars will be able to share their interests, learn of available resources, build relationships, and provide on-the-ground perspectives to key decision-makers. Indigenous Scholars will also provide an open seminar/webinar to Arctic policy-makers and others interested in the Arctic.

Criteria for the selection of scholars will include factors such as the scholar's potential overall impact during the Washington, D.C. visit, applicant's ability to share the benefit from meeting with policy- and decision-makers, and the potential for that applicant to advance knowledge and its application to real-world challenges through broader connectivity.

To nominate an Indigenous scholar, send a letter of nomination outlining why and how the nominee and their community would benefit from this opportunity. Nominations must include the full contact information for the nominee.

Nomination letters can be emailed to Lisa Sheffield Guy (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or mailed to ARCUS office. Letters should be emailed or post-marked by 15 February 2018.

To apply to be a scholar, applications can be submitted by one of the following methods:

Online application form;
Download a printable application form (PDF 123 KB) and mail to Lisa Sheffield Guy at the ARCUS office.
Arrange a telephone interview. To schedule a time, call the ARCUS office at 907-474-1600. Applications via phone will be recorded for committee review.

Nominations and applications submitted via postal mail must be sent to:

Lisa Sheffield Guy, ARCUS
3535 College Roads, Suite 101
Fairbanks, Alaska 99701-3710

Application and nomination deadline: 15 February 2018

For more information, go to:
Indigenous Scholars webpage

For questions, contact:

Lisa Sheffield Guy
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 907-474-1600

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) invites applications for an Interdisciplinary Science Communication Training Program for Early Career Scientists. This program will take place from February to May 2018 and will be conducted via Zoom webinar software.

During the program, participants will be expected to:

Complete the interdisciplinary science communication short course,
Deliver a lightning talk during an IARPC public webinar and a collaboration team meeting,
Attend two IARPC Collaboration team meetings, and
Complete a program evaluation form.

To participate in the program, applicants must:

Be a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, or doctoral student/candidate currently conducting research related to Arctic science;
Have a good command of English;
Have an account on IARPC Collaborations with a complete profile;
Commit to participating in the online activities;
Commit to attending at least two collaboration team meetings during the training period of 19 February – May 2018;
Be excited about interdisciplinary teamwork; and
Appreciate the need for science communication skills in cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Applications are available on the program website and must be completed and emailed to Jessica Rohde at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Program duration: February-May 2018

Application deadline: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 2 February 2018

For more information, including course requirements and to access the application, go to:
Training program homepage

To request an IARPC Collaborations account, go to:
IARPC Collaborations homepage

For questions, contact:
Jessica Rohde
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 206-931-0090

The Complutense University of Madrid, through the Department of Geography and its Research Group of Physical Geography of High Mountains has opened a call for a Young Researchers Award on works related to the cryosphere science and research in mountain areas. The outstanding works will be published on two issues of the journal Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica.

Editors of Cryosphere Science Special Issue: David Palacios (Complutense University of Madrid), Jose M. García-Ruiz (CSIC), Marc Oliva (University of Barcelona), Jose María Fernández-Fernández (Complutense University of Madrid).

Editors of Research on Mountain Areas Special Issue: Nuria de Andrés (Complutense University of Madrid), Amelia Gómez-Villar (University of León), Luis Miguel Tanarro (Complutense University of Madrid), Jesus Ruiz-Fernández (University of Oviedo).

Young researchers in the process of presenting their PhD thesis or who have submitted it not before January 1, 2014 are encouraged to participate. Please find here the guidelines of the award.

AS-301 Risk Assessment of Arctic Natural Hazards (10 ECTS),
Course at UNIS, 4 June - 6 July 2018

Course requirements:

Enrolment in a relevant master programme in natural sciences, environmental sciences, or technology.

Academic content:

This course appreciates the multidisciplinary and multifaceted nature of natural hazards in Arctic environments, with focus on Svalbard. In a rapidly changing Arctic that experiences increased population and touristic pressures, risk assessment of natural hazards threatening people’s lives and key infrastructure becomes essential.

A theoretical foundation for quantitative risk assessment, together with an introduction to the geo-, cryo-, hydro-, and biosphere of the Arctic, precedes four applied modules:

Weather hazards:
Basic factors characterizing the weather in the Arctic and their impacts on people and infrastructure present in the area will be introduced and discussed; focusing on phenomena like strong winds, low temperatures, and icing on e.g. aircraft, ships and infrastructure. Acquisition and application of weather data for risk assessment will be taught.
Slope hazards: Basic process-controlling factors and their vulnerability to climate change are introduced for Arctic slope processes (snow avalanches, landslides, rockslides). Basic data acquisition methods on analyzing the underlying geophysical processes are applied. Finally, forecasting, prevention, and mitigation measures are discussed and tested.
Biohazards: Sustainable management of Arctic environmental issues is discussed. The natural behavior of polar bears and other large marine mammals is described and discussed in the light of human-animal interaction and de-escalation. The risk of diseases from parasites is demonstrated and best practice routines are introduced.
Cryohazards: Basic process-controlling factors and their vulnerability to climate change are introduced focusing on sea ice dynamics, glacier mass balance and -dynamics, iceberg production, and permafrost evolution. Basic data acquisition methods for analyzing the underlying geophysical processes are applied and tested. Sea ice dynamics and iceberg production are related to safe Arctic shipping.

Finally, gained analytical knowledge and process understanding is combined to a practical risk assessment exercise.

More information can be found under the following link: https://www.unis.no/course/as-301-risk-assessment-arctic-natural-hazards/

Application deadline is 15 February 2018.

The Executive Organizing Committee for the Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) 2018 is seeking community input, in the form of brief statements, that will help guide discussions during the AOS Thematic Working Group sessions. The theme for this Summit, convening 24-26 June 2018 in Davos, Switzerland, is The Business Case for a pan-Arctic Observing System.

The Arctic Observing Summit is a biennial summit that aims to provide community-driven guidance for the design, implementation, coordination, and sustained operation of an international network of Arctic observing systems. The AOS provides a platform to address urgent and broadly recognized needs of Arctic observing across all components of the Arctic system. The AOS 2018 will focus on pressing issues in the implementation and support of sustained observations that can be addressed through a business-case lens.

Short statements or white papers should link to the themes identified for AOS 2018. A full description of the thematic focus for AOS 2018 can be found on the meeting homepage.

Input on other important and relevant topics related to AOS are welcome under the category of "OTHER: Other high-priority issues for Arctic observing", but organizers ask that authors contact the AOS Executive Organizing Committee by email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and send a proposed title and abstract to discuss the topic prior to preparing the statement for inclusion.

Deadline to submit input: 15 February 2018

For more information about the request for input and to submit a statement, go to:
Short statement submission form

For instructions on preparing a short statement, go to:
Short statement guidelines

For more information about the meeting, including conference sub-themes, go to:
AOS 2018 homepage

For questions, contact:
Ravi Darwin Sankar
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 403-220-5775

Maribeth Murray
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

APECS Norway logo competition The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) aims to stimulate interdisciplinary and international research collaborations in polar research. APECS Norway is a newly formed chapter to connect those based in or interested in activities in Norway.

In order to share this exciting news and the role of our broader organization, we would like find a new APECS Norway logo. We would like to invite all members to design and create an APECS Norway logo which reflects the polar regions, and with a bit of Norwegian 'inspirasjon'.

We invite all APECS members to send us a logo in .pdf .eps .jpg .png or .tif-format by Tuesday 20th February 2018 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.! All entries will be uploaded to the APECS Norway facebook page after this date where the public can see and vote for their favourite until 6th March (note, that you don't have to be a facebook member in order to vote in the poll). The top 5 will be reviewed by members of the APECS Norway National Committee who will choose the best logo! The design will be used on APECS Norway materials so plenty of future glory for the winner.

The original APECS logo in various formats is available on the APECS website. N.b. the orange colour is (RGB 241,106,34) and the Blue is (RGB 0,77,140), and the text font is Optima Bold. Though you are encouraged to be creative - check out the various other National logos.

Any questions: please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.!

Lykke til/Good luck!

CAFF-IASC Fellows in 2018 Erica Oberndorfur and Thomas Lameris
Thomas Lameris and Erica Oberndorfer are the inaugural CAFF-IASC Fellows!

The Conservation of Flora and Fauna (CAFF) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) welcome Thomas Lameris and Erica Oberndorfer to the inaugural CAFF-IASC Fellowship in 2018.

CAFF and IASC have teamed up together to provide Fellows with an opportunity to identify an area of interest and expertise, participate in and contribute to CAFF’s work, and produce at least one peer reviewed publication and/or deliverable report to the Arctic Council Senior Arctic Officials.

The selection process was organized in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), who managed the applications and coordinated the work of independent, volunteer reviewers to evaluate and recommend the highest quality candidates. The final selection was made in consultation with CAFF and IASC.

Lameris and Oberndorfer will begin their Fellowship by attending the CAFF Board Meeting February 6-8, 2018 in Fairbanks, Alaska. After this initial introduction, they will delve into their respective projects and continue with appropriate meeting(s), and advance the work of the groups on which they will focus. In addition, they are expected to contribute to the program of the Arctic Biodiversity Congress, 2018.

Lameris will focus his activities on CAFF’s Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI) and Oberndorfer will focus on CAFF’s Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program’s (CBMP) Terrestrial work.

Lameris is a bird ecologist, mainly focusing on the impacts of climate warming on phenology and reproduction of Arctic migratory birds. During his MSc at the Wageningen University in the Netherlands (2013), he studied the effects of anthropogenic land use changes on breeding birds. He shifted in focus to climate warming effects during his PhD, where he studied barnacle geese that migrate from wintering grounds in Western Europe to breeding grounds in Arctic Russia. He is currently finishing up his PhD thesis, and starting his post-doc work on the effects of climate warming on the growth of red knots that breed in the Russian Arctic.

Oberndorfer received her PhD from Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada) in 2016 and is a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Labrador Institute in Happy Valley-Goose Bay (Labrador, Canada), where she lives. Her work is guided by plant mentors in the Inuit Community of Makkovik (Nunatsiavut), with a view to understanding how plants are integrated into daily life in the region, and how plant communities express the ecological legacy of cultural practices in Labrador. She is currently working on the Makkovik Plant Book, a community book focused on the teachings of Makkovimiut plant mentors.

CAFF and IASC welcome Lameris and Oberndorfer and thank APECS for helping to promote the Fellowship and securing the successful candidates.

Bildschirmfoto 2017-09-14 um 13.21.33.png The European Space Agency (ESA), is pleased to invite you to participate to the Call for Research Proposals of the Living Planet Fellowship 2018. The main objective of this initiative is to support young researchers who have a doctoral degree and who would like to initiate a scientific career in the context of Earth Observation and Earth System Science.

With this call ESA plans to support up to 10 Post-Doctoral researchers (supported by ESA with a ceiling price of 99 KEuro for 2 years under a co-funding scheme) to carry out a research project at a Host Institution in an eligible ESA Member State.

Candidate researchers shall submit research proposals responding to one of following Research Areas:

Advancing Novel Methods and Techniques: Targeted research projects aimed at developing innovative methods, novel algorithms and new EO products and datasets expanding the scientific use of the Sentinel missions, the Earth Explorers or the ESA long-term data archives into new scientific areas and application domains.

Advancing Earth System Science: Cutting-edge scientific activities aimed at maximizing the scientific impact of ESA and European missions in terms of new discoveries and advances in Earth system science addressing the new challenges of the ESA EO Science Strategy.

The documentation (Call for Research Proposals package) can be downloaded from:

http://livingplanetfellowship.esa.int

Projects will be funded under the 5th period of ESA’s Earth Observation Envelope Programme (EOEP-5). EOEP-5 is an optional programme of the Agency, and participation is restricted to institutions which have their registered office in one of the following Participating States: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Slovenia and Canada.

Proposal and all supporting documents must be sent by e-mail to:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by no later than 22nd February 2018 (the Closing Date).

Any questions relating to this Call must be sent, by e-mail to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., not later than two (2) weeks before the Closing Date.

b_670_446_16777215_00_images_news_2018__DSC4913_Large.jpg You may have heard some version of the phrase “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.” This statement has been accredited to many great people from Mark Twain to Cicero to Winston Churchill, but it was actually Blaise Pascal - a French mathematician, theologian, physicist and inventor - who penned the original that has been paraphrased for nearly 400 years.

Although Pascal championed his way through many fields of science in the 17th century, his wit still offers a good lesson in humility to scientists today when it comes to communicating their research. Putting complex ideas into simple, direct language can take a lot of effort, as a group of us recently learned.

For three days in August 2017, thirty-two researchers from around the world (the majority of whom were early career) gathered at the University of Colorado in Boulder, USA for a workshop to improve their skills at “Communicating Polar Science". Sponsored by NSF and NASA, and co-organized by IGS, APECS and USAPECS, this event was led by science communication professionals.

The first two days focused on oral communication, led by instructors from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University. Using role playing exercises and games from the world of improvisation, we learned how to connect with a range of audiences by finding common ground, telling stories, and painting evocative pictures.

Our first lesson was that communicating well requires listening and thinking from the perspective of your audience. Our instructors illustrated this point by noting how reading a scientific paper for a layperson is like someone with no knowledge of baseball trying to read a technical newspaper account of a game. In a parallel to oral communication, we performed an improve exercise in pairs in which one person had to precisely mirror the motions of the other. When in the role of the leader, we realized we had to adapt the speed and complexity of our motions so that the copier could follow, in the same way that a great communicator reads and adapts to the reactions of their audience. We also practiced techniques to better get to know and understand our audience. For instance, asking questions to establish their level of understanding, or breaking an opponent’s views down into shared core values (e.g. equality, honesty) when in a debate to reveal their line of reasoning.

Another key skill we honed at the workshop was how to engage an audience and convey a foreign concept using metaphors and analogies, along with movie quotes and song lyrics. Learning by doing, we practiced giving TV interviews; each being filmed and then critiqued by the group. Feedback covered tone (e.g. show more passion), clarity (e.g. shorter sentences, repeat key points) and body language (e.g. more eye contact, stay present). This collaborative format nurtured team building, too: participants began to coach one another, and as the paths of communication opened up, everyone became more animated and confident. We also learned the power of putting your key message up front and then using repetition to embed it in the minds of your audience. Other highlighted techniques included stating something surprising about your research, or showing how it relates to your audiences’ lives to create intrigue, and revealing why you care about what you study to generate rapport.

The final day of the workshop focused on written communication. Dr. Max Boykoff and his team from the Center for Science and Technology Policy at CU Boulder provided new perspectives on how to develop different writing styles for different media, from academic journal articles to social media posts. We learned how to build a Twitter following by finding your niche tweeting topic, along with sharing parts of your non-scientist personality, like external interests. Studying examples, we saw how photographs (e.g. animal encounters), short videos (e.g. interviews) and graphics can make a critical difference in achieving a wide reach. Comparing and discussing articles in groups, we saw how keeping language free of jargon, using a frame (e.g. adventure journalism), and incorporating characters and human interest (e.g. food) could be employed to great effect.

The workshop provided many opportunities to step outside one’s comfort zone and to develop the skills to talk effectively with the wider public. Participants practiced using the ‘Yes, and…’ exercise when confronting an opposing viewpoint. Instead of responding ‘no’ and setting up a debate where we remain opposed, we started with ‘yes, and…’ to build positive momentum on what someone else thinks, creating a bond by agreeing with something they find important. After they understand you’re listening, they are more willing to hear what you want to say. This simple technique can be used in everyday in both formal and informal settings. Participant Robin Matthews said, “I came away with a deeper understanding that communication should have a clear purpose. Now, instead of jumping straight into the show of my communicating, I first ask myself - what do I what my audience to think, feel or do?”

Christian Wild, a PhD candidate at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, put his training to use even before leaving Boulder. “I was thrown in at the deep end when I joined a panel discussion on science communication at the IGS symposium immediately after our workshop, along with workshop participant Michaela King and two more senior scientists. During this discussion and the question session from the audience, I was particularly thankful for the improvisation techniques that we learned from the Alda team just a few days earlier. Paying close, dynamic attention to others, reading their body language and nonverbal cues helped me to shift my focus from what I was saying to what the audience was receiving.”

This workshop report from “Communicating Science for Polar Researchers” was written by Robin Matthews, Paul Rosenbaum, and Christian Wild who, as international participants, received funding from the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) to attend the workshop. The workshop was organized by Alice Bradley, Ellyn Enderlin, Mahsa Moussavi, and Allen Pope and funded by the NSF Office of Polar Programs (Award #1720574) and the NASA Cryosphere Program (Award #NNX17AK61G).

nsf logo The National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Polar Computing Research Coordination Network (RCN) was tasked with analyzing opportunities and barriers in the uptake of high-performance and distributed computing (HPDC) in polar science.

Specifically, the RCN was to:

Address why the polar sciences are poorly represented in the use of HPDC cyberinfrastructure,
Learn how the polar sciences were using and wished to use HPDC resources,
Explore how to ensure that plans and design for new and existing NSF-funded cyberinfrastructure efforts are cognizant of the needs of the polar science community, and
Understand how best to educate a new generation of polar scientists in the skills needed to realize the opportunities and potential of HPDC.

Having covered the core areas proposed by NSF, organizers seek to engage the broader community in determining the next areas of focus and seek input from individual researchers about how they and their community could team up with the Polar Computing RCN to either expand or deepen our response to the charge detailed above. The RNC seeks proposals for events that will help achieve these goals.

Funding is available for a domestic event (must be hosted in the U.S. for U.S. participants).

To propose an event, send a two-paragraph "proposal" describing your community, your proposed event, and how you would use the available funds to the Principal Investigator, Shantenu Jha at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Proposal deadline: Monday, 15 January 2018

For more information, go to:
Polar RCN Notices webpage

For more information about the Polar Research Coordination Network, including past activities, go to:
Polar Research Coordination Network homepage

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) is seeking comments on how best to revise and strengthen the Principles for the Conduct of Research in the Arctic. A Federal Register Notice has been published to solicit community input.

The Principles Revision Working Group of IARPC is seeking input from all stakeholders to revise and update the Principles. The update will focus on communicating clearly the Principles for community engagement by Arctic researchers and including language that describes partnerships and collaborations with Indigenous scholars, enhanced community-based observations, fostering community-based participatory research, and the integral contributions of Indigenous knowledge in the co-production and dissemination of knowledge. Input is also sought on enhancing the dissemination and implementation of the Principles.

The current Principles were prepared by the Social Science Task Force of the U.S. Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee, approved by the IARPC on June 28, 1990, and published by IARPC in volume 9, (Spring, 1995, pp.56-57) of the journal "Arctic Research of the United States". Since 1990, community engagement and Arctic research have advanced both in theory and in practice, necessitating a review and update of the current Principles.

Comments can be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or to the Principles Revision Working Group co-chairs, Roberto Delgado of NIH and Renee Crain of NSF.

Deadline to submit comments: Monday, 15 January 2018

To view the Federal Register Notice, go to:
Federal Register Notice

Bildschirmfoto 2018-01-11 um 15.19.53.png The Arctic Horizons Steering Committee invites comments to the draft final report for Arctic Horizons. Comments will be given full consideration in the production of the final report, but will not be displayed publicly on the website.

Arctic Horizons, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Arctic Social Sciences Program (ASSP), was designed to assemble community input and recommendations on re-envisioning the mission, scope, future priorities, and resource needs of the Arctic social sciences research community.

The objectives of Arctic Horizons are to:

Organize, develop, and conduct five regional, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary workshops that integrated expertise from various fields, geographic locations, Indigenous communities, and stakeholder groups to develop a renewed vision of Arctic social sciences and identify key priorities and resource needs in the field for the future;
Design and support a broad, inclusive discussion of research priorities, scope, and mission in the Arctic social sciences;
Make recommendations to funders and policy makers who support or should support Arctic research; and
Produce a final report for the Arctic research community, or for Arctic research funders, that synthesizes relevant findings on the vision, mission, scope, and priorities of the Arctic social sciences community based on a sixth "synthesis" workshop.

Deadline for submitting comments: Saturday, 20 January 2018

To access the draft and submit comments, go to:
Arctic Horizons Final Report draft

For questions, contact:
Aaron Presnall
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The National Park Service (NPS) invites funding proposals for the 2018 Shared Beringian Heritage Program (SBHP). This program recognizes the unique natural resources and cultural heritage shared by Russia and the United States in the region known as Beringia.

The overall purpose of the SBHP is to advance local, national, and international understanding and preservation of the regional resources and to sustain the cultural vitality of its Indigenous people.

Specific programmatic goals of the SBHP include:

Improve conservation, sustainability, and knowledge of the natural and cultural resources of the region;
Preserve subsistence opportunities and other historic traditions and practices;
Interpret and communicate about the unique and internationally significant resources and values of the region; and
Provide opportunities for cultural connections and knowledge exchange.

Eligible applicants include:

Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized);
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Servive, other than institutions of higher education;
State governments;
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments);
Public and state controlled institutions of higher education;
City or township governments;
County governments; and
Private institutions of higher education.

Proposal deadline: 12 February 2018

For more information and to submit a proposal, go to:
View full grant listing

For questions, contact:
Peter Neitlich
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) announce the release of their Cruise Planning webpage. This webpage is available through the UNOLS website.

Information provided on the website covers what organizers need to know to plan a successful cruise, from the proposal writing phase through post-cruise documentation. The website provides links to information outlining the key aspects of pre-cruise planning, including basic timelines, available community resources, permits, packing and shipping, and more. This is general information and should be used in conjunction with vessel operator's policies and procedures. Any vessel-specific questions should go directly to the operator's cruise planning personnel.

The webpage includes a cruise planning timeline and important information regarding:

Vessel-specific cruise planning websites;
Working in foreign ports and obtaining Marine Science Research Clearances;
Available equipment and services; and
Conducting radioisotopes, natural isotopes, and stable isotopes work.

To access the cruise planning information, go to:
View the UNOLS Cruise Planning Informtion webpage

POLAR serves as a point of contact for the international polar research community for research opportunities in Canada's Arctic and to collaborate with Canadian researchers in the Antarctic. The Canada-Sweden Arctic Research Station Early Career Scientist Exchange Program is a pilot project that could develop into a program that promotes a longer-term exchange of ideas and information, and could be used as a model for other international partnerships. POLAR is committed to inspiring, motivating, and supporting students to continue their education and pursue a career in science and technology, which includes supporting the next generation of researchers.

Where: Canadian High Arctic Research Station and Abisko Scientific Research Station

Who can apply: PhD-students or scientists holding a PhD degree not older than five years, employed by a university or research organisation in Canada or Sweden

Included: Travel to each research station and accommodation are provided free of charge.

Deadline: February 15, 2018

For more information:
Call for Applications
(PDF version)

Application Form
(PDF version)

See below for the main details about this award, and please check out the call on POLAR’s website for more information: https://www.canada.ca/en/polar-knowledge/canada-sweden-arctic-research-station-early-career-scientist-exchange-program.html

Remind to apply for travel grant before January, 15th!!

pyrn small The PYRN (Permafrost Young Researcher Network) will organize a 2-day workshop June 23-24, 2018 at Chamonix (France), in conjunction with the EUCOP5 (European Conference on Permafrost). All permafrost young researchers (current students or early career, within 6 years after their PhD) are invited to attend the workshop. This workshop is entirely supported by sponsors (UFA, IPA, IASC, Petzl, Nunataryuk project, Lions club) and is free of charge for the participants! Affordable accommodations will also be available for PYRN members.

Furthermore, travel grants of up to 250 euros will be offered to a limited number of participants. To apply for a travel grant, please fill in the following form: https://goo.gl/forms/Kas7PySy2Uc1HV3M2. The deadline to submit a travel grant application is January 15, 2018. Travel grant recipients will be asked to submit a short video showcasing their research.

The workshop program is as follows:

Friday, June 22nd 2018: Welcoming ice-breaker

Saturday June, 23rd 2018: Introduction to PYRN activities by the PYRN ExCom, plenary lectures and breakout sessions lead by outstanding senior and junior scientists covering major permafrost topics, career planning, research perspectives, and soft-skills development.

Sunday June, 24th 2018: Local excursion lead by outstanding local researchers and land-planners to learn about environmental settings and land-planning issues in the Mont Blanc massif.

More details will be provided soon. Please, check for updates and submit your abstract on: https://eucop2018.sciencesconf.org/

All young researchers willing to participate to this workshop are invited to sign up to the PYRN: https://pyrn.arcticportal.org/join-us

Please do not hesitate to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for any inquiries regarding the PYRN activities at ECUOP5.

This is a great opportunity to meet each other, learn about permafrost sciences, and draw research perspectives together. We hope to see you in Chamonix next year!!

Florence Magnin,
on behalf of the PYRN ExCom

USAPESC new With the start of a new year, USAPECS would like to announce a call for applications for its executive board for 2018. Members of the USAPECS Board are expected to work together to develop and execute activities that they think will be of interest and beneficial to APECS members living in the US. The activities can include anything you're passionate about, from organizing social events or panel discussions at meetings to running a Reddit AMA session or organizing a webinar. This past year we ran a super successful science communication workshop at the University of Colorado Boulder and we would love to have new Board members organize something similar in the future! We'd also love volunteers to continue our Polar Film Festival in September and organize a panel and social at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in Washington DC in December.

It's a great opportunity to become more involved in the broader polar science community within the US. The activity (or activities) you help with are totally up to you! The time commitment varies depending on your level of involvement, but is typically an hour or so per month unless you are particularly involved in an activity (like running a scicomm workshop).

If you're interested in serving on the USAPECS Board in 2018, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your name, title of your current position (undergrad, Masters student, PhD student, postdoc, faculty, etc), where you are employed, and a few short sentences on activities you would like to help organize this year. Applications are due January 21st. We'll have an online meeting to welcome new members the following week.

I hope to see your applications!
Ellyn
USAPECS Chair

MariaMonteiro 2 The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is currently involved in the EU Horizon-2020 INTERACT project, an Arctic-wide network of field stations. In relation to this work we are organising a panel discussion about 'Fieldwork in the Arctic' during the upcoming Arctic Frontiers 2018 conference in Tromsø, Norway.

The aim is to have a stimulating discussion about what it takes to plan and carry out field work in the Arctic, covering aspects such as logistics, safety, and how best to ensure fieldwork is as successful as possible. The hour-long discussion will comprise four panelists who will share their experiences and plenty of time for questions from the audience.

Panelists:

Alex Messerli, Norwegian Polar Institute
Ingrid Wiedmann, Norwegian Polar Institute
Svein Mathiesen, International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry
Morten Rasch, University of Copenhagen

Date & Time:
Tuesday 23 January 2018, 17h00-18h00

Location:
Radisson Hotel Tromsø, Norway, Room TBD

The NSF funded Polar Computing Research Coordination Network was tasked with analyzing opportunities and barrier in the uptake of high-performance & distributed computing in polar science. Specifically, the RCN was to:

Address why the polar sciences are poorly represented in the use of HPDC cyberinfrastructure,
Learn how the Polar Sciences were using and wished to use HPDC resources.
Explore how to ensure that plans and design for new and existing NSF-funded cyberinfrastructure efforts are cognizant of the needs of the Polar Science community, and
Understand how best to educate a new generation of polar scientists in the skills needed to realize the opportunities and potential of HPDC.

Having covered the core areas we proposed to NSF, we would like to engage and seek the broader community in determining the next areas of focus. We would like to offer $15,000 to host a domestic event (must be hosted in the US for US participants) to achieve these goals. We want to hear from YOU about how YOUR community could team up with the Polar Computing RCN to either expand or deepen our response to the charge detailed above.

Submit just a two-paragraph “proposal” to PI This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. describing your community, your proposed event, and how you would use the available funds.

Deadline for submission is 15 January 2018. More information on the RCN and past activities at http://polar-computing.org.

- Allen Pope

IPCC lead authors request your assistance:

The IPCC is aiming to recognize the importance of Indigenous or traditional knowledge. As such, in the Polar Regions chapter of a special report currently being prepared, the lead authors are eager to include published findings from Indigenous/traditional knowledge studies, alongside the usual findings from standard scientific research. Henry Huntington and Laura Eerkes-Medrano are working with the authors and are asking for your help in providing them with information about your work on Indigenous/ traditional knowledge to help demonstrate its value.

Henry and Laura would like to hear about your published studies in the peer-reviewed literature, including scientific journals and books that document traditional knowledge about sea ice, permafrost, river and lake ice, snow, and glaciers in relation to climate change. Gray literature does not meet the IPCC standards and should not be included. The Polar Regions chapter will also cover the implications of these types of changes, to ecosystems and to human societies. Any of your publications that address other aspects of the climate system are also welcome.

Please add a sentence or two summarizing the key findings of your work to help the authors figure out how to use and cite your paper. The sentence or two can also say something about the type of study (e.g., "In a study of five Inuit communities in northern Quebec..." or "In a study of one Dene community in the Northwest Territories..."). This will help authors to understand the area that the study covers.

The chapter will focus on what has happened since 2012, so recent work is particularly useful. However, earlier studies can also be included if they address points still relevant today.

The deadline to submit a compilation to the chapter authors is 19 January 2018.

IASSA very much appreciates any help you can provide in getting the IPCC to a big milestone.

Please send your responses to:
Laura Eerkes-Medrano at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Henry Huntington at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Supporting the inclusion of the Indigenous Knowledge in IPCC and other high-level reports is an important priority for IASSA.

Thank you in advance!
iassa logo1
Andrey N Petrov
IASSA President

Bildergebnis für Deutsche Gesellschaft für Polarforschung e.V. On occasion of the 27th International Polar Conference to be held in Rostock, March 2018, a photo contest was initiated.

For the details, please go to: https://www.polarforschung.de/app/uploads/2017/10/Photo-Contest-2018.pdf

The deadline for submitting photos is 1 March 2018.

For the best photos awards are advertised, namely 150, 100 and 50 Euro, respectively, for the first, second and third award.

They are looking forward to receiving many interesting submissions!

The American Fisheries Society is excited to announce a new educational opportunity; they will be launching a new webinar series, to include a range of topics of interest to fisheries professionals! Please join them for January's webinar:

Using Bayesian Clustering Algorithms to Discover Population Genetic Structure

AFS Webinar.jpg

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

2:00 - 3:00 pm Eastern Time

Registration is free, but a limited number of seats are available!

Since the arrival of STRUCTURE (Pritchard et al. 2000), biologists have been using Bayesian clustering algorithms to discover population genetic structure. This webinar will discuss several popular freely-available packages (STRUCTURE, BAPS, structurama, others?) with a focus on understanding the algorithms underlying the packages. The presentation will be as non-technical as possible, and advantages and disadvantages of the different packages will be discussed.

For additional information, contact: Lauren Maza, Student & Professional Development Director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

iasc web apecs logo web IASC and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) have the pleasure to announce the start of the 2018 IASC Fellowship Program. The Program received 135 applications for only 5 slots. During the selection process, APECS coordinated the generous work of our independent, volunteer reviewers to evaluate and recommend the highest quality candidates, and final selection was made in consultation with each of the IASC Working Group chairs.
The chairs and reviewers were certainly impressed by the record amount and excellent quality of the applications.

The 2018 IASC Fellows are:

Gillian Young, British Antarctic Survey, UK (Atmosphere Working Group)
Alice Bradley, Dartmouth College, USA (Cryosphere Working Group)
Francoise Amelineau, Université de La Rochelle, France (Marine Working Group)
Stanislav Ksenofontov, University of Zurich, Switzerland (Social and Human Working Group)
Anna-Maria Virkkala, University of Helsinki, Finland (Terrestrial Working Group)

The IASC Fellowship Program is meant to engage ECS in the work of the IASC Working Groups. More information about the IASC Fellowship Program can be found here.

Dear APECS members, supporters and friends,

APECS had again a very successful year in 2017 and we wanted to thank all of our members, mentors, sponsors and partners for helping us shape the future of polar research!

Enjoy some of our best moments of 2017 in our APECS 2017 Season’s Greetings video.

Happy New Year to all of you! We are looking forward to a fantastic 2018!

Best wishes,

Hanne Nielsen, APECS President 2017-2018
Gerlis Fugmann, APECS Executive Director
on behalf of the APECS Leadership

This year, APECS Italy organized its third Antarctica Day event in conjunction with the ‘Climate change, the grand challenge’ public outreach symposium, held at the Zattere campus of the University of Venice Ca’ Foscari. In contrast to previous years, APECS Italy teamed up with a larger event to celebrate Antarctica Day, one that was focused on the use of art to communicate science. To this end, as well as to emphasize how the themes of polar research and climate change are in inextricably intertwined, the event was organized in two parts: after a brief introduction to the impacts of climate change in the Veneto region by Professor Roberto Pastres from the University of Venice Ca’ Foscari, the first half of the event focused on the use of art to capture themes of climate change. In this section, works by artists submitted to a competition for inclusion in the symposium were displayed and discussed by the symposium judges, as well as by the artists (when they were present). Works included painting, sculpture and poetry. The second part of the event was spearheaded by APECS Italy, more specifically addressing Antarctica Day by discussing topics in polar research and how they relate to climate change concerns. The presentations revolved around the theme of polar exploration in research, specifically, the confluence of the scientific aspects with the human experience. The ‘Protecting Ice Memory’ project was discussed, promoted by the University of Ca’ Foscari Venice, the CNR-IDPA in Venice and the LGGE in Grenoble. The final section concluded with a reading of the polar diary recently published by Federico Dallo, which sheds light on the human side of conducting polar research: the hardships, emotions and triumphs.

20171201 190539 APECS Italy Antarctica Day 2017

20171201 190612 APECS Italy Antarctica Day 2017 2

Thank you for all the great submissions to the APECS Antarctica Day Photo Contest 2017 Antarctica Alive! After all the votes are in, we are happy to announce the two winners in each category:

Category: Antarctic teamwork in the field

1st Prize: Maria Monteiro, University of Waikato, New Zealand

December 2016, Lake Vanda in Wright Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys - Sampling soil and microbial mats at Lake Vanda, Wright Valley

MariaMonteiro 2

2nd Prize: Roseline C. Thakur, National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa, India

The pic was taken by me from the bridge of Ivan Papanin which was embarked at the ice shelf of East Antarctica which is around 100km from the second Indian station Maitri. The pic was taken during the summer (March) of 2014.

Description:Arduous teamwork of Indian Scientists and Logistic personnel on the ice shelf of east Antarctica to unload the cargo on the ice shelf and transport the necessary ration, fuel and scientific equipment to the permanent Indian base, Maitri, in vehicle convoys. The excellent coordination and hard work of the team ensures the sustenance of the Station and ensures the smooth functioning of the scientific activities throughout the harsh winter of this frozen continent.

Roseline Thakur 1

"Antarctic fauna" category:

1st Prize: Stefano Ambroso, Institut de Ciencies del Mar Barcelona, Spain

Photo was taken the 3rd of January 2014 During Polarstern Expedition ANTXXIX/9 in the Weddell Sea

Description: Lobodon carcinophagus Crabeater Seal looking intensely the photographer!

Stefano Ambroso

2nd Prize: Angela Klemmedson, University of San Diego, United States

Neko Harbor, Western Antarctic Peninsula (December 2015)

Description: Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) basking in the glory of icebergs

Angela Klemmedson

The pace of Arctic change is outrunning the process of conducting scientific assessments. However, the demand and need for timely, accurate, relevant, and credible information is greater than ever. Scientific assessments synthesize, document and supply critical information to decision-makers on key issues. They continue to be the principal means for harnessing and communicating scientific knowledge, but the mechanisms of this process are unfamiliar to many early-career researchers.

To address this need, the Association of Polar Early Career Researchers (APECS), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) hosted a one-day workshop about scientific assessments on 24 April 2017 in conjunction with the International Conference on Arctic Science: Bringing Knowledge to Action. The workshop was attended by two dozen early-career and mid-career researchers and professionals from a range of countries and disciplines. Thirteen panellists, including assessment creators, contributors, communicators and end-users, discussed how assessments are produced, how scientific knowledge is translated and communicated, and how scientists can leverage assessments in their own outreach. Many valuable lessons and practical skills were discussed, as well as challenges and opportunities for the future of scientific assessments in the Arctic.

Full Article in The Polar Journal: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2154896X.2017.1394122

amap logo

iasc web

apecs logo web

Dear Colleague Letter - Provision of Capabilities for Storing, Curating, and Managing Scientific Ice Cores
National Science Foundation

Written response deadline: 15 February 2018

To read the full Dear Colleague Letter, go to: View Dear Colleague Letter

The Office of Polar Programs (OPP) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) is seeking expressions of interest from organizations interested in providing storage, curation, and scientific management capabilities for ice cores collected in support of scientific research. The goal of this effort is to ensure secure, long-term, cost-effective archival of and access to ice cores for use by the scientific community.

OPP currently supports the National Ice Core Laboratory (NICL) housed at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Colorado. NICL is supported with NSF funding through an Interagency Agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey. Scientific management of the collection is provided through a subaward from the USGS to the University of New Hampshire.

The current NICL main archive freezer is near the end of its useful life and utilizes refrigerants that were phased out under the Montreal Protocol. NSF seeks a modern and compliant facility to ensure preservation and scientific access to ice core archives and to manage future operating costs. NSF anticipates investing in refurbishment and/or construction of an upgraded NICL facility along with an annual operations and maintenance budget to ensure the core are available for scientific analysis. Modernization options include but are not limited to a modernized facility within the Denver Federal Center, a new facility at another location, or renovation of an existing facility.

The NICL facility consists of a main archive freezer (55,000 cubic ft., -36˚C), core processing laboratory (12,000 square ft., -24˚C), small filtered-air laboratory, loading dock for receiving shipments, and office space for staff and visiting scientists. Current holdings comprise roughly 19,000 meters of ice core collected from various locations.

NSF is open to considering ideas for new management models and/or partnerships for a modernized facility within the Denver Federal Center, a new facility at another location, or renovation of an existing facility. NSF welcomes innovative management, operational, or technological concepts, including public-private partnerships. All respondents should include a management model, a proposed location and a strategy for scientific oversight that is responsive to the needs of the research community.

Please submit written responses by February 15, 2018. Interested respondents should be clear on their approach and include:

Which model is being discussed (modernization and management at the Denver Federal Center, relocation and management at a new faculty, or renovation and management of a new facility);
How your approach improves efficiency of service and operations while minimizing capital and ongoing costs;
Your approach to science management (core allocation); and
Your approach to long-term core curation (core storage and access to the scientific community for sampling and analysis).

Responses to this request do not bind NSF to any further or specific actions related to this topic. This DCL is not a formal solicitation for proposals and conveys neither a financial commitment nor a reflection of a final decision of the disposition of NICL. To the extent that the sender plans to provide any information that it considers proprietary, such status must be unambiguously communicated and clearly marked. Comments received are intended for NSF internal use only. Responses received will not be posted publicly, and the names of the respondents will be protected from public disclosure to the extent permitted by law.

Responses, along with questions and comments, should be submitted in electronic form via e-mail to:

Michael Jackson
Program Director
Antarctic Instrumentation and Research Facilities (AIRF)
Office of Polar Programs
Directorate for Geosciences
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Patrick Haggerty
Program Director
Arctic Research Support & Logistics
Office of Polar Programs
Directorate for Geosciences
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) special report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate will be published in September 2019 and APECS will be participating in the review process by coordinating an early career expert review group. We are therefore looking for early career researchers to help review sections of the report. Participation recognizes you not only as an early career expert, but is also an exciting opportunity to gain valuable insight and training in how the scientific review process of such a report is conducted.

We encourage members from various career stages to participate, from advanced Master students, PhD students, postdoctoral researchers to early career faculty members! (If you do not fit in these categories and are interested in applying, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with a short explanation so we can determine eligibility.) Participants will be teamed up by area of expertise, and we will make sure that we partner those of you who have some experience with reviewing already with those who have never done this before.

If you want to participate, please fill out this online form, by no later than 15 January 2018 at 18:00 GMT. Accepted participants will be assigned to a chapter and contacted by the end of February.

The first round of reviews will take place from May through June of 2018, so applicants should make sure they have the necessary amount of time available during this period. You need to be intimately familiar with the recent literature in your field and will need to review roughly 10 pages of the special report. These are not anonymous reviews, so this means you will be individually credited for your contribution, and your comments will be made a part of the public record. All participants will be required to participate in an online training session provided during March and April 2018.

For further details on the general review process for the report go to: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/srocc/ . If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Student and faculty applications are open for the 2018 Juneau Icefield Research Program field season. JIRP is an expedition-based 8-week summer field school for advanced high school, undergraduate, and entry-level graduate students, working out of Juneau, AK. The curriculum centers on glaciology and glacier science. Recent research projects have focused on geophysics, mass balance, geobotany, isotope geochemistry, geomatics, and biogeochemistry. Students receive academic credit through the University of Alaska Southeast. Interested students are encouraged to apply by February 9th, 2018.

The 2018 field season will be from June 20th to August 17th.

We have also opened a faculty application. Applications for first consideration were due in late November, but any interested professors, professionals, postdocs and advanced graduate students are still strongly encouraged to fill out the application form on the website.

Please see juneauicefield.com for further information or contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.

Bildschirmfoto 2017-12-20 um 15.27.08.png

Advances in Polar Science (APS) will publish a special issue with the theme ‘Polar Climate Change: Driving Processes, Extreme Events, and Global Linkages’ for this excellent workshop, held in October 2017, at Hohai University, Nanjing, China. This issue will be part of APS Volume 29 as general issue.

We have four Guest Editors for this issue, Zhaomin Wang (Hohai University, China), Kent Moore (Toronto University, Canada), Annette Rinke (Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Germany) and John Turner (British Antarctic Survey, UK). English editing service will be provided free of charge if needed.

This is a thematic issue so we must insist on strict adherence to deadlines:

• 15 April 2018 ― deadline for submitting a manuscript for this issue.
• 31 July 2018 ― deadline for supply of final accepted paper.
• Accepted papers will be published online for open access as soon as authors have returned their proofs and all corrections have been made.
• The hard copy is scheduled for publication in September 2018

Topics of interest are:
1. Polar climate change and its global linkages
2. Polar climate and weather extremes and disastrous ice conditions
3. Polar ocean circulation and ocean-ice-atmosphere interactions

As you know, an international Editorial Board with two Co-Editors-in-Chief (Prof. Huigen Yang and Prof. Ian Allison), and an expert team of 26 disciplinary Editors was established in 2015.

For more information, please visit this link: http://www.aps-polar.org/news/details/M171215000002MtPw

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Editorial Office of Advances in Polar Science

As part of an upcoming special issue on Cryospheric Remote Sensing, we are updating our paper on "Open Access Data in Polar and Cryospheric Remote Sensing." This paper was intended both as reference for those teaching/joining the field and a state-of-the-science commentary. Since its publication in 2014, I know there has been a HUGE proliferation of further satellites, innovative techniques, and new datasets.

If you have a particularly useful satellite or dataset in mind (your own or another that you use, current or upcoming), it would be very much appreciated if you took a minute to fill out this quick form to make sure it gets included: https://goo.gl/forms/lFxeqQqKYP3Vr9DW2.

The deadline for submissions is 5 January 2017.

Thank you for your help in making this a strong reference for the community!

Allen Pope

Call for Abstracts (deadline): 1 March 2018 (250-400 words)
Draft papers (deadline): 15 June 2018 (4000-6000 words)

The Arctic Yearbook (www.arcticyearbook.com) is calling for abstracts for the 2018 edition.

The Arctic Yearbook is an international and peer-reviewed volume which focuses on issues of regional governance, circumpolar relations, geopolitics and security, all broadly defined. It is an open access, online publication. The Arctic Yearbook is an initiative of the Northern Research Forum (NRF) and UArctic’s joint Thematic Network on Geopolitics and Security.

This year’s theme is “Arctic Development: In Theory & In Practice”. This theme aims to describe and define economic, political and social ‘development’ from an Arctic perspective, and critically assess the state of knowledge on the subject.

What do we mean by, and how do we define ‘sustainable development’? What are the popular and media perceptions of Arctic development? How do we reconcile the desire for both economic development and environmental protection? What is the role of governance, including Indigenous self-governance, in addressing Arctic development? Who has the right to define, measure and implement development policies in and for the Arctic region? What can be done at a regional or international level to promote local Arctic development? What strategies actually work to improve economic and social outcomes in remote and disperse Arctic communities?

Topics might include, but are not limited to:

an assessment of the relevance of the UN Sustainable Development Goals to the Arctic;
development from the perspective of different Arctic regions and communities;
the legacy of colonialism in Arctic development strategies;
gross production of the Arctic region vs. public investments into regional development;
local (e.g. Native/Economic Development Corporations) and global (e.g. shipping, oil) economic development case studies;
boom and bust cycles and northern resource economies;
the role of military infrastructure in Arctic development;
sustainable marine transportation and tourism;
dependency and periphery;
statistical analyses of local and regional Arctic economic development; the role of governance and governments in addressing Arctic development;
Arctic-appropriate indicators of development;
livelihoods and material-well-being in the Arctic;
best practices and comprehensive strategies for development including education, social supports and health care;
and the application of global development literature and studies to the Arctic.

Other topics of contemporary significance to northern peoples, circumpolar relations, Arctic geopolitics and security are also welcome.

Abstracts should be 250-400 words and include author name(s), institutional affiliation and article title, to be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The deadline for abstracts is March 1, 2018. Notice of acceptance will be provided on March 15, 2018. Articles must be submitted by June 15, 2018. Publication is planned for October 2018. We also welcome proposals for commentaries (1-3 page opinion pieces) and briefing notes (4-7 page analyses) from experts and policymakers on current issues and events.

EDITOR
Lassi Heininen (Professor of Arctic Politics at the University of Lapland, Finland & Visiting professor at University of Akureyri, Iceland; Head of NRF/UArctic Thematic Network on Geopolitics and Security) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

MANAGING EDITORS
Heather Exner-Pirot (Strategist for Outreach and Indigenous Engagement, University of Saskatchewan, Canada) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Joël Plouffe (PhD Candidate, École nationale d’administration publique (ENAP), Montréal, Québec, & Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

EDITORIAL BOARD
Lawson Brigham, Chair (Distinguished Professor of Geography & Arctic Policy, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Senior Fellow, Institute of the North, United States)
Gail Fondahl (Professor of Geography, University of Northern British Columbia, Canada)
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (Former President of Iceland)
Hannu Halinen (former Arctic Ambassador, Finland; Special Advisor to the IIASA Director General and Chief Executive Officer Exploratory and Special Projects)
Steven E. Miller (Director of the International Security Program; Editor-in-Chief of International Security, Harvard University, United States)
Alexander Pelyasov (Russian Academy of Sciences; Director of the Center of Northern and Arctic Economics; Ministry of Economic Development & Trade, Russia)

The 2018 Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica

Open for nominations until 14 March 2018

The "Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica" is a US$ 100,000 unrestricted award presented to an individual in the fields of Antarctic science or policy who has demonstrated potential for sustained and significant contributions that will enhance the understanding and/or preservation of Antarctica. The Prize is inspired by Martha T. Muse's passion for Antarctica and is a legacy of the International Polar Year 2007-2008.

The prize-winner can be from any country and work in any field of Antarctic science or policy. The goal is to provide recognition of the important work being done by the individual and to call attention to the significance of understanding Antarctica in a time of change. A website with further details, including the process of nomination, closing date and criteria for selecting the prize recipients, is available at www.museprize.org.

The Prize is awarded by the Tinker Foundation and administered by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

Sentinel North International PhD School: Shedding Light on Arctic Marine Ecosystem Services, July 12 to 24, 2018, Baffin Bay (Nunavut), Canada

Under the leadership of the Sentinel North program of Université Laval (Quebec City, Canada), the International Ph.D. School (IPS) provides international students with a unique opportunity to interact with high-profile scientists as part of a transdisciplinary and highly technological training program aiming to demystify the role of light in driving arctic marine food webs, ecosystems services, and human health in the North.

Taking place on board the Canadian research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen deployed in Baffin Bay and the Fjords of Baffin Island, Nunavut (Canada), the Sentinel North International PhD School is a unique opportunity to participate in an ocean research program focusing on the links between light, marine ecosystem services and health in the North.

Participants will experience an exceptional transdisciplinary training, in close interaction with top scientists, in an highly technological environment.

Bringing together a wide range of disciplines such as optics, physical and biological oceanography, biochemistry and remote sensing, the school will focus on the following themes:
- The fundamental role of light in marine ecosystems
- The potential of light for the study of the changing Arctic
- Light-driven processes and Arctic marine ecosystem services

We encourage graduate students and postdoctoral fellows of all relevant fields of research to seize this opportunity.
The deadline to submit your application to the Sentinel North International PhD School is January 28, 2018.

More infroamtion here: sentinelnorth.ulaval.ca/baffin2018

A Frozen Ground Cartoon - An International Permafrost Association funded Action Group

The outreach-related project aims at making permafrost science fun and accessible to children, their parents and teachers. With this project we wish to fill the gap between indigenous knowledge, complex scientific results and outreach to the general public.

How does a reindeer experience climate change? Can a turkey melt? And why is research in the Arctic better than holidays on the beach? Read more about it in a series of brand-new comics about permafrost. Two artists and twelve scientists provide a completely new perspective on the Arctic.

Get more Information and download the cartoons here: https://frozengroundcartoon.com.

The Executive Organizing Committee for the Arctic Observing Summit 2018 is seeking input on the topics under discussion at the Summit in the form of brief statements. More details on the AOS process and specific guidance on input sought are provided below. The theme for the Summit is The Business Case for a pan-Arctic Observing System.

The AOS 2018 will focus on pressing issues in the implementation and support of sustained observations that can be addressed through a business-case lens. To that end, short submissions are requested that address any and all aspects of the overarching theme and sub-themes.

For more detailed information on themes and submissions, please visit the AOS website.

SOOS logo The Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) invite nominations of qualified individuals to serve on the Scientific Steering Committee of the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS).

For further information on this call, please visit http://soos.aq/about-us/ssc/nominations.

The deadline for nominations is 1st February 2018.

Early career scientists (graduate students and individuals within 4 years of their PhD) are invited to apply for funding to attend an Arctic system change workshop at the NCAR Mesa Lab in Boulder, Colorado from April 9-12, 2018.

The application deadline is January 14, 2018.

The workshop will address the natural and anthropogenic drivers of Arctic environmental change. This will include a system-wide perspective on the changing Arctic environment, the influence of local and remote controls, and the importance of coupled interactions. A primary goal of the workshop is to provide new insights on how to better integrate observing and modeling approaches to enhance understanding of Arctic system change. The meeting will include participants from the atmospheric, terrestrial, land ice, sea ice, and oceanographic communities.

To apply for early career scientist funded travel, please fill out the form at: https://goo.gl/mm3N1D.

NERC_UKRussia_Flyer_02 (1).png The UK Polar Network invites applications from UK Arctic early career researchers (from PhD level to 10 years post PhD) to participate in and foster research links through collaborative workshops in the Russian Arctic.

These events are organised in collaboration with the UK Science & Innovation Network, APECS Russia, NERC Arctic Office and Lomonosov Moscow State University.

These events will stimulate new collaborative work between early career researchers based in the UK and Russia. The intended outcomes are capacity building, intellectual exchange, joint development programmes and networking. In essence, the aim is to develop the next generation of experts in Russian Arctic Science.

Workshops will be held at Moscow and Cambridge with travel and accommodation support available.

Application deadline is 5th January, 2018 and any additional enquiries can be addressed to the NERC Arctic Office: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more information and the application form, please visit: http://polarnetwork.org/uk-russia-ecr-event/.

9 January 2018 at 17:00 GMT

Speaker: Dr. Doug Smith (MetOffice, United Kingdom)

Registration Link

How does the Arctic influence mid-latitude weather and climate? What physical mechanisms play a role and how can we better model these processes? How does sea-ice loss affect the atmosphere and oceans in remote regions? Doug Smith, of the UK MetOffice, will discuss some of the science around these questions and how coordinated multi-model experiments can help to answer them. This webinar is the third in a series part of the EU-funded APPLICATE project. The APPLICATE project brings together a European consortium of scientists from different disciplines to advance our capability to predict the weather and climate in the Arctic and beyond. To find out more about the project go to: https://applicate.eu/.

Workshop on Antarctic Surface Hydrology and Future Ice-shelf Stability at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, New York, on February 21st to 23rd, 2018.

A number of research groups are currently examining processes related to coupling between surface meltwater production and future Antarctic ice loss. Recent studies have suggested that surface hydrological systems in Antarctica may expand and proliferate this century. Meanwhile, numerical models of the Antarctic Ice Sheet that incorporate meltwater's impact on ice shelves, predict Antarctic contributions of up to a meter of global sea-level rise this century in response to atmospheric warming.

Given the emerging interest in surface hydrology, ice-shelf stability and future sea-level rise, it is vital for the scientific community to come together to identify and address critical knowledge gaps in this field.

This workshop will bring together scientists with expertise in ice-sheet dynamics, glacial hydrology, climatology and other disciplines in order to move the community towards answering several fundamental questions raised by observations of Antarctic surface hydrological processes.

These could include:
What climate dynamics are responsible for surface meltwater generation in Antarctica?
What controls the spatiotemporal distribution of meltwater ponds on Antarctic ice shelves?
Where is meltwater generated, where does it pond today and how will this change this century?
What controls the movement of water across the ice surface and into the sub-surface of Antarctic ice shelves?
How will meltwater impact the stability of ice shelves this century?

Specifically we aim to:
(1) Establish the state-of-the-science of Antarctic surface hydrology,
(2) Identify key research questions and future priorities in this field, and
(3) Facilitate collaborations

The workshop will consist of short science talks, poster sessions and group discussions on various topics within this broad field. Oral and poster presentations could report modelling studies, remote sensing, fieldwork, laboratory experiments related to any aspect of the dynamics of Antarctic surface meltwater and ice shelves.

If you would like to attend please email abstracts (300 word limit), including affiliation information to Frances Simpson (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by January 8th, 2018. Attendance is limited to around 30 people, so if necessary, abstracts will be chosen by the organizing committee based on scientific relevance and diversity, and maximizing gender, geographic and career-stage diversity..

We are very keen to encourage the participation of early-career scientists and under-represented groups of scientists! We have NSF funding to support travel for a limited number of US-based attendees. This funding will be distributed on the basis of need, the potential benefit to early-career scientists and the scientific and diversity considerations listed above. Sorry, only US-based applicants are eligible for travel support.

If you would like to apply for travel support, please include in your application (in addition to your abstract) a separate statement including the length of time since obtaining your last degree, a description of your need for funding and the potential benefit to you that attending this workshop could bring (300 word limit).

Please feel free to contact any of the organizing committee for more details before submitting.

Yours sincerely,

The organizing committee:
Jonathan Kingslake Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Luke Trusel Rowan University (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Marco Tedesco Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )
Robin Bell Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Indrani Das Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Rob DeConto University of Massachusetts
Christian Schoof University of British Columbia
Alison Banwell University of Cambridge
Jan Lenaerts University of Colorado

The Abisko Scientific Research Station is located in northern Sweden, above the Polar circle. The closest airport is in Kiruna and we advise all participants to travel to Kiruna from where there are regular trains to Abisko, Östra. You can find information on train times and prices on the Swedish Railways website: www.sj.se/en/home.html#/ Alternatively, you can take a bus from Kiruna airport to Absiko. You can find more info and timetables here:https://www.swedavia.com/kiruna/bus/#gref

From the Östra train station it is a 15-minute walk to the station - follow the railway through the village, pass through the tunnel that goes underneath the main road, and continue on to the station (you should see the station well before you cross under the road).

abisko map

The Polar Prediction School 2018 will start on the evening of 17 April, so please make sure to plan arrival accordingly. The official programme will end on the evening of 26 April, but accommodation is booked for check-out on 27 April and breakfast will be served that morning. We advise leaving on April 27th.

CAFF IASC Fellowships

As two international organizations based in Akureyri, Iceland, the Conservation of Flora and Fauna (CAFF) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), are teaming up together and with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) to help early career scientists get more involved in the process of taking research from results through to science policy recommendations.

We are looking for two CAFF-IASC Fellows in this inaugural year. Fellows will identify a joint area of interest and expertise, participate in and contribute to CAFF’s work, and produce some culminating output.
Application deadline: 20 Dec 2017 at 13:00 GMT

This year's areas of interest are:

The duration of the Fellowships will be from January through November 2018. Each Fellow will begin by attending the CAFF Board Meeting (6-8 Feb 2018; Fairbanks, Alaska), continue on with an appropriate working group meeting, and contribute to the program of the Arctic Biodiversity Congress. As appropriate, Fellows will continue working with their CAFF groups to deliver peer-reviewed publications and/or a report to the Arctic Council Senior Arctic Officials.

Fellowship Commitment
During their appointment, both Fellows will be expected to attend the followning meetings:

CAFF Board Meeting, 6-8 February 2018; Fairbanks, Alaska
One CAFF working group meeting (TBD)
The Arctic Biodiversity Congress, 9-11 October 2018; Rovaniemi, Finland
Other meetings (e.g. Arctic Science Summit Week / Polar2018), as time and funds allow.

Travel support to attend 3 – 4 meetings for each Fellow during their Fellowships will be made available through CAFF and IASC. The travel support is the only financial remuneration for the fellows. Salary is not included during the fellowship.

Fellowship Deliverables

Fellows will deliver meeting reports for partner newsletters.
As this is a pilot program, Fellows will deliver program feedback and evaluations.
As part of their Fellowship, Fellows will contribute to at least one peer reviewed publication and/or deliverable report to the Arctic Council Senior Arctic Officials.

Application & Selection Criteria
Fellows should:

be an advanced Master Student, Doctoral student / candidate, postdoctoral researcher or early career faculty members (up to 5 years past PhD),
Commit to participating in the activities and meetings listd above in the announcement text from January to November 2018,
Be excited about international teamwork, be open to cross-disciplinary work, and appreciate the need to engage between science and policy-related institutions, and
Have a good command of English.

To apply please fill out this online application form: https://goo.gl/forms/JevkrFsRpHv4EgQV2. Applications are due by 20 December 2017 at 13:00 GMT and applicants will be contacted on 11 January 2018. A Word copy of the form is available through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for those who have problems viewing or accessing the online form. In recognition of project funding from Sweden, candidates from Sweden are encouraged to apply. APECS will coordinate the application and review process; recommendations from APECS based on the review process will be delivered for final selection to the CAFF and IASC Secretariats.

Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF)
CAFF is the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council and consists of National Representatives assigned by each of the eight Arctic Council Member States, representatives of Indigenous Peoples' organizations that are Permanent Participants to the Council, and Arctic Council observer countries and organizations. CAFF’s mandate is to address the conservation of Arctic biodiversity, and to communicate its findings to the governments and residents of the Arctic, helping to promote practices which ensure the sustainability of the Arctic’s living resources. For more information: www.caff.is

pyrn small The PYRN (Permafrost Young Researcher Network) will organize a 2-day workshop June 23-24, 2018 at Chamonix (France), in conjunction with the EUCOP5 (European Conference on Permafrost). All permafrost young researchers (current students or early career, within 6 years after their PhD) are invited to attend the workshop. This workshop is entirely supported by sponsors (UFA, IPA, IASC, Petzl, Nunataryuk project, Lions club) and is free of charge for the participants! Affordable accommodations will also be available for PYRN members.

Furthermore, travel grants of up to 250 euros will be offered to a limited number of participants. To apply for a travel grant, please fill in the following form: https://goo.gl/forms/Kas7PySy2Uc1HV3M2. The deadline to submit a travel grant application is January 15, 2018. The extended deadline for abstract submission at EUCOP5 is 15th December. Travel grant recipients will be asked to submit a short video showcasing their research.

The workshop program is as follows:

Friday, June 22nd 2018: Welcoming ice-breaker

Saturday June, 23rd 2018: Introduction to PYRN activities by the PYRN ExCom, plenary lectures and breakout sessions lead by outstanding senior and junior scientists covering major permafrost topics, career planning, research perspectives, and soft-skills development.

Sunday June, 24th 2018: Local excursion lead by outstanding local researchers and land-planners to learn about environmental settings and land-planning issues in the Mont Blanc massif.

More details will be provided soon. Please, check for updates and submit your abstract on: https://eucop2018.sciencesconf.org/

All young researchers willing to participate to this workshop are invited to sign up to the PYRN: https://pyrn.arcticportal.org/join-us

Please do not hesitate to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for any inquiries regarding the PYRN activities at ECUOP5.

This is a great opportunity to meet each other, learn about permafrost sciences, and draw research perspectives together. We hope to see you in Chamonix next year!!

Florence Magnin,
on behalf of the PYRN ExCom

HND18 Growth in the Arctic We have the pleasure of inviting you to the High North Dialogue Conference, which takes place in Bodø, Norway, April 18–19, 2018.

The annual High North Dialogue conference gathers experts and stakeholders from a wide range of sectors and has a strong focus on business development and economic growth in the High North. The fact that the conference provides a platform to interact with young academics and professionals with an interest in the Arctic is one aspect that past participants have highlighted as especially useful. The conference coincides with week-long Master and PhD courses that gather more than 120 graduate students from Norway, Russia, China, and many other countries.

The theme of the conference in 2018 is Growth in the Arctic. We will explore topics such as High North scenarios, maritime waste and the regional dimension of development. Business leaders and entrepreneurs will share their thoughts and know-how on how the enormous business potential in the Arctic can be utilized. For the third consecutive year, we present the High North Hero Award to a person or an organization that has contributed to highlighting the importance of the High North. We invite everyone to nominate candidates.

We would also like to invite you to take part in our research workshop on Tuesday April 17, connecting scholars across academic fields to discuss various aspects of growth in the Arctic.

For more information about the conference, please refer to our website at www.highnorthdialogue.com.

The Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science is a unique postdoc program. It awards young researchers around the world with a generous personal research grant, giving them the freedom to work on whatever topic they choose anywhere in the world, for up to five years.

The fellowship is designed for postdocs at home in sciences, engineering and social sciences who are willing to engage in a dialogue on relevant social, cultural, political or economic issues across the frontiers of their particular discipline. Fellows are free to choose their host institution among the top universities worldwide. Once a year in November a symposium takes place'at ETH Zurich to bring together allfellows.

The fellowship program was initiated and financed by the Swiss entrepreneur Dr. Branco Weiss, who passed away in October 2010. The program is based at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH). The current call for applications ends on January 15, 2018.

lf you have further questions please do not hesitate to contact the communications team of The Branco
Weiss Fellowship at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Find more information here: https://brancoweissfellowship.org.

Webinar date: Thursday, 30 November 2017 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) Modeling Sub-team will host a webinar on High-Resolution Arctic Models. The webinar will be hosted via Zoom Video Conferencing and is open to the public.

This webinar will include three presentations. Eric Chassignet, Florida State University, will focus on the ocean models; Steve Cavallo, University of Oklahoma, will focus on atmosphere modeling; and Wieslaw Maslowski, Naval Postgraduate School, will focus on the coupled system models.

For more information and instructions on connecting to the webinar, go to:
Webinar homepage

For questions, contact:
Emily Osbourne
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CliC logo WCRP is soliciting offers to host the International Project Office for its Core Project CliC ("Climate and Cryosphere") from July 2018 onward, for a period of at least three years.

Prospective host institutions and sponsoring organizations are invited to download the full call for hosting the CliC IPO from: https://www.wcrp-climate.org/news/wcrp-news/1253-call-to-host-the-clic-international-project-office.

Letters of intent to host the CliC IPO should be sent by 31 January 2018 to Dr Mike Sparrow (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). A brief, 1-page form for expressions of interest is included in the above-referenced document. General enquiries are likewise welcome at the same address.

nsf logo

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites Letters of Intent and proposals for the Leading Engineering for America's Prosperity, Health, and Infrastructure (LEAP HI) program.

The LEAP HI program challenges the engineering research community to take a leadership role in addressing demanding, urgent, and consequential challenges for advancing America's prosperity, health and infrastructure. The program will address engineering problems that require sustained and coordinated effort from interdisciplinary research teams. The program will support fundamental research that may lead to disruptive technologies and methods, lay the foundation for new and strengthened industries, enable improvements in quality of life, or re-imagine and revitalize the built environment.

The LEAP HI proposals must articulate a fundamental research problem with compelling intellectual challenge and significant societal impact, particularly on economic competitiveness, quality of life, public health, or essential infrastructure, such as described in the Navigating the New Arctic, one on NSFs 10 Big Ideas for Future NSF Investments.

One or more Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) core topics must be central to the proposal, and integration of disciplinary expertise not typically engaged in CMMI-funded projects is encouraged. Proposals should demonstrate the need for a sustained research effort by an integrated, interdisciplinary team.

These projects will involve collaborating investigators, of duration up to five years, with total budget between $1 million and $2 million. Proposals should include a research integration plan and timeline for research activities.

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

Universities and Colleges: Universities and two- and four-year colleges (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in, the U.S. acting on behalf of their faculty members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic institutions.
Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities.

Letter of Intent deadlines: 15 December 2017 and 16 July 2018
Full proposal deadliness: 5-20 February 2018 and 1-17 September 2018

To view the full program solicitation and proposal guidelines, go to:
View NSF Program Solicitation

AntarcticaDayLogo The APECS Antarctica Day Photo Contest 2017 has received 52 submissions! And now it’s time for YOU to vote for the best photos in two different categories:

Antarctic teamwork in the field
Antarctic fauna

How to vote?
Go to the photo contest website and look up the photo numbers and the names of the photographers of the photos that you like best in the two categories. And then submit your vote in the polls below:

Antarctic teamwork in the field: https://goo.gl/KYBx2n
Antarctic fauna: https://goo.gl/VtMg3K

Voting deadline is Sunday 3 December 2017 at 21:00 GMT. The 1st and 2nd prize of each category will win a prize of €100 (Hundred euros) and €50 (fifty Euros) respectively. These funds can be only used towards travel costs to a polar or cryosphere related conference of your choice within 1 year of the date of the award.

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) announces the availability of their 2017 Performance Element Reporting Logs. IARPC reports on activity related to their Arctic Research Plan annually to Federal agencies and biennially to Congress.

IARPC has just completed the first year of the five-year Arctic Research Plan FY2017-2021. Implementation of the Plan through Collaboration Teams has resulted in substantial progress towards completing many of the Plan's Performance Elements. Their progress is available for review in the Performance Element Reporting Logs for 2017.

Contributions of related research activities are welcome. Activities may include workshops, synthesis reports, publications, new awards for research, and other research related activities.

Researchers interested in contributing to the reports must first request an accounton IARPC member webpage.

Research contributions can be made through the IARPC Collaborations website by posting an update, document, event, or want/have on the website and tagging the appropriate Performance Element or by posting a comment at the bottom of the related Performance Element's page.

To view the 2017 Reporting Logs, go to:
2017 Performance Element Reporting Logs

For more information on submitting research contributions, go to:
View contribution information

For questions, contact:
Meredith LaValley
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The current Principles were prepared by the Social Science Task Force of the U.S. Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee, approved by the IARPC on June 28, 1990, and published by IARPC in volume 9, (Spring, 1995, pp.56-57) of the journal "Arctic Research of the United States" (https://www.arctic.gov/publications/related/arotus.html). Since 1990, community engagement and Arctic research have advanced both in theory and in practice, necessitating a review and update of the current Principles.

Comments can be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or to the Principles Revision Working Group co-chairs, Roberto Delgado of NIH and Renee Crain of NSF.

Comments will be most useful if received by 15 January 2018.

To view the Federal Register Notice, go to:
Federal Register Notice

The Sea Ice Prediction Network South (SIPN South) is inviting contributors to participate in the first coordinated sea ice prediction experiment in the Southern Ocean, targeting February 2018.

For more information about the project and submission guidelines, please follow this link:
http://www.elic.ucl.ac.be/users/fmasson/SIPNSouth_2018_call.pdf

We kindly draw your attention to the deadline for submission of the forecasts: 15th December 2017.
Questions or feedback may be directed to François Massonnet (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

We are looking forward to receiving your contribution,

The SIPN South Leadership team

20171031 SecNet2 logos

Winter weather and climate extremes: How can researchers, authorities, and local peoples work together to record, predict and adapt?Salekhard, Yamal-Nenets automonous district, 31 Oct – 4 Nov 2017

The message was clear: To understand world climate, you need to understand the Arctic. To understand Arctic climate, you need to understand the Russian Arctic. To understand the Russian Arctic, you need to understand Yamal!

The Siberian Environmental Change Network was founded in 2016 to provide a “super mega transect” of stations; to create a science mega facility analogous to CERN that would serve as the hub of Siberian research. The workshop was jointly organised by INTERACT and indeed several SecNet stations are INTERACT partners. But the main theme of the workshop was not increasing research infrastructure, but rather how to effectively work with all stakeholders including government and local residents. The unique, and refreshing aspect with this meeting was that instead of scientists talking about these issues amongst themselves, representatives from the various stakeholder groups were present and fully engaged in the meeting.

Due to the diverse backgrounds of the workshop participants the first day was spent on introductions. Thereafter, the format of the workshop centered on breakout groups. In the first breakout, participants were split according to sector (Researcher, Northern Peoples, Decision makers) and asked to identify the challenges and opportunities related to communicating with the other groups. Out of interest, I joined the Decision Makers group. In terms of communicating with scientists, they identified a lack of local experts able to engage with regional problems. Additionally, they highlighted the lack of clear, coherent priorities coming from the international science community. A positive example identified was the CALM network where rather than saying that ‘permafrost research is important’, exact variables that needed to be measured were defined. For communicating with local people, they raised the interesting point that after a few years the representatives of those communities may not be ‘representative’ anymore, after having spent considerable time away from home.

In the second breakout, the groups were mixed and each new group had to discuss areas of high priority, which required the three groups to work together. A common theme amongst all groups was education: developing Arctic specific courses and being able to deliver them close to home. Salekhard, population 40 000, has no university. Education includes learning about the legal system: how to influence the decisions that will impact you. Land access, was also identified as an area ripe for inter-sector collaboration.

In the final section of the workshop, all the discussions were summarised and an action plan developed to drive the momentum forward. The overwhelming impression I got from this meeting was that communication is crucial, whether that is within your own ‘group’ or between sectors. There are many examples of good practice and various guidelines have been developed, but to make a real impact they need to be widely communicated and translated (both in terms of language and style of delivery). Clearly not all scientists should/need to engage in inter-sector communication and would be best served by dedicated representatives. But, as was highlighted in this meeting, care needs to be taken that those representatives don’t just end up travelling from meeting to meeting, losing touch with their ‘constituency’ along the way.

I would like to thank the organisers of the conference for providing me opportunity to attend and experience Yamal, and Olga who provided real time Russian-English translation, without which this workshop would not have been as successful as it was.

20171031 SecNet2 picutres

nsf logo The International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program, managed by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE), supports research and research-related activities for U.S. science and engineering students.

The IRES program contributes to development of a diverse, globally engaged workforce with world-class skills. IRES focuses on active research participation by undergraduate or graduate students in high-quality international research, education and professional development experiences in NSF-funded research areas.

The program's overarching, long-term goals are to enhance U.S. leadership in research and education and to strengthen economic competitiveness by training the next generation of research leaders.

The IRES program accepts projects in any disciplinary field that NSF supports. Topics in multi-disciplinary and convergent areas of research, training, and professional development are encouraged.

A new solicitation for IRIS proposals has been issued:
View IRES Solicitation

The solicitation features three mechanisms; proposers are required to select one of the following tracks to submit their proposal:

Track I focuses on the development of world-class research skills in international cohort experiences;
Track II is dedicated to targeted, intensive learning and training opportunities that leverage international knowledge at the frontiers of research; and
Track III calls for U.S. institutional partnerships and coalitions to develop and evaluate innovative models for high-impact, large-scale international research and professional development experiences for graduate students, as individuals or groups.

Each track has a separate deadline for submission, which are listed in the solicitation.

All proposals must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. submitter's local time.

Full proposal deadlines:

Track-I IRES Sites: 30 January 2018
Track-II Advanced Studies Institutes: 6 February 2018

Full proposal target dates:

Track-III New Concepts in International Graduate Experience: 13 February 2018

For more information, including the full Solicitation and guidelines, go to:
View NSF Program Solicitation

ipa logo Clic logo1 The International Permafrost Association (IPA) and the Climate and Cryosphere project (CliC) initiated a process back in 2014 to seek your input on the definition of research priorities in the field of permafrost science. It is now time to collect your opinion on the relevance of the questions that were submitted.

You can access the survey on the ranking of permafrost research priorities under the following link. The survey will be accessible until December 20th, 2017:

http://www.surveygizmo.eu/s3/90050886/prp

The initial process was very successful and as many as 359 researchers from 37 countries submitted research questions. The respondents were primarily active in the field of geomorphology, ecology, engineering and infrastructure. 79% of them had a PhD and 53.8% of them had more than 10 years of experience in permafrost research.

The core group spent a considerable amount of hours to read the research questions and to come up with a consolidated list to submit for vote. The consolidation consisted in removing duplicate questions, merge questions with very similar foci, correcting the syntax and spelling of the questions and check that the questions answered the criteria put forward in the first phase of the process.

The result is a list of 347 questions organized in 20 categories. Some questions will look very similar to each other, but the core group decided on listing the submitted research questions in a very inclusive manner and not to perform too much merging. This leads to more representativeness of the original questions, but also to a greater number of questions.

In the survey, the responders are invited to review the questions by category and can choose to review only one category or several (i.e. if you are an expert in more than one category, you have the possibility to vote in several of them). The research questions are then displayed randomly to avoid a potential bias linked to questionnaire structure. Each research question is evaluated with a grade going from 0 to 10.

The evaluation period will run until December 20th, 2017. The core group will then examine the answers and come up with a list of consolidated overarching questions reflecting the selection made by the respondents.

Please feel free to share this announcement and the link with any of your colleagues who you think may be interested. Questions can be directed to Ylva Sjöberg, CliC fellow (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Hugues Lantuit, chair of the PRP Core Group (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

It’s only with the generous help of individuals like you that this global community driven list of permafrost research priorities can be successful.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

agu logo Are you a cryospheric scientist currently in school or within 10 years of your PhD? If so, we would like to invite you to the Early Career, Early Entry event at AGU. This event is designed to help our AGU Cryosphere early career members network with program managers, senior scientists, and their peers in an informal and relatively small setting.

The event is Tuesday, 12 December 2017 from 6:15-6:45 P.M. in the Earnest N. Morial Convention Center (MCCNO), Second Floor, Room 295-296. After the event, everyone can walk over to the Cryosphere reception at Mardi Gras World and keep the party going!

Please feel free to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions about the event.

Thank you,
Ellyn Enderlin & Ryan Webb
Early Career Representatives
AGU Cryosphere Focus Group

In the continuation of the International and Regional conferences convened by the International Permafrost Association, the 5th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP 2018) will be held in Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France, 23th June - 1st July 2018. The conference aims at covering all relevant aspects of permafrost research, engineering and outreach on a global and regional
levels.

On the EUCOP 2018 website, you'll find the description of the 26 session topics, and some preliminary information regarding the program of this exciting week, the deadlines, the excursions, the social events, and so on.

The abstract submission process has opened on September 1st.
The abstract submission deadline has been extended and is now on December 15th 2017.

You can submit your abstract on the website until December 15th, using a pre-defined template file (MS Word format, max two A4 pages, max 5000 characters, spaces included, including figures and references).

Note that only one submission as first author is allowed for each author. Exception will be made for sessions # 4, 16 and 20 that have a specific Education and Outreach objective : one more submission per first author will be allowed for (only) one of these sessions (specific instructions will be given to authors by conveners of these sessions).

If you have any question, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Local Organizing Committee of the EUCOP 2018

Call for Nominations – 2018 Weston Family Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Northern Research

We are now accepting nominations for the Weston Family Prize, which celebrates extraordinary and inspiring individuals who have devoted their career to natural science research and have demonstrated leadership and mentorship in the Canadian North.
The award includes a prize of $50,000 cash and over $50,000 to support a postdoctoral fellow of the recipient’s choice. The deadline to submit nominations and/or applications is January 31, 2018.

Full details on our website.

FINAL LifetimePrize 2018PromoPoster

The W. Garfield Weston Awards for Northern Research and Northern Archaeological Research
Applications for the W. Garfield Weston Awards are now being accepted. The deadline to submit applications is January 31, 2018.

Awards are available to postdoctoral fellows and graduate students (PhD and Masters) in northern science and northern archaeology whose research includes a fieldwork component. Curious to see if your research is considered “northern”? Have a look at our Northern Boundary Map.

Full details on our website.

NC 2018 Award Cycle Science and Archaeology Student Awards Sep272017

Congress 2018 banner facebooksharedimage

CALL FOR CONTENT: ARCTIC BIODIVERSITY CONGRESS 2018
ROVANIEMI, FINLAND
OCTOBER 9-11, 2018

The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity Working Group of the Arctic Council, is seeking individuals and organizations to provide abstracts, organize sessions and submit posters that will encourage a dialogue on Arctic biodiversity among scientists, indigenous peoples, policy makers, government officials, students, industry representatives and others at the Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2018.

Submit via the online submission system by March 30, 2018

CAFF in partnership with the Ministry of the Environment, Finland, is organizing the Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2018 to promote the conservation and sustainable use of Arctic biodiversity. The Congress is relevant to all who wish to make specific and significant contributions to the conservation of Arctic biodiversity.

The Congress will be held in Rovaniemi, Finland on October 9-11, 2018, and will build upon the success of the first Congress, held in Norway in 2014.

Learn more about the Arctic Biodiversity Congress program and register now.

Please submit proposals for presentations, posters and/or sessions that address the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment recommendations and implementation actions by March 30, 2018.

Thank you for your interest in participating in and contributing to the Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2018!

Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions.

APECS 10 year logo The Netherlands Polar Committee of NWO and APECS Netherlands are pleased to invite you for the annual Symposium of the Netherlands Polar Programme, to be held on 8 December, 2017 in The Hague. The central topic of the symposium is:

The value of International Collaborations and Networks in Polar Research

The 2017 annual symposium of the Netherlands Polar Programme (NPP) aims at highlighting the importance of international collaborations and networks in polar research. Networking and collaborations are essential for the future of polar research in the Netherlands, from early career researchers looking to develop networks for research opportunities to the provision of large-scale international research programmes to address pressing scientific questions in polar regions. Speakers from different career stages and various disciplines are therefore invited to discuss the many aspects of international partnerships, collaborations and communication that can lead to a successful, commended and cost-effective polar research programme. We welcome you to the annual symposium to discuss and celebrate these concepts, and to increase the links already in place within the polar community.

Manfred Reinke will share his extensive experiences in international networks as the former Executive Secretary of the Antarctic Treaty. Stef Bokhorst from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam will talk about his collaborations with multiple international partners and why these are essential for his science and journey home from the Antarctic. Henrik Christiansen from the University of Leuven will share his experiences as chair of APECS Belgium and early career scientist in (inter)national networks. Many more presentations about international collaborations and networks in polar research will be scheduled and an interactive workshop will provide a different perspective on networking within the polar community.

The symposium will be held on 8 December, 2017 at NWO, Laan van Nieuw Oost-Indië 300, 2593 CE in The Hague. The symposium will be English spoken.

Participation is free, please register online before 24 November.

You are invited to present a poster during the Symposium and can choose for this option on the registration form. The deadline for submitting an abstract for a poster is 17 November.
*Due to room capacity, symposium attendees limited to 120.

For more information please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

On behalf of the organising committee:

Gemma Kulk (APECS)
Patrick Rozema (APECS)
Hans Slagter (APECS)
Alison Webb (APECS)
Jacqueline Stefels (NPC)
Dick van der Kroef (NWO-NPC)
Debbie Liauw (NWO-NPC)

During the recent Svalbard Science Conference (6 - 8 November, Oslo, Norway) there were two evening poster sessions where researchers had the opportunity to showcase their work and impress a team of judges. The well-deserved prizes were awarded during the conference dinner. Prizes were awarded in two categories: early career researcher (ECR) and experienced researcher (ER). The competition organised by APECS in collaboration with the Research Council of Norway. We would like to thank all the judges who contributed their time to judge the posters and of course to all the presenters!

ECR
Winner: Alistair Everett "Seals like plumes"
Runner Up: Megan Lee "The impact of pollution on pathogen prevalence in an Arctic seabird"

ER
Winner: Agnès Baltzer "Evolution of pro-deltas: a print of glacier melt processes"
Runner Up: Edyta Łokas "Airborne contaminants in terrestrial environments in Svalbard"

Congratulations to all! 2017 Svalbard ScienceConference PosterAwards

Caption: The winning posters and (L to R) Harald Ellingson (Managing Director, UNIS and Chair of Advisory Scientific Committee), Ruth Vingerhagen (APECS), Agnès Baltzer, Edyta Łokas, Alistair Everett, and a colleague of Megan Lee.

Antarctica Day 2017 will be on 1 December 2017 and APECS will be again joining Our Spaces - Foundation for Good Governance of International Spaces and other partners in supporting the commemorations. This event was created to celebrate the spirit of international peace and scientific cooperation that signified the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959.

Antarctica Day 2017 is an international effort to share knowledge about Antarctica. APECS is proud to take part, helping to inspire a new generation of polar researchers. The day is for everyone, so take some time to celebrate with your co-workers, family and friends!

This year will see many events and classroom activities take place, centered around Antarctic science and exploration. Who goes there? What happens in Antarctica? And why is Antarctica important to the planet as a whole? We look forward to having these discussions all over the globe.

As a highlight for this year, we will be organizing an Antarctica Day Photo contest - Antarctica Alive! We encourage you to submit your best Antarctic photos for the following two categories:

Antarctic teamwork in the field
Antarctic fauna

Please read the rules and regulations for the contest before submitting your photo. Submissions are due 24 November 2017 at 18 GMT and should be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. See also the announcement of the photo contest for more information.

Are you planning to organize something for Antarctica Day 2017? See all of what is happening at the APECS Antarctica Day website, and add your events to the list of activities for Antarctica Day 2017.

To include your support for Antarctica Day 2017, you can also insert your information on our map.

Happy Antarctica Day 2017 from APECS!

29 November 2017 at 17:00 GMT

Speaker: Dr. Matthieu Chevallier(CNRS-GAME/MétéoFrance, Toulouse, France)

Registration Link

Weather and climate models have typically been developed for mid-latitude regions, but different processes are relevant for the Polar regions. Prediction in the Arctic and beyond using global models can be improved through a better representation of processes at the atmosphere-sea ice-ocean interfaces, including small-scale processes, and through a revisit of the atmosphere-ocean coupling strategy in coupled models.

This webinar will focus on ‘Enhanced weather and climate models’, one of five science work packages of the EU-funded APPLICATE project, which brings together a European consortium of scientists from different disciplines to advance our capability to predict the weather and climate in the Arctic and beyond. Improved modelling capabilities will be achieved through enhanced process descriptions in the various components (atmosphere, snow, sea-ice, ocean) of the models. Our primary targets will be to address well-known problems in processes that contribute to momentum transfer at the surface and to the surface energy budget. Other improvements are related to coupling processes between the atmosphere and the land or sea-ice/ocean surface. A novel approach of a coupled single-column model will be extensively used as an intermediate step to constrain the model physics towards fully coupled modelling for weather and climate predictions. Based on a set of coordinated model experiments, using available and upcoming observations, we will assess the impact of model improvements. To find out more about the APPLICATE project go to: https://applicate.eu

IASC AOS The Executive Organizing Committee for the Arctic Observing Summit 2018 is seeking input on the topics under discussion at the Summit in the form of brief statements. More details on the AOS process and specific guidance on input sought are provided below. The theme for the Summit is The Business Case for a pan-Arctic Observing System.

For more detailed information on themes and submissions, please visit the AOS website.

P.S. Early-bird registration and accommodation are already open for Polar2018. Abstract submissions for the science conference are open until 12 November 2017.

Foto World Summit APECS is organising the APECS World Summit 2018 just before the start of POLAR2018 in Davos, Switzerland from 17-18 June 2018.

The preliminary program for our 2-day summit is available online. Day one (17 June) is a closed meeting for members of our APECS Leadership and APECS National Committee Leaderships only. Day 2 (18 June) will be an open workshop for all early career researchers attending POLAR2018. We will continue to update the World Summit page over the coming months with more information.

The registration form for the summit is available on the summit website. There will not be a registration fee for the World Summit (either day), but participants are required to register for the IASC/ASSW business meetings section of POLAR2018, at a cost of 30 CHF.

Registration deadlines will be:

16 February 2018 for APECS Leadership and APECS National Committee leadership reps who want to attend both days of the summit.
31 March 2018 for APECS members and other interested early career researchers wanting to attend the second day of the summit.

There will be also other interesting workshops and events planned for early career researchers around the POLAR2018 conference. We will add information about them to our APECS website as they are scheduled. Current information on all side-meetings of the conference can be found here.

If you have any comments or questions about the APECS World Summit, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Further updates from POLAR2018

The abstract submission deadline has been extended for the POLAR2018 conference. It is now on 12 November 2017 at 18:00 CET.

To submit your abstract go to: https://www.polar2018.org/abstracts.html

Session categories, descriptions and conveners you can find here: https://www.polar2018.org/session-program-categories.html

Registration for the Open Science Conference, the SCAR and IASC/ASSW business & satellite meetings and the 2018 Arctic Observing Summit are now also open. You can also book your hotel, hostel or holiday flat within the registration system. Go to the registration page for more information https://www.polar2018.org/registration.html

A facebook group has been established to help early career researchers share accommodation and thereby reduce conference expenses.

For more information on the conference itself go to: https://www.polar2018.org/

Are you a student looking to fund your innovative research in Cryospheric Science? Consider participating in the Flash Freeze competition at this year’s Fall Meeting!

The AGU Cryosphere Section Executive Committee is now accepting applications for the Cryosphere Innovation Award for Students that will be decided in the Flash Freeze competition on Thursday, December 14, 2017. The award is open to all students attending the 2017 Fall Meeting and is given to support and recognize innovative student-led research in the Cryospheric Sciences.

Students wishing to participate in this year’s competition will be required to submit a letter of intent (not to exceed one (1) page) and a CV (not to exceed two (2) pages) to the Innovation Award subcommittee chaired by Brooke Medley via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by November 17, 2017 at midnight US eastern time.

Approximately twenty (20) applicants will be selected for participation in the Flash Freeze competition and will be notified on December 1, 2017. During the competition, the student will give a two-minute pitch of their innovative idea to a panel of five (5) judges. Slides or props may be used but the pitch cannot exceed the two-minute allowance. The Flash Freeze event will be held at the 2017 Fall Meeting Thursday, December 14, 2017 from 6:15 pm – 8:15 pm in the Hilton Riverside Camp room. It is a requirement that the student must already be attending the 2017 Fall Meeting to participate. This year it is expected that ~5 awards of $1000 each will be awarded to the student winners from the Flash Freeze event to pursue their innovative research.

Further specific details can be found here, and we look forward to seeing exciting and innovative student-led ideas at this year’s event.

ARCUS Logo [No Text] The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) announces the availability of community meeting space at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), to be held 11-15 December 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. One- to two-hour blocks will be available for reservation in Riverside Rooms I and III on the second floor of the Hampton Inn and Suites New Orleans-Convention Center (1201 Convention Center Blvd.).

The Arctic Community Meeting Rooms are hosted by ARCUS to encourage collaboration and to facilitate face-to-face meetings of opportunity, and is funded by the National Science Foundation's Division of Polar Programs. Meeting space is available in one or two-hour blocks for groups working on Arctic research and/or education activities.

Basic audio/visual equipment will be available in both meeting rooms. Catering options are also available and orders may be placed through ARCUS. The deadline to place catering orders is Thursday, 16 November 2017. Catering menus will be provided upon request.

Please check the meeting room availability prior to submitting a reservation request. Meeting room schedules and availability will be periodically updated.

To view meeting room schedules and availability, go to:

Riverside I (capacity: 50 people)
Riverside III(capacity: 30 people)

To submit a reservation request, go to:
Meeting Room Reservation Request Form

Catering order deadline: Thursday, 16 November 2017.

For further information, please contact:
Stacey Stoudt, ARCUS
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Preparations for the EGU 2018 General Assembly (8–13 April, Vienna, Austria) are in full swing, and there are a number of opportunities and news we wanted to draw your attention to, relating to the conference and more. Don’t forget to submit your abstract to the meeting by 1 December 2017 if you’d like to apply for financial support, or by 10 January 2018 if not.

Roland Schlich travel support

To encourage participation of early career scientists, a limited amount of the overall budget of the EGU General Assembly is reserved to provide financial support to those who wish to attend the meeting.

Financial support includes a waiver of the registration fee and a refund of the Abstract Processing Charge (relating to the abstract for which support was requested). Additionally, the grant may include support for travel expenditures, at the discretion of the Support Selection Committee, to a maximum of €300.

Scientists who wish to apply for financial support should submit an abstract, on which they are first authors, by 1 December 2017. If you want to learn more about how the applications are evaluated and funding is allocated, this blog post includes all the details.

Communications Officer Vacancy

Do you like blogging and social media? Are you able to write about complex science topics to a broader audience? If you are looking for a career opportunity in (geo)science communication, check the latest job vacancy at the EGU Executive Office in Munich.

The deadline for applications is 5 November 2017. For more information and how to apply see our website or the EGU official blog, GeoLog.

EGU Public Engagement Grants

Have an idea for an outreach project which aims to raise awareness of geosciences outside of the scientific community, but are struggling to find funds to get it off the ground? Consider applying for one of two EGU Public Engagement Grants! Winners are each awarded a grant of €1000 to help further develop the project and put it into practice. In addition, winners will receive a free registration to attend the EGU 2019 General Assembly. The 2018 call for proposals will open the 15th November 2017 and remain open until 15th February 2018.

Had you meant to submit an abstract to one of the many exciting sessions at POLAR2018 but just didn't get around to doing it? There is your chance - the abstract submission deadline has been extended, it's now on Sunday, 12 November 2017, 6pm CET.

Abstract submission: https://www.polar2018.org/abstracts.html

Session categories, descriptions and conveners: https://www.polar2018.org/session-program-categories.html

All else: https://www.polar2018.org/

We are looking forward to reading your abstract!

The SCAR Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research is awarded for sustained research contributions over a career. Selection is based on a person's outstanding contributions to knowledge and the impact of their work on understanding the Antarctic region, the linkages between Antarctica and the Earth system, and/or observations of and from Antarctica. Nominees are welcomed in all areas of Antarctic and Southern Ocean research.

The SCAR Medal for International Coordination is awarded for outstanding and sustained contributions to international cooperation and partnerships. Nomination of persons that have advanced SCAR's mission to initiate, facilitate, co-ordinate and encourage international research activity in the Antarctic region are encouraged. Nominees should have a distinguished professional career history and a record of recognition of international activities by their peers including prizes, honorary degrees and other awards that demonstrate the person's impact.

The SCAR Medal for Education and Communication will be awarded for excellence or innovation in, and sustained commitment to, (a) communicating Antarctic research, (b) making a significant contribution to educating the next generation of Antarctic researchers, or (c) contributing to building new capacity in SCAR member countries. Nominees should have a significant record of achievement in terms of the quality, effectiveness and creativity of their engagement in one or more of these three key areas of education and communication.

Nominations for 2018 Awards are open until 14 February 2018.

For further details and to nominate someone for a SCAR Medal, please go to the SCAR Medals section: www.scar.org/awards/medals/info/

To see the past winners, visit the Awardees section: www.scar.org/awards/medals/awardees/

APECS - EPB Webinar: An introduction to the Arctic Council

2 November 2017 at 15:00 GMT

Speaker: Timo Koivurova, Research Professor and Director, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland

Registration Link

The Arctic Council is the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants. Giving an overview of its structure, including Members, Permanent Participants and Working Groups, this webinar will act as an introduction to the Arctic Council, providing information on its workings, issues of focus, and recent achievements.

This webinar series is jointly organized by APECS and the European Polar Board (EPB).

SCAR logo white background APECS 10 year logo The Solid Earth Response and Influence on Cryosphere Evolution (SERCE) SCAR Research Programme, in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), would like to appoint an early career researcher (ECR) to the SERCE steering committee. The overarching objective of SERCE is to advance understanding of the interactions between the solid earth and the cryosphere to better constrain ice mass balance, ice dynamics and sea level change in a warming world. The role of the ECR would be to contribute to the leadership and implementation of SERCE activities in general, and specifically to help improve the reach of SERCE science outcomes through outreach and communication by:

liaising between the ECR community and the SERCE steering committee
giving feedback on how SERCE can ensure ECR engagement with their activities

Applicants should:

preferably be within 5 years of completing their PhD; and
have an active research interest in understanding interactions between ice sheets and the solid Earth, preferably with a focus on Antarctica (as this is a SCAR program).

The ECR rep would be expected to attend the SERCE steering committee meeting, which will be held in conjunction with the POLAR2018 conference in Davos in June 2018, and will be provided with US$500 towards expenses associated with attending this meeting.

The SERCE program is slated to end in 2020 and the incoming ECR representative would have the opportunity to remain part of the steering committee until the conclusion of the program. Please note that you can also apply for this opportunity if you cannot commit to the entire period (recommended minimum commitment is 18 month) .

If you are interested in applying, please send the following by no later than Monday 30 October 2017 at 15:00 GMT to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

CV
Statement of Interest including:
- Your research background and how it relates to the foci of SERCE
- Why you would be interested in joining SERCE and how this position would be beneficial for your research career
- Clear statement how long you could commit to participcate SERCE steering committee (if until 2020 or shorter).

If you have questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Arctic Yearbook 2017 is now available - online and open access - at www.arcticyearbook.com

This year’s Arctic Yearbook focuses on the theme of Change & Innovation in the Arctic: Policy, Society, & the Environment. The field of innovation studies began in earnest in the 1960s, and has seen significant growth in the past decade. However very little work has been done to apply that scholarship to an Arctic context. This year’s Arctic Yearbook is an attempt to address this gap, with the nature of its articles an indication of the early direction of the field. We expect and hope that Arctic innovation studies will continue to develop in the future and are pleased to offer one of the first collections on the subject.

AY2017 consists of an introduction to the topic and five thematic sections:

Thinking Arctic Innovation
Creative Collaboration
Arctic Change & Innovation in Practice
Arctic Resources & Development
Arctic Governance & Institutions

AY2017 is a collection of 22 Scholarly Articles, paired with 6 Briefing Notes to provide succinct explanations of Arctic phenomena and issues of contemporary significance; as well as 11 Commentaries by esteemed and influential decision-makers and experts that provide unique insight into the events and trends that have captured our interest in the past year. In total, this Yearbook is comprised of the work of over 80 contributors from around the world.

You can now access and share AY2017 in various ways:

AY2017 Flip Book (ideal for tablets and smart phones). You can read the yearbook and share it via: https://issuu.com/arcticportal/docs/ay17_final_pdf_for_arctic_portal_oc.

At that same web address, you also have the option to download the full 498-page PDF, or share it on social media or via email.
Access individual PDFs of the articles, commentaries or briefing notes directly via our AY2017 Table of Contents at our website: https://arcticyearbook.com/toc2017.

APECS Chile Mentor Panel 2017 4 During the IX Congress of Latin-american Antarctic Science held in Punta Arenas (CLCA, almost 300 scientist from 15 countries), APECS Chile was able to performed a Mentor Panel and our first Annual Meeting.

Three mentors were invited to the Panel: Dra. Maria Andrea Piñones Oceanographer from the center of high Latitudes research (IDEAL), which is the most important long term chilean project in Antarctic science, Dr. Ricardo Jaña, Engineer in Geography and specialized in GIS platform from the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), the main chilean government entity in Antarctic logistic and funding and Dr. Claudio González Marine Biologist from the University of Magallanes, the local university which has recently open a PhD program in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic Sciences.

We advertised in our website, social media and the official site of the conference (links below) and prepared the biography of each mentor and suitable question to open the debate.

The whole activity took 40 minutes. The panelist share their experiences and how they got involved in Antarctic research. We were able to share different aspects of being an Antarctic scientist, working opportunities and discuss the importance of networking in Antarctic science. We gave them an acknowledgment award for their participation during the closing ceremony.

After the Mentor Panel, we had time to discuss the idea of APECS Chile as a formal institution, the aims as a National Committee of APECS international and how to work to incorporate more active members in order to achieve our goals. We have more than 50 people on the audience including mentors, undergraduate and graduate students from Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina and Peru.

APECS Chile Audiencia Mentor Panel 2017 2 After a long day preparing the Panel and the annual meeting, we went to El Rustico bar, which is a nice and friendly bar in Punta Arenas. Here we ordered Pizza and beers for the members and coordinators which help us during the whole week. We enjoyed the moment and recruited more members as they were able to ask and chat more about APECS initiative after the “formal” meeting. Also, it was an opportunity to discuss with teachers and mentors about our organization and listen their feedback and comments.

In addition, the british Embassy organized a meeting-coctel to talked about possible fundings for Post-doc and early career scientist opportunities invitation that was extended to the APECS Chile members, recognizing the importance of this platform as a direct link with early career scientist. We will put together the information compiled in this meeting to make it available for students the next month.

Our second most important activity was to award the best oral and poster student presentation. We rigorously evaluate more than 200 works (two evaluators per work) and we had the collaboration of mentors and APECS members to do this (almost 10 collabs). It was a huge amount of work, but it was satisfactory to see great level of presentations and the spirit of working together. Thanks to the congress organizers, we were able to used the closing ceremony to gave the awards.

At the closing ceremony, Claudia Maturana, the president of APECS Chile, gave a speech to the audience about the main aims of this organization and how it was clear during the IX CLCA that we have enthusiastic people and we could achieve any goal that we propose with coordination and effort.

After the conference, we received lots of good comments about our activities and performance, several students and mentors are very keen to participate and motivate their students to be part of this initiative. Even Dr. Steven Chown congratulated Claudia for the active participation of APECs Chile at the conference and her speech.

Special Thanks to all the people involved who made this possible: Renato Borrás, Marely Cuba, Gustavo Chiang, Daniel Ramirez, Claudio Gómez, Claudio González, Andrea Piñones, Ricardo Jaña, Zambra Lopez, Javier Naretto, Elie Poulin, Elias Barticevic, Marcelo Leppe, Paulina Rojas, Carolina Lamas, Carlos Pineda

APECS Chile Equipo 2017 3

More information:
http://www.inach.cl/inach/?p=22399

http://congresoantartico2017.com/apecs-chile-mentor-panel-chilenos-liderando-en-antartica/

IARPC Collaborations Webinar Series: Updates from the International Arctic Science Committee. US Delegates to the five IASC Working Groups (Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social and Human, and Terrestrial) will present on their recent activities and how to engage with IASC through the forum provided on IARPC Collaborations. November 1, 2017, 4 PM ET. https://www.iarpccollaborations.org/webinars.html

pyrn small On behalf of PYRN ExCom & Council we would like to present Fall Newsletter 2017!

In this newsletter you will find some updates on recent PYRN activities as well as information on events to come later this or next year.

Hoping you are well after field seasons,
PYRN ExCom

nsf logo NSF has issued a Request for Information (RFI) in a "Dear Colleague Letter" on Oct. 6 to assess the science and engineering community’s needs for mid-scale research infrastructure. The information will be used to develop an infrastructure strategy, in accordance with the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act.

The submission deadline is Dec. 8. The AICA requires NSF to "evaluate the existing and future needs, across all disciplines supported by the Foundation, for mid-scale projects" and "develop a strategy to address the needs."

The RFI focuses on mid-scale research infrastructure projects with an anticipated NSF contribution of between $20 million and $100 million towards construction and/or acquisition.

After the submission period ends, and the information is analyzed, NSF will summarize the high-level insights drawn from this analysis for the science community and internal NSF use.

PLEASE NOTE: funding for mid-scale RI projects in this range of investment has not been identified; nor does this RFI imply an intent on the part of NSF to issue a call for proposals. In addition, responses to this RFI do not constitute any commitment on behalf of the submitters or their institutions to submit a proposal or carry out an RI project.

To read the DCL in full, please see: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18013/nsf18013.jsp.

iasc web APECS 10 year logo The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), invites Early Career Scientists (ECS) to apply for the IASC Fellowship Program 2018.

The IASC Fellowship Program is meant to engage ECS in the work of the IASC Working Groups (WGs): Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social & Human, and Terrestrial. Each year, one Fellow per WG is chosen.

IASC Fellows are doctoral or postdoctoral researchers who actively participate in selected activities of the IASC WGs. Fellows are expected to contribute scientifically but also to help organize specific activities and to coordinate the reporting to the IASC Secretariat. Thus, the Fellowship Program provides the opportunity for ECSs to become involved in leading-edge scientific activities at a circumarctic and international level, to build an international network, and also to develop management skills. The level of involvement very much depends on the Fellow's interest - the more you invest, the more you get out of it!

The total duration of the IASC Fellowship Program is 1+2 years. In their first year, selected Fellows will receive travel support to attend two consecutive Arctic Science Summit Weeks (ASSWs) where the annual WG meetings are held. After the first year, Fellows have the opportunity to stay involved for up to 2 more years without dedicated funding support from IASC. Note: The travel support during the first fellowship year is the only financial remuneration for the Fellows. Salary is not included during the fellowship.

For this round of applications, interested ECSs must fulfill the following criteria:

PhD student/candidate or postdoctoral researcher (up to 5 years past the PhD)
Able to commit to participating in the activities of one of an IASC WG for at least 1 year
Able to attend the two upcoming ASSWs: 15-18 June 2018 in Davos, Switzerland (as part of POLAR2018), and Spring 2019 in Arkhangelsk, Russia
Located in an IASC member country
Have a good command of English

How to apply:
If you are interested in this amazing opportunity then please fill out this application form. If you have problems accessing or submitting the form, please contact the APECS Executive Director Gerlis Fugmann at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive a Word version of the form.

Selection process:
The selection of candidates is coordinated by APECS and will be only based on the material you provide in the application form. So be as specific as possible. Applications will be reviewed according to multiple criteria including your research background and the quality of your statement of interest of why you would like to be come an IASC fellow. Top candidates will be suggested to the WG Steering Committees, who will decide on their IASC Fellow 2018.

Application deadline is Monday 20 November 2017 at 13:00 GMT. Late applications will not be considered. Successful applicants will be notified before the end of the year.

The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) invites applications for the Fellowships and Grants program for the 2018/19 academic year.

Awards for Research/Study in Scandinavia

The ASF will offer around $300,000 to outstanding American students, scholars, professionals and, artists for study and/or research in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, or Sweden. Fellowships of up to $23,000 are intended to support an academic year-long stay, and priority is given to students at the graduate level who need to spend time at foreign academic or research institutions. Grants of up to $5,000 are considered more suitable for shorter research visits, both on the graduate or post-doctoral level. Funding is available to candidates in all fields.

Awards for Arctic Research

In partnership with Scandinavian Seminar, a not-for-profit organization sponsoring educational and cultural interaction between Scandinavia and the United States, the ASF annually provides fellowships totaling $50,000 to outstanding American students, researchers, and artists for projects relating to the Arctic and pursued at University of the Arctic member institutions. The purpose of these fellowships is to increase knowledge about the Arctic and issues relating to the Circumpolar North. Past fellowship winners have included scholars pursuing Arctic projects in marine biology, geology, the environment, and Indigenous peoples, as well as artists photographing Arctic landscapes.

Awards for Research/Study in in the United States

The ASF awards fellowships and grants to Scandinavians doing research/study. These are made on the recommendation of ASF's cooperating organizations abroad, with each country setting its own deadline. Contact information for the ASF's cooperating organizations in Scandinavia can be found on the ASF website.

The ASF is a cultural and educational link between the U.S. and Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden and works to build international understanding with an extensive program of fellowships, grants, intern/trainee sponsorship, publishing, and membership offerings.

Application deadline: 1 November 2017

For more information and application information, go to: Fellowship and Grants Homepage

For questions, contact:
Carl Fritscher
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

There is a call for papers for the thematic issue of the Annals of Glaciology on ‘Timescales, Processes and Glacier Dynamics’.

The deadline for paper submission is 19 April 2018.

Please go to: https://www.igsoc.org/annals/call_4_papers/a78_call_4_papers.pdf.

APECS Canada Logo web You are cordially invited to a two-day workshop entitled “Intercultural Indigenous Workshop: Sharing perspectives and experiences of research in Canada's North.” hosted at McGill University in partnership with APECS Canada

When: November 16th and 17th, 2017

Where: Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), University Centre, 3480 McTavish, Montreal, QC.

Thursday November 16th, Ballroom 301: This is a full-day workshop entitled “Indigenous Realities: A Cultural Awareness-Building” facilitated by Suzanne Keeptwo, Métis of Kichisipirini (Algonkin) descent. This presentation explores Canada’s historic relationship with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and how it impacts current realities using storytelling, music and visuals. Lunch, coffee and snacks provided. Registration required.

Evening of Thursday November 16th, Ballroom 301: All are welcome to participate in this evening event including a keynote speaker, a round table discussion on sharing perspectives and experiences of research in Canada’s North, and a networking event with cocktails and snacks available. No registration required.

Friday November 17th, Rooms Madeleine Parent and Lev Bukhman: This half-day event called “The Exchange Experience: Validating 500 Years of First Nations History” with Suzanne Keeptwo is an interactive, arts-based and experiential workshop. The workshop thrives on an indigenous teaching model in concept, structure and content. Participants become the creative collaborators exploring First Nations historical, political and social issues while guided through a creative learning process. The experience works to validate Indigenous realities and sensitize Canadians’ understandings of Aboriginal history and worldviews. Lunch not included. Registration required.

For whom: Early career scientists conducting fieldwork in Canada’s North or with an interest in conducting research on traditional territories across Canada. These workshops are targeted to graduate and post-graduate students, however undergraduates may also register.

How to sign up: Please follow this link to register for the workshops: www.qcbs.ca/iiw

Costs are $35.00 + tx. for both Thursday and Friday or $20.00 + tx. for the Thursday workshop only. Presence at the Thursday workshop is a prerequisite for participation in the experiential workshop on Friday. The number of places is limited, please register early. The deadline to register is November 1st, 2017 at 5:00pm. A detailed program will be soon available.

You will find a poster promoting this event attached to this email, please share it with interested colleagues. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!

We look forward to seeing you at the Indigenous Intercultural Workshop!

The IIW Planning Committee
Sophie Dufour-Beauséjour (Université INRS / Centre d’études nordiques), Marianne Falardeau (McGill University), Justine Lacombe-Bergeron (Université de Montréal), Gwyneth Anne MacMillan (Université de Montréal / Centre d’études nordiques), Allyson Menzies (McGill University), Élise Morin (Université de Montréal / Ok8APi‎ (graduated)), and Pascale Ropars (Université de Québec à Rimouski), and Cécile de Sérigny (Université de Montréal).

For any questions, please contact:
Marianne Falardeau: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Justine Lacombe-Bergeron: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

iassa logo1 The new locations of the IASSA Secretariat and ICASS X (2020) represent a unique collaborative effort between two institutions in the United States and Russia. From September 2017 to August 2020 the IASSA Secretariat will be housed at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in Cedar Falls, USA, while ICASS X in 2020 will be hosted by at the Northern (Arctic) Federal University (NARFU) in Arkhangelsk, RUSSIA.

The University of Northern Iowa is an emerging hub of Arctic social sciences research in the USA: the Arctic, Remote and Cold Territories Interdisciplinary Center (ARCTICenter) has been established at the University in 2015 to recognize the rapid growth of Arctic research on campus. It now manages multiple Arctic research projects and serves as a home for two NSF Arctic social sciences research coordination networks (Arctic-FROST and Arctic-COAST), as well as for other Arctic cooperation initiatives. The Center’s strategic vision focuses on interdisciplinary, integrative, international initiatives with the emphasis on Arctic social sciences, sustainability research and community well-being studies. Center contributed to such hallmark international projects as Arctic Social Indicators, Arctic Human Development Report, Arctic Resilience Report, ECONOR and others. The Center is directed by Dr. Andrey N. Petrov.

New faces in IASSA Secretariat

First of all, many thanks to the Umea IASSA Secretariat! Peter, Gabriella, Linus and other Secretariat staff at Umea provided excellent service and support to the association, and it will be a hard act to follow. The new Secretariat will try to do its best. Please, meet our team:

Andrey N. Petrov, IASSA President:
I am a social scientist with a ‘circumpolar’ career: I was born, raised and educated in Russia, received my PhD in Canada (Toronto) and now work as Associate Professor of Geography and Director of the ARCTICenter at the University of Northern Iowa, USA. In addition to my two terms on the IASSA Council (2011-2017), I have served as a Vice-Chair and U.S. Representative on the IASC Social & Human Sciences Working Group (since 2017) and as the Chair of the Polar Geography Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers (2015-2017).
My research primarily focuses on economic issues in northern communities and policies of regional development in the Arctic. I study human-environment relationships and Arctic socio-ecological systems as well. I lead a number of circumpolar research initiatives, most importantly the international research coordination networks in Arctic sustainability (Arctic-FROST) and coastal resilience (Arctic-COAST). I have also been a lead contributor to Arctic Social Indicators, Arctic Human Development Report, Arctic Belmont, Arctic Horizons and other major international and interdisciplinary projects.

Ann P. Crawford, IASSA Secretary:
I am an administrative assistant in the Geography Department at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA. I was born and raised in Iowa and am still here! My grandparents came from Denmark to Cedar Falls in the early 1900’s. Even though I was not raised in Cedar Falls but in a small town of 800 people in Southeastern Iowa, I find a true connection to my Danish heritage and enjoy the international connections that have been made available to me in this job.
I work with special projects within the Geography department, including the ARCTICenter. My academic background, although in social sciences, does not directly fit this position with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a bachelor’s degree in Gerontology. I do however, have a strong belief that education is never lost and I use what I have learned in those fields all of the time. I have always loved winter and cold weather so I am happy to be working with programs about the Arctic.

IASSA Secretariat Staff:
Graduate assistants: Grant Burke: (Membership & Data), Varvara Korkina (Indigenous and Early Career Engagement), Christopher Pierce (Newsletter production), Matthew Ruiz (Social Media/Website).

Please send all correspondence and entries to the IASSA listserv and Northern Notes to Ann Crawford: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Onix Foundation is pleased to announce Partial Spanish Scholarships to attend in Córdoba a Super-intensive Spanish Language Course in January & July 2018. More than 600 students from around the world had the opportunity to study Spanish in Argentina since 2007. This unique program can help students to find an easy way to experience a wonderful international experience in America.

For more information, please visit: www.scholarshipsargentina.org or www.argentineculture.org

The total cost with the partial scholarship of 2 weeks program with 60 hours of Spanish & Culture + activities + accommodation is €420.

About us: https://www.argentineculture.org/about-us

Log EU The Northern Periphery and Arctic Programmenow invites applications for the fifth call of its project grants. The call for applications is open from 1st October 2017 to 28th February 2018.

The call is open for all 4 Priority Axes. However, Terms of Referencehave been formulated encouraging applicants to address specific actions, target groups, and sectors. The Monitoring Committee will decide on Fifth Call applications on 13th June 2018.

Seminars on how to apply will be organized on 23rd November 2017 and 18th January 2018 at the office of the Joint Secretariat in Copenhagen and will cover areas such as budget and partnership as well as technical sessions. Registration for the seminars is also open from 1st October 2017.

To encourage the development of good quality applications, project idea holders are recommended to apply for a preparatory project. The preparatory project callis ongoing, which means that applications can be submitted at any time.

Click here for more information.

Logo Arctic Technology Centre ARTEK

The ARTEK International Conference 2018 (May 1-3, 2018 in Sisimiut, Greenland) offers an opportunity for the industry, the public sector, the science community and other stakeholders to present, discuss and exchange ideas and experiences on how to plan, design, construct, operate and maintain transportation infrastructure in cold regions.

Communities in the Arctic and other cold regions are strongly dependent on well-functioning transportation infrastructure to sustain business opportunities, health and general well-being. For isolated communities (most coastal Arctic communities) regional or international travel and transportation must rely on air or sea transport. A harsh climate and unstable weather conditions impact constructions and make navigation challenging.

Faced with social and industrial changes, transportation infrastructure in these regions must be adapted to larger traffic loads and changing transportation patterns. At the same time, climate change impacts on permafrost and ground stability, sea ice distribution and properties, changing wave regimes etc., pose severe challenges to transportation infrastructure.

The topical sessions of the conference are:

Harbors and offshore constructions: Design, construction and operation of harbors and offshore structures. Ice and wave impacts on structures. Ice-induced vibration. Ice gouging, coastal erosion and sediment redistribution. Structural reliability in a changing climate.
Vessel and boat traffic in icy waters: Ice loads from sea ice and glacial ice. Design and strength of ships. Ship performance in ice, including ice resistance. Risk and safety. Regulations.
Linear infrastructure: Roads, power- and pipelines, sewers. Design and maintenance issues. Technical adaptation solutions. Design and maintenance approaches in permafrost regions.
Airports and other large constructions: Airstrips and other large constructions on land. Site investigations and material properties. Design solutions and operating conditions. Design and maintenance approaches in permafrost regions.
Navigation, Positioning and Communication Systems: Maritime e-navigation. GNSS assisted take-off and landing procedures. Space weather impacts on navigation in the Arctic. Sea ice and iceberg warning systems. Surveying and geographical information systems.
Planning of physical infrastructure: Socioeconomic and sociotechnical impacts of transportation infrastructure, planning infrastructure networks, business opportunities related to infrastructure.

Deadline for abstracts: December 15, 2017.

For more information, see the AIC 2018 website.

Notte della ricerca Venezia 09 2017 As part of the Venice VeneTOnight event series‘Notte della Ricerca’ (Night of Research), which took place on September 29th, in three cities across Veneto on the same evening, APECS Italy represented together with the University Ca’Foscari of Venice and IDPA-CNR at the ‘Climate of the Past’ stand, where researchers offered the public a glimpse of how polar research is organized. Real ice cores, a poster and a hands-on component using an artificial ice core helped to engage visitors by bringing to life the techniques used and the impacts of the data acquired when engaging in this type of polar research.

Are you are attending the Svalbard Science Conference in Oslo next month, or are based nearby?

APECS has reserved a room on 6 Novemberfrom 14:00to 14:30 in the conference venue (Scandic Fornebu) so that we can meet each other!

This is a chance to meet other ECR and ask any questions you may have about APECS' activities.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the organizers of the Marine Ecosystem Assessment for the Southern Ocean (MEASO18) Conference (9-13 April 2018, Hobart) are excited to announcenine volunteer opportunities relating to the MEASO18 conference, which are now available for early career researchers interested in attending the conference. The positions are well suited to those with backgrounds in marine or polar ecology, policy, or polar science. Some of the positions are open to only local early career researchers but others also open to anyone interested in applying no matter where you are located.

The following positions are available:

1) MEASO18 conference: support for theme contributions

Available positions: 4 (local or remote)

Research Background: Marine/Polar Ecology

Time commitment: October 2017-May 2018

These roles will assist with contributions to the four MEASO themes (one role for each theme). The themes are:

Assessments of status and trends in habitats, species and ecosystems, and the causes of change
Responses of species to changing habitats, including ocean acidification, sea ice and temperature;
Modelling and analytical methods to assess status and trends; and
Implementation of observing systems to estimate dynamics and change.

Specific tasks include:

Assist in maintaining databases of contributors
Assist with email contact to contributors - seeking and guiding input as appropriate
Assist with theme report generation

Successful candidates will have the opportunity to establish networks with working group contributors, and to be involved in workshops.Travel support to attend the MEASO18 Conference in Hobart is also available (amount TBC)

2) MEASO18 conference: support local organisation

Available positions: 2 (only local)

Research Background: Polar Science, with interest in Southern Ocean Ecosystems

Time Commitment: February 2018-April 2018

These roles will assist with local conference organisation and running tasks. The two volunteers will act as contact points, and assist with general tasks in the immediate lead up to the MEASO18 conference, and during the event.

Successful candidates will have the opportunity to establish networks with conference attendees, and will have the conference registration fee waived.

3) MEASO18 Policy Forum Co-organiser

Available positions: 3 (local or remote)

Research Background: Policy and/or Conservation for Polar Environments

Time Commitment: October 2017-May 2018

These roles involve working with Professor Tony Press to coordinate the one-day Policy Forum as part of the MEASO18 conference.

Specific tasks include:

Contact and invite contributors
Plan and help coordinate the running of the day
Assist in generating summary outputs

Successful candidates will have the opportunity to establish networks with working group contributors, and to be directly involved in both the policy forum and the rest of the conference. Travel support to attend the MEASO18 Conference in Hobart is also available (amount TBC)

To apply for any of these positions, please fill in the application form by 18 October 2017.

If you have questions about the application process, please contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information about the conference, please seehttp://www.measo2018.aq

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS)announces availability of a new webpage, Conducting Research with Northern Communities – Documented Practices and Resources for Productive, Respectful Relationships Between Researchers and Community Members. Scientific research in the Arctic necessitates good communication and cooperation with northern communities. This webpage is a compilation of resources, recommendations, and documented practices from a variety of organizations on working with northern communities. Resources include practices from across the north, relevant information from outside the Arctic, and resources specific to community-based monitoring.

View website: https://www.arcus.org/resources/northern-communities

This webpage is intended to be a living resource and will be updated as new information becomes available. Please visit the link above for more information. This effort is supported by the National Science Foundation - Arctic Sciences Section through Cooperative Agreement PLR-1304316.

APECS - EPB Webinar: The Antarctic Treaty and the protection of the environment

23 October at 14 GMT

Speaker: Yves Frenot, Director, Institut polaire français Paul-Emile Victor (IPEV)

Registration Link

The Antarctic Treaty, signed in Washington on December 1, 1959, has the purpose to ensure that "in the interest of all mankind that Antarctica shall continue for ever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord". Signed in 1991, the Protocol on Environmental Protection (the Madrid Protocol) to the Treaty, designates Antarctica as “a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science”. This webinar will give an overview of how the Antarctic Treaty and its Madrid Protocol work, and how the Treaty system is used to protect the Antarctic environment.

This webinar series is jointly organized by APECS and the European Polar Board (EPB)

Session call extended! New deadline is October 15th

The science section of the UArctic Congress will start in Oulu Sept 5 and conclude in Helsinki on Sept 7, 2018.
The call for session proposals is still open
Extended deadline October 15, 2017: submission form.

The UArctic Congress is an integral part of Finland’s Arctic Council chairmanship program, and open to the scientists, students, policy makers, businesses and all other interested stakeholders. The science section will focus on the themes and priorities of the Finnish chairmanship, including the goals of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

We welcome proposals for session sessions which can be comprised of different forms including dialogues and discussions. Any innovative or new ways of arranging sessions are welcomed. In general the sessions runs for 90 minutes and can have several conveners, however we need one designated primary convener who will also be the main contact person.

The themes of the science sections follow are:

Environmental protection
Connectivity
Meteorological cooperation
Education

Proposals are submitted ONLY via our online submission form. Please note that you will have to register to the system. The registration will allow you to go back to your submission and also to evaluate and accept/decline abstracts in the later stage if your session is accepted to the congress.

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

APECS Italy Workshop 2017 Kopie In conjunction with the Past Antarctic Ice Sheet Dynamics (PAIS) conference, an international conference held every year in Trieste, Italy, APECS Italy organized a workshop open to the public for scientists and anyone to whom the title “Social Media and Science Communication” might strike an interest.

The objective of the workshop was to examine the various ways in which science can be communicated, from more traditional means such as print media, to those that require a greater investment but may affect a wider audience such as film, to finally the new frontiers in science communication via social media.

After a brief introduction about APECS by Jilda Alicia Caccavo and Mathieu Casado, the first session began, discussing science communication in print media. First Emilio Antoniol spoke, discussing the goals of the publications of Officina, a cultural association at the University IUAV of Venice with the goal to promote communication between the world of academic research and the general public. Next, Enrico M. Balli of SISSA (Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati) discussed the Journal of Science Communication (JCOM), an open access journal on science communication. Given the rapid growth in the need for effective science communication, JCOM seeks to provide theoretical guidelines both for scholars and practitioners in the field of public communication of science and technology.

APECS Italy Workshop 2017 3 Kopie During the second session of the workshop, Peter Barrett, an Emeritus Professor in Geology from the Antarctic Research Centre at the University of Wellington presented his recent work on the film “Thin Ice –the inside story of climate science”. After studying Antarctic climate history for over four decades, Peter Barrett turned to film to better bridge the gap between the climate science community and the general public, creating this film in order to provide scientists themselves with a platform to communicate why their research and results related to climate change matter, and what we can all do to mitigate the impacts of climate change. APECS Italy Workshop 2017 2 Kopie

Finally, the last session was geared towards the use of social media to communicate science research. During the session, Giulia Annovi, a Scientific Freelance Journalist from SISSA, as well as Angel Del Prete, a Social Media Manager, and Giulia Massolino from the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics demonstrated practical examples of effective Social Media use by various platforms and third-party add-ons. This culminated in the launching of hashtag #PaiSocial and the creation of a summary of the workshop using the app storify (https://storify.com/GiuliaMassolino/paisocial).

APECS 10 year logo APECS is excited to announce that another leadership term has begun on 1 October 2017!

APECS Executive Committee 2017-2018:

APECS’ eleventh Executive Committee (ExCom) is now in place and ready to continue to shape the polar world.

Jilda Caccavo (University of Padua, Italy)
Jean Holloway (University of Ottawa, Canada)
Hanne Nielsen (University of Tasmania, Australia
Gabriela Roldán (University of Canterbury, New Zealand)
Alex Thornton (University of Alaska Fairbanks, United States)

have been elected to form the ExCom, the main leadership body of APECS. Ruth Vingerhagen (Norway) and Alice Bradley (United States) will serve as ex-officios and support the new ExCom over the coming year. And of course, Gerlis Fugmann, the APECS Executive Director will continue to support and foster the group from the International Directorate Office in Potsdam, Germany. More information on the APECS 2017-2018 Executive Committee can be found here.

APECS President 2017-2018:

With a new term, comes a new president, and this year Hanne Nielsen will be taking on this role. Hanne recently completed her PhD at the University of Tasmania, where she analysed representations of Antarctica in advertising material. She is a 2017 SCAR Fellow, and an active member of the SCAR Humanities and Social Sciences Expert Group. Hanne has been involved in APECS leadership for the past three years, and is also a member of APECS Oceania.

More information on Hanne can be found here.

APECS Council 2017-2018:

In 2017-2018 the APECS Council is made up of 65 very enthusiastic members from 24 countries:

Kelsey Aho (USA), Stefano Ambroso (Spain), Atreya Basu (Canada), Liz Bowman (USA), Julie Bull (Canada), François Burgay (Italy), Emily Choy (Canada), Nicolas Champollion (Germany / Switzerland), Henrik Christiansen (Belgium), Casey Clark (USA), Matteo Luciano Contu (UK), Jennifer Cooper (USA), Jim Crowell (USA), Adrian Dahood (USA), Donovan Dennis (USA), Meagan Dewar (Australia), Denis Doronin (Russia), Clare Eayrs (United Arab Emirates), Alevtina Evgrafova (Germany/ Switzerland), Natalie Freeman (USA), Yi-Ming Gan (Belgium), Vikram Goel (Norway / India), Christel Hansen (South Africa), Laura Hobbs (UK), Juan Höfer (Chile), Bruno Ibañez (Peru), Cyril Jaksic (New Zealand), Shridhar Jawak (India), Meric Karahalil (Turkey), Hanna Maria Kauko (Norway), Amy Kirkham (USA), Nikita Kuprikov (Russia), Sasha Leidman (USA), Josefine Lenz (Germany), Arinda Mandal (India/ Germany), Sebastián Marinsek (Argentina), Claudia Maturana (Chile), Kyle Mayers (UK), Swati Nagar (India), Ozgun Oktar (Turkey), Ankit Pramanik (Norway), José Queirós (Portugal), Kabir Rasouli (Canada), Corinna Röver (Sweden), Paul Rosenbaum (France), Morgan Seag (UK), Jose Seco (Portugal / UK), Elisa Seyboth (Brazil), Grace Shephard (Norway), Neelu Singh (India), Runa Skarbø (Norway), Petr Sorokin (Russia), Kent Spiers (Canada), Sara Strey (USA), Greta Carrete Vega (Spain), David Velazquez (Spain), Florian Vidal (France), Deniz Vural (Turkey), Gary Wesche (USA), Nadya Yanakieva (Bulgaria), Sinan Yirmibesoglu (Turkey)

Additionally, TJ Young (UK), Tristy Vick-Majors (Canada), Yulia Zaika (Russia) and Scott Zolkos (Canada) remain on the Council in an ex-officio role. More information on the APECS 2017-2018 Council can be found here.

APECS Polska and IPSIP Conference team invite early-career researchers to the Project Management intensive workshop, which will be held on 16 November.

Project Management intensive workshop is aimed at early career scientists who want to lead top-quality research projects. During the workshop, you will work in small groups and learn step by step what project management is about. The workshop covers following topics:

Introduction to effective project planning;
How to design a convincing Project Concept Note;
Good project proposal in 10 steps;
Funding sources and how to read them;
Stakeholders and why to include them;
Problem/objective/strategy analysis;
Project logic - the simple way how to structure your project;
Work plan in 6 steps;
Basics of budgeting.

It is an intensive, all-day course prepared by our excellent mentor Kamil Jagodziński.

If you want to participate, please fill in the short survey and send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than 25 October. We will inform selected candidates by email short after closing of application process.

Please note that due to limited number of places we will make a selection based on the date of application, but we will prioritize PhD students and post docs attending IPSIP Conference (http://www.ipsip.pl/).

The workshop will be held on 16 November 9.00-18.00 (with breaks) in Warsaw. We will inform you about the details later. The participation is free of charge.

If you have any questions, please contact Marta Bystrowska: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The following early career researchers served on the 2017-2018 Council. In addition, the members of the APECS Executive Committee 2017-2018 are also part of the Council: Hanne Nielsen (President), Jilda Caccavo, Jean Holloway, Gabriela Roldan and Alexander Thornton, as well as Alice Bradley (ex-offio), Ruth Vingerhagen (ex-officio).

We would also like to recognize our past leaders as they continue to serve our organization as Ex-Officio members of the Council: Yulia Zaika (Russia), Tristy Vick-Majors (United States), Scott Zolkos (Canada), TJ Young (United Kingdom / Taiwan).

Jennifer Cooper - United States - Council Co-Chair

University of Kansas, United States

I am currently a Self Graduate Fellow at the University of Kansas in the Department of Physics and Astronomy pursuing a PhD. I study the evolution of galaxy clusters using the Hubble Space Telescope and the detection of cosmic neutrinos from Antarctica with the ARA and ANITA groups. I recently received a Msc in Physics from Cal State Los Angeles (2017) and I completed my undergraduate degree (2014) in Geophysics, Astrophysics, and Archaeology at Cornell University where I studied volcanoes around the world, including those in Antarctica. I'm also the APECS representative to SCAR Astronomy & Astrophysics (AAA) and SCAR Antarctic Volcanism (AntVolc).
Clare Eayrs - United Arab Emirates - Council Co-Chair

New York University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

I am working as a Research Scientist in the Center for Global Sea Level Change at New York University Abu Dhabi, where my main interests lie in Antarctic Sea Ice, how it is modelled and its variability and effects on global climate. This is a new area of research for me that I am excited to be involved in. I recently had the opportunity to join the S A Agulhas II Winter 2017 voyage to the marginal ice zone in the Atlantic-Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean to look at the structure and composition of winter marginal ice and how it is related to metocean conditions. It was an amazing experience and great to be able to collaborate with so many scientists from all over the world. Our group deployed instruments to measure waves in the marginal ice zone and we are now developing a larger program to look at how waves behave under different ice conditions.
Alevtina Evgrafova - Germany / Switzerland - National Committee Coordinator

University of Bern, Switzerland / University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany

Representing the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) on the APECS Council

As a PhD Candidate in Soil Science, I am currently involved in a project focused on the spatial analysis of permafrost-affected soils in northern Siberia. The project aims are to study the influence of permafrost thawing on the spatial patterns of soil organic carbon stocks and availability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) as the nutrients for plants. The spatial relationship between pedogenic and environmental parameters as well as changes in above- and belowground biomass inputs in permafrost soils are studied using geostatistics and biomarker analysis. I have been an APECS member since 2013, IASC Fellow since 2017 and PYRN ExCom 2016-2018 member, precisely the National Representatives’ coordinator.
Jose Seco - Portugal / United Kingdom - National Committee Coordinator

University of Aveiro, Portugal / University of St. Andrews, United Kingdom

I am a Ph.D. student at the University of Aveiro and University of St. Andrews. My research looks at the distribution of trace metals in the Southern Ocean trophic web. My thesis goals are to assess the pathways of these contaminants along the trophic web, to evaluate which tissues the pollutants are accumulated in and if different Southern Ocean regions have different distributions of trace metals. My interest in polar science started during my undergraduate studies in Biology where I had the first contact with a Southern Ocean ecology research group, that drove me through a masters degree in ecology. During my graduate studies I joined a research program that led me to do field work in Antarctica, where we studied interspecific competition between two penguin species. During the Antarctic expedition the moment came where for the first time I was sure about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life: be a polar scientist.
Neelu Singh - India - National Committee Coordinator

National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa, India

I am Neelu Singh from National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), India. I have nearly 7 years and 4 months of R&D experience in the field of environmental chemistry in Polar Regions. During my research career as a Ph.D. student at NCAOR, I have gained extensive working experience on the study of Trace Metals and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the Polar Regions. These research work experiences confer me a command over the topics and global climate issues related to the environmental subject. Instead of locked behind fence my job responsibilities provided me unequaled opportunities to participate in scientific expeditions and platform to interact with the student to scientists from various backgrounds and ethnicities. I participated in several national expeditions those were carried out at different global hot spot study locations like Antarctica (Indian Antarctic Expedition 2008-09), Arctic (Indian Arctic expedition-Summer period 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015) and Indian Ocean Sector of Southern Ocean (Indian Southern Ocean Expedition 2010). I have undergone training cum course work on "Arctic Environmental Pollution: Atmospheric Processes and Distribution" at the University of Svalbard, Norway during 2014. Consequently, I participated in the Arctic Frontiers Ph.D. workshop in 2015.
Kelsey Aho - United States

U.S.EPA; University of Alaska Fairbanks, United States

As a hydrographer with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, I adapt national studies to the available data and conditions in Alaska. During my time at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and as a Resilience and Adaptation Fellow, I researched U.S.-Russia co-management of marine mammals and found a high correlation between the effectiveness of the management agreements and food security. In 2014, I received an International Law certificate from the American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in 2013, a B.A. in Geography from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

Outside of work, I am an adviser for the International Balkans Peace Park and harvester of berries, herbs, and fish.
Stefano Ambroso - Spain

Institut de Ciencies del Mar (CSIC), Spain

Representing APECS Spain on the APECS Council

I started my scientific carreer in 2009 at ICM-CSIC in Barcelona. My research activity is related to the ecology and the spatial distribution patterns of benthic communities. I have been envolved in many marine research projects (MAPUCHE, BENTOLARV, LIFE-INDEMARES, ECOSAFIMED, ECOWED) related with the conservation and management of Mediterranean and Antarctic areas. During this period of time I have been learning how to identify macrobenthic species based on video analysis, estimated abundance patterns using specialized video software, and applied methods of spatial statistics for ecological data. Actually I am carrying out the PhD at ICM-CSIC under the supervision of Josep Maria Gili. My PhD project aims to understand the structure and dynamics of the Antarctic macrobenthic communities dominated by long-lived species of the Weddell Sea.
Atreya Basu - Canada

University of Manitoba, Canada

I am a research enthusiast in the field of light propagation and light matter interaction in the estuarine, coastal and marine waters of the Arctic and sub Arctic environment. The main focus of my research is unraveling the coastal-marine processes with the aid of in-situ and satellite based optical remote sensing, with a emphasis on the sea ice cycle. At present I am associated as an optical and physical oceanographer with the "Marine and Climate system" team of the NSERC CRD funded project "BaySys- Contribution of climate change and hydroelectric regulation to the variability and change of freshwater-marine coupling in the Hudson Bay System”.
Liz Bowman - United States

University of Alaska Fairbanks, United States

I am an early career student/professional hybrid with a background in International Relations focused on Arctic Policy. I have a B.A. in International Studies from the University of Idaho and am pursuing a Master’s degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Arctic and Northern Studies. Over the past several years, I have worked on a variety of initiatives and programs to advance the understanding of the Arctic. Nowadays, I finalizing my thesis on non-Arctic state involvement in Arctic International Relations. Outside of my professional experiences, I like to spend time with my family, travel, and meet new people.
Julie Bull - Canada

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health / University of New Brunswick / University of Toronto, Canada

I am a Southern Inuk researcher and educator from Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador and a member of NunatuKavut, with more than 15 years of experience in community-based research and education involving Indigenous communities (in Arctic and non-Arctic contexts). I am a Research Methods Specialist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, I teach in the Indigenous Studies Department at the University of Toronto, and I am a doctoral student at the University of New Brunswick. My research interests are at the intersection of research, policy, and Indigenous governance where I examine the ethics of research involving Indigenous Peoples or lands. My research focuses on the governance of research/research ethics for research involving Indigenous Peoples by using community-based participatory-action approaches and Indigenous methodologies. I am active in both academic and grassroots research ethics initiatives such as a committee member for education and outreach with the Panel on Responsible Conduct of Research and a member of the NunatuKavut Community Council Research Review Committee. I am passionate about, and dedicated to, ensuring more Indigenous content, education, engagement, and collaboration exists between researchers and policy makers who are involved in working in Arctic Territories.
François Burgay - Italy

Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy

Representing APECS Italy on the APECS Council

I have a master in Environmental Chemistry and since my Master thesis I have a real passion for the Polar environments. I started with sea sediment cores, and now I’m doing a PhD in Science and Management of Climate Change at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice focused on the ice core analysis with a special interest in the biogeochemical cycles. I love writing about science and I’m managing a website whose name’s amolachimica.it where I write about chemistry and climate change.
Mathieu Casado - France

LSCE, France

It seems that I'm passionate about cold and inhospitable regions. I have been through Siberia and Himalayas, Iceland and even Paris ! Yet, going to Antarctica was yet another level of crazy. It has been the most amazing experience of my life. Luckily for me, ice carrots grow well in Polar Regions (I think that it's probably because the penguins scare the rabbits off !), so I will probably be able to return there.

I'm now moving to AWI to do a post-doc on isotopy-proxies in Antarctica but also in the Himalayas and the Arctic. I'm currently the Early Career representative on the SCAR Past Antarctic Ice Sheet Dynamics Research Program steering committee.
Emily Choy - Canada

University of Manitoba, Canada

Emily completed her PhD in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Manitoba, supervised by Dr. James Roth and Dr. Lisa Loseto (Fisheries and Oceans Canada). Her PhD thesis focuses on the effects of climate change on the diet (using fatty acids signatures and stable isotope ratios), body condition, and physiology of Beaufort Sea beluga whales as sentinel species of environmental changes within the Beaufort Sea ecosystem. Her research is part of a collaborative community-based monitoring project in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Northwest Territories. Her research is supported by a W. Garfield Weston PhD Award for Northern Research, NSERC PhD Scholarship, and the 2012 L’Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science PhD Scholarship. Emily was a member of the 2014 Victoria Strait Expedition and is a recipient of the Erebus Medal. She completed her MSc with a specialization in Chemical and Environmental Toxicology at the University of Ottawa under the supervision of Dr. Jules Blais, studying biovector transport of marine contaminants (mercury and organochlorines) to High Arctic food webs on Devon Island, Nunavut. Emily is currently a Scientific Advisor for the Northern Committee of The W. Garfield Weston Foundation and a 2014 Fellow for the International Arctic Science Committee.
Nicolas Champollion - Germany

International Space Science Institute, Switzerland / University of Bremen, Germany

Representing APECS Switzerland on the APECS Council

I'm a physical geographer and my research interests cover the cryosphere evolution and its link to sea level. I made my Ph.D. at the Laboratoire de Glaciologie et de Géophysique de l'Environnement (LGGE) in Grenoble, France, where I studied the snow surface evolution in the East Antarctica Plateau, combining in-situ observation and inverse modeling of satellite remote sensing observations. I had the chance to participate to a summer field campaign at Dome C, Antarctica. Then, I continued my research career in the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) in Bern, Switzerland, where I conducted research on sea level budget and its components whith a focus on land water and glacier evolution, using space gravimetry observation, altimetry measurements and literrature assessment. I was involved in the organisation of many international workshops and teams. Recently, I started a new project at Bremen University in Bremen, Germany, on the simulation of glacier evolution during the coming century in a 1.5 degree warmer world. The simulation will be made with the Open Global Glacier Model. With this project, I will start a collaboration between LGGE and Bremen university with a focus specific Alps glacier where lot of observations are available and continue a collaboration between ISSI and Bremen university on sea level projections in a 1.5 degree warmer world. Finally, I'll be glad to be the Swiss APECS National Committee representative and would like to organize a APECS workshop at the Polar 2018 meeting in Davos next year.
Henrik Christiansen - Belgium

KU Leuven, Belgium

Representing APECS Belgium on the APECS Council

Henrik Christiansen is a marine biologist working as a PhD student in Leuven, Belgium. As part of a national Antarctic research program he investigates the connectivity and adaptation of Southern Ocean fish. After working and studying with(in) subtropical to temperate ecosystems, he is now excited to focus on the high latitudes. Being trained at the Universities of Hamburg, Bremen, Bergen, and Gothenburg he has a broad scientific background and a collaborative international approach to science. His current project relies heavily on molecular and bioinformatics work to elucidate genomic variability within populations. Several research cruises are part of his field experience, the latest one heading towards the Antarctic Continent and the Weddell Sea. In his free time Henrik enjoys almost any sport and/or water related activity.
Casey Clark - United States

University of Alaska Fairbanks, United States

I am a doctoral student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, working with the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences and the Water and Environmental Research Center. My research focuses on better understanding how Pacific walruses responded to previous changes in Arctic sea ice conditions with the goal of generating predictions about how current and future Arctic warming will affect this species. To accomplish this, I am measuring stable isotope ratios of walrus bones collagen and trace element concentrations of walrus teeth from present day Alaska Native subsistence harvests, historical museum collections, and archaeological assemblages. Before moving to Alaska, I completed my B.S. at the University of California Santa Cruz and earned my M.S. at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, where I studied pregnancy rates and migratory movements of humpback whales.
Matteo Luciano Contu - United Kingdom

ARU Cambridge, United Kingdom

I have a degree on Maritime Science (Italy) and Marine Biology (UK), I am an undergraduate student at Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge in Marine Biology with Biodiversity & Conservation.

I am an intern at British Virgin Islands Embassy in London, working on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Sustainability and Blue Economy.

I am extremely passionate on Evolution and Biodiversity as one of my module at Uni and polar and space science. I planning my Msc in Cambridge at Polar Scott Institute and progress my career in Astrobiology and Polar Science.

The passion for the ocean the planet and the entire science drives me to achieve the best and to contribute as well in this fantastic field.
Jim Crowell - United States

Arizona State University, United States

Representing USAPECS on the APECS Council

I am pursuing my PhD in Systems Engineering at Arizona State University. During my undergraduate, I worked at the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, researching lunar geomorphology. Upon graduation, I worked in NASA JPL's Robotic Vehicles Group, developing and deploying instrumentation and robotic systems to explore Earth-based extreme environments. My PhD research involves human-machine interactions for planetary surface exploration, with a particular interest in Arctic, Antarctic, and lunar exploration.
Adrian Dahood - United States

George Mason University, United States

I am a PhD student in the Environmental Science and Policy Department at George Mason University. My dissertation research focusses on using food web modelling to help design a new Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Western Antarctic Peninsula region. Prior to enrolling in a PhD program, I worked for the National Science Foundation doing environmental policy for the United States Antarctic Program. I truly enjoy working at the nexus of environmental science and policy. My policy work gave me insight into how environmental managers and policy makers use research to inform their decisions. It also highlighted some data gaps that need to be filled in order to progress with scientifically sound management of the Antarctic. With my graduate research, I am actively trying to provide managers some of the data they need to design the best possible MPA. I have been fortunate to both go to sea to collect some of the data used in my models and to attend CCAMLR Working Group meetings where Antarctic MPA planning is progressed.
Archana Dayal - United Kingdom

University of Sheffield/University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), United Kingdom

I am now in my 3rd year of PhD at the University of Sheffield (Dept of Geography), funded by the Commonwealth Scholarship. I spent a good part of the 2016 summer in Svalbard (4 months) carrying out my field work on the seasonal ecology of snow and also attended 2 amazing courses at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS). Contrary to popular belief, snow and ice are “ecosystems” in their own right as they are teeming with microbial life and have an extremely important role to play in the Earth’s cryosphere.

I have served as Treasurer and Secretary on the UKPN Committee and currently hold the position of President. I also represent UKPN on the Antarctic Science Ltd and UK Arctic and Antarctic Partnership Committees (2017-18).

In addition, I was also an APECS Council member from 2013-17 and the Vice-President at IPRN (Indian Polar Research Network, 2014-16).
Donovan Dennis - United States

Boston University, United States

Originally from Great Falls, Mont., I attended Occidental College as an undergraduate and initially sought a degree in history. Following a particularly riveting introductory to geology course (not a joke—really!), I decided to pursue a career in Earth science. A junior-year summer of fieldwork on the Juneau Icefield in Alaska/BC cemented my newfound path.

I am currently a Ph.D. student at Boston University where I investigate multi-proxy records of Miocene and Pleistocene paleoclimate in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. I am additionally interested in snow and ice stable isotope hydrology, particularly as it relates to the potential for preservation of the meteoric stable water isotope signal. Alongside my research, I help facilitate the B.U. Research, Education, and Communication of Science program—an undergraduate co-curricular program that encourages cross-discipline collaboration on climate change-related issues.

Outside of my graduate student office cubicle, I enjoy backpacking, climbing, museum-lurking, plant parenting, and all sports related to the water.
Meagan Dewar - Australia

Federation University, Deakin University, Australia

Representing APECS Oceania and International Penguin Early Career Scientists (IPECS)on the APECS Council

I am an early career scientist and Lecturer specialising in the microbial ecology of wildlife in both polar and temperate regions. I use next generation sequencing to profile to understand the importance of microbes in host health and disease surveillance in polar regions. I am also the co-founder of APECS Oceania and the International Penguin Early Career Scientists (IPECS) group and have organised 2 international ECR workshops for the penguin community under the banners of IPECS and APECS. I am also a member of the SCAR Expert group for birds and marine mammals, Health monitoring of birds and marine mammals working group and Co-Convener of the Polar Poo Working Group.
Denis Doronin - Russia

FSBI "VNIIOkeangeologia", Russia

I am Denis Doronin from Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Now I am working as a head of the department of the international cooperation in FSBI “VNIIOkeangeologia”. In 2012, I graduated from Saint-Petersburg state university, department of oceanology. During my studying at the university I was working in Arctic and Antarctic research institute as the oceanologist. I took a part at the 57 Russian Antarctic expedition (2011-2012). I participate in the activities of the Council of Young Scientists and Specialists of the VNIIOkeangeologia.

In addition, I am a member of Russian Polar Initiative, and help to organize events for early career scientists and students.

Since 2017, I am a member of technique committee for standardization of polar research, which regulate norms and laws for all activities in the Polar Regions.
Mariama Dryak - United States

University of Maine, United States

Representing USAPECS on the APECS Council

I am a MSc student studying in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences and Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine, planning on progressing to a PhD. My research focuses on measuring iceberg melt variability and studying ice-ocean interactions in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. My research interests and experiences range from my current field of study in glaciology, to glacial geomorphology and the cryospheric interactions with the wider climate system. Before moving to Maine I completed my B.A. at the Durham University in the UK, where I studied physical geography and archaeology, specifically focusing on the response of glaciers to climate in Iceland.
Roxanne Frappier - Canada

University of Ottawa, Canada

I am a geography PhD student at the University of Ottawa (ON, Canada) interested in the effects of environmental and climatic changes on permafrost. I am working mainly in northwestern Canada in assessing and predicting the extent of permafrost degradation in response to climate changes and how it affects the landscape.

My work mainly involves documenting the response of ice-rich permafrost to past climate warming, understanding the nature, condition, extent and distribution of ground ice, and modelling permafrost degradation following disturbances of environmental and climatic conditions.
Natalie Freeman - United States

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, United States

I am a physical and biogeochemical oceanographer, with a background in mathematics and statistics (and dance!), keen on all things ‘Southern Ocean.’ I have recently transitioned from being a PhD Candidate and NSF Graduate Research Fellow at the University of Colorado in Boulder to a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. In my PhD I used hydrographic and satellite data and model output to investigate changes in Southern Ocean biogeochemistry and physical circulation. During my studies, I had the opportunity to attend multiple international summer schools and gain fieldwork experience by sampling the Southern Ocean on a research vessel. As a postdoc, I’m excited to continue to explore the Southern Ocean while adding more tools to my ‘tool belt,’ learning from and collaborating with phenomenal Scripps scientists. I also have extensive experience in (and a lot of heart for) mentoring and advocating for the future generation of STEM scientists, particularly minority and underrepresented groups. Outside of academia, I enjoy reading, traveling, spending time with family and friends, and dancing.
Yi-Ming Gan - Belgium

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Belgium

Hey, I am a data scientist/bioinformatician from biodiversity.aq in Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. Most of my works are related to Antarctic web applications development, Antarctic biodiversity data cleaning and bioinformatics analysis. The primary goal of the project is to provide access to Antarctic related research data. I enjoy coding very much. I am very happy to be able to use my skills to expand Antarctic research.
Gwenaëlle Gremion - Canada

Université du Québec à Rimouski - Institut des Sciences de la Mer (UQAR-ISMER), Canada

Representing APECS France on the APECS Council

I am currently a PhD student in Physical and biological Oceanography, at the Institut des Sciences de la mer at the ,Université du Québec à Rimouski.

The aim of my phD project is to understand how primary production, and pelago-benthic coupling will respond to environmental changes (retreating sea ice) in the the North Water Polynya, in the Arctic. In this project I developp a 1-D and 3-D coupled biophysical model in order to predict ecosystem dynamic, especially primary production,sedimentation rate and benthic production, under climate change conditions expected for the NOW region.

Despite growing up in the tropcial island of Guadeloupe (French West indies), my interest in the polar landscape originated from an offered trip with my grand-mother when I was only 8 to Spitzbergen and in the Arctic Ocean. Since then, I mainly focus my academic background in marine science, and as much as possible on polar theme. I focused my master degree on the modelisation of the planktonic ecosystem of the Long-Term Ecological Research of Palmer Station (Antarctica,USA), and I had the chance to traveledduring my PhD to Carlini base (Antarctica,Argentina) in order to study in microcosms the combined impacts of diminution of salinity and increase of temperature on local planktonic ecosystem.

I am active with ArcticNet as President of the Student association at the national level since two years, as well as in Quebec Ocean student association at the regional level as communication officer.
Vikram Goel - Norway / India

Univeristy of Olso, Norway / NCAOR, Goa, India.

I am a PhD candidate in Antarctic Glaciology working at Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, Norway and enrolled at the University of Oslo, Norway. Broadly, my research interests are in the domains of glaciology, ground penetrating radar and cryospheric modeling. My research work focuses on studying the current status and evolution of ice rises in Dronning Maud Land Antarctica. It includes using field collected GPS, firn cores and GPR data to calculate the mass balance of the ice rise and modeling its deep internal radar reflectors to study its evolution over the past several millennia. Previously, I did my masters in Earth System Science & Technology from IIT Kharagpur (India) in 2013 and a bachelors in Aerospace Engineering from UPES Dehradun (India) in 2011. During my masters i was awarded the DAAD scholarship under which I carried out my Master’s thesis work at the Leibnitz University Hannover, Germany. As a part of the research, I participated in the field expedition at the Fimbulisen ice shelf, DML, Antarctica in 2014.
Kaushik Gupta - Canada

University Of Manitoba, Canada

I am a researcher in the field of Coastal Geomorphology and Remote sensing of Estuarine and Coastal Environments. I have been working on effects of nearshore oceanographic process and local geology on the coastal geomorphology using various remote sensing techniques. I have had experiences working on the Tropical and Sub-tropical coasts. Currently, I am pursuing my Ph.D from the University of Manitoba. The main focus of my research is to study the impact on the coastal landscapes due to the integrated effect of sea-ice formation and melt, local oceanographic processes and glacial isostacy, through various in-situ studies and use of radar and lidar sensing techniques.
Christel Hansen - South Africa

Rhodes University, South Africa

Representing APECS South Africa on the APECS Council

I am an geomorphologist, focusing on periglacial environments in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic, as well as the high-altitude areas of mainland South Africa. My studies have taken me to the South African research station (SANAE IV) in the Antarctic on a number occasions, as well as the South African research station on sub-Antarctic Marion Island. I received my BSc in Geoinformatics from the University of Pretoria in 2009. This was followed by a BSc(Hons) in Environmental Analysis and Management from the University of Pretoria in 2010 and a MSc, specializing in periglacial studies, from Rhodes University in 2012. I an currently putting the final touches on my PhD and have taught (and am currently teaching) courses at both the University of Pretoria and Rhodes University. My current areas of research interest include climatic geomorphology, periglacial processes and landforms, active layer and permafrost dynamics, thermal-moisture dynamics of seasonally frozen ground, using remote sensing and GIS in cold climates, as well as arid climate studies (both hot and cold deserts).
Laura Hobbs - United Kingdom

University of Strathclyde / Scottish Association for Marine Science, United Kingdom

Representing the UK Polar Network (UKPN) on the APECS Council

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Scottish Association for Marine Science and the University of Strathclyde (both based Scotland) working on a zooplankton model to describe the effects of environmental changes on Arctic zooplankton populations. I have recently finished my PhD at the Scottish Association for Marine Science where I used a network of acoustic data to look at the vertical migratory behaviour of zooplankton during the Polar Night. My current role is a collaboration project between the UK institutes of the University of Strathclyde and the Scottish Association for Marine Science, and also working with Norwegian institutes such as UiT The Arctic University of Norway. Most of my fieldwork has taken place in and around Svalbard, but I also visited Arctic Canada (Baffin Island) in 2010 as part of an expedition. I have been involved with the UK Polar Network since 2010, and have held the roles of Education and Outreach Officer, President, and Vice-President since then. As part of this, I have organised and run several Outreach events across the UK, and also training workshops for early career scientists.
Juan Höfer - Chile

Universidad Austral de Chile/Centro IDEAL, Chile

I got my bachelor degree in biology and my PhD. at Oviedo University (Spain). During those years I gained experience as a biological oceanographer, taking part in several multidisciplinary projects on temperate and sub-tropical areas. My main area of research is plankton, especially trophic interactions, spatial distributions and population ecology.

One year ago, I moved to Chile as a post-doc researcher at the Universidad Austral de Chile and the IDEAL research center (http://www.centroideal.cl/en). Since then, my research has been focused on sub-Antarctic and Antarctic marine ecosystems. Right now, I am studying the role of plankton (phytoplankton and zooplankton) in the pelagic trophic webs of Southern Patagonia and Western Antarctic Peninsula, trying to disentangle how this role may be affected in the future by drivers associated with global change (e.g. freshening). Past summer I fulfilled a childhood dream, spending two months in Antarctica, and hopefully, I will continue doing so during the next years.
Bruno Ibañez - Peru

Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Peru

Representing APECS Peru on the APECS Council

I am a versatile Bachelor in Biology and Master in Marine Sciences with experience ranging from biochemistry and ecotoxicology of fish to biogeography and numerical ecological analyses. I have been working on elucidating the benthic community biogeographic patterns of the Southeast Pacific and their correlation with abiotic variables. Currently I am involved in artisanal fisheries socio economic research and the sustainable use of natural resources. I am seeking to get experience in Antarctic research in order to assess how the global changing trends will affect polar communities and to fulfill my dream of exploring such latitudes.
Morgan Ip - Norway

The Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway

Representing APECS Norway on the APECS Council

I am a PhD Candidate at the Institute of Urbanism and Landscape within the Oslo School of Architecture and Design. My dissertation is an ethnographic inquiry on Arctic urbanism in the Norwegian-Russian border region, with a particular focus on civic engagement in planning and community perspectives on place values and possible futures. I hold a Masters of Architecture from Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. The thesis investigated culturally appropriate Arctic architecture in Cape Dorset, Nunavut, and was awarded the Henry Adams Certificate of Merit from the American Institute of Architects. Previous work with APECS included participation in the Funding Database committee.
Cyril Jaksic - New Zealand

Lincoln University, New Zealand

I am a psychologist studying human adaptation to isolated and confined environments. I received my Master degree in social psychology from the University of Geneva in 2014. I am currently a PhD student at Lincoln University, New Zealand. My research interests include group dynamics, workplace/job performance, social adjustment and motivational factors.
Shridhar Jawak - India

National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa, India

Shridhar D. Jawak is currently working as a "Project Scientist B" at the Polar Remote Sensing Division (Polar Sciences Group) of Earth System Science Organization (ESSO) ─ National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, under a long term project "Satellite-based Digital Elevation Model for monitoring Antarctic Ice topography, with special focus on Glaciers". He is a co-principal investigator of 2 major polar research projects peer-reviewed by national referees. He has also co-chaired/chaired 3 scientific sessions (focusing on geospatial science in polar regions) in major international conferences e.g. SCAR Open Science Conference (OSC) 2012, SCAR OSC-2014, and ISAES-2015. He has conducted 3 major field expeditions to Antarctica and 1 field campaign to Arctic during 2011-2016. He has trained/co-guided more than 70 Indian students for completion of their summer training and master's thesis projects in the field of polar remote sensing at NCAOR.
Meric Karahalil - Turkey

Istanbul Technical University, Turkey

Representing APECS Turkey on the APECS Council

I was passionate to anything related to maritime when I was child and I decided to be a sailor when I was 13 years old. I went to Naval High School and then Naval Academy. I have graduated as Naval architecture and Marine Engineeringer. And I started to work as a Search and Rescue Officer in Coast Guard Command. Now I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Maritime Transportation Engineering at the Istanbul Technical University, Turkey. My advisor is Assoc. Prof. Burcu Ozsoy who is the Director of Polar Research Center (PolReC) in Istanbul Technical University. My thesis subject is “Lack of Arctic and Antarctic issues in International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Water (Polar Code) and suggesting Positive Improvements.”
Hanna Kauko - Norway

Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway

I am a PhD student at the Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromsø, northern Norway. I did my Bachelor's and Master's degree (marine biology) at the University of Helsinki, Finland. I work in the field of bio-optics, that is, everything about light and algae is close to my heart. So far I have concentrated on ice algae and light transmission in sea ice. I work with data from an Arctic drift expedition (N-ICE2015) and other campaigns around Svalbard and Fram Strait. I am interested in the vast Polar Regions because of the high actuality, the lack of data and the beauty in them. In the free time I enjoy the great nature around Tromsø and all the outdoor possibilities it offers.
Amy Kirkham - United States

University of Alaska Fairbanks, United States

I am a PhD student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where I am studying the physiological ecology of Weddell seals. My research focuses on how hormones and nutrition influence annual cycles in these animals. Broadly, I am very interested in how biological rhythms drive life history events. These questions are especially exciting in polar ecosystems, where environmental conditions change drastically between seasons and are shifting with global climate change. Fieldwork at McMurdo Station has shown me how special and important the Antarctic environment is, inspiring me to share this through extensive K-12 polar science outreach. Prior to my graduate studies, I completed my undergraduate degree in Biology at Stanford University, and worked with marine mammals in stranding response and wildlife tourism.
Sasha Leidman - United States

Rutgers University, United States

My name is Sasha and I am a PhD student at Rutgers University studying glacial hydrology. My research has taken me to several different polar regions but my current research looks at meltwater transport in Greenland. At higher elevations of the Greenland Icesheet, I look at meltwater refreezing within firn by drilling shallow ice cores, digging snow pits, and running ground-penetrating radar transects. At lower elevations, I look at meltwater that flows into streams flowing on top of the ice. These so called supraglacial streams have a big impact on albedo and my research aims to understand that relationship with the use of GPS, velocity, temperature, and reflectance measurements in southwest Greenland. Before working in Greenland, I studied the hydrology of ice covered lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica by mapping their complex bathymetry. I also worked with the Denali National Park Service to map glacial retreat. My research is a combination of watershed-scale hydrology and remote sensing to hopefully answer questions of how the hydrologic cycle affects the cryosphere.
Josefine Lenz - Germany

Alfred Wegener Institute (Germany) / University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)

Representing APECS Germany on the APECS Council

After I finished my PhD in 2016, I continue with a Postdoc at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam/Germany in close collaboration with the University of Alaska Fairbanks. My research focusses on the investigation of landscape changes in permafrost regions. Here, I'm especially interested in using lake sediments as archives to study past environments and carbon dynamics. As I always loved travelling, I think I found the perfect profession to explore remote areas, e.g. the Alaskan and western Canadian Arctic, and satisfy my curiosity to understand how our earth has formed but also how it is currently changing.

Besides, I have been active in the Executive Committee of the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (https://pyrn.arcticportal.org/), as an IASC Fellow in Terrestrial Working Group and recently as Vice-President of APECS. As co-founder of APECS Germany, I`m happy to represent the NC within the APECS Council.
Martine Lizotte - Canada

Université Laval, Canada

Representing APECS Canada on the APECS Council

I hold a PhD in Oceanography from Université Laval focused on the dynamics of dimethylsulfide (DMS), a marine gas of biogenic origin involved in the regulation of the Earth’s climate. After briefly dabbling in the behavioural ecology of hairy coo dung flies at Háskóli Ísland in Reykjavík, I promptly returned to my love of the sea. I currently work at U. Laval as a research associate for the Canadian Research Chair on Ocean Biogeochemistry and Climate. I am also the coordinator of BOND (Beacons Of Northern Dynamics), a trans-disciplinary project that combines photonics, chemistry, limnology and oceanography to monitor climate-active gases (CO2, CH4, N2O and DMS) in the Arctic. Along with APECS, I have ties to several polar-related programs such as Québec-Océan, Takuvik, ArcticNet, NETCARE, SOLAS, and Sentinel North. My passion for the ocean has led me to participate in 17 expeditions across the globe, several involving international cooperation, notably SEEDS II (Japan) and SOAP (New-Zealand). I am engaged in the mentorship of students in the field (Schools on Board), in the lab, and in the classroom. Together we are currently exploring marine microbial life, the “bug hub”, its sensitivity to environmental stressors (acidification, sea ice decline, etc.), and its role in climate control at high latitudes, particularly in the rapidly changing Arctic Ocean.
Arindan Mandal - India

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), India / Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany

I am a second year PhD student in JNU and working on glacier mass and energy balance modelling over a glacier in northern India. Broadly, my research interests are mass and energy balance modelling with intensive field investigation and some hydrological aspects. I have almost five-six years of field experience in the Himalayas. Apart from the Himalayas, I also worked on the Arctic valley glaciers as I was involved in Indian Arctic Expeditions for glacier field work which was organised by NCAOR, Goa. Presently I am living in Germany (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg) under a DAAD Sandwich Model PhD Fellowship during 2017/18.
Sebastián Marinsek - Argentina

Instituto Antártico Argetnino, Argentina

Representing APECS Argentina on the APECS Council

I am working in glaciology at Instituto Antártico Argentino. My main research interest is Glacier Mass Balance, Dynamic and Relation to Clima. With the institute we work mainly in the northern part of Antarctic Peninsula, doing field campaigns every Austral Summers!
Claudia Maturana - Chile

Universidad de Chile, Chile

Representing APECS Chile on the APECS Council

I have always lived in the north part of Chile, where the desert becomes dominant. From this point of view, Antarctica always seems very far away and unknown for me; eventually this place becomes very intriguing and fascinating. At school I was interested in biology and evolutionary trends in organisms, especially in extreme environments. It was only until many years later that I found my place at the Molecular Ecology Laboratory, where I could combine this childhood motivation with scientific knowledge. During my master study, I developed laboratory skills using molecular tools in marine invertebrates focus on the genetic consequences of a particular mode of development in Antarctica. Now, I am on the first year of my PhD, when I am going to test two biogeography hypotheses regarding of the evolutionary history of this group in Antarctica using a phylogeographic approach. Through all this years I traveled and met a lot of interesting people all over the world because of the network that I was able to make thanks to APECS. Now I am very excited and I want to make more things with you.
Kyle Mayers - United Kingdom

National Oceanography Centre Southampton / University of Southampton, United Kingdom

Representing the UK Polar Network (UKPN) on the APECS Council

My PhD research focuses on factors affecting the growth and mortality rates within a phytoplankton group known as coccolithophores. I am especially interested in how grazers control population dynamics, bloom formation and the fate of organic and inorganic material. Having spent 5 weeks at UNIS in Svalbard studying Arctic Microbiology I became more involved with APECS and the UK Polar Network, even being its President from 2016-17! Prior to my PhD I studied for a BSc in Biology and then worked for Thames Water in water quality regulation.
Swati Nagar - India

National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, India

Connecting the gap between science and community is what I am working for. Science is progressing at a very fast pace, creating a gap between scientist and common people. Outreach activities, by one way or another, connects the common people to science, creating a sense of appreciation for the scientific endeavors. To understand and increase our efforts in making a scientifically aware citizens, I am working as Project Scientist B at National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa. Besides, outreach, my area of interest is Lake Ecosystem.
Ozgun Oktar - Turkey

Istanbul Technical University Polar Research Center (ITU PolReC) / Turkish Students' Polar Research Team (PolSTeam), Turkey

Representing APECS Turkey on the APECS Council

As a maritime graduate, I'm working for Istanbul University Polar Research Center (ITU PolReC). My main research interest is sea ice remote sensing. Also as the Advisor of PolSTeam I'm involved in education and outreach.
Ankit Pramanik - Norway

Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway

I am a third year PhD student at Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø in the field of Glaciology. My research work focusses on mass balance evolution, hydrology and melt water routing of glaciers in Kongsfjord basin, Svalbard. As a part of my PhD, I attended four field session in Svalbard in last 3 years to conduct glaciological measurements. Earlier, I pursued my bachelors and master degree in Physics from Calcutta University (2010) and Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (2012). During my spare time I like to live in nature by doing outdoor activities like skiing, kayaking, hiking.
José Queirós - Portugal

University of Coimbra, Portugal

My name is José Queirós and I’m an MSc of Ecology in the University of Coimbra & MARE-UC. My main research focus is in Polar Deep-Sea Ecology, mainly in terms of predator-prey interaction, but also I am interested in auto-ecology, i.e. the ecology of the species per si, particularly in terms of reproduction. My current work is about the feeding ecology of Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) and the Cephalopod Fauna of the Pacific Sector of the Southern Ocean. Out of the lab and the field, Education and Outreach is also something that really interests me since I believe we should share our and with this in mind I participate in some activities like talks in schools and science fairs.
Kabir Rasouli - Canada

University of Calgary, Canada

I am a post doctoral fellow (PDF) at the University of Calgary, Canada. In my NSERC PDF, I am trying to quantify and possibly reduce the uncertainty in surface water and groundwater interactions and recharge estimation in the alpine Cryosphere based on fine-scale atmospheric dynamical downscaling and physically based hydrological modelling approaches. Recharge processes in cold regions are strongly influenced by soil freeze-thaw and retention of snowmelt runoff in numerous topographic depressions. Currently available soil water balance models do not incorporate these essential processes and groundwater recharge estimation is mainly well-based. I am developing novel atmospheric and hydrologic models to represent variability and changes in the catchment-scale groundwater recharge. During my PhD program at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, I conducted: (i) a sensitivity analysis of hydrological processes under climate and land-cover changes, and (ii) an analysis of uncertainty propagation from an inadequate representation of atmospheric processes in climate models and transient changes in vegetation and soils to hydrology. I also conducted field work in the front range of the Canadian Rockies to investigate the effect of warming and precipitation phase change on snowmelt, runoff, and subsurface flows. I worked as a research associate at the University of Northern British Columbia, and diagnosed the hydrological variability and changes in levels of Lake Athabasca and salmon migration variability in the Fraser River in Canada. Knowledge that I gained from machine learning tools, processes based hydrological modelling, and field work in my graduate programs will be useful to understand physics and dynamics of extreme events such as floods and droughts. My main research interest is to contribute to our limited knowledge of extreme events under climate non-stationarity in cold regions, where observation and simulation of atmospheric mechanisms are very uncertain and vapour/ice/snow/water fluxes aboveground and belowground are very heterogeneous.
Jessica Rohde - United States

Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC), United States

I am the Web Manager and Communications Officer of the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC), where I connect researchers from different disciplines and sectors in order to form collaborations and accelerate the pace of Arctic research. I'm passionate about science communication and have taught a course at the University of Washington that trains graduate students in science communication through storytelling, audience consideration, and public speaking.
Corinna Röver - Sweden

KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

Representing APECS Sweden on the APECS Council

I am a doctoral student at the Division of History of Science, Technology and Environment at KTH Royal Institute of Technology since 2015. I hold an Erasmus Mundus M.A. in Global Studies and before joining KTH, I was a Visiting Fellow at the International Polar Foundation in Brussels.

My doctoral project ”Governing Reindeer Husbandry – economy, colonisation, and Sami mobilization” is part of the Mistra-funded project ”Mistra Arctic Sustainable Development (MASD)”.

The purpose of my project is to examine how land use changes and the legacies of colonization have impacted and changed reindeer-herding Sami communities in 20th-century Swedish Sápmi, and how these communities have responded to such developments. I am particularly interested in the conceptualizations of reindeer and reindeer husbandry as resources, and focus among others things on the rationalization efforts during the 1950s through 1970s to see how and why reindeer husbandry has been defined through economic considerations during that period.
Paul Rosenbaum - France

UVSQ - Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines, France

I grew up in Florida and have been living in Paris for about 9 years. I earned my first degree at the University of California at Berkeley in Rhetoric and later attended INSEAD’s MBA program. Following that, I created a consulting firm which advises clients how to achieve better positions by improving their communications. I have also designed and delivered university courses about improving management practice, most recently for SciencesPo Paris. In 2016, I joined the Arctic Studies Masters program at the UVSQ to shift my focus from working with private sector to working with researchers, educational initiatives and institutions that contribute to our understanding of climate change. My goals are to help inform the public about this topic by creating narratives that tell great stories about research and opportunities in the Arctic and I want to support the development of ecofriendly private businesses in this region. I presented an original research project about the paleo-botanist Sir AC Seward at the Arctic Science Summit Week (Prague) and ICASS IX (Umea) conferences, and I worked at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam on the MOSAiC Expedition. There are still a lot projects I want to advance in the next year, and I really look forward to doing some of them within APECS.
Morgan Seag - United Kingdom

Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

I am a PhD candidate in human geography at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge. My research looks at institutional change in remote spaces, focusing on the integration of women into national Antarctic programs in the mid- to late-twentieth century. Other research interests include polar geopolitics, the histories of science and exploration, and the social history of frontier spaces. I received an MPhil in Polar Studies from Cambridge in 2015, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008. In my non-academic career I’ve worked in science outreach as well as film exhibition and program development, and I spent two seasons working as a support contractor at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.
Elisa Seyboth - Brazil

Federal University of Rio Grande (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande-FURG), Brazil

I am an Oceanographer that currently is a PhD candidate (CNPq fellow) in Biological Oceanography at the Federal University of Rio Grande in Brazil. The focus of my research is on the ecology of cetaceans in Antarctic Peninsula region. Since 2011 I am dedicated to cetacean studies, when I began my Masters degree that dealt with the habitat use and reproductive success of southern right whales. I have always been fascinated by the ocean and have Antarctica as the study area of my research is the realization of a dream. For me, to be at sea is like being at home, and I have a considerable experience in oceanographic research cruises, including seven expeditions in Brazilian waters and four in Antarctic region. After participating on the SCAR Conference in 2016 and getting in touch with young researchers from APECS, I got the desire to actively contribute to the activities of the institution and then joined the Council.
Grace Shephard - Norway

University of Oslo, Norway

Grace Shephard is a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics (CEED), University of Oslo, Norway. Her research lies in unraveling the geological history of the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding continents. The opening and closing of ocean basins, massive volcanic eruptions, mountain building events, changes in sea-level, and shifts in climate are largely underpinned by geological processes. Building Earth models that cover hundreds of millions of years requires integrating several geological and geophysical datasets, including information from the deep interior of the Earth. Grace is also a course lecturer/administrator for the interdisciplinary University of Oslo’s International Summer School course “A Changing Arctic”, and is also interested in interdisciplinary and outreach aspects of Arctic research.
Runa Skarbø - Norway

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway

I am a PhD candidate working in the field of Arctic marine technology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). I am Norwegian, originally from Oslo but now live in Trondheim. I have a Masters of Science in marine engineering and naval architecture (NTNU, 2014).

My interest in the Arctic began when I did my master's thesis on shipping along the Northern Sea Route (NSR). In this work, I compared different technologies ships can use to reduce their exhaust emissions, and if using the NSR would still be an economically viable option given the installation of these expensive technologies. During this work, I was fascinated by the many technological and operational challenges of ships operating in the Arctic, such as remoteness, darkness, low temperatures and the presence of sea ice.

My primary research interest during my PhD is mitigating the impact sea ice has on marine structures and operations, and combining different sensor technologies to gain information about the ice conditions around the ship. My work is related to two Centres for Research-Based Innovation funded by the Norwegian Research Council; SAMCoT (Sustainable Arctic Marine and Coastal Technology, hosted by NTNU) and CIRFA (Centre for Integrated Remote Sensing and Forecasting for Arctic Operations, hosted by UiT The Arctic University of Norway).

During my PhD work, I have been fortunate to participate in several research cruises in ice. In 2016, spent six weeks on the research cruise Arctic Ocean 2016, where I got the opportunity to gather data for my research and to visit the North Pole!
Petr Sorokin - Russia

Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Russia

I am a 2nd year bachelor student at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. I study at the Department of International Complex Problems of Nature Management and Ecology. In the summer of 2017 I had an internship in United Nations Informational Centre in Moscow, Russia.

I became interested in the Arctic Region when I was at school, and the MGIMO international focus has given me an opportunity to advance in this field. My current areas of research interest include “greening” of the Arctic (my article on this issue was published in July, 2017) and ways of environmental management adaptation in this changing region. I’m focusing on political and international legislative initiatives required for transboundary water sources cooperation for development and as well.
Kent Spiers - Canada

University of Calgary, Canada

Kent currently lives in Calgary, Alberta but has lived in communities in British Columbia, Yukon, Ontario and Alaska. Kent’s academic career starts back in 2007 when he decided to leave a decade long career to further his intellectual curiosity. He has earned a BA in Sociology and minor in Environmental Studies at the University of Alaska Anchorage and a Masters in Sociology from Lakehead University. His master’s thesis titled “Northern Exposure: A Comparison Study of Alaska and Yukon Models of Measuring Community Wellbeing” looked at the origin, construction, utilization and response to models of community wellbeing in Alaska and Yukon. During his academic career, he has worked on numerous social science and socio-economic projects ranging from food security, land use planning, homelessness, child wellbeing and resource development. His PhD research is investigating the relationship between scientists and community residence involved in various community based monitoring project in communities in Alaska, Nunavut and Fogo Island Newfoundland.
Sara Strey - United States

University of Oklahoma, United States

As a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Oklahoma's School of Meteorology, I study the interaction between the sea ice, ocean, and atmosphere on short timescales using global climate models. I received my BS from Central Michigan University in 2007, and my MS (2009) and my PhD (2016) in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Illinois.
Ekaterina Uryupova - Russia

Smithsonian Institution, United States / Russia

Representing APECS Russia on the APECS Council

I have spent most of my life in Siberia. In 2009, I received her PhD in marine biology from Moscow State University. Having worked as a scientist in the Arctic and Antarctic regions since 2000, I am involved in a number of research projects focused on marine ecosystems and krill. Amongst other topics, i am interested in topics about marine-protected areas, polar fisheries management, climate change and environmental monitoring programs. A member of the Russian Geographical Society and the German Society of Polar Research.

I earned a master’s degree in science communications at the University of Salford, UK. I completed an internship at the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and worked for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.

Eager to promote polar science as a source of knowledge and an instrument of international cooperation, I am involved in the development of several education and outreach projects.
Linde Van Bets - Netherlands

Wing, Netherlands

Representing APECS Netherlands on the APECS Council

Linde Van Bets was trained in Environmental Studies at Wageningen University. In her Bachelor she specialized in Environmental Policy and Management. In her Master she choose for the specialisation of 'Governance of Coastal and Marine Systems'. After graduation Linde worked in Brussels on European marine policy for the NGOs Seas at Risk and Surfrider Foundation Europe. Afterwards she worked as project officer for the study Integrated Coastal Zone Management at the university of Applied Sciences of Van Hall Larenstein. In 2013 she returned back to Wageningen University as PhD candidate at the Environmental Policy Group. Her PhD research on Sustainable Ecosystem Management and Use by Marine Communities in two exemplary regions consists of a comparative analysis of adaptation to ecosystem changes of socio-political communities on oil & gas and cruise tourism on four islands: Spitsbergen, Melkoya/Hammerfest, Bonaire and Sint Eustatius. After her PhD graduation Linde started working as consultant at Wing. One of the projects she is working on is the Dutch Arctic Circle, a network platform for Dutch companies, governemnt and research institutes active in the Arctic. In this platform they share their knowledge, expertise and experience to come to best practices for operations in the Arctic.
David Velazquez - Spain

Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain

Representing APECS Spain on the APECS Council

I hold a Ph.D. in environmental microbiology focused in polar microbiology from Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain) and collaborating with different institutions at both Polar Regions. That experience has allowed me to participate in multidisciplinary teams performing research in a wide variety of topics from virus to meteorology that gave me a broad view of the polar ecosystems.
Greta Carrete Vega - Spain

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Spain

Representing APECS Spain on the APECS Council

My research focuses on the use of computer tools to understand and visualize species distribution patterns at large scale by means of spatial/statistical and phylogenetic modelling using species range size, teledetection and environmental data. My goal is to contribute to biodiversity conservation in the current scenario of climate change. I am currently carrying out my PhD Thesis project at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos under the supervision of Dr Miguel Ángel Olalla Tárraga and Dr Javier Benayas (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), about the prospects of establishment of invader species in the Antarctica in a context of climate change.
Florian Vidal - France

University of Paris Descartes, France

I am a PhD Candidate in Political Science and International Relations at University of Paris Descartes (France). My purpose of my research undertakes the prospective relations between Norway and Russia in the Barents region through a systemic approach. After completion of my studies (MA in Contemporary History and MA in International Affairs), I served for the French cultural delegation in Russia during several years (2008-2010) before to spend some time in South America (NGO activities). Nowadays based in Paris, I work as a Senior Business Analyst specialized in strategic investments in industry value chain industry and emerging technologies (transportation, energy and infrastructure). In my spare time, I enjoy traveling and hiking both dedicated for nature and culture. I am fascinated by folklore and mythology among past and present civilizations.
Deniz Vural - Turkey

Turkish Students' Polar Research Team-Istanbul Technical University Polar Research Center, Turkey

Representing APECS Turkey on the APECS Council

I have been a volunteer at Turkish Polar Research Team(PolSTeam) under Istanbul Technical University Polar Research Center(ITU-PolReC) for 2 years. As a leader of PolSTeam, we would like to raise awareness on the people about polar regions. Regarding Climate Change and Global Warming, we prepare to presentations to both primary school and high schools. Trying to explain every incoming question up to West to East, we want to spread the sensivity out on the nature. In collaboration with science, I believe that we can keep learning and put something on the next generations in the good way.
Mateusz Waligóra - Poland

University of Silesia, Poland

Representing APECS Poland on the APECS Council

My name is Mateusz and I am an undergraduate student of political science (specialization: international relations) at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland. My main interests are international relations in the Arctic region, foreign and domestic policy of Nordic and Arctic states, especially the Kingdom of Norway. I recently became interested in growing presence of the People’s Republic of China in the Arctic. The topic of my bachelor thesis is “Relations between the Kingdom of Norway and the Russian Federation with particular emphasis on the Arctic region”. I was an intern in the Secretariat of the Polish Polar Consortium (July – September 2017), and now I would like to represent APECS Poland in APECS Council.
Gary Wesche - United States

Representing Polar Educators International (PEI) on the APECS Council

I am a polar educator that resides near the geographic center of the USA in landlocked Kansas City, Missouri. I have a Masters of Science in Education (2015) and have taught students in elementary school (1985-1989), science in middle school (2006-12), and physics at Rockhurst University (2012-14). I participated as a PolarTREC teacher with an Antarctic expedition to Byrd Surface Camp (2009-10) with the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CRESIS). This experience changed the trajectory of my focus in education, and I served on the first executive committee of Polar Educators International, PEI (2011) helping to launch this new organization that grew from the IPY. I just completed two terms as president (2014-2016). Most recently I was the Penguin Education Coordinator for the Kansas City Zoo (2013-16) through the creation of the education and outreach programs for their new penguin exhibit. Currently, I am focusing on working with educators and schools in understanding their role in conserving and protecting the polar regions of our planet by providing collaborative connections with researchers and educators.
Nadya Yanakieva - Bulgaria

Bulgarian Antarctic Institute, Bulgaria

Representing APECS Bulgaria on the APECS Council

Hello, my name is Nadya Yanakieva. I am a geologist and I have a Master degree in Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". I am interested in polar science. In the begining of the next year I will be joined in a research program with Bulgarian Antarctic Institute that led me to do field work in Antarctica. I will work with a portugese collegue to evaluate the evolution of permafrost in time and to correlate it with climate change. This will be my first Antarctic expedition but I am sure about that - I want to be a polar scientist. I hope will have many interesting experiences during the upcoming APECS Council term!
Sinan Yirmibesoglu - Turkey

Turkish Students' Polar Research Team (PolSTeam) and Istanbul Technical University Polar Research Center, Turkey

Representing APECS Turkey on the APECS Council

I’m a captain who raised in Black Sea region and educated as an Oceangoing Watchkeeping Officer at Karadeniz Technical University. I started my carrier at Beykoz Anatolian Maritime High School, then graduated from Sürmene Marine Sciences Faculty - KTU and I was an exchange student for Academia Morska W Gdyni in Poland. I started Master of Science at Maritime Faculty in Istanbul Technical University in 2016 to study "sea ice in polar areas". In here, Dr. Burcu OZSOY who worked long years in Polar areas as a polar scientist became my advisor while I started to work in Polar Research Center in Turkey. Then, I had been chosen as a member of first Turkish Antarctic Expediton in 2017. Also, I’m working with the Turkish Students’ Polar Research Team (PolSTeam) to educate people about global change and polar awareness in Turkey. In six months we reached more than two thousand people in seminars, workshops, exhibitons and etc.
Tristy Vick-Majors - Canada - ex-officio

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada

APECS Executive Committee Member / Vice President 2014-2016

I am currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Quebec in Montreal. I have worked in the Antarctic since 2008, when I began my International Polar Year MSc research focusing on the responses of aquatic microorganisms to the annual Antarctic sunset. My PhD work focused on the interactions between microbes and the carbon cycle in a subglacial lake (800 m beneath the surface of the Antarctic Ice Sheet) and in the ocean under the McMurdo and Ross ice shelves. For my postdoctoral work, I have switched hemispheres and am now studying the interactions between microbes and dissolved organic matter in boreal aquatic environments. The boreal biome covers much of Northern America and Eurasia, from ~50 to 70 degrees north. Of that vast area of land, much of it is covered in water. These inland waters are key players in the global carbon cycle, and their high degree of connectivity with the surrounding terrestrial environment makes them excellent places to study land-water-atmosphere carbon interactions. Dissolved organic matter is also abundant in these systems - they are ideal places to study the relationship between microorganisms and dissolved organic matter. My research focuses on the use of high-resolution molecular characterizations of dissolved organic matter combined with detailed data on microbial community structure and function across ecological continuums. I aim to use these combined datasets to further our understanding of the coupling between microorganisms and their carbon sources.
TJ Young - United Kingdom - ex-officio

PhD Student, British Antarctic Survey / University of Cambridge /Scott Polar Research Institute, United Kingdom

APECS Executive Committee Member / Vice President 2016-2017

I am currently a PhD student at the British Antarctic Survey and the University of Cambridge's Scott Polar Research Institute. My PhD research integrates electrical engineering and field glaciology to investigate the englacial and basal processes of glacier motion of the Greenland Ice Sheet and the mass loss induced through these processes. Specifically, my field research involves using autonomous phase-sensitive Radio Echo Sounders (ApRES) to observe and measure glacier flow, englacial deformation, and subglacial melt rates to high (millimetre) accuracy on Store Glacier, western Greenland. Despite growing up in the islands of subtropical Taiwan and Hong Kong, my interest in the polar landscape originated from my academic background in marine mammal science. As part of the Marine Conservation Ecology group at Duke University and the Duke Marine Lab, where I completed my undergraduate degree, my research focused on the foraging ecology and spatial modelling of endangered seals and whales in western Antarctica.

I have been active with APECS at the national level for a number of years, having been a past president of the UK Polar Network (UKPN).
Yulia Zaika - Russia - ex-officio

Research Assistant at Khibiny educational and scientific base of the Faculty of Geography M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia

APECS President 2011-2012

APECS Vice President 2012-2013

I was born in Murmansk region of NW Russia on May 14, 1984. I completed my studies at Petrozavodsk State University as Ecologist and Interpreter in 2006. Currently I am a Research Assistant at Khibiny educational and scientific base of the Faculty of Geography M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University. My research focuses on observations of climate data, snow cover and avalanches as natural hazardous processes in highly industrialized Russian Arctic regions. Since 2007 I was involved in IPY PPS Arctic project as a member of Benefits Russian Team (“Natural and Social Science Research Cooperation in Northern Russia and Norway for Mutual Benefits across National and Scientific Borders”) and coordinator for socially oriented observations on quality of life of people in Murmansk region. At the moment I am involved as Khibiny base representative in EU 7 Framework Programme project INTERACT (International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic) with a numerous of circumarctic field station partners from 18 countries.
Scott Zolkos - Canada - ex-officio

University of Alberta, Canada

I am a PhD Student in the biological sciences program at the University of Alberta. My graduate focus in ecology stems from my longstanding fascination with the impact of climate change on Earth systems. After completing my B.A. in environmental science at Middlebury College (2011), I joined the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) as a Research Assistant. For 2.5 years at WHRC, I was part of research teams investigating the impacts of climate change and land disturbance on river chemistry and land-ocean linkages (Global Rivers Observatory), with much focus on the Arctic. My participation as a team member on the international Polaris Project expedition (2012) to the Siberian Arctic inspired me to pursue graduate studies in arctic science. As a graduate student in Dr. Suzanne Tank's lab, I am studying the influence of massive permafrost degradation on carbon cycle dynamics and aquatic ecosystems in the Peel River watershed (Northwest Territories, Canada). I find this research rewarding and fascinating because I work with a fantastic group of international researchers and Northern communities to understand the impacts of climate change on arctic ecosystems.

The following early career researchers served on the 2016-2017 Council. In addition, the members of the APECS Executive Committee 2016-2017 are also part of the Council: Alice Bradley, Josefine Lenz, Hanne Nielsen, Alexander Thornton and TJ Young, as well as Heather Mariash (ex-offio), Trista Vick-Majors (ex-officio) and Ruth Vingerhagen (ex-officio).

We would also like to recognize our past leaders as they continue to serve our organization as Ex-Officio members of the Council: Yulia Zaika (Russia).

Lorna Thurston - United States - Council Co-Chair

Northern Arizona University, United States

Hello, my name is Lorna Louise Thurston. I am a physical geographer and my current research interests are cold climate fluvial geomorphology and hydrology. I am enjoying being part of the Arctic Glacial Lakes, Catchments and Climate Linkages Project titled: “Collaborative Research: Developing A System Model Of Arctic Glacial-Lacustrine Sedimentation For Investigating Past And Future Climate Change”, funded by the National Science Foundation. My role on the project involves working towards completing a sediment flux model for major tributaries to Lake Peters, Brooks Range, Alaska. Prior to this, I studied and worked within the environment sector in New Zealand for almost ten years. I completed my BSc (Honors) degree in 2009, and I subsequently worked as an environmental consultant, managing the planning of large-scale subdivision and development projects. Since leaving my consulting position, I have completed the Postgraduate Certificate of Antarctic Studies at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand; travelled throughout the Southwest Pacific to Japan with the Enderby Trust; worked for charities in Australia; participated in the Summer School on Geomorphology in Austria, funded by the Volkswagen Stiftung; relocated from New Zealand to Northern Arizona University in the USA; and participated in the Model Arctic Council , Fairbanks, Alaska 2016. I am grateful to have had so many interesting experiences and I look forward to many more during the upcoming APECS Council term!
Gabriela Roldan - New Zealand - Council Co-Chair

Gateway Antarctica / University of Canterbury, New Zealand

I am from Ushuaia, Argentina, but I call New Zealand home now where I am finishing a PhD in Antarctic Studies at Gateway Antarctica (University of Canterbury). I am a Social Scientist with interests in Antarctic geopolitics and Polar community identity, particularly in the gateway cities. I am passionate about Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, and I have an extensive experience in Antarctic tourism, education and outreach. Also, in my spare time I work for a small non-profit foundation for ecological restoration in remote islands, and I travel frequently to Antarctica working as a naturalist for ecotourism expeditions.
Jilda Caccavo - Italy - National Committee Coordinator

University of Padua, Italy

Representing APECS Italy on the APECS Council

My apartment in Italy is home to an Antarctic researcher plush toy my parents gave to me when I began my PhD at the University of Padua studying the population structure of the keystone species the Antarctic Silverfish. Attached to the toy is a note I found in one of my childhood drawers which reads: Name: Jilda Alicia Caccavo, Age: 9, Job: Future Marine Biologist. I am proud to say that 20 years later, I am fulfilling that dream, employing multidisciplinary techniques including genetics, otolith chemistry and trophic analyses to understand the health of Antarctic fish populations in order to gauge what impacts climate change and anthropogenic disturbances will have on them. Becoming involved in the Antarctic sphere during my PhD and recently attending my first SCAR meeting in 2016 have catapulted me into the realm of Polar science, and I’m eager to expand that interest by working with APECS to meet and support more like-minded, passionate, Polar scientists.
Sara Strey - United States - National Committee Coordinator

Northland College, United States

I am an atmospheric scientist and instructor studying interactions between the Arctic and midlatitudes from the perspective of air sea interactions. I received my BS from Central Michigan University in 2009, and my MS in 2009 in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Illinois. I’m currently the Meteorology Teaching Fellow at Northland College in Ashland, WI while finishing the final stages of my PhD work remotely with the University of Illinois. My current areas of research interest include arctic-midlatitude interactions, excellence in undergraduate education, and air sea interaction from both the atmospheric and oceanic perspectives.
Inhye Ahn - South Korea

Korean Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), South Korea

Hello. I am Inhye Ahn. I am studying polar animal genomics and evolution in my MS and I am going to have PhD project from next semester in same field. I got BS in biology, geological science, and biotechnology. I am so interested in studying animals how they have been evolved in extreme environments(in polar, deep sea, on alpine so on).
Sara Aparício - Italy / Portugal

European Space Agency, Italy

Representing APECS Portugal on the APECS Council

I have a master on environmental engineering with an incurable passion for polar – and space – science fields. I am currently at European Space Agency doing an internship and my field of interest comprises Remote Sensing systems for Earth Observation, with a special focus on data processing for improving and monitoring biogeochemical and dynamical processes that could ultimately prevent natural disasters and/or benefit policy-making decisions on climate adaption.

In the past I conducted research on Biomass productivity, geophysics and governance issues in the Arctic and I also co-funded a Start-up related to STEM education. I have been engaged in education and outreach activities in Portugal, Brasil and Norway since I joined APECS in and APECS Portugal (in 2012). Currently I am the president of the Portuguese Committee of APECS (APECS Portugal).
Devsamridhi Arora - India

University of Delhi, India

Representing the Indian Polar Research Network (IPRN) on the APECS Council

I am a PhD student at Department of Geology, University of Delhi, India. My research work has two major components. One is participation in ICECAP-2 (International Collaborative Exploration of Central East Antarctica through Airborne geophysical Profiling), which is a large international (USA-UK-INDIA-CHINA) consortium on the continued characterization of the unexplored regions of the East Antarctic subglacial environment, begun by the ICECAP program in 2008. The overall scientific plan of the project included the survey of a large, unexplored area of Princess Elizabeth Land (PEL) with radar sounding, laser altimetry, gravity, and magnetics. The second component of my work is geological studies of PEL with a motivation of connecting geophysics to geology. I am also checking PEL's affinity with Indian craton in my Ph.D. work. I did Bachelors and Masters in Geology from Hansraj College, University of Delhi, India. As a part of my doctoral research work, I participated in 35th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica and collected field data and rock samples from Larsemann hills, PEL. I am a Petrology-lover and thus love to learn and talk about minerals and rocks! Larsemann hills are one of the mineral treasures in Antarctica and hold some of the rarest varieties of Boron and Phosphorous rich minerals which make this place even more aesthetic for a geologist!
Mia Bennett - United States

UCLA Geography, United States

Representing the United States APECS (USAPECS) on the APECS Council

I am a PhD Candidate and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow in the UCLA Department of Geography. I am a political geographer with geospatial skills interested in transportation infrastructure and natural resource development in northern frontiers, namely the Arctic and Russian Far East. As news headlines declare the Arctic newly opened by climate change despite five centuries of extraction, I ask who is really benefiting from major development projects occurring in the region today. I’ve done fieldwork on bridges both real and imagined in the Russian Far East and on a new highway to the Arctic Ocean in Canada’s Northwest Territories, and atop the melting Greenland Ice Sheet and inside air-conditioned offices in Singapore. Since 2009, I have blogged about the Arctic, most recently on a site I founded called Cryopolitics. I can be followed on Twitter @miageografia.
Ted Bibby - United States

University of North Dakota, United States

I am a geomorphologist interested in processes that shape landforms and landscapes around us, especially in Antarctica. My research has applied cosmogenic nuclides to interpret ages, erosion rates, and sublimation rates of glacial landforms in the Central Transantarctic Mountains. I'm passionate about science outreach, ancient ice, Antarctica, polar processes, coding, GIS, Arduinos, labwork, fieldwork, as well as camping, hiking, paddling, and bicycling. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want to talk science.
Bruce Boles - United States

University of Tennessee, United States

I am an undergraduate at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. I became interested in Antarctica and the Polar Regions in secondary school after writing a research paper about the influences of early polar explorers on Amundsen and Scott. I am currently studying chemistry and plan to continue deeper into this field of study as my university career continues. Also, I am assisting Dr. Jill Mikucki, a professor at my university, with her research on microbial life in extreme environments, specifically Antarctica. I am interested in this science because the study of this microbial life found in this extremely harsh environment will help us further determine if life could be present in other extreme places such as Mars.
Gesche Blume-Werry - Sweden

Umeå University, Sweden

I studied Landscape Ecology (BSc) and Global Change Ecology (MSc) in Germany, but then moved to northern Scandinavia for my PhD. Since five years, I have now been living north of the Arctic Circle and am enjoying it thoroughly! I have just started a PostDoc in which, similar to my PhD work, I am working on tundra plants. Most of the plant biomass in arctic tundra is located belowground, and plant roots are key players in many ecosystem processes. Nevertheless, we know surprisingly little about them which is why my research focuses on belowground plant processes in subarctic and arctic areas.
Liz Bowman - United States

Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS), United States

Greetings from Fairbanks, Alaska. I am an early career student/professional hybrid with a background in International Relations focused on Arctic Policy. I have a B.A. in International Studies from the University of Idaho and am pursuing a Master’s degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Arctic and Northern Studies. Over the past several years, I have worked on a variety of initiatives and programs to advance the understanding of the Arctic. Nowadays, I am located at the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S., where I work on a projects focused on connecting the Arctic science community. Outside of my professional life, I like to spend time with my family, travel, and meet new people.
Julie Bull - Canada

University of Victoria, Canada
I am an award winning researcher of mixed Inuit descent with 15 years of experience working in research involving Indigenous people (in Arctic and non-Arctic contexts). My own research focuses on the governance of research/research ethics for research involving Indigenous people using community-based participatory-action approaches and Indigenous methodologies. I also work in a variety of projects at the intersection of research, policy, and Indigenous community development. I currently teach in the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria and in the Indigenous Studies Department at the University of Toronto and am an invited lecturer and speaker at many events around the world. I also facilitate training sessions at the Canada School of Public Service and am a mentor in the Indigenous Women in Community Leadership at the Coady International Institute at St. Frances Xavier University. I am dedicated to ensuring more Indigenous content, education, engagement, and collaboration between Indigenous people in the Arctic, researchers, and policy makers.
François Burgay - Italy

Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy

Representing APECS Italy on the APECS Council

I have a master in Environmental Chemistry and since my Master thesis I have a real passion for the Polar environments. I started with sea sediment cores, and now I’m doing a PhD in Science and Management of Climate Change at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice focused on the ice core analysis with a special interest in the biogeochemical cycles. I love writing about science and I’m managing a website whose name’s amolachimica.it where I write about chemistry and climate change.
Marta Bystrowska - Poland

Univeristy of Silesia, Poland

Representing APECS Poland on the APECS Council

In my phd research I deal with expedition cruise tourism development in the Arctic and investigate impact of various stakeholders and their interactions in adaptation to climate change influencing cruising activities. I have an academic background in human geography and regional development. Issues of local and economic development in the Arctic, as well as tourism space development are my main research interests. I apply qualitative methods and social network analysis to better understand human impact on space and natural environment of the Arctic.
Adam J Campbell - New Zealand

University of Otago, New Zealand

I am presently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Otago in New Zealand researching thickness changes on the Ross Ice Shelf. In June of 2015, I completed my Ph.D in Earth and Space Sciences from the University of Washington. My dissertation focused on understanding environments that could serve as refugia for photosynthetic life during the Snowball Earth Events of the Neoproterozoic. While attending the University of Washington I served at manager for Engage Science, a science storytelling organization, from 2013-‐2015. I completed a Masters degree in Geology at Portland State University in 2009, where I modeled the reaction of Crane Glacier to the disintegration of the Larsen B ice shelf. I have Bachelors degrees in Geology and Physics from Portland State University and Oregon State University, respectively.
Elizabeth Ceperley - United States

University of Wisconsin- Madison, United States

I am a PhD student in the Department of Geoscience at the University of Wisconsin- Madison, focusing on glacial geology and Quaternary (the past 2.6 million years) paleoclimate. My current research is using 10Be exposure dating put numbers on past retreat of the Petermann Glacier in northwest Greenland in order to help constrain future retreat. I have had the opportunity to conduct geological fieldwork in the Arctic five times in the past 5 years, and hooked on studying the glaciers in such pristine and beautiful environments. Although growing up in flat Illinois, I was always drawn to the mountains as a place of interest, recreation, and beauty. Once I started taking geology courses in undergrad and started studying mountains and landscapes, I was hooked forever. I earned at BS in Geology from Beloit College, with an undergrad research project in Svalbard about fjord sedimentation in Kongsfjorden. I earned an MS in geology from the University at Buffalo, studying the glacial history of a valley in the Brooks Range, Arctic Alaska. In my free time I like to play ultimate frisbee, soccer, and volunteer.
Henrik Christiansen - Belgium

KU Leuven, Belgium

Representing APECS Belgium on the APECS Council

Henrik Christiansen is a marine biologist working as a PhD student in Leuven, Belgium. As part of a national Antarctic research program he investigates the connectivity and adaptation of Southern Ocean fish. After working and studying with(in) subtropical to temperate ecosystems, he is now excited to focus on the high latitudes. Being trained at the Universities of Hamburg, Bremen, Bergen, and Gothenburg he has a broad scientific background and a collaborative international approach to science. His current project relies heavily on molecular and bioinformatics work to elucidate genomic variability within populations. Several research cruises are part of his field experience, the latest one heading towards the Antarctic Continent and the Weddell Sea. In his free time Henrik enjoys almost any sport and/or water related activity.
Caroline Coch - Germany

Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Germany

Representing APECS Germany and the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) on the APECS Council

I am a PhD candidate at the Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Potsdam. My research is focused on hydrology and nutrient dynamics of small Arctic catchments. I am working with remote sensing data as well as in situ data from the Western Canadian Arctic in order to estimate sediment fluxes of small basins across the Arctic.

I got bitten by the Polar bug’ during my time as an exchange student in Iceland in 2011/12. After finishing my Bachelor degree in Geography at Friedrich-Schiller-University in Jena, I got a Master’s degree in ’Glaciology and Polar Environments’ at Stockholm University, Sweden. I have been very fortunate to visit both polar regions and I love to share my experiences. Coming from a broad academic background , I am excited to support the interdisciplinary work of APECS!
Jennifer Cooper - United States

California State University Los Angeles/University of California Irvine, United States

I am currently a Msc Physics student at CSULA/UCI working on identifying the earliest galaxies in the universe with the Hubble Space Telescope and investigating the relations between dark matter distribution and galaxies. I completed my undergraduate degree in geophysics and astrophysics at Cornell University, where I studied volcanic activity all around the world, including those in Antarctica. I love to be engaged with all disciplines of science, which is probably why my favorite topic is astrobiology and the search for life beyond Earth. During my first year on the Council (2016) I really enjoyed getting to know the other members and hearing about all of their research! I am also an Early Career Researcher for the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research: Astronomy & Astrophysics Division (SCAR AAA). When I'm not heavily engaged in science, I enjoy competitive swimming, gymnastics and surfing along the Southern California coast.
Adrian Dahood - United States

George Mason University, United States

I am a PhD student in the Environmental Science and Policy Department at George Mason University. My dissertation research focuses on using food web modelling to help design a new Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Western Antarctic Peninsula region. Prior to enrolling in a PhD program, I worked for the National Science Foundation doing environmental policy for the United States Antarctic Program. I truly enjoy working at the nexus of environmental science and policy. My policy work gave me insight into how environmental managers and policy makers use research to inform their decisions. It also highlighted some data gaps that need to be filled in order to progress with scientifically sound management of the Antarctic. With my graduate research, I am actively trying to provide managers some of the data they need to design the best possible MPA. I have been fortunate to both go to sea to collect some of the data used in my models and to attend CCAMLR Working Group meetings where Antarctic MPA planning is progressed.
Archana Dayal - United Kingdom

University of Sheffield, United Kingdom

Representing the UK Polar Network (UKPN) on the APECS Council

I have a Master's in Climate Science & Policy from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) University, New Delhi and Bachelors in Biological Sciences from the University of Delhi (India). A summer internship and Master’s dissertation at National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa on the study of organic carbon and dust in Antarctic snow sparked my interest in the field of polar sciences. Further, I was selected as a student researcher for the 33rd Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica to study the biogeochemistry of blue ice and cryoconite holes. Needless to say, I fell in love with Antarctica! Thus I decided to pursue a PhD in polar research.

I am now in my 2nd year of PhD at the University of Sheffield (UK), funded by the Commonwealth Scholarship. I spent a good part of this summer in Svalbard, the High Arctic (4 months) carrying out my field work on the seasonal ecology of snow. Contrary to popular belief, glacier and ice ecosystems are teeming with microbial life and have an extremely important role to play in the Earth’s climate system. I am having an amazing time studying these pristine environments and through UKPN, I would really like to share my enthusiasm and excitement for polar research!
Meagan Dewar - Australia

Deakin University, Australia

Representing APECS Oceania and International Penguin Early Career Scientists (IPECS)on the APECS Council

I am an early career scientist specialising in the microbial ecology of marine wildlife in both polar and temperate regions. My research focuses on describing the residential microbial community and looking at the potential functional role that the microbes play in vertebrate metabolism. I the co-founder of APECS Oceania and the International Penguin Early Career Scientists (IPECS) group and have organised 2 international ECR workshops for the penguin community under the banners of IPECS and APECS. I am also a member of the SCAR Expert group for birds and marine mammals, and of the Health monitoring of birds and marine mammals working group.
Onur Sabri Durak - Turkey

Istanbul Technical University, Turkey

Representing APECS Turkey on the APECS Council

Since I have grown up nearby Mediterranean Sea, I have always liked the view of ships sailing through. This led me to enter into Navy High School. The Navy High School had great influence on me to understand the significance and prosperousness of seas. After graduating from Law School (Marmara University), I had a chance to combine my naval skills with my legal education. During my master degree studies at Istanbul University Social Sciences Institute, I focused on Maritime Law and Transportation Law. Later, during my Ph.D. studies I specialized in Maritime Transportation and Maritime Law. In 2009, when I was participating for Xiamen Academy of International Law Summer Program in China, Prof. David Caron’s words (King’s College Dean of the Dickson Poon School of Law) had strong influence on me for Polar Law, as he stated :“[F]riends, as lawyers we may not have a chance to go to space, but we have a chance to go to Antarctica”. After I was back to Turkey for teaching at Istanbul Technical University Maritime Faculty, I started to work as a legal advisor for “ITU Polar Research Center” (the only academic institution in Turkey) since 2015. During this period, I had chances to serve for representing my country at international meetings, conferences and academic events. My research publications include governance of Polar Regions, Polar Law and Law of the Sea. I do intend to develop awareness for Polar Regions nationally and internationally through my legal researches.
Tamara Fletcher - United States

University of Montana, United States

I am a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Conservation Sciences, at the University of Montana, USA. My research here is in palaeoclimatology and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction to test potential terrestrial feedback mechanisms to polar amplification of temperature during global warm periods. As part of the international research group POLAR-FIT (Pliocene Landscapes and Remains Frozen In Time) I am focusing on the Early to mid-Pliocene – the last time that atmospheric carbon dioxide was as high as today - through several sites in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

I am originally from Brisbane, Australia, where I studied at the University of Queensland. I volunteered in the Vertebrate Palaeontology and Biomechanics Laboratory from my second year in undergraduate science, and have pursued it since, with brief forays into science communication and philosophy of science. I see the past as a deep time laboratory that allows us to explore ecosystems over timescales and through global changes that are not possible in modern ecology.
Friederike Gehrmann - Finland

University of Helsinki, Finland

Representing APECS Finland on the APECS Council

I grew up in Germany and after finishing school in 2008 I moved to London, England for three years where I studied biochemistry for my Bachelor’s degree. In 2011, I moved to Finland and completed a Master’s degree in Plant and Forest Biotechnology at the University of Helsinki. I enjoyed living in the North so I decided to stay in Finland for my PhD in Plant Ecology which I started in 2014. My research concerns the adaptation of Nordic plants to natural small-scale environmental variations. I spend every summer in Kilpisjärvi, Finnish Lapland, where I do my fieldwork on mount Saana. In my free time I volunteer with the Helsinki Deaconess Institute, go running and spend time outdoors as well as meet my friends and learn Finnish.
Caroline Geisert - France

ENSTA Bretagne, France

I am currently an MSc student in hydrography and marine geophysics. After a BSc in physics (2014), I decided to specialize in oceanography and hydrography as I have always had a passion for the ocean. I truly enjoy working in the field and on various scientific projects. In the summer of 2016, I worked for 2 months at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany on the circulation of freshwater in the Arctic. This project gave me an overview of the work in a polar institute and a first approach to people working in that field. This internship confirmed my passion for oceanography and broadened my interest and knowledge about polar regions. Besides my academic life, I am a sailing instructor and a first aid volunteer ; these challenging activities have always given me new opportunities and strong friendships.
Vikram Goel - Norway

Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway

I am a second-year PhD candidate in Antarctic Glaciology working at Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, Norway and enrolled at the University of Oslo, Norway. Broadly, my research interests are in the domains of glaciology, ground penetrating radar and cryospheric modeling. My research work focuses on studying the current status and evolution of ice rises in Dronning Maud Land Antarctica. It includes using field collected GPS, firn cores and GPR data to calculate the mass balance of the ice rise and modeling its deep internal radar reflectors to study its evolution over the past several millennia. Previously, I did my masters in Earth System Science & Technology from IIT Kharagpur (India) in 2013 and a bachelors in Aerospace Engineering from UPES Dehradun (India) in 2011. During my masters i was awarded the DAAD scholarship under which I carried out my Master’s thesis work at the Leibnitz University Hannover, Germany. As a part of the research, I participated in the field expedition at the Fimbulisen ice shelf, DML, Antarctica in 2014.
Claire Griffin - United States

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, United States

I am a postdoc in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior at the University of Minnesota. My research addresses the fate of terrestrial materials, such as organic matter and nutrients, in aquatic and estuarine environments. As an undergraduate at Clark University (2010), I had the opportunity to travel to northeast Siberia as part of the Polaris Project (2009). My interest in arctic river chemistry was solidified by this experience, and I began graduate studies at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute to continue pursuing this research. My PhD (2016) focused on using satellite imagery from the past thirty years to estimate dissolved organic matter (DOM) in major Arctic rivers across Alaska, Canada, and Russia. More broadly, I continue to pursue research on how different biomarkers – ranging from optical measurements of fluorescence to lignin concentrations – can be used to trace the sources and transformation of terrestrially-derived material in lakes, rivers, and the coastal ocean. Particularly in the Arctic, where surface waters abound and the carbon cycle teeters on the precipice of climate-driven change, improving our understanding of systems on a watershed scale could prove essential.
Maxim Gutenev - Russia

South Ural State University, Russia

Hello, my name is Maxim Gutenev. I graduated from South Ural state University in Chelyabinsk. In 2013 I received sub-doctoral degree and now I'm an associate Professor in the Department of sociology and political science in the South Ural state University. My research focuses on the Arctic in General, problems of sustainable development of the Arctic region and development of the Northern sea route. I will be glad to have new contacts and cooperate with my international colleagues and friends all over the word.
Christel Hansen - South Africa

Rhodes University, South Africa

Representing APECS South Africa on the APECS Council

I am an geomorphologist, focusing on periglacial environments in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic, as well as the high-altitude areas of mainland South Africa. My studies have taken me to the South African research station (SANAE IV) in the Antarctic on a number occasions, as well as the South African research station on sub-Antarctic Marion Island. I received my BSc in Geoinformatics from the University of Pretoria in 2009. This was followed by a BSc(Hons) in Environmental Analysis and Management from the University of Pretoria in 2010 and a MSc, specializing in periglacial studies, from Rhodes University in 2012. I an currently putting the final touches on my PhD and have taught (and am currently teaching) courses at both the University of Pretoria and Rhodes University. My current areas of research interest include climatic geomorphology, periglacial processes and landforms, active layer and permafrost dynamics, thermal-moisture dynamics of seasonally frozen ground, using remote sensing and GIS in cold climates, as well as arid climate studies (both hot and cold deserts).
Laura Hobbs - United Kingdom

University of Strathclyde / Scottish Association for Marine Science, United States

Representing the UK Polar Network (UKPN) on the APECS Council

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Strathclyde working on a zooplankton model to describe the effects of environmental changes on Arctic zooplankton populations. I have recently finished my PhD at the Scottish Association for Marine Science where I used a network of acoustic data to look at the vertical migratory behaviour of zooplankton during the Polar Night. My current role is a collaboration project between the UK institutes of the University of Strathclyde and the Scottish Association for Marine Science, and also working with Norwegian institutes such as UiT The Arctic University of Norway. Most of my fieldwork has taken place in and around Svalbard, but I also visited Arctic Canada (Baffin Island) in 2010 as part of an expedition. I have been involved with the UK Polar Network since 2010, and have held the roles of Education and Outreach Officer, President, and Vice-President since then. As part of this, I have organised and run several Outreach events across the UK, and also training workshops for early career scientists.
Jean Holloway - Canada

University of Ottawa, Canada

My research interests are focused around determining how permafrost is responding to climate change in the Canadian Arctic. After completing my BSc (Environmental Geology) and MSc (Geography) at Queen’s University, I joined the Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics at the University of Ottawa. At Queen’s I worked in the Canadian High Arctic looking at features related to permafrost thaw. My current research is focused on determining the impacts of forest fires on discontinuous permafrost in the south-western Northwest Territories, Canada. My research goal is to examine changes following forest fire with the purpose of improving predictive models. Forest fire is rarely taken into account in predictive models of the impacts of climate change on permafrost, even though the frequency and magnitude of fires is increasing. The significance of this project is that it will elucidate how forest fire may combine with climate warming to influence permafrost loss in the discontinuous zones, while helping to verify the existence of positive-feedbacks in this region, and quantify their impacts, notably the release of carbon as permafrost thaws.
Christopher Horvat - United States

Harvard University, United States

I'm a 5th-year PhD student at Harvard, working mainly on linkages between small and large-scale processes in Earth's climate system. Specifically, I small-scale properties of the Earth’s sea ice cover and high-latitude ocean circulation, and model their influence on large-scale and long-range features of the climate system, like the seasonal retreat of the sea ice edge or the initiation of phytoplankton blooms in the ocean. In the long term, my research interests are directed towards uncovering new ways of understanding the variety of scales in the Earth’s climate system, improving climate forecasting, and navigation in the polar seas.
Luis Huckstadt - United States

University of California Santa Cruz, United States

I am a postdoctoral fellow at the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at the University of California Santa Cruz. My research is motivated by my interest in understanding the role that large predators, particularly marine mammals, play in marine ecosystems, especially in those areas more susceptible to human-induced climatic change, such as high latitude and polar marine systems. To help answering these questions, I use Biologging technologies and Stable Isotope Analyses, in order to understand the at-sea behavior of marine top predators.
Bruno Ibañez - Peru

Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Peru

Representing APECS Peru on the APECS Council

I am a versatile Bachelor in Biology and Master in Marine Sciences with experience ranging from biochemistry and ecotoxicology of fish to biogeography and numerical ecological analyses. I have been working on elucidating the benthic community biogeographic patterns of the Southeast Pacific and their correlation with abiotic variables. Currently I am seeking to get experience in Antarctic research in order to assess how the changes will affect the polar communities and to fulfill my dream of exploring such latitudes.
Shridhar Jawak - India

National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa, India

Shridhar D. Jawak is currently working as a "Project Scientist B" at the Polar Remote Sensing Division (Polar Sciences Group) of Earth System Science Organization (ESSO) ─ National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, under a long term project "Satellite-based Digital Elevation Model for monitoring Antarctic Ice topography, with special focus on Glaciers". He is a co-principal investigator of 2 major polar research projects peer-reviewed by national referees. He has also co-chaired/chaired 3 scientific sessions (focusing on geospatial science in polar regions) in major international conferences e.g. SCAR Open Science Conference (OSC) 2012, SCAR OSC-2014, and ISAES-2015. He has conducted 3 major field expeditions to Antarctica and 1 field campaign to Arctic during 2011-2016. He has trained/co-guided more than 70 Indian students for completion of their summer training and master's thesis projects in the field of polar remote sensing at NCAOR.
Lynn Kaluzienski - United States

University of Maine, United States

I am a PhD student at both the School of Earth and Climate Sciences and Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine. I received my Bachelor's of Science in Physics and Astronomy at Emory University in 2014. Since then I have strived to apply my background in physics to problems within the Cryosphere. I currently research the dynamics of the McMurdo Shear Zone, a highly crevassed margin between the Mcmurdo and Ross Ice Shelves. Through a combination of GPS and GPR fieldwork and numerical modeling techniques I'm currently investigating the sensitivity of the Ross Ice Shelf to a weakening shear margin. I am also passionate about outreach efforts focused on inspiring the next generation of polar scientists. I'm currently a researcher in the PolarTREC program for an upcoming Antarctic field season where we will bring a middle school science teacher into the field. I am also participating in UMaine's Follow a Researcher Program where I will be connected to middled school and high school science classes during my Antarctic field season.
Hanna Maria Kauko - Norway

Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway

I am a PhD student at the Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromsø, northern Norway. I did my Bachelor's and Master's degree (marine biology) at the University of Helsinki, Finland. I work in the field of bio-optics, that is, everything about light and algae is close to my heart. So far I have concentrated on ice algae and light transmission in sea ice. I work with data from an Arctic drift expedition (N-ICE2015) and other campaigns around Svalbard and Fram Strait. I am interested in the vast Polar Regions because of the high actuality, the lack of data and the beauty in them. In the free time I enjoy the great nature around Tromsø and all the outdoor possibilities it offers.
Minkyoung Kim - South Korea

Seoul National University, South Korea

I am studying sinking and sedimentary organic carbon in the Amundsen Sea, Canada Basin, and East/Japan Sea. My major tool is the radiocarbon. I received my BS from Chonnam National University in Science Education, and my MS in chemical oceanography from POSTECH. I have recently been awarded the national scholarship for a PhD students from Korean NSF during my PhD on the chemical oceanography. My PhD project includes biomarkers and paleoceanography on the Amundsen Shelf. I've been to several field trips including two times of the Amundsen cruise with KOPRI team, Korea-Russia joint cruise in East/Japan Sea.
Nikita Kuprikov - Russia

Russian Polar Initiative, Russia

Representing the Russian Polar Initiative on the APECS Council

I’m a science researcher at Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (St.Peterburg, Russia) since 2014 and Associate Professor at Department 101 «Airplane design» of Moscow aviation institute (National Research University) (Moscow, Russia). My research focuses on aircraft design, polar exploration, ocean-atmosphere interaction and remote sensing. I have graduated from Moscow aviation institute (National Research University) as Engineer for Aeronautical design and Specialist for Linguistics in 2011. I did my masters 2011-2013 at MGIMO University (Moscow state institute for foreign affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russian Federation). I have done my Ph.D. on aeronautical design at Moscow aviation institute (National Research University). My thesis focuses on analysis of economical and technical characteristics of regional airplanes for the Arctic region. I am a current member of Russian Geographical society and Russian Association of polar explorers.
Olivia Lee - United States

University of Alaska Fairbanks, United States

I am a Research Assistant Professor at the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. My research interests include walrus and ice seal sea ice habitat use and integration of indigenous community observations and remote sensing data to track ice habitat changes. I am also interested in the use of scenarios as a framework to prioritize Arctic observing and monitoring efforts.
Lydie Lescarmontier - France

Australian National University

Representing APECS France on the APECS Council

I'm passionate about the environment and the polar regions! I started my studies focusing on the environment, and the impact of humans on its quality. And I actually found out that the most impacted part of the earth are the polar regions and that's why I decided to work on the evolution of glaciers in Antarctica. I followed a master degree in oceanography and climatology and started a Doctorate degree in glaciology. I worked with the french national research center on the interaction between the Antarctic ice-sheet and the ocean, using the example of the Mertz Glacier in Adelie Land (East Antarctica). In this context, I participated to four seasons in Antarctica with the french polar institute onboard the Astrolabe, a french ice breaker, to put in place a network of GPS stations on the glacier and follow its evolution.

After my doctorate, I left to Australia to work at the Australian National University of the mass balance of East Antarctica. A part of my job in collaboration with the Australian Antarctic Division was to set up a network of autonomous GPS beacons in different part of the continent to get accurate estimates of the quantity of ice in that region.

My work in the Arctic is more recent as I started in 2014 working as a guide in Svalbard and Greenland. And because I think that the best way to protect polar regions is to talk about them, I'm also vice-president of APECS-France.
Douwe Maat - Netherlands

Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Netherlands

Representing APECS Netherlands on the APECS Council

Hello, my name is Douwe Maat. I am a microbial ecologist, specialized in marine viral ecology and polar marine microbiology. My first encounter with the Arctic was in 2008 during my master evolutionary biology, where I did an internship on the effects of glacier melting on marine phytoplankton and bacteria. Since then I have furthered my interests in microbial ecology. I did my PhD on the effects of global climate change on virus-phytoplankton host interactions. In other words: how our changing environment affects the specific modes of phytoplankton mortality and subsequently marine food-web dynamics and the cycling of carbon and other elements in the water column. In 2014 I went back to the Arctic for a Post-doc on the effects of glacier-derived suspended sediments (rock-flour) on marine microbial interactions, i.e. how is grazing and viral lysis of microbes affected by these inorganic particles. I have been joining the APECS Netherlands meetings since that year with great interest and since 2015 I am chair of the APECS Netherlands committee (NC representative). We have several meetings/ activities each year and are working on expanding our network with more members and also have closer contact with other NCs.
Sebastián Marinsek - Argentina

Instituto Antártico Argetnino, Argentina

Representing APECS Argentina on the APECS Council

I am working in glaciology at Instituto Antártico Argentino. My main research interest is Glacier Mass Balance, Dynamic and Relation to Clima. With the institute we work mainly in the northern part of Antarctic Peninsula, doing field campaigns every Austral Summers!
Claudia Maturana - Chile

Universidad de Chile, Chile

Representing APECS Chile on the APECS Council

I have always lived in the north part of Chile, where the desert becomes dominant. From this point of view, Antarctica always seems very far away and unknown for me; eventually this place becomes very intriguing and fascinating. At school I was interested in biology and evolutionary trends in organisms, especially in extreme environments. It was only until many years later that I found my place at the Molecular Ecology Laboratory, where I could combine this childhood motivation with scientific knowledge. During my master study, I developed laboratory skills using molecular tools in marine invertebrates focus on the genetic consequences of a particular mode of development in Antarctica. Now, I am on the first year of my PhD, when I am going to test two biogeography hypotheses regarding of the evolutionary history of this group in Antarctica using a phylogeographic approach. Through all this years I traveled and met a lot of interesting people all over the world because of the network that I was able to make thanks to APECS. Now I am very excited and I want to make more things with you.
Kyle Mayers - United Kingdom

National Oceanography Centre Southampton & University of Southampton, United Kingdom

Representing the UK Polar Network (UKPN) on the APECS Council

I am currently a PhD student in Southampton, UK studying factors affecting growth and mortality rates of a phytoplankton group known as the coccolithophores. My interest in polar environments comes from a 5 week course on Arctic Microbiology at UNIS in Svalbard and Arctic climate change at the University of Gothenburg. I am also the current president of the UK Polar Network and am interested in polar outreach activites. In the past I completed an undergraduate degree in Biology at Warwick University and then spent 2 years working for a water company while studying an oceanography module with the Open University.
Bernabé Moreno - Peru

Científica del Sur University, Peru

Representing APECS Peru on the APECS Council

Call me Bernabé Moreno, Peruvian Marine Biologist passionate about the ocean. I obtained my BSc Diploma at the Cientifica del Sur University (Lima, Peru) on 2013. Early that year I made it to visit –for my first time– the Antarctic Peninsula during the austral summer. I was sent as a scientist member of the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cientifica del Sur University, to survey the macrobenthic communities of the Mackellar Inlet, King George Island. Since that expedition I’ve been involved with the Antarctic project of my institution, sharing some of my results on symposia and open science conferences like the last XXXIII SCAR (Auckland, 2014). On the science field I develop I’ve tilted my interests towards the marine ecology of polar and subtropical ecosystems, in order to look for contrasts both in faunistic composition and physical drivers. In my country, Peru, with its sea sustaining plethora of diversity and richness, I’ve been performing as a consultant for the zoning plan of Marine Protected Areas of certain offshore islands for which I’ve steered and executed SCUBA Scientific Diving Protocols assessed with Underwater Photography. I’m looking forward to implementing these techniques for the next Antarctic Expedition on 2016.
Swati Nagar - India

National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, India

Currently, I am working with National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa (a nodal institute for Polar research in India) in the capacity of ‘Project Scientist-B’ in Outreach activities. In ESSO-NCAOR, as part of outreach activities, organized an open day for school and college students.
Karolina Paquin - Norway / Svalbard

Freelancing, Norway / Svalbard

Karolina Paquin is a Polar enthusiast living in Longyearbyen, with a broad knowledge base of multiple disciplines from Polar areas. She spent a year living in Finnish Lapland to take the Arctic Studies Program, and went on to complete a Master in Northern Populations and Ecosystems at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. As a person with both interest in knowledge and adventure, she pursued opportunities in Tromsø with APECS as project officer, then sailed to Svalbard to work at a remote station, as a snowmobile and ski expedition guide, helped build a small science communication company to fuse tourism and research on Svalbard, and is now freelancing for both sectors.
Igor Stelmach Pessi - Belgium

University of Liège, Belgium

I have been fascinated with the Polar Regions since I was an undergraduate student in Brazil. I started working with Antarctic microbial communities during my master’s studies. During this period, I became more and more interested in polar research. I was surprised by how little we know about the microbial communities thriving in cold environments, especially if we acknowledge the vital contribution of psychrophilic microorganisms to global energy cycles and climate maintenance. After obtaining my master’s degree, I decided to continue my studies abroad. I am currently a PhD student at the University of Liège (Belgium), working with the diversity, ecology and (meta)genomics of polar cyanobacteria. After a couple of years working with material that had been collected beforehand, I finally had the opportunity to experience a polar environment. During four months, I carried out research and fieldwork in Svalbard. This unique experience was life changing for me; to fulfill a personal dream of going to a polar region, to finally experience the environment that I had been studying for many years, and to witness the beauty and fragility of the Arctic.
José Queirós - Portugal

University of Coimbra, Portugal

My name is José Queirós and I finished my degree in Biology this summer. I am very interested in Polar ecology, especially the predator-prey interaction, but also I am interested in auto-ecology, i.e. the ecology of the species per si, particularly in terms of reproduction. During the last year I started doing research in Antarctic ecology studying habitat and trophic ecology of Antarctic squid from the Pacific Sector of the Southern Ocean. My goal is to establish as a Marine researcher and for that I will follow my studies in University of Coimbra doing an MSc in Ecology. To my master thesis I will continue to work in Antarctic ecology and with the cephalopod fauna but going further South to the Ross Sea. Education and Outreach is something that really interests me since I believe we should share our and with this in mind I already participate in some activities like talks in schools and science fairs.
Pablo Rodríguez Ros - Spain

Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Spain

I already have more than 5 years of professional and academic international experience in Earth Sciences research. thus, I have participated in research projects, during 6 years, in Global Change, Polar Regions and Marine Sciences in different national and international institutions:
- Institute of Marine Sciences, ICM-CSIC (Barcelona, Spain). 09/2014 - Present.
- Takuvik (Université Laval + CNRS) joint laboratory studying the Arctic ecosystems (Quebec, Canada). 01/2016 - 04/2016 (3 months).
- OceanLab, University of Aberdeen (Scotland, UK). 07/2013 - 09/2013 (3 months).
- Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, IMEDEA-CSIC (Balearic Islands, Spain). 09/2013 - 09/2014.
- Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia, ICMAN-CSIC (Cadiz, Spain). 07/2011 - 09/2011 (3 months).
- Dept. Ecology, University of Murcia (2 Years); and Dept. Atmospheric Modelling in the Dept. of Earth Physics, Univ. of Murcia (1 Year).

During my BSc in Environmental Sciences and my MSc in Global Change, obtained the highest marks of my promotions in. So that, I was awarded with the "Outstanding Award in Environmental Sciences" from the University of Murcia and, also, with the "Excellence Fellowship for Postgraduate Students" from the Menedez Pelayo International University. Presently, as the biggest achievement of my academic career, I hold one of ''la Caixa Foundation 4-years PhD Studentship'' the most prestigious and competitive grants (just 25 for the whole country) to develop a PhD in Spain. With a strong social media repercussion for Polar Sciences in Spain.

My current career objective, as a PhD student in the Marine Sciences Institute (ICM-CSIC), is to achieve experience in biogeochemistry and ocean colour science over the Polar Regions; in order to apply this knowledge to understand the role that marine trace gases play as aerosol precursors in the global climate. I strongly believe that future developments and discoveries in Polar Science will radically change the way we do Earth Sciences, in general, and marine sciences, in particular.

During the first year of my PhD, I participated in the spanish-funded research project ''PEGASO'' (Plankton-derived Emission of Gases and Aerosols in the Southern Ocean), leaded by Dr. Rafel Simo (ICM-CSIC), where I was in charge of the underway bio-optical measurements. We performed two different cruises in the Spanish Research Vessel ''Hesperides'': (1) Trans-PEGASO (6 weeks), from Cartagena (Spain) to Punta Arenas (Chile) and (2) PEGASO (8 weeks); Antarctic Ocean, Oarkney Islands, South Georgia Islands & Weddell Sea. Also, our research group have been selected to participate in the next international oceanographic cruise expedition called ACE (“Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition”), from november 2016 to march 2017. The project we will develop in the mentioned expedition will be "SORPASSO" (Surveying Organic Reactive gases and Particles Across the Surface Southern Ocean).

I have recently performed a doctoral research stay in Takuvik joint U.Laval / CNRS laboratory program (Quebec, Canada) under the supervision of Dr. Marcel Babin & Dr. Martí Galí (January-April, 2016). There, I have learnned work in the assessment of the impact of ongoing climatic and anthropogenic changes on Arctic marine ecosystems.
Corinna Röver - Sweden

KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

Representing APECS Sweden on the APECS Council

I am a doctoral student at the Division of History of Science, Technology and Environment at KTH Royal Institute of Technology since 2015. I hold an Erasmus Mundus M.A. in Global Studies and before joining KTH, I was a Visiting Fellow at the International Polar Foundation in Brussels.

My doctoral project ”Governing Reindeer Husbandry – economy, colonisation, and Sami mobilization” is part of the Mistra-funded project ”Mistra Arctic Sustainable Development (MASD)”.

The purpose of my project is to examine how land use changes and the legacies of colonization have impacted and changed reindeer-herding Sami communities in 20th-century Swedish Sápmi, and how these communities have responded to such developments. I am particularly interested in the conceptualizations of reindeer and reindeer husbandry as resources, and focus among others things on the rationalization efforts during the 1950s through 1970s to see how and why reindeer husbandry has been defined through economic considerations during that period.
Vicki Sahanatien - Canada

Representing APECS Canada on the APECS Council

I have been an Arctic-o-phile since the mid-1990s when I moved to Inuvik to work on the Yukon North Slope in Ivvavik National Park. Since then I have lived in NWT, Yukon, and Nunavut, working on environmental research and monitoring projects from 66°N-83°N (Ward Hunt Island). My most recent research project was for my Ph.D. at the University of Alberta, which I defended on September 8th, 2015! I studied the sea ice habitat, space use and movements of polar bears in Foxe Basin, Nunavut. I have been a member of APECS since 2010 and an APECS-Canada board member since 2012. As an Iqalummuit (resident of Iqaluit) I would like to raise awareness locally and in Nunavut about APECS and current polar research through special events (e.g. Polar Week), radio and public presentations. One of the reasons I love the Arctic is because the ski season begins in November and lasts until June.
Vincent Schulze - Germany

Global and European Studies Institute Leipzig, Germany

I am first year PhD student in Political Science at the University of Leipzig, Germany. I am interested in the evolution of an Arctic Governance Regime and the role of the Small States in the Arctic. My main focus areas are Northern Europe with a special emphasis on the Westnordic Region and Finland. I got hooked on the Arctic when I spend my Erasmus in Tampere, Finland. I am originally from Berlin, Germany but I completed my BA (Cultural Studies/Political Science) at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena and MA (European Studies) at the University of Leipzig. For another semester abroad I went to Reykjavík, Iceland to complete a postgraduate diploma in Small State Studies. I took part in the “Legal, Economic and Political Governance of the Resource Exploitation in the Arctic” Summer School at Aarhus University and worked as a Research Assistant for a project about the Arctic dimension of the Icelandic and Finnish European Policies at the Centre of Area Studies in Leipzig. In my leisure time I love to spend my day outdoors trail running but I am also learning Icelandic and travel as much as I can.
José Seco - Portugal

University of Aveiro / University of St. Andrews, Portugal / United Kingdom

Representing APECS Portugal on the APECS Council

I am a Ph.D. student at the University of Aveiro and University of St. Andrews. My research looks at the distribution of trace metals in the Southern Ocean trophic web. My thesis goals are to assess the pathways of these contaminants along the trophic web, to evaluate which tissues the pollutants are accumulated in and if different Southern Ocean regions have different distributions of trace metals. My interest in polar science started during my undergraduate studies in Biology where I had the first contact with a Southern Ocean ecology research group, that drove me through a masters degree in ecology. During my graduate studies I joined a research program that led me to do field work in Antarctica, where we studied interspecific competition between two penguin species. During the Antarctic expedition the moment came where for the first time I was sure about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life: be a polar scientist.
Elisa Seyboth - Brazil

Federal University of Rio Grande (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande-FURG), Brazil

I am an Oceanographer that currently is a PhD student (CNPq fellow) in Biological Oceanography at the Federal University of Rio Grande in Brazil. The focus of my research is on the ecology of cetaceans in Antarctic Peninsula region. Since 2011 I am dedicated to cetacean studies, when I began my Masters degree that dealt with the habitat use and reproductive success of southern right whales. I have always been fascinated by the ocean and have Antarctica as the study area of my research is the realization of a dream. For me, to be at sea is like being at home, and I have a considerable experience in oceanographic research cruises, including seven expeditions in Brazilian waters and three in Antarctic region. After participating on the SCAR Conference in 2016 and getting in touch with young researchers from APECS, I had great desire to actively contribute to the activities of the institution, what I hope to achieve soon.
Evgeniia Sidorova - Canada / Russia

University of Calgary, Canada / Russia

I am a doctoral student in Political Science at the University of Calgary. Originally from Yakutsk, Russia, I moved to Alaska to do my Master's degree in Arctic and Northern Studies (Global environmental policy) and then decided to continue my studies in Canada.

Right now I am interested in the policy of Arctic offshore oil and gas extraction and its effects on the well-being of Indigenous communities and environment. My research will compare the Arctic regions of Russia, Canada and the United States (Alaska) to identify the best way of dealing with negative externalities of petroleum extraction in these particular regions. I also consider the possibility of international cooperation between the Arctic regions and indigenous organizations in these selected countries.
Neelu Singh - India

National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa, India

I have 7 years of working experience in the field of environmental chemistry and geochemistry. During my career as a Research Fellow, I have gained extensive working experience on the study of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Heavy Metals in the Polar Region. This research work experience gives me a command over the topics and global issues related to the environmental subject.

Being associated with the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) the premier polar institute of the India, I got an opportunity to be a part of several national expeditions those were carried out at different global hot spot study locations like Antarctica (28th Indian Antarctic Expedition 2008-09), Indian Ocean Sector of Southern Ocean (4th Indian Southern Ocean Expedition 2010) and Arctic (Indian Arctic expedition-Summer period 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015) . Each of these regions is unique for its characteristic environmental features and during these expeditions I got to know these areas personally being there and by collecting samples from target stations.

Apart from this, I have also undergone several international training programs and workshop at University of Svalbard (UNIS) and University of Tromsø to upgrade my knowledge in global scenario of environmental issues.
Runa A. Skarbø - Norway

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway

I am a PhD candidate working in the field of Arctic marine technology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). I am Norwegian, originally from Oslo but now live in Trondheim. I have a Masters of Science in marine engineering and naval architecture (2014).

My interest in the Arctic began when I did my master's thesis on shipping along the Northern Sea Route (NSR). In this work, I compared different technologies ships can use to reduce their emissions from the exhaust, and if using this route would still be an economically viable option given the installation of these expensive technologies. During this work, I was fascinated by the many technological challenges of ships operating in the Arctic, such as remoteness, darkness, low temperatures and the presence of sea ice. My primary research interest during my PhD is mitigating the impact sea ice has on ships, and combining different sensor technologies to gain information about the ice conditions around the ship. My work is related to two Centres for Research-Based Innovation funded by the Norwegian Research Council; SAMCoT (Sustainable Arctic Marine and Coastal Technology, hosted by NTNU) and CIRFA (Centre for Integrated Remote Sensing and Forecasting for Arctic Operations, hosted by the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø).

I recently participated in the six-week research cruise Arctic Ocean 2016, where I got the opportunity to gather data for my research and to visit the North Pole!
Merran Smith - Canada

Yukon Government, Canada

Merran hails from Whitehorse, Yukon. Her upbringing in the subarctic has provided her with a love for the north, its peoples, communities, mountains and rivers. After several summers working at a remote wilderness lodge (Dechen'La) in the Mackenzie Mountains, she was sure of wanting to work with First Nations and in an environmental field. She subsequently completed a B.A in Environmental Studies/Geography with a minor in Indigenous Studies at Bishops University in the eastern townships of Quebec. This involved writing a thesis on the integration of Yukon First Nations and traditional knowledge into resource management and land-use planning in Yukon. Over the last five years, Merran has worked in the climate change field as a Researcher for the Yukon College and Memorial University and as the Adaptation and Outreach Coordinator and the Research and Administrative Assistant for the Climate Change Secretariat of Yukon Government (current). She plans to continue her interdisciplinary studies in the near future researching an issue that connects water and/or the cryosphere and Indigenous peoples.
Andrea Spolaor - Italy

Ca Foscari University of Venice, Italy

I am the Italian APECS coordinator and I am involved in several outreach program and international polar association such as PAGES, IASC, ICYS. My main research is ice core studies and paleoclimate with particular attention to ocean iron fertilization process in past and the changes in sea ice detect from ice archives, Arctic and Antarctic. I am strongly involved in snow monitoring research in Arctic (Svalbard and Greenland) and to the post depositional process affecting the annual snow cover with particular attention to the photochemical process.
Alison Thieffry - Canada

Laval University, Canada

After earning a bachelor degree in Political Sciences at Saint-Louis University in Brussels, I pursued my academic journey in Québec, where I graduated with a master degree in Political Geography. This focus allowed me to add an environmental dimension to my political knowledge. My interest for the circumpolar world grew stronger as I specialized in the geopolitics of the Arctic. In the course of my research, I had the chance to travel to Nunavik (Northern Québec), as part of a course on northern environments and their transformation in response to climate and human impact. This experience enabled me to interact directly with northern communities and to familiarize with the Arctic realities in a concrete manner. I also had the opportunity to participate in various seminars and conferences, both national and international, which offered me a thorough understanding of international issues surrounding the Arctic Ocean. With these issues in mind, I'm always mindful of the interaction between humans and their environment.
Katya Uryupova - United Kingdom / Russia

University of Salford (Manchester, UK) + Contributor at www.arctic.ru and intern at the Sekretariat of the Antarctic Treaty (Fall 2016)
Gary Wesche - United States

Representing Polar Educators International (PEI) on the APECS Council

I am a polar educator that resides near the geographic center of the USA in landlocked Kansas City, Missouri. I have a Masters of Science in Education (2015) and have taught students in elementary school (1985-1989), science in middle school (2006-12), and physics at Rockhurst University (2012-14). I participated as a PolarTREC teacher with an Antarctic expedition to Byrd Surface Camp (2009-10) with the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CRESIS). This experience changed the trajectory of my focus in education, and I served on the first executive committee of Polar Educators International, PEI (2011) helping to launch this new organization that grew from the IPY. I just completed two terms as president (2014-2016). Most recently I was the Penguin Education Coordinator for the Kansas City Zoo (2013-16) through the creation of the education and outreach programs for their new penguin exhibit. Currently, I am focusing on working with educators and schools in understanding their role in conserving and protecting the polar regions of our planet by providing collaborative connections with researchers and educators.
Nadya Yanakieva - Bulgaria

Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", Bulgaria

Representing APECS Bulgaria on the APECS Council

Hello, my name is Nadya Yanakieva. I am a geologist and I have a Master degree in Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". I am interested in polar science. In the begining of the next year I will be joined in a research program with Bulgarian Antarctic Institute that led me to do field work in Antarctica. I will work with a portugese collegue to evaluate the evolution of permafrost in time and to correlate it with climate change. This will be my first Antarctic expedition but I am sure about that - I want to be a polar scientist. I hope will have many interesting experiences during the upcoming APECS Council term!
Scott Zolkos - Canada

University of Alberta, Canada

I am a PhD Student in the biological sciences program at the University of Alberta. My graduate focus in ecology stems from my longstanding fascination with the impact of climate change on Earth systems. After completing my B.A. in environmental science at Middlebury College (2011), I joined the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) as a Research Assistant. For 2.5 years at WHRC, I was part of research teams investigating the impacts of climate change and land disturbance on river chemistry and land-ocean linkages (Global Rivers Observatory), with much focus on the Arctic. My participation as a team member on the international Polaris Project expedition (2012) to the Siberian Arctic inspired me to pursue graduate studies in arctic science. As a graduate student in Dr. Suzanne Tank's lab, I am studying the influence of massive permafrost degradation on carbon cycle dynamics and aquatic ecosystems in the Peel River watershed (Northwest Territories, Canada). I find this research rewarding and fascinating because I work with a fantastic group of international researchers and Northern communities to understand the impacts of climate change on arctic ecosystems.
Yulia Zaika - Russia - ex-offico

Research Assistant at Khibiny educational and scientific base of the Faculty of Geography M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia

APECS President 2011-2012

APECS Vice President 2012-2013

I was born in Murmansk region of NW Russia on May 14, 1984. I completed my studies at Petrozavodsk State University as Ecologist and Interpreter in 2006. Currently I am a Research Assistant at Khibiny educational and scientific base of the Faculty of Geography M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University. My research focuses on observations of climate data, snow cover and avalanches as natural hazardous processes in highly industrialized Russian Arctic regions. Since 2007 I was involved in IPY PPS Arctic project as a member of Benefits Russian Team (“Natural and Social Science Research Cooperation in Northern Russia and Norway for Mutual Benefits across National and Scientific Borders”) and coordinator for socially oriented observations on quality of life of people in Murmansk region. At the moment I am involved as Khibiny base representative in EU 7 Framework Programme project INTERACT (International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic) with a numerous of circumarctic field station partners from 18 countries.

AGF-350 / 850
The Arctic Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Local Climate Processes(10 ECTS)

 A graduate course entitled "The Arctic Atmospheric Boundary Layer and  Local Climate Processes" will be available spring semester 2018 through  The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS). The course is intended for master's and PhD students,  with general knowledge about meteorology.

The course covers themes relevant for the Arctic atmospheric boundary layer including theory of the boundary layer with special emphasis on the stable boundary layer. Amongst the covered topics are also boundary layer turbulence and topographically induced phenomena such as drainage flow, channeling effects and barrier flows. Air-sea-ice interactions are central to the Arctic climate and will be covered and related to e.g. heat fluxes over leads and polynyas.

 The course will also include lessons on measurement techniques, numerical modelling and data analysis relevant for the mentioned topics in addition to a significant fieldwork component.  

Application deadline: 15th October 2017.

For questions regarding the course content, please contact 
Marius O. Jonassen 
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For further information about the course or to apply, please go to:  https://www.unis.no/course/agf-350-the-arctic-atmospheric-boundary-layer-and-local-climate-processes/and  https://www.unis.no/studies/regulations-and-routines/how-to-apply/

For questions regarding application and admission matters,  please contact the UNIS Study Administration on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group requests participation in their questionnaire on good practice in environmental impact assessment (EIA) and public participation in the Arctic. Organizers seek examples of good practice from EIA projects undertaken across the Arctic circumpolar region.
The questionnaire will remain open until 31 October 2017.

The purpose of the questionnaire is to identify and collect good practices in order to share and refine them into good practice recommendations for how EIA should be conducted in the Arctic. The questionnaire is targeted to all EIA stakeholders, including Indigenous peoples, Arctic residents and communities, authorities, developers, consultants, non-governmental organizations, scholars, and any other interested participants.

Participants who would prefer to complete the questionnaire via telephone interview, rather than submit a written response, may contact the project coordinator, Päivi A. Karvinen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +358-50-308-0194).

Responses will be analyzed by the Arctic EIA project's Editorial group. Reporting of the results of the questionnaire will happen on a general level and will not be connected to the personal information of the respondent.

Input deadline: 31 October 2017

For more information and to participate in the questionnaire, go to: Questionnaire Webpage

The U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) invite proposals for funding of environmental research and development in the Resource Conservation and Resiliency program area.

An informational webinar entitled SERDP Funding Opportunities will take place on Monday, 25 September 2017 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT. Preregistration for the webinar is required.

The Resource Conservation and Resiliency program area supports the development of the science, technologies, and methods needed to manage DoD's installation infrastructure in a sustainable way. SERDP invests across the broad spectrum of basic and applied research, as well as advanced technology development. The development and application of innovative environmental technologies will reduce the costs, environmental risks, and time required to resolve environmental problems while, at the same time, enhancing and sustaining military readiness.

SERDP is requesting proposals that respond to the following focused Statements of Need (SON) in Resource Conservation and Resiliency:

Analysis of Defense Related Ecosystem Services, and Quantifying the Effects of Environmental Nonstationarity at DoD Relevant Scales.
Proposals responding to these SONs will be selected through a competitive process. The SON and detailed instructions are available on the SERDP website.

The informational will take place on Monday, 25 September 2017 at 1:30 p.m. EDT. During the online seminar, participants may ask questions about the funding process, the current SERDP solicitation, and the proposal submission process. Pre-registration for this webinar is required.

Webinar date: Monday, 25 September 2017 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT
Webinar title: SERDP Funding Opportunities – FY 2018

Funding proposal deadline: 19 October 2017, 2:00 p.m. EDT

For more information about the webinar and to register, go to: SERDP Solicitations Webinar

For more information about the funding solicitation, go to: SERDP Solicitations

For questions about webinar registration, contact:
SERDP Support Office
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 571-372-6565

For questions about the solicitation, contact:
Kolin Beam
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The U.S. Permafrost Association will be awarding six travel grants at a value of $500 each for U.S. based students and post-graduate researchers (within six years of their terminal degree) to attend the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2017. The applicant must be first author on a permafrost-related research presentation at AGU. Preference will be given to an applicant who possesses both USPA and PYRN memberships. Two of the grants are reserved for engineering disciplines. Undergraduate students are encouraged to apply.

The application is due October 20th 2017 at midnight Central Standard Time.

The application can be found at http://uspermafrost.org.

Questions? Contact. Daniel Vecellio - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The International Glaciological Society would like to issue a call for papers for the thematic issue of the Annals of Glaciology on ‘Cryosphere and Biosphere’.

The deadline for paper submission is 28 January 2018.

Please go to https://www.igsoc.org/annals/call_4_papers/a77_call_4_papers.pdf for more information.

1st APECS Oceania Symposium

"Addressing Future Antarctic Challenges from an Oceania Perspective"

18th -19th September 2017
Monash University, Melbourne (Australia)

Symposium Summary:

The inaugural APECS Oceania Symposium was held during Polar Week on the 18^th and 19^th of September 2017 at the Monash University Conference Centre, Melbourne. Twenty early career researchers (ECRs) attended the symposium in person, with at least another dozen attending remotely.

Eighteen ECRs presented their work during the symposium, with five remote presentations from ECRs in New Zealand and Tasmania. Two keynote presentations were given by Dr Gwen Fenton and Dr Aleks Terauds.

APECS Oceania Symposium opened Dr Gwen Fenton presents speaker awards

The best ECR presentation was awarded to Kara Layton from the University of Western Australia for her presentation on the diversification of parasites in gastropods (pictured above with Dr Gwen Fenton) and the runner up prize was awarded to Cyril Jaksic from Lincoln University (NZ), for his presentation on predicating the human response to extreme environments.

Three early career workshop sessions were run to help support ECRs with career advice, CV writing and optimising social media impact. The symposium was well represented on facebook and twitter, with over 100 tweets generated and the symposium hashtag #APECS17 trending on the Australian twitter. The symposium can be considered a success on all accounts.

This conference was made possible with the support of Monash University, the Australian Antarctic Division and APECS International.

ECR presentations on Day 1 Future of APECS Oceania discussed

Session Overview:

Day 1

The symposium was opened by Jasmine Lee with a brief overview of APECS Oceania and a summary of the greatest challenges Antarctica faces into the future, as described by Antarctic scientists and policymakers across Oceania.

Dr Gwen Fenton, Chief Scientist of the Australian Antarctic Division, delivered the first keynote address for the symposium. She provided an overview of the Australian Antarctic Division's 20 year Strategic plan and the level of investment Australia is making in Antarctica and Antarctic research, including the construction of the new Icebreaker which will be equipped with state of the art equipment and technology to facilitate innovative and strategic scientific research. Gwen also unveiled the new Antarctic Foundation which will provide funding for research in Antarctica for Australian Scientists. Gwen highlighted that this is an exciting time for ECRs to be involved in Antarctic science and asked for feedback on how the Antarctic Division could better support ECRs.

The following three sessions consisted of 18 presentations by early career scientists from Australia and New Zealand across a range of disciplines including psychology, social sciences, climate modelling, invasive species, parasites and microbes.

Aleks Terauds gives keynote at APECS Oceania Symposium

Day 2

Thanks to our sponsors The second day began with a workshop from Prof Michael McCarthy from Melbourne University on career skills, including writing CVs, understanding and applying for both academic and non-academic jobs and tips for career progression from post-doctoral to fellowship or lecturer stage.

Dr Aleks Terauds gave the second keynote presentation for the symposium on the pathway to impact: undertaking science that can impact Antarctic policy. This was followed by a session on utilising and optimising social media by Jasmine Lee and Hanne Nielsen.

The symposium concluded with a panel session focusing on challenges facing ECRs and potential solutions. The panel consisted of Dr Aleks Terauds, Dr Gerlis Fugmann (APECS Director), Dr Helena Baird from Monash University and Hanne Nielsen, and was chaired by Dr Meagan Dewar and Jasmine Lee.

The first APECS Oceania Symposium was organised by Meagan Dewar, Jasmine Lee, Gabriela Roldan, and Hanne Nielsen.

Recordings of the sessions are avialble via vimeo: https://vimeo.com/channels/APECSoceania2017

For more on APECS Oceania activities, see www.apecsoceania.com, www.facebook.com/APECSOceania, or follow www.twitter.com/APECSOceania.

APECS Switzerland organized a one-day symposium on polar research, the “Swiss Polar Day” that took place in Zürich on September 7th 2017 at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL.

The symposium provided a broad overview on all Polar research topics taking place universities/ institutions in Switzerland. For the first time, representatives of most Swiss universities or research institution presented their university's’ activities in Polar research, informed about research platforms and future plans in Polar research, such as planned expeditions or projects.

The first part of the day was filled with presentations open for the larger interested public. The second part of the day was reserved for a round table and networking event of the representatives of the universities/ institutes.

Around 60 people took part in this meeting and the feedback was very positive. Most participants agreed on the need of such event on a regular basis. The Swiss Polar Institute will organize similar events in the future based on this first meeting and we are very happy that stronger national connections will be made in the future!

SwissPolarDay2017 Kopie

Call For Abstracts: 6th International Polar Tourism Research Network (IPTRN) Conference and Community Tour, Yukon Territory, Canada, June 22-28, 2018

The 6th IPTRN conference – Creative Forces in the Polar Regions: Cultures, Economies, Innovations, and Change in Tourism – will follow the IPTRN community tour model. The conference will begin in Whitehorse and travel to several Yukon communities. In addition to papers and other presentations, participants will engage in community activities held in collaboration with local organisations and residents, and engage in a variety of Yukon visitor experiences.

The conference and community tour will engage participants by exploring and seeking solutions to polar tourism concerns and opportunities in relation to a variety of thematic areas, including: the cultural economy; economic diversification and community development; cultural and tourism entrepreneurship; social, cultural, and environmental impacts; tourism planning and development challenges and strategies; visitor experience innovations; and problem-solving in polar areas.

Past IPTRN conferences have examined economic development and environmental aspects of tourism in the polar world (see publication list at the end of this call). Papers presented at the 6th IPTRN conference are encouraged to explore how expectations toward tourism development in peripheral places contribute to the cultural wellbeing of peripheral communities and how cultural tourism can be managed to advance economic benefits, enhance our understanding of human/nature relationships, and protection of the natural environment.

To that end, the 6th IPTRN conference invites papers that examine:

Culture and cultural tourism, including policy
Parks, protected areas and cultural tourism
Winter tourism and cold weather cultures: attractions, visitors, opportunities and challenges
Indigenous culture and tourism
Community interactions with polar tourists
An inclusive Arctic – the role of arts, culture and tourism for demographic diversity (e.g., ethnic groups, the LGBTQ community)
Economic geographies of and innovation in polar tourism
The social and cultural construction of touristic polar places and spaces

While the conference has a specific focus, abstracts that examine any aspects of polar tourism are welcome.

Abstract Submission:
Abstracts should not exceed 300 words, should include full author(s) names and contact details, and should be submitted in Word format to the conference organisers via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than October 31, 2017. We welcome abstracts for oral, poster or other forms of presentation (e.g., creative output such as music or art work, researcher/community-oriented workshops). Please clearly indicate the type of abstract you are submitting. Abstracts will undergo an external review process, and authors will be informed of the decision by November 30, 2017. Participants presenting papers will be invited to submit an extended version for publication in a soon to be determined forum (e.g., peer review journal or edited volume).

Significant Dates:
Call for abstracts closes: October 31, 2017 – see Information for Students, below
Decision notification: November 30, 2017
Registration opens: January 1, 2018
Registration closes: February 28, 2018
Conference: June 22-28, 2018

NOTE: Delegates are encouraged to arrive in Yukon on June 21 and leave on June 29 to enjoy all aspects of the conference program, and to take advantage of the bus travel (included in the conference fee) from our final destination community back to Whitehorse on the evening of June 28th.

Registration Fee: Registration information and fees will be available on our website by December 1.

Information for Students: Students are an integral part of IPTRN conferences and we welcome your abstract submissions. We encourage you to apply for funding externally, and we are happy to help you with a support letter. IPTRN are also applying for funding to offer some support for student participation. If you are interested to apply for an IPTRN stipend include your student status and a 150 word justification for your attendance at the IPTRN (in Word). In order to be included in our external funding applications, interested students must submit by October 15, 2017.

Conference/Community Tour Highlights:

Intimate week sharing scholarship with colleagues from across the poles, and engaging with community residents, tourism operators, and development planners on polar tourism issues and opportunities
Begins in Whitehorse and travels to several Yukon communities
Follows the IPTRN conference model: paper and other presentation sessions, workshops/discussion forums, community tour around the host territory, and visitor experiences
Ends at the beginning of the one-week long, internationally recognized, Adäka First Nations Cultural festival (Whitehorse): http://www.adakafestival.ca/

Interested in getting an “insider experience” of the Adäka festival? Through a partnership with the Adäka festival organizers (the Yukon First Nation Culture and Tourism Association), IPTRN will help pilot an international volunteer program and coordinate opportunities for conference participants to volunteer at the Adäka festival. There may also be lodging opportunities with locals in Whitehorse during the volunteer commitment period. Please indicate your potential interest to volunteer at the Adäka festival in the body of your email when you submit your abstract.

More Information:
For more information go to the conference website (https://sites.google.com/view/polartourismresearch/yukon-2018), “like” our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/IPTRN27), and follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/PolarTourism).

If you have any questions about the 6th IPTRN, please contact Dr. Patrick Brouder or Dr. Suzanne de la Barre via the conference email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

You are welcome to apply for the upcoming Arctic Frontiers Emerging Leaders 2018, - a pan-Arctic mentoring program in the High North - taking place 17 - 23 January.

30 selected candidates from different countries participate in a blend of technical, social and cultural events accompanied by mentors from business, politics and academia. The program starts in the city of Bodø, then continues onboard the Norwegian Coastal Express “Hurtigruten” to Svolvær/Lofoten and ends in Tromsø, “the gateway to the Arctic”. The group may explore the marine resources and potential in the Lofoten Islands, and all participants will be challenged to engage in discussions and presentations during the program.

Emerging Leaders is organized by Arctic Frontiers.

The program is linked to the topic of Arctic Frontiers 2018 “Connecting the Arctic” and includes the following sessions:

Session 1: Politics and Security in the High North
Session 2: Annual topic: 2018: Connecting the Arctic
Session 3: Technology Development and Arctic Business
Session 4: Workshop, preparing a presentation

The 2018 topic will relate to marine litter, marine technology and knowledge based management.

The Emerging Leaders programme makes up a unique international network across academia, business and public sector. The participants takes part in a knowledge based Arctic journey that starts in Bodø with a visit to the Norwegian Aviation Museum and the Search and Rescue Headquarter via Lofotens fishing and aquaculture industries, and up to Arctic Frontiers international conference in Tromsø.
The participation fee is 30.000 NOK (mva not included) and covers all expenses related accommodation, food and transport.

Please, note that all applications should be sent asap and confirmed before 1 October 2017.

Workshop on the Dynamics and Mass Budget of Arctic Glaciers & the IASC Network on Arctic Glaciology Annual Meeting

The meeting will take place at the popular University Center Obergurgl, in Obergurgl, Austria, 22 - 24 January, 2018.

The purpose of the meeting is:
• to present and discuss new results on observations and modeling of the dynamics and mass budget of Arctic glaciers, including the Greenland ice sheet,
• to provide a forum for glaciologists and marine biologists to present and discuss their work and to stimulate future collaborations,
• to plan and coordinate field work with the aim of using available infrastructure and logistics in the most efficient way.

Participation:
The meeting is open to anyone interest in Arctic Glaciology. In particular, we encourage submissions that comply with one of two special themes:
(1) Understanding atmosphere-glacier-ocean interactions and their implications for the pan-Arctic glacier mass budget
(2) The importance of Arctic glaciers for the Arctic marine ecosystem

Please visit the website for details on the special sessions. Besides addressing classical topics on Arctic Glaciology, this year the workshop will host a cross-cutting activity of the Marine and Cryosphere working groups of IASC, with the aim to bring together people from glaciology, marine ecology and oceanography.

Contributions in the form of oral presentations and or posters are welcomed. Presentation will be 15-20 minutes, including discussion. For those who bring a poster, time will be reserved in the program to give a short 2-3 minute introduction to the poster. Three days of talks and poster presentations, as well as open-forum discussions are planned.

Registration deadline is November 10, 2017.

Abstracts and registration:
To sign up for the workshop and submit your abstract please copy-paste this link into your web browser: https://goo.gl/forms/inY9ygyM4ZOrKrjv1.

If you have any questions, please email Thorben Dunse (thorben.dunse [at] geo.uio.no). Please indicate whether you prefer oral or poster presentation and if you like to contribute to one of the special sessions.

We have received workshop support through IASC and the IASC-Cryosphere Working Group. Depending on the number of participants, we may request a small registration fee (not more than 30 EUR), in order to ensure sufficient supply of coffee and other refreshments.

For more information on special themes, travel and financial support please visit the IASC-NAG website: https://nag.iasc.info/workshop. iasc web

Best regards,
Thorben Dunse (Chairman IASC Network on Arctic Glaciology)
Michael Kuhn (Chairman local organizing committee)

SCAR logo white background The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is pleased to announce the 2017 Fellowship awardees.

This year, a total of 38 applications were received for the Fellowships, which are for up to US$15,000 each. Six SCAR Fellowships will be awarded in this round, thanks to the generous support of an extra Fellowship by India. The details for each of this years Fellows are listed below:

Leena Riekkola from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, who will visit the Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, Seattle, USA, for her project entitled – Spatial analysis of humpback whale behaviour and habitat use patterns in Antarctica
Julie Janssens from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Australia, who will visit the Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat: Expérimentations et Approches Numériques (LOCEAN), France, for her project entitled – Representation of iron in a sea-ice biogeochemical model
Shramik Patil from the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), India, who will visit UPMC-CNRS Station Biologique de Roscoff, France, for his project entitled – Response of Southern Indian Ocean coccolithophores to climate change: evidence from laboratory culture experiments.Shramik also becomes the third Prince Albert II of Monaco Fellow, funded from the Prix Biodiversite awarded to SCAR in 2013.
Hanne Nielsen from the University of Tasmania, Australia, who will visit KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, for her project entitled – Framing Antarctica as Fragile: Tracing the evolution of media narratives about the far south (1945 – 2015)
Antonio Aguera Garcia from the Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium, who will visit the University of Otago, New Zealand, for his project entitled – Transgenerational Plasticity (TGP) and acclimation in a keystone Polar Invertebrate in response to a warmer more acidic Antarctic
Filip Hrbáček from the Department of Geography, Masaryk University, Czech Republic, who will visit Insubria University, Italy, for his project entitled – Effect of vegetation cover on active layer thermal regime in climatically contrasted environments of Antarctica.

SCAR has been offering scientific fellowships to early career scientists since 2005. The Fellowships support the scientific goals of SCAR, enabling the early career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating research partnerships that last many years and over many Antarctic research seasons.

Since 2003, 56 SCAR Fellowships have been awarded.

APECS - PEI Polar Week Webinar: Kids are not your peer reviewer

24 September at 19:00 GMT

Speaker: Julia Dooley (Polar Educators International)

Registration Link

If a six-year old can talk about a Tyrannosaurus and describe how it differs from a Stegosaurus, they can engage with some of the big ideas in your research. You just have to remember they are not your typical science audience. Julia Dooley, President of Polar Educators International and Primary level teacher of Gifted and Talented students will share a few teacher tools, and ideas for making your classroom visits engaging, and actually a little fun.

APECS Polar Week Webinar: How to get involved: Insights from EPB, IASC and SCAR fellows

23 September 2017 at 13:00 GMT

Registration link

Speakers:

Joseph Nolan, Junior Policy Officer, European Polar Board (EPB)
Alevtina Evgrafova, 2017 Fellow, International Arctic Science Committee (IASC)
Lavenia Ratnarajah, 2016 Fellow, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR)
Jilda Caccavo, 2016 Fellow, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR)

Whether you research phenomena in the Arctic or Antarctic, there are worldwide committees available to you. International collaboration is an integral part of polar research for early career professionals and beyond. How do you get involved? Just ask our panel! The webinar will be convened by Sara Strey form our APECS Polar Week Committee.

webinar poster

The Fifth International Summer School in Glaciology organized by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF), will be held in McCarthy, central Alaska, from 5 to 15 June 2018.

Application deadline: 20 January 2018

See for further information: http://glaciers.gi.alaska.edu/courses/summer-school/2018

Bildschirmfoto 2017 09 19 um 15.10.44 Nominations for the Inuit Recognition Award and the Northern Travel fund are due Friday October 6, 2017.

The focus of the Inuit Recognition Award is to recognize Inuit making strong contributions to meaningful Inuit involvement in Arctic research.

The Northern Travel Fund provides limited funding for Inuit to attend the International Arctic Change 2017 Conference.

We are calling on ArcticNet participants to nominate talented Inuit they have worked with or who would benefit from attending the AC2017.

For more information on the :

Northern Travel Fund, please visit https://www.itk.ca/apply-to-the-arcticnet-northern-travel-fund-2017/
Inuit Recognition Award, please visit https://www.itk.ca/call-for-nominations-inuit-recognition-award/

Please send your nominations by Friday October 6, 2017 to:

Kendra Tagoona
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
613-238-8181 x 239

Applications for the first Sentinel North International Arctic Field School are now open. On the theme "The changing cryosphere: from sensors to decision-making", the school provides international students with a unique opportunity to interact with high-profile scientists, northerners and managers as part of a transdisciplinary training program that addresses the complex and interrelated scientific and socio-economic issues linked to the changing Arctic cryosphere.

All details: www.sentinelnorth.ulaval.ca/iqaluit2018

Applications are now open until October 29, 2017.

FrostBytescompetitionfinal 2

FionaTummon photo APECS is excited to announce that Fiona Tummon will be joining the APECS International Directorate as new Project Officer on 1 October 2017. Fiona will be based at the Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norwayand will be responsible for managing the UiT tasks focused primarily on training and outreach activities that complement APECS activities within the recently funded Horizon 2020 EU projects APPLICATE(Advanced Prediction in Polar regions and beyond: Modelling, observing system design and LInkages associated with ArcitC ClimATE change) and INTERACT (International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic). In addition, she will contribute to other APECS activities in the APECS International Directorate.

Fiona grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, where she completed her undergraduate education in Oceanography and Zoology. In 2007 she started a joint PhD between the University of Cape Town and the Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse-III focused on the regional climatic effects of aerosols, which she completed in 2011. Thereafter she shifted focus (and countries!), moving to Zurich, Switzerland, to work for the World Climate Research Programme’s Stratosphere-troposphere Processes And their Role in Climate (SPARC) project. There, she spent half her time doing research focused on atmospheric chemistry and the other half of her time doing work for the SPARC project office. She has extensive experience with science communication, organising scientific workshops and meetings, and coordinating international scientific research.

Fiona first joined the APECS community in 2016, inspired by a visit to the high-altitude Swiss research station at the Jungfraujoch organised by APECS Switzerland. She also has been very involved with the YESS (Young Earth System Scientists) community and hopes to provide a nice link between the two active networks.

As a participant in the recent Antarctic Circumpolar expedition, Fiona fulfilled part of a dream of going to the Antarctic (although she’s yet to make it on to the continent itself!). She’s very excited to join the APECS team and learn more about the polar regions and their importance for the global Earth system.

Welcome Fiona!

Polar Week is nearly upon us, as is the first APECS Oceania Symposium "Addressing Future Antarctic Challenges from an Oceania Perspective." This event will be held in Melbourne, Australia from 18-19 September, and a video link is available for those in other locations who are interested in the talks.

Keynote speakers are Dr Gwen Fenton, Chief Scientist at the AAD, and Dr Aleks Treads. Early Career Researchers from NZ and Australia will also be presenting their work.
To sign up to attend symposium sessions remotely, please use the links below, or visit https://apecsoceania.com/2017/04/06/1st-apecs-oceania-symposium/

Remote registration for APECS Oceania Symposium Sessions:

APECS Oceania Keynote 9-10:30am AEST 18 September - Registration Link
APECS Oceania Session 1 10:30am – 12:30pm AEST 18 September - Registration Link
APECS Oceania Session 1 1:15pm – 3:00pm AEST 18 September - Registration Link
APECS Oceania Session 3 3:30pm – 4:45pm AEST 18 September - Registration Link
APECS Oceania Keynote 2 1:15pm – 2:45pm AEST 18 September - Registration Link
APECS Oceania Final panel 2 3:15pm – 4:00pm AEST 18 September - Registration Link

If you want to know what else is happening during Polar Week, check the APECS website.

Understanding and Modelling Atmospheric Processes:
2nd Pan-GASS meeting sponsored by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science
26th February 2018 - 2nd March 2018, Lorne, Victoria, Australia

Call for abstracts:
The 2nd Pan-GASS meeting focused on ‘Understanding and Modelling Atmospheric Processes’ aims to bring together NWP and climate scientists, observationalists and modellers to discuss the key issues of atmospheric science and to coordinate efforts to improve weather and climate models. The program will include all aspects and methods of model development from deterministic numerics to stochastic forcing; process modelling to parametrization; observational constraints to diagnostic techniques; idealized modelling to operational forecasting and climate predictions.

The meeting will mainly cover the following themes, but can include other topics related to understanding and modelling the atmosphere:

● Surface drag and momentum transport: orographic drag, convective momentum transport
● Processes relevant for polar prediction: stable boundary layers, mixed-phase clouds
● Shallow and deep convection: stochasticity, scale-awareness, organization, grey zone issues
● Clouds and circulation feedbacks: boundary-layer clouds, CFMIP, cirrus
● Microphysics and aerosol-cloud interactions: microphysical observations, parameterization, process studies on aerosol-cloud interactions
● Radiation: circulation coupling; interaction between radiation and clouds
● Land-atmosphere interactions: Role of land processes (snow, soil moisture, soil temperature, and vegetation) in sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) prediction
● Physics-dynamics coupling: numerical methods, scale-separation and grey-zone, thermodynamic consistency
● Next generation model development: the challenge of exascale, dynamical core developments, regional refinement, super-parametrization
● High Impact and Extreme Weather: role of convective scale models; ensembles; relevant challenges for model development

On the above topics, we invite you to submit abstracts broadly addressing one of the key ingredients for modelling atmospheric processes:

● Process understanding
● Recent model developments and their impact on weather and climate prediction
● Observational and high resolution constraints for improving models
● Emerging and innovative observing and modelling approaches

Abstract submission is open from 1 September and will close on 31 October 2017.
Abstract submission is free.

Registration for the UMAP meeting will open in mid-September 2017. There will be a fee of 150AUD associated with registration to cover costs. The fee will include all sessions, coffee breaks and lunches for all conference days, a conference ice-breaker, and the conference dinner.

More information can be found on the website at http://singh.sci.monash.edu/Pan-GASS/index.shtml.

APECS-APPLICATE-Webinar: Advanced Prediction in Polar Regions and Beyond

28 September 2017 at 15:00 GMT

Speaker: Prof. Dr. Thomas Jung (Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Germany)

Registration Link

In November 2016, a European consortium of scientists from different disciplines set out to advance our capability to predict the weather and climate in the Arctic and beyond in the framework of the EU-funded project called APPLICATE. In this presentation, I will describe the basic rationale behind this project and outline what is needed to make step changes in our ability to predict Arctic weather and climate prediction, and to increase our understanding of the impact of Arctic climate change in mid-latitudes. In this context I will touch on the following topics: model evaluation, model development, teleconnections, observing system design, education and stakeholder engagement. To find out more about the APPLICATE project go to: https://applicate.eu/

European Commission Logo Applicate logo The EU Horizon 2020-funded APPLICATE project, in cooperation with the World Meteorological Organisation’s Polar Prediction Project (PPP) in occasion of the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP), the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and other partners are organising the second Polar Prediction School 2018 on weather and climate prediction in the polar regions from 17 - 27 April 2018 at Abisko Scientific Research Station in Sweden.

APECS 10 year logo YOPP LOGO beb4effb3c The course will cover topics including chaotic systems and predictability, polar boundary layer processes, polar clouds, sea ice and high latitude ocean processes, polar extreme weather and polar-mid-latitude linkages. It will include a combination of polar weather and climate theory lectures with exercises on modelling and field meteorology techniques as well as soft skill training. Each of these components forms a crucial pillar of the prediction problem, and the motivation for combining these is to provide participants with a complete overview of the components required to understand and predict polar weather

The Polar Prediction School 2018 will be open to 30 early career researchers (focus on advanced graduate students, PhD students, and postdoctoral researchers) from around the world. An international set of instructors will be teaching the sessions. As during the first Polar Prediction School in 2016, classes will be held at the Abisko Scientific Research Station, in Sweden, where the instructional facilities are conveniently located in an environment well suited to Arctic observations.

More information and how to apply can be found on the Polar Prediction School 2018 website. Application deadline has been extended until 22 September 2017 at 23:59 GMT.

Titelbild_SSWS18

The 4th Snow Science Winter School takes place at Col du Lautaret, France, from Feb. 11-17, 2018. You will learn:

• State-of-the-art snow measurement techniques (measurement of specific surface area by reflection and spectroscopy, near-infrared photography and high-resolution penetrometry and micro-tomography)
• Understanding the physical processes responsible for the evolution of the snowpack
• Understanding vertically resolved snowpack models (Crocus, SNOWPACK) and larger scale land-surface models

Any graduate student or post-doc working on snow or in some snow related field is welcome to participate.
The focus of this workshop lies on alpine snowpacks, field measurements and snowpack models combined with theoretical lessons in the classroom. Field and laboratory measurements will be done in small groups of 3-4 students. Each group of students will have to prepare a report describing the methods, results and interpretation, and a comparison between field measurements and snow modelling results.

More information: http://www.slf.ch/more/snowschool

Northern Quebec: Issues, Spaces and Cultures

The Northern Sustainable Development Research Chair and the Institut nordique du Quebec are launching a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) on Northern Québec on October 10th! It is free, online and open to everyone! Course from October 10 to December 4, 2017

This MOOC offers an introduction to social and political issues of northern Quebec, a territory that is also the traditional home of several Indigenous peoples. The course will provide participants a better understanding of the cultures of northern populations, the place the North occupies in the collective imagination, and its sociopolitical development. This course is for anyone interested in Northern Quebec and in learning more about its territory, history, societies, and issues.

You can register online until October 30, 2017.

Watch the promotional teaser to learn more about the course.

Outcomes of the U.S. Chairmanship of the Arctic Council
Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee Collaborations Webinar Series

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) will host a webinar on the Outcomes of the U.S. Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. This webinar will be hosted via Zoom Video Conferencing and open to the public.

The United States chaired the Arctic Council from May 2015 to May 2017, culminating in the Fairbanks Ministerial on 11 May 2017 and producing results focused on science and furthering our understanding of the Arctic region. Additional initiatives focused on research needs and science based-actions, furthering our ability to conduct science and make science-based decisions. The U.S. Senior Arctic Official, Julie Gourley, will provide an overview of the highlights of the U.S. chairmanship. Project leads, Roberto Delgado, John Farrell, and Sarah Abdelrahim, will present the outcomes of select science-related chairmanship initiatives.

Webinar date: Tuesday, 19 September 2017 at 1:00 p.m. EDT

More information and instructions on connecting to the webinar are available at:
IARPC Collaborations Webinar Homepage

For questions, contact:
Jessica Rohde
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The United States Climate Variability and Predictability (U.S. CLIVAR) project office and invites the U.S. ocean and climate science community to submit proposal for workshops requests. Workshops must be held no earlier than March 2018, unless otherwise justified.

The U.S. CLIVAR program annually sponsors workshops of scientists to coordinate, develop, plan, and implement new or focused activities for the benefit of the scientific community and U.S. CLIVAR.

Workshops should aim to assess the state of knowledge, identify gaps, and discuss needs for future research directions and opportunities for possible scientific activities within the community. The proposed workshops may be national or international in scope and participation, although for workshops held outside the U.S., sponsorship will be limited and available only for travel of U.S. scientists and students.

Funding for support of meetings is limited and priority is given to those efforts that demonstrate high relevance and payoff for U.S. CLIVAR investment. Organizers seeking funding should review the goals and objectives of the U.S. CLIVAR program, particularly the Science Plan. Strategically focused workshops are of highest interest to agency sponsors.

For workshops addressing interdisciplinary topics, with anticipated participation of scientists from multiple disciplines (e.g., other Earth system or operational communities), the organizers are encouraged to identify and submit companion requests for support to other sponsoring programs. In such cases, the organizing committee membership and preliminary invited speaker list should reflect the interdisciplinary expertise required.

Organizers may consider the option of a virtual workshop held via web conferencing system as an alternative to an in-person meeting. This approach requires additional planning and training than for more traditional meetings. Given the staffing requirements to organize a virtual workshop, only a limited number can be supported each year.

Workshop request deadline: 29 September 2017

For the full Request for Proposals, including preparation and submission information, go to:
Call for U.S. CLIVAR Workshops (PDF - 143 KB)

To access the U.S. CLIVAR's Science Plan, go to:
U.S. CLIVAR Science Plan

For question, contact:
U.S. CLIVAR Project Office
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

NSF logo The Geosciences and Education and Human Resources Directorates are partnering to advance and develop understanding of learning environments that build upon the rich interdisciplinary resources emerging from polar investments. To that end, the Office of Polar Programs (OPP), the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) and the Division of Research on Learning (DRL) encourage proposals that will leverage the extensive National Science Foundation (NSF) investment in polar sciences and infrastructure, and STEM education research and development, to promote an informed citizenry and the next generation of polar scientists. In order to advance polar science educational opportunities, OPP, DUE and DRL will accept and review proposals for research and development projects that facilitate access to polar research efforts in (1) undergraduate education, (2) informal science education or (3) formal PK-12 science or math education. Proposals in response to this Dear Colleague Letter must be submitted to either the Improving Undergraduate Science Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR) solicitation, the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) solicitation, or the Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) solicitation.

The integration of research and education is essential to NSF's mission. In addition, NSF strives to broaden participation in science and to make the results of research projects widely accessible to students and the public. Specifically, OPP seeks to meet these objectives by supporting the engagement of students, educators, and the public in polar research projects. While participation of educators and students in both Arctic and Antarctic research projects is encouraged, logistics are often difficult and expensive. Therefore, OPP, DUE, and DRL encourage education research and development proposals that make use of innovative technologies and pedagogies to give large groups of students, educators and the public access to polar research efforts in the polar regions without requiring all participants to travel there. Proposals that engage audiences with long-term investments in polar research and logistics (e.g., the Arctic or Antarctic science stations), with databases that have extended lifespans, (e.g., data from the Arctic Observing Network), or with public participation in scientific research, such as crowdsourcing or citizen science related to the Arctic or Antarctic, are particularly encouraged.

1. Improving Undergraduate Science Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE:EHR) deadline of December 12, 2017.
2. Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) deadline of November 6, 2017.
3. Discovery Research K-12 (DRK-12) deadline of November 14, 2017.

Proposals submitted in response to this letter must be identified by starting the proposal title with the term: "EHR-Polar DCL 2017: (Insert Project Title Here)" If travel to the polar regions is included in the project, PIs are strongly encouraged to call the program officer to discuss logistics and related documentation that must be included in the proposal.

Those considering submitting a proposal in response to this opportunity are strongly encouraged to contact Lisa Rom; 703-292-7709, the cognizant program officer who can answer questions and provide further guidance.

BACKGROUND

As part of the Earth Observation (EO) Science for Society – Scientific Exploitation element of EOEP-5 program, the European Space Agency (ESA) is organizing an advanced training course on remote sensing of the Cryosphere, devoted to train the next generation of scientists and specialists to exploit EO data for science and applications.

PARTICIPATION

Postgraduate-level, PhD students, post-doctoral research scientists and users from Europe and Canada interested in applications of remote sensing of the Cryosphere are welcome to apply to the 6-day course, held at University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, from 11 to 16 June 2018.

Participants from all other countries are also welcome to apply, subject to availability of places.

FEES

No participation fees will be charged for the training. Participants are expected to finance their own travel and accommodation expenses. The official language of the course is English.

OBJECTIVES

The Advanced Cryosphere Training Course aims at:

To train the next generation of scientists on Remote Sensing of the Cryosphere;
To provide an advanced understanding of theoretical principles, processing algorithms, data products and their use in applications;
To give hands-on practice with tools and methods for satellite data exploitation as well as fieldwork experience for in-situ cryosphere-related data collection;
To provide insights of EO challenges/opportunities within the polar context for further studies.

There is a limited number of applications and deadline is on December 15th.

For more information, please visit: http://eoscience4society.esa.int/CTC18/ and see the course flyer.

IACS logo The International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS) is now offering membership. Please join us to be eligible for our Early Career Prize, and for news about grants, symposia, and activities of our working and standing groups. Joining is simple and fast - visit our website for instructions.

We already have more than 150 members! For more information on the benefits of membership, see below.

We’ve also established an IACS Twitter site. Please follow us @iacscryo
https://twitter.com/iacscryo

Benefits of IACS membership:

you will receive regular information about IACS activities and opportunities.
you are eligible to engage in IACS activities and bodies, even if your country is not a member of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG)
you are eligible for IACS sponsorship and financial support for workshops, summer schools, and other IACS-sponsored activities
you are eligible for the IACS early-career scientist prize if you qualify as an early career scientist (see our website).

Your membership will also help to provide travel grants for early-career scientists and scientists from developing countries to attend IACS/IUGG symposia. The next IUGG General Assembly will be held in 2019 in Montreal, and cryospheric sciences will feature strongly there.

The IGS newsletter, ICE, issue 173-4 is now online. This is a double issue as we had quite a lot of material to post and it will hopefully enable us to catch up.

It is freely available online at https://www.igsoc.org/ice/2017/173/ice173_col.pdf

We would like to draw your attention to the possibility of advertising in ICE which is published 3 times a year. If you are recruiting or would like to advertise meetings we can accommodate your requests. We will also accepts ads for equipment and merchandise. Our advertising rates are extremely competitive.

Please get in touch with us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

APECS Glacial Balance screenings poster 2017

For more details visit: http://usapecs.wixsite.com/usapecs/glacial-balance-screenings

APECS Canada Logo web Applications are now open for the 2017-2018 APECS Canada Board!

APECS Canada is a diverse group of early career scientists who are part of the larger APECS network. We are involved in polar research, whether in the Northern or Southern hemisphere, and live or work in Canada. Our research runs the gamut – from ocean sciences to political sciences, from people, birds and whales to plants and permafrost…you name it, we’ve likely got it!

APECS Canada has a board formed of members from across Canada and we will be working over the coming months and years to create great resources for all of the early career polar researchers in Canada!

For more info please check out our new website: https://apecscanada.wixsite.com/ehpecs

And if you’d like to join our APECS Canada Board please submit applications here by September 15th: https://goo.gl/forms/xlDeyFvw9Cwoyqdm2

Looking forward to hearing from you soon! Please feel free to distribute the application link broadly!

Meagan Grabowski
APECS Canada Chair

APECSGermany Logo APECS Germany invites you to our APECS Germany workshop on Wednesday, 20 September 2017, 4:00-6:00 p.m. in Erlangen in the run-up to the coordination workshop of the German Priority Programme for Antarctic Research from 20 to 22 September 2017 in Erlangen.

We want to seize the opportunity to introduce APECS Germany to you and hold a Panel Discussion on

Career paths and funding opportunities for postdocs

with both experienced researchers and people who started to work outside of the 'traditional scientific career path' after their PhD. There will be plenty of time for your questions and thoughts on the topic.

*** Please indicate your participation for planning purposes to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ***

The workshop will be held in English. However, especially during the panel discussion, questions in German are also very welcome.
Please feel free to contact us in advance if you have any questions concerning the workshop.
A more detailed programme will follow soon.

We are looking forward to meeting you in Erlangen!
Best wishes,
Stefanie Arndt and Tim Carlsen (APECS Germany Board Members)

APECS Webinar: Research Processes and Politics in the Peruvian Andes

25 September 2017 at 23:00 GMT

Presenter: Mark Carey (Professor of History and Environmental Studies, Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon)

Registration Link

This presentation will discuss nearly two-decades of research strategies and practices for glacier-related research in the Peruvian Andes, particularly the Cordillera Blanca. This mountain range is one of the world’s hardest hit by glacier-caused disasters, with more than 10,000 people dying from glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and rock-ice landslides since the 1940s. But it is also the place where Peruvian engineers and scientists have done some of the most effective mitigation work to prevent GLOFs: they have studied, monitored, partially drained, and even dammed 35 dangerous glacial lakes over time. It thus served as an ideal site for my social science research on the history of climate change adaptation and human interactions with glaciers over 75 years. Yet doing the Cordillera Blanca research was never easy. Access to information, data, and research sites was often blocked. Local authorities and experts needed to personally approve (or not) many of my research practices. Institutions sometimes rejected my proposals or thwarted my progress. Collaborations emerged slowly. In short, my studies have required what I call “research diplomacy,” which involved extensive personal connections, collaborations, networking, and reciprocal interactions with a host of individuals, institutions, and stakeholders in Peru. This kind of research diplomacy is useful (and I would say essential) for researchers in any field, from glaciology and hydrology to history and human geography.

APECS Chile will be organising a mentor panel on "Chilenos liderando en Antártica“ on 4 October 2017 at 19:00 at the Centro de Convenciones del Hotel Dreams del Estrecho in Punte Arenas, Chile.

APECS Chile aims to gather early careers and mentors into a familiar and closer communication through the long path to reach where they are now. We want to hear their ideas, past projects, failures and the importance of networking through all their career. As APECS Chile, we believe this could be an important opportunity to gather the most important actors in Antarctic science in our Country: INACH, Universidad de Magallanes, IDEAL Fondap, APECS Chile and ECRs.

For more information and to register contact the organiser Claudia Maturana at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ADGEO cover Modern research programs at both national, European and international levels are challenged by an increasing requirement for interdisciplinarity, societal relevance, and educational outreach as well as market-oriented applications. Project management strategies need to adapt to these new demands and incorporate innovative, yet sound and coherent, project management practices to ensure the effective use of the project results for higher societal impact and public awareness.

Following the positive response and participation to several project management sessions at international geosciences conferences, we are preparing a Special Issue on the EGU journal Advances in Geosciences (ADGEO) titled:

Project management in geosciences: systems and practices for high-impact research

With this special issue, we offer project managers from Europe and beyond an opportunity to share their knowledge, experience and best practices for effective management of research and technology projects in the various fields of geosciences.

Contributions are invited on a wide range of topics including, but not limited to, those addressing the following questions:

How to design a project structure to optimise project implementation and impact?
What are “best practices” in coordinating large international consortia?
How can continuity of project management expertise be maintained with project managers mostly employed on non-permanent contracts?
Which local, national and international networks of EU project managers exist, and are they useful?
How to identify organisational pitfalls?
How to deal with the project partners’ different priorities, e.g., interdisciplinary and academic-private sector?
How to effectively engage non-research stakeholders to optimise project contributions?
What project management concepts/procedures can be transferred from other sectors (e.g., industry) or social sciences (e.g., economics) to geosciences?
What are the best tools for transferring knowledge from research to the private sector, decision makers, and the public in general?
How can project results and impact be effectively disseminated to the wider community and how can their importance be highlighted to funding agencies?
What lessons can be learned from “failed” projects?

Case studies are welcome; however, contributions will need to draw transferable conclusions and recommendations applicable to the majority of geosciences disciplines.

If interested in submitting a manuscript in this special issue, please send first an abstract (max. 300 words) by the 31 October 2017 to the Guest Editors: Luisa Cristini (luisa.cristini at- awi.de) and Sylvia Walter (S.Walter -at- uu.nl).

ARCTOS Workshop ARCTOS invites PhD candidates to a student workshop offering an exciting program for early career scientists working on issues related to the Arctic. The workshop is taking place 21-31 January 2018 in conjunction with the Arctic Frontiers conference and continues afterwards in Svolvær, Lofoten. As part of the workshop, participants have to attend the Arctic Frontiers conference and give a presentation (oral or poster) during the science section of the conference (submit your abstract here).

After the conference, the students will embark on a 5-day seminar to Svolvær, Lofoten, during which they will attend 10-15 lectures covering proposal writing, political science, social science, marine ecology and climate, local art, and arctic entrepreneurship. Students will also prepare a proposal for funding to an imaginary research grant. During the workshop, there will be also some cultural events (visiting art gallery, museum, etc.). The workshop is multidisciplinary and thus suitable for students from all scientific fields.

One main goal of the workshop is networking. During the conference and workshop, students can meet politicians, business people and senior researchers as well as other early career scientists, which are all interested in Arctic issues. Together, the northern areas are facing possibilities and challenges related to the combination of climate change, globalization, and circumpolar problems such as oil and gas development, pollution, public health, reduced biodiversity and loss of habitats. An enormous challenge to handle. The idea behind this workshop is that the solution to the problems ahead lies in the synergy that emerges from international networks, cross-disciplinary cooperation and dialogue.

We offer travel funding for accepted candidates including accommodation during the stay in Tromsø and Svolvær. Candidates are eligible for a reduced conference fee. PhD students are prioritized but Master students and Post-docs may apply as well. The workshop is an official PhD level course (BIO-8516) at the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø worth 4 ECTS (only PhD students can receive credits).

To apply, go to the ARCTOS homepage.

For questions, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Advances in Polar Science (APS) is changing and improving with the establishment of the International Editorial Board with two new Co-Editors-in-Chief (Prof. Huigen Yang and Prof. Ian Allison), and a new expert team of disciplinary Editors in June of 2015. It has no publication fees and all articles are freely accessible on the web as soon as they are released.

In 2017, APS has a new category of paper, the Opinion Editorial (Op-Ed). This, with a maximum length of 2 pages, provides a forum to comment on the status and/or deficiencies of any aspect of polar science, to reflect on recent innovation or progress, and to promote internationally collaborative polar science projects.

APS is an international, peer-reviewed journal jointly sponsored by the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC) and the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration (CAA). It is a quarterly journal, circulated internationally (ISSN 1674-9928, CN 31-2050/P).

For more details, please visit the new website: www.aps-polar.org.

APS welcomes your involvement in future editions. They look forward to the submission of new manuscripts and for any suggestions of future “Special Issues” (which can be made via email to the editorial office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

POLAR2018 iasc web SCAR logo white background

The organisers of POLAR 2018 are pleased to announce that a limited number of abstract fee waivers are available to help support participants to attend the conference. This is primarily intended for those who would otherwise struggle to attend e.g. early career scientists and those from low-income countries.

Timeline:

24 September: Deadline to fill in the application form (before you submit through the conference website)
25 September - 6 October: Review of applications by a committee comprised of representatives from SCAR, IASC and APECS
mid October: Successful applicants will receive a code with which they can proceed to submit their abstract free of charge
1 November (18:00 CET): Abstract submission deadline

For all enquiries, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Further details pertaining to abstract submission can be found here.

TA INTERACT The call for applications is open on 1st September-13th October 2017 for Transnational Access and Remote Access taking place between March 2018 and April 2019.

Further TA call information, stations available in the call, descriptions of stations and their facilities, and registration to the INTERACCESS on-line application system can be found from the INTERACT website.

Two on-line webinars, on 11th Sept at 09:00 (CEST) and on 12th Sept at 15:00 (CEST), will be held to provide information about the ongoing TA Call and to answer questions related to the application process and TA/RA in general. Links to the webinars and related material are provided on the TA call information page.

For any additional information, please contact the Transnational Access coordinator Hannele Savela, hannele.savela(at)oulu.fi.

Apply INTERACT Transnational Access to conduct research the coolest places of the North!

The call for proposals for Arctic Field Grant (AFG) 2018 is now published. The deadline for next year’s field season is 1 PM (GMT+1) on 11 October 2017. The call will be activated 6 weeks before the deadline.

This year NOK 2,0 million will be allocated for extra costs related to fieldwork in Svalbard and Jan Mayen. The maximum amount is NOK 80.000 pr. application (100.000 for Jan Mayen).

The grants are intended for students (master’s and doctoral degree) and researchers who are studying or employed at, or collaborating with, a Norwegian institution. Candidates from non-Norwegian institutions are eligible if the work is done in direct collaboration with a Norwegian scientific institution. Students (master and PhD) as well as researchers who are not established in Svalbard will be prioritized.

Please read the call for proposals, Terms & conditions, HowTo and FAQ before starting the application process and ensure that you have all mandatory attachments ready.

For more information see the Svalbard Science Forum Website.

TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, www.twas.org, is now accepting applications for the TWAS Research and Advanced Training Fellowship programme.

The fellowships are offered to scientists from developing countries and are tenable at centres of excellence in various developing countries.

Eligible fields include one or more of the following: agricultural and biological sciences, medical and health sciences, chemistry, engineering, astronomy, space and earth sciences, mathematics and physics.

Please see http://www.twas.org/opportunity/twas-fellowships-research-and-advanced-training for the latest information regarding the above programme, including eligibility criteria, guidelines, etc.

Women scientists are especially encouraged to apply. The closing date is 1 October 2017.

Call for Abstract: extended to Sep. 15, 2017

Organizers of the Fifth International Symposium on Arctic Research (ISAR-5), Jan. 15-18, 2018, Tokyo, Japan invite you to submit an abstract and make registration through the website: https://jcar.org/isar-5/.

Important! There are some news and changes for the registration and abstract submission: https://jcar.org/isar-5/index.html.

Removed: The requirement of Registration before Abstract submission was removed. Input of Registration ID is not anymore “must” for Abstract submission.
In case of the payment by credit card, it will not be charged to your credit card account before December 2017, far later than the accept/reject notice of the submitted abstract.
Changed: One day registration does not require specific date. Name card with attending date will be issued at the reception desk.
The page on Reception information page is open.
Your payment receipt will be issued at the registration desk on-site with your name card.

The deadline of the submission of Abstract is extended to September 15, 2017
The deadline of the early-bird registration is November 15, 2017 and the late registration ends on December 15, 2017.
On-site registration is also available during Symposium (Jan. 15-18, 2018).

Please feel free to circulate this call into your labs, institutes and communities.
Information for side meetings can be found far down below.
The symposium will address “the changing Arctic and its regional to global impact: From information to knowledge and action.” The sessions you can submit your abstract can be found at : https://jcar.org/isar-5/abstract/session_information.html.

The general sessions are single disciplinary session and the special sessions are inter/multi-disciplinary session.
Please use the template downloading from the website (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) to make your abstract.
Now Registration is not required for the submission of your abstract.
If it is difficult to find a session, just pick a general session, which is closest to the subject you will present in Symposium.
Submission of abstract is limited to one for oral presentation, and two for poster presentation.

POLAR2018 iasc web SCAR logo white background

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) invite the international polar and high altitude community to their joint meeting POLAR2018, hosted by WSL and SLF in Davos, Switzerland.

1 September 2017 Abstract submission opens (session program)
1 November 2017 Deadline abstract submission, early-bird registration opens
31 December 2017 Side meeting requests close
31 January 2018 Acceptance notification with oral/poster information
19 - 23 June 2018 SCAR/IASC Open Science Conference, including the COMNAP Symposium

The goal of POLAR2018 is to bring together excellent research from both poles, as well as from high altitude areas, focusing on the similar challenges those regions face. The program features 65 different sessions, structured into 12 categories. In addition to the parallel sessions, central elements of the Open Science Conference (OSC) will be keynote presentations, mini-symposia, extended poster sessions, and exhibitions. The annual COMNAP symposium will be held during the OSC, as well as a plenary lecture from the 2018 Arctic Observing Summit as an opening to this biennial summit immediately after the OSC. A range of excursions and trips will allow participants to make the most of coming to the Swiss Alps and enjoy science, nature, culture, and sports.

Authors wishing to submit an abstract are required to pay a submission fee of CHF 30 for each abstract. However, the organisers of POLAR 2018 are pleased to announce that a limited number of abstract fee waivers are available to help support participants to attend the conference. This is primarily intended for those who would otherwise struggle to attend e.g. early career scientists and those from low-income countries.

We are looking forward to welcoming you in Davos in June 2018!

YOPP LOGO beb4effb3c

In order to strengthen the dialogue between polar forecast providers and users, the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) together with partners APPLICATE and Blue-Action are today launching the Polar Prediction Matters dialogue platform:

Polar Prediction Matters

What kind of information is needed by the captain of a vessel navigating polar waters? Our knowledge of what really matters at the end of the forecast chain is rather limited. In order to strengthen the dialogue between polar forecast providers and users, the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) together with partners APPLICATE and Blue-Action are launching the Polar Prediction Matters dialogue platform.

Academic researchers and forecasters strive to develop and deliver polar environmental prediction products that can facilitate the decisions of those living and working in polar regions. What kind of information is needed by the captain of a vessel navigating polar waters, or by the pilot of an aircraft operating in Antarctica? Our knowledge of what really matters at the end of the forecast chain is rather limited. One important goal of the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) is to strengthen the dialogue between polar forecast providers and users, in order to guide research towards significantly improved and applied polar prediction capabilities in a way that is meaningful to the various stakeholder groups involved.

We are delighted to launch Polar Prediction Matters today at https://blogs.helmholtz.de/polarpredictionmatters/ with the specific aim to foster the exchange between information users and experts on polar prediction. The platform is a means to collect and share individual insights by polar environmental forecast users. These user perspectives will be complemented with contributions by “providers”, such as natural scientists working at meteorological and sea-ice services and at universities, but also by social scientists trying to shed light on how forecast information and products are created, delivered, and utilised.

Polar Prediction Matters is launched with two short articles: The first contribution is a welcome statement by Helge Goessling, Director of the YOPP Coordination Office, introducing briefly the idea behind Polar Prediction Matters and what to expect from the format. In the second article, Uwe Pahl, who served as the master of a research icebreaker for almost two decades, provides his view on the role of environmental information in the practical planning and management of an ice passage. We hope these articles find your interest and provoke curiosity about forthcoming contributions.

Polar Prediction Matters is hosted by the Helmholtz Association Blogs and is maintained by the YOPP Coordination Office, the PPP-SERA subcommittee, and the EU-funded Horizon 2020 research consortia APPLICATE and Blue-Action. For any questions related to YOPP and Polar Prediction Matters, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Polar Prediction Matters Team

2016-2017 PolarTREC Expeditions PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is currently accepting applications from teachers, informal science educators, and researchers for teacher research experiences.

For 2018-2019, we are accepting applications from both U.S. informal science educators as well as formal U.S. classroom teachers (teaching in grades 6-12). Informal educators should have the primary focus on outreach to middle and high school students and/or professional development for their teachers. Applications will be to participate in field research learning experiences during the 2018 (usually Arctic) or 2018-19 (usually Antarctic) field seasons.

Researchers that work in the polar regions are encouraged to submit an application to host a teacher and/or an informal science educator during the 2018-2019 field seasons.

More information about candidate criteria, application forms, researcher application questions, and program requirements for both teachers and researchers are available at: https://www.polartrec.com/about/application.

Informational Webinar
Anyone that is interested in learning more about participating in PolarTREC are encouraged to attend an informational webinar on Wednesday, 30 August 2017 at 11:00 a.m. ADT (12:00 p.m. PDT, 1:00 p.m. MDT, 2:00 p.m. CDT, 3:00 p.m. EDT). The webinar will give an overview of the PolarTREC program, its goals

and objectives, program components, the application process, and will address frequently asked questions. Register for the event. If you are unable to attend, you can view the event archive.

Funding
PolarTREC is administered by ARCUS. Final selection for this round of applications is pending funding from the National Science Foundation. We will keep all applicants informed of our funding status.

Application deadline: Monday, 2 October 2017 at 5:00 p.m. ADT

Informational webinar date: Wednesday, 30 August 2017 at 11:00 a.m. ADT

Researchers interested in hosting a teacher should contact program staff as soon as possible at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Additional information about PolarTREC, including program goals, requirements, and frequently asked questions, is available at on the PolarTREC website at:
View PolarTREC Website

Further program information and application instructions, are available at:

View PolarTREC Application Webpage

For webinar information, go to:
View Informal Webinar Webpage

For questions, contact
PolarTREC
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For all Master / PhD students and Junior Researchers from German and Norwegian universities, interested in an exchange scholarship: Check out the recent call of applications of the E.ON Stipendienfonds!

Next deadline October 15, 2017

Home The Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) is looking for proposals for the 2017 round of pilot projects. In 2017 the total funds amount to 2 million NOK.

Applicants can submit proposals for two types of projects:

1. Contributions to the State of Environmental Science in Svalbard (SESS) report:
Have you been in the field and taken measurements but not had the time to analyse them? Or would you like to harmonise existing data sets? Would you like your data sets to be considered SIOS core data? The SESS report will be an annual publication in which long-term monitoring on Svalbard is discussed with a focus on interactions between different Earth System Science parameters. Funding is available for contributions to the SESS report. By contributing to the report, researchers will be given the opportunity to propose future investment in new research infrastructure on Svalbard.

2. Access projects:
Applications are open for free access and travel funding to research infrastructure owned by SIOS member institutions.

In the 2017 pilot call, any researcher may apply, but priority will be given to those who follow the vision of SIOS and plan to contribute to the SESS report in future.

For further information, please visit the SIOS webpage at https://sios-svalbard.org/Call2017.

The CLIVAR/CliC/SCAR Southern Ocean Region Panel (SORP) is one of the panels involved in the call, and I am one of the current co-chairs.

Here are some specific details for the SORP part of this call:

* Information on what SORP does and the current membership are available through the following website: http://www.clivar.org/clivar-panels/southern

* SORP would welcome all self-nominations from Southern Ocean and Antarctic researchers, but particularly SORP would welcome nominations from any of the following disciplines, regions and groups that are under-represented (or not represented at all) on SORP at present (or after some members rotate off in this cycle):

sea ice remote sensing;
global climate modeling;
sea-going chemical oceanography;
researchers based in South America, developing countries, Scandinavia, the UK;
researchers involved in SOOS, APECS, and other groups connected with SCAR, CliC, and CLIVAR;
women.

The annual Austral Summer Institute (ASI) organized by the Department of Oceanography and the COPAS Sur-Austral Program of the University of Concepción, Chile provides training for a topic that is timely and of wide interest in the marine science community.

ASI XVIII, to be held in January 2018 at the University of Concepción, is organized around four courses, each one week long, that address different aspects of the general theme:

“Numerical Modeling Tools to Understand Physical and Biological Processes in Mid and High Latitude Marine Ecosystems”

Courses related to this theme are:

• Introduction to hydrodynamic models and statistical tools for modeling validation (3 – 6 January 2018)
• Ocean modeling using the Coastal and Regional Ocean Community Model (CROCO) (8 – 12 January 2018)
• Marine ecosystem modeling - Approaches and Challenges (15 – 19 January 2018)
• Circumpolar ocean and regional circulation models, downscaling techniques (22 – 26 January 2018)

More information for ASI XVIII is available at http://www.sur-austral.cl/asi/.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is providing funding to support participation in ASI XVIII for U.S.-based graduate students and early career researchers. Interested participants should apply through the ASI website (http://www.sur-austral.cl/asi/how-to-apply/) and may apply for one or more individual courses. The application deadline is 15 November 2017. Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee and successful applicants will be notified in late November.

Please contact Eileen Hofmann (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for questions or additional information about NSF funding for ASI XVIII.

The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) and the Arctic Data Center invite applications for the 2018 Data Science Fellows program. The full-time Fellowships will be located in Santa Barbara, California and will include a stipend for living expenses and travel to NCEAS from within the United States.

Data Science Fellows will be resident at NCEAS for one or both of two six-month sessions starting in January and July, respectively and will work closely with data and informatics teams to solve data, analysis, and software issues relating to environmental science. Fellows will analyze, document, and archive important ecological, physical, chemical, and social science data from research projects focused on environmental issues in Alaska and the Arctic. This practicum-style program gives fellows the opportunity to gain practical knowledge and skills needed to manage national-scale data repositories.

Training will be customized to the needs of each fellow. Applicants from any discipline are encouraged to apply. This fellowship may be of particular interest to those involved in earth and environmental sciences, library and information sciences, research data management, statistics, or computer science.

Fellowship duties will include:

Collaborative data management,
Data quality analysis,
Metadata creation,
Data transformation and integration,
Scientific programming, and
Instructional resource development.

Required qualification for this fellowship include experience in data management and/or analysis, familiarity with metadata, and experience with a scientific computing language. Interest in ecological or environmental science, experience building structured metadata, proficiency in a scientific computing language (R, MATLAB, Python), experience or comfort with training others and a Doctoral or Master's degree are desired.

Applications should include:

A one- to two-page statement explaining the applicant's interest in being a fellow, experience and qualifications, and specific topics of interest in data science;
A resume or curriculum vitae outlining relevant experience; and
Name, email address, and phone number for two non-peer references.

Submit applications via email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Application deadline for January 2018 Session: Friday, 1 September 2017
Application deadline for July 2018 Session: Thursday, 1 March 2018

For more information about the fellowship and application process, go to: Data Science Fellowship Homepage

For questions, contact: Jesse Goldstein
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Journal of Ocean Technology (JOT) production team invites the submission of technical papers that describe cutting edge research related to Coastal Ocean Observation for its spring 2018 issue. Papers should present the results of new (i.e., not previously published) research in ocean technology, science or engineering, and be no more than 7,500 words in length. Student papers are welcome.

See PDF for further details.

APECS South Africa, one of the newest APECS National Committees has published it’s first newsletter. You can find the PDF version here.

Enjoy reading it!

Panel ICASS IX 2017 2 On 8th June 2017, APECS invited interested current and future APECS-members to join our career panel discussion on "Career opportunities in Arctic Social Sciences" during ICASS IX, the ninth International Congress on Arctic Social Sciences, in Umeå, Sweden. The event was co-organized by APECS International and APECS Sweden and attracted an audience of around 20 people. Our panelists were Gail Fondahl (University of Northern British Columbia), Anna-Lill Drugge (Centre for Sami Research, Umeå University), Mare Pit (German Arctic Office, Alfred Wegener Institute), and Björn Dahlbeck (Swedish Polar Research Secretariat).

When the panelists shared their experiences in the first part of the session, their accounts offered a glimpse of the diverse paths that professional careers may take. Supposedly ‘messy’ career paths outnumbered the ‘standard career’, and it became clear that academia is by far not the ‘last stop’ for Arctic Social Scientists. Asked about a skill they would not put on their CV, one panelist revealed that some of your crucial career skill may come out where you least expect them: “I love to rinse the sewage drain in the kitchen. I like to take away the hinder and clear the way – and that fits, I work as a manager.”

(Panel organizers: Gerlis Fugmann, Gesche Blume-Werry, Corinna Röver, Marta Bystrowska)

Panel ICASS IX 2017 1

One of the immediate results of the Fourth International Polar Year (2007-2008) was an increase in the visibility of education and outreach activities across the polar research community. Not least was the founding of APECS. It is now 10 years since the last IPY and we would like to ascertain what impact involvement in APECS' education and outreach activities has had on your career as part of a wider effort documenting the legacy of IPY on education, outreach and engagement. We would like to encourage as many members (past and present) to fill in the survey, no matter what your level of involvement was.

The survey has now closed. Thank you to everyone who participated!

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) will host a webinar on the Fulbright Arctic Initiative. This webinar will be hosted via Zoom Video Conferencing and open to the public.

The Fulbright Arctic Initiative provides a platform for scholars from across the Arctic region to engage in collaborative thinking, analysis, problem-solving, and multi-disciplinary research. At its core, the Fulbright Arctic Initiative creates a network to stimulate international scientific collaboration on Arctic issues while increasing mutual understanding between people of the United States and the people of other countries. During the U.S. chairmanship of the Arctic Council (2015-2017), the Fulbright Arctic Initiative brought together 16 scholars from across the Arctic region.

Using a collaborative model to translate theory into practice, the scholars collectively addressed public policy research questions relevant to the Arctic nations' shared challenges in energy, water, health, and infrastructure.

During this webinar, co-lead scholars, Mike Sfraga and Ross Virginia, and other scholars will reflect on their experiences and the impacts of this variation on the Fulbright model.

Webinar date: Friday, 25 August 2017 at 1:00 p.m. EDT

More information and instructions on connecting to the webinar are available at: View Webinar Homepage

For questions, contact: Jessica Rohde
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

APECS International Polar Week Fall 2017 will be from September 18-24! Polar Week is a series of events happening globally, with the goal of promoting the science taking place in polar latitudes.

For the upcoming Polar Week we are specifically highlighting how we are living in a #PolarWorld, where issues happening in the poles affect everyone on the globe. To learn more about the #PolarWorld tune in to our online events throughout Polar Week:

#PolarWorld Frostbytes Competition (with prizes!)
#Polar Week Film Fest 2017
Blog series throughout the week
Reddit AMA featuring APECS members
#PolarWorld on Twitter
and much more!

We encourage APECS members and National Committees to organize their own activities and to submit details via the Polar Week website!

APECS is holding a #PolarWorld FrostByte competition, with winners announced during International Polar Week, from 18 - 24 September 2017! FrostBytes are short audio or video recordings used as a tool to help researchers easily share their latest findings with a broad audience. This year’s fall celebrations of the #PolarWorld and wider cryosphere will highlight how what happens in the poles affects the entire world as well as science, people living and working there, and international collaboration. We invite APECS members to send in short videos to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than September 15, 2017. For more information, visit the competition website.

competitionfinal

In conjunction with Polar Week 2017, USAPECS is announcing the second annual Polar Film Fest 2017 from 18 - 22 September 2017. This year's theme is #PolarWorld, so we're looking to showcase the best the planet has to offer in movies about the Arctic, Antarctic, and wider cryosphere - no matter what language they're in.

We're looking for film suggestions that fit any of the following themes:

1) #PolarWorld: Polar Issues are Global
2) Science in Action: Working in Extremes
3) People at the Poles: The Human Dimension
4) Polar Policy: Preparing for the Future
5) Icing on the Cake: Frozen Fun

Film eligibility and submission
We invite you to please submit your suggestions by August 25 through the Google Form we've set up. Films may be original or produced by someone else. To submit your own film, upload it to a video sharing site (i.e., YouTube or Vimeo) and submit the link, along with a description of the film and a note indicating that you made the film, on the submission form. Films produced by others must be available publicly online. Films that can be watched for free are preferred, but please do not submit links to illegal streaming websites.

In-person and virtual watch parties
Once the films have been selected and curated, organizers from US APECS will be putting together a schedule with virtual and in-person watch parties. If you're interested in organizing an event, please get in touch with Mia Bennett at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Spread the word!
Please share this email and the below graphic with your networks. The more submissions we have, the better.

For more information and to submit films, go to the Polar Film Fest 2017 page.

Polar Film Fest 2017

Postdoc position available in Iceland for highly qualified data management specialist

Arctic Portal, a non-profit organisation specialised in Arctic information and data located in Akureyri, Iceland, is looking for a highly qualified data management specialist to fill a postdoc position that will be available as of 1st September 2017 based on an INNOSUP grant.
The selected candidate will be asked to design a Proof of Concept (PoC) for a Beta version of an Arctic Data Management System (ADMS) – a system for interpreting and managing Arctic-related data and knowledge.

The ADMS will identify and retrieve Arctic-related data and knowledge from multiple databases, adapt it to a common international standardised format, and allow end users to retrieve data in a standardised format. The system will have state-of-the-art data intelligence tools, including a geographic information system (GIS), metadata catalogues, and tools to interpretation and visualise data. It will combine the highest level of technical and human elements to interpret data and provide end-users with the highest quality and most appropriate data solutions for their needs.

Tasks for the selected candidate will include:

Analysing user needs, including identifying potential data products;
Creating detailed specifications to improve the usability of data sets and web-based interfaces for workflow requirements of the scientific community;
Using statistical methods, modern scientific calculation and quality assessments for processing data and generating interactive maps;
Conducting expert feedback and usability tests to improve visualisations of data and put them into established standardised formats required by the scientific community;
Creating a missing link in interaction (conferences, publications, data management) between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the scientific community.

In addtion, the selected candidate will help the hosting organisation (Arctic Portal) to:

Position itself as a Data Management System hub for Arctic monitoring networks, Arctic interlinked data, analysis models and decision support tools;
Strengthen and improve the existing Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P) Data Management System (DMS), located in Akureyri and designed by Arctic Portal;
Generalise and apply similar data management tools for other Global Monitoring Networks. The selected Innovation Associate will contribute to design the Proof of Concept - ADMS Beta version – and therefore contribute to the innovation strategy of the company.

The postdoc will work under the supervision of Arctic Portal's Data Manager, and will be supported by programmers, a web-developers, and a system administrator. The selected candidate will also work closely with the Executive Director and Project Manager.

The duration of the contract, which is financed under the EU Horizon 2020 Innovation Associate Grant, INNOSUP, is 12 months.
Start date: 1st September 2017; end date: 31st August 2018 with the possibility of extention.
Main research field: computer science, data management
Research profile: leading postdoc researcher

For more information, please contact Halldor Johannson by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone +354 461 2800.

Application deadline: open until filled.

Please send your CV and cover letter to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Dear ArcticNet colleagues, collaborators and partners,

Building on the success of its previous Annual Scientific Meetings (video) (video), the ArcticNet Network of Centres of Excellence and its national and international partners invite the international Arctic research community to the International Arctic Change 2017 Conference (AC2017) to be held at the Québec City Convention Centre December 11 - 15, 2017.

Arctic Change 2017 will bring together leading Arctic researchers, graduate students, Northern community representatives, government and industry partners and stakeholders from all fields. During the week, the world’s foremost Arctic scientists will discuss the emerging global challenges and opportunities arising from climate change and modernization in the circum-Arctic. With over 1500 participants expected to attend, Arctic Change 2017 will be one of the largest trans-sectoral international Arctic research conferences ever held in Canada.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
With over 60 Topical Sessions proposed, Arctic Change 2017 will be an outstanding opportunity to present your Arctic research, and network with a broad range of colleagues, collaborators and policy and decision-makers.

Abstracts for oral and poster presentations addressing all fields of Arctic research are now being accepted by completing the online abstract submission form.

The deadline for abstract submission is September 22, 2017.

PROGRAM
Arctic Change 2017 is a 5-day Conference beginning with Student Day at 8:30 on Monday December 11, 2017. The official opening session of the Conference will be at 8:30 on Tuesday December 12 and the Conference will finish at 12:00 on Friday December 15, 2017.

The Conference Banquet will be held Thursday December 14 at the Québec City Convention Centre and is included with your registration.

AWARDS AND COMPETITIONS
Posters presented by graduate students are eligible for the Graduate Student Poster Awards. This year $7000 CAD in cash prizes will be awarded.

Students may also participate in the One Minute Elevator Pitch Competition – please find the details here: Arctic Change 2017 Student Day. Nearly $1500 CAD in cash prizes will be awarded.

The 2017 Photo Contest is now open and is a wonderful opportunity for Arctic researchers, students, partners and collaborators to share their photography talents and outstanding images of the circum-Arctic, its peoples, communities, landscapes, wildlife and research activities. Over $1500 CAD in cash prizes will be awarded.

REGISTRATION
Online registration for the Conference is now available on the Arctic Change 2017 website. Register before the early-bird deadline of October 31, 2017 to save on your registration fee.

HOTEL
Four conveniently-located Québec City hotels are offering reduced rates for Arctic Change 2017 with cut off dates varying between October 25 and November 10 2017 depending on the hotel. Both Hilton and Delta Québec are linked to the Québec City Convention Centre and the Québec City Marriott Downtown and Hotel Palace Royale are just across the street.

Considering room blocks often fill up before cut off date, we encourage you to book your rooms as early as possible by using the hotel reservation information provided on the Arctic Change 2017 website. Be sure to quote the Group Code when making your reservation by phone in order to take advantage of the Conference rates.

VISIT THE AC2017 WEBSITE
Additional information on the conference, hotel & venue, and sponsor/exhibitor opportunities is available on the Arctic Change 2017 website.

Please post and circulate this announcement among your national and international networks and we hope to see you in Québec City for an exceptional Arctic research and networking meeting.

Warm regards,

Leah Braithwaite, for the AC2017 International Organizing Committee

ArcticNet is pleased to announce the launch of the International Arctic Change 2017 Conference Photo Contest.

They maintain a collection of photographs highlighting the spectacular beauty of the polar regions, and featuring scientific research, landscapes, wildlife, and northern communities. With a growing compilation of stunning images, the ArcticNet Polar Photography Gallery is now a resource for media, education and various research programs. ArcticNet remains committed to communicating the impacts of climate change in the Arctic and Antarctic to diverse international audiences and preserving a legacy of iconic and inspiring imagery for future generations.

The International Arctic Change 2017 Photo Contest is a fantastic opportunity for Arctic researchers, students, partners and collaborators to share their photographic skills and most compelling images of the circum-Arctic, its peoples and their environment, flora and fauna and research activities.

ArcticNet invites you to dive into your hard drives, cameras and computers, and send them your best shots!

The deadline for photo submission is Friday, 27 October 2017. Contest eligibility criteria and submission details are available on the Arctic Change 2017 website. Winners will be announced and photos showcased at the Arctic Change 2017 in Quebec City in December and over $1000 CAD in cash prizes will be awarded. If you wish your photos to be considered for publication in the ArcticNet Annual Report (available in softcover and digital formats) please submit images before August 21 2017.

Thank you in advance for your contributions.

Have a great field season!

The organizational committee for Polar 2018 is looking for 3 APECS members to create a video blog during the conference!

You are:

A person with some science background and an interest in the polar topics and that has the slightest idea (or is willing to learn fast) how to handle a camera and use a video-making program :-)

What is expected from you:

To produce a daily highlight summary of the different talks/sessions and events taking place at the conference center, which is then published and used in plenary sessions etc.

What you get!

Free registration to the conference and... a lot of fame :-)

If you're interested, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Deadline for international applicants: 16 October 2017

Deadline for U.S. applicants: 30 October 2017

For further information and to apply, visit the site at:

View Fulbright Arctic Initiative Website

View Original Call for Applicaitons

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is accepting applications for the second Fulbright Arctic Initiative. Faculty and researchers from the eight Arctic Council member states (the U.S., Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden) can now apply for this 18-month collaborative research program, which will begin in spring 2018 and run through the fall of 2019.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries that are needed to solve global challenges. Using a collaborative multidisciplinary model to emphasize communication across disciplines and knowledge co-production, the Initiative will translate theory into practice to address public-policy research questions relevant to Arctic Council member states' shared challenges and opportunities.

Approximately 12 scholars will be selected through an open, merit-based competition to participate in an individual Fulbright exchange and convene with the other scholars for three in-person group seminars and on-going virtual communication to carry out team-based research.

The Fulbright Arctic Initiative will provide a platform for scholars from across the Arctic region to engage in collaborative thinking, analysis, problem-solving, and multi-disciplinary research across two core thematic areas:

1. Resilient Communities: The Arctic is facing profound social, economic, and environmental change and communities are increasingly confronted with critical policy challenges related to issues of health and wellness, energy resource management, environmental protection, sustainability of the Arctic Ocean, infrastructure, Indigenous rights, education, and regional governance. Further research is needed on ways to build social resilience in communities to adapt to changes across the Arctic. This research should focus on, and ideally involve, Arctic communities themselves and consider the application of Indigenous knowledge to help inform policy at local to regional scales, as well as multi-disciplinary research to bring differing or complementary viewpoints.

2. Sustainable Economies: The rapid changes in the Arctic Ocean system resulting from sea ice decline, changes in water conditions, and increasing shipping and energy production have significance for Arctic nations, global markets, and coastal communities. The economic impacts of environmental changes and globalization in the Arctic, together with the region's expanding connections to the global economy, require research to address how commercial opportunities can be supported and balanced with the need for sustained subsistence livelihoods in Arctic communities.

For questions, contact:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

APS would like to invite you to submit manuscripts to Advances in Polar Science (APS).

APS is changing and improving with the establishment of the International Editorial Board with two new Co-Editors-in-Chief (Prof. Huigen Yang and Prof. Ian Allison), and a new expert team of disciplinary Editors in June of 2015.

APS is an international, peer-reviewed journal jointly sponsored by the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC) and the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration (CAA). It is a quarterly journal, circulated internationally (ISSN 1674-9928, CN 31-2050/P).

It has no publication fees and all articles are freely accessible on the web as soon as they are released. For more details, please visit the new website: www.aps-polar.org.

We welcome your involvement in APS’s future editions. We look forward to the submission of new manuscripts and for any suggestions of future “Special Issues” (which can be made via email to the editorial office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). We encourage you to share this announcement broadly with interested colleagues.

Mr. Xiaoliang Ling

Assistant Editor
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.aps-polar.org
Online Submission: https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/apsci
Tel 86-21-58713642
MB 13818202982

Editorial Office of Advances in Polar Science
Polar Research Institute of China
451 Jinqiao Road, Pudong New Area
Shanghai 20136, China

Podcast Available: #ThinkArctic Podcast

The #ThinkArctic Podcast explores the challenges and opportunities in the Arctic by highlighting innovation. This podcast aims to advance the dialogue between those that live in the Arctic and those that are looking to the Arctic for opportunity.

Podcast episodes discuss the biggest issues facing the Arctic region, with interviews and insights from those who work, live, and play in the Arctic.

The #ThinkArctic Podcast is available online and iTunes at no charge.

To suggest topics or pursue interest in in being a guest on the #ThinkArctic podcast, contact Brandon Blackwell at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To access the #ThinkArctic podcast archive, go to: http://www.arctic.gci.com/thinkarctic-podcast.

For questions, contact: Brandon Blackwell
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 206-487-5444

Journal Volume Available: Etudes/Inuit/Studies
Volume 40, Number 1, 2016

Editors of the journal Etudes/Inuit/Studies announce the release of Volume 40, Number 1 entitled "Inuit Health."

This scholarly journal is devoted to the study of Inuit societies, either traditional or contemporary, in the general perspective of social sciences and humanities including ethnology, politics, archaeology, linguistics, history, and more. In addition to a number of articles, each volume contains book reviews, a list of scientific events, and annual reviews of recent theses and articles published in other journals.

For further information, including bilingual abstracts and subscription information, go to: http://www.etudes-inuit-studies.ulaval.ca/en.

For questions, contact: Murielle Nagy
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Call for Applications:2018-19 PolarTREC Field Seasons Researchers

Researcher Webinar Registration deadline: Monday, 28 August 2017

Researcher Application deadline: Monday, 4 September 2017

PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is currently accepting applications from researchers for teacher research experiences. Researchers are invited to submit an application to host a PolarTREC teacher in the 2018 Arctic field season and/or the 2018-2019 Antarctic field seasons.

IMPORTANT! Funding is pending for PolarTREC during the 2018-19 field seasons. ARCUS will keep researcher applicants informed of our funding status. If funding is secured, final matches should be made in December 2017 or January 2018.

A one-hour informational webinar for researchers interested in hosting a PolarTREC teacher on their polar research project will be held on Wednesday, 30 August 2017 at 11:00 a.m. AKDT (12:00 p.m. PDT, 1:00 p.m. MDT, 2:00 p.m. CDT, 3:00 p.m. EDT).

Webinar registration is available through the PolarTREC website at:

Webinar Registration

PolarTREC researchers must be at U.S. institutions. Applications from researchers on National Science Foundation (NSF) funded projects will receive priority in the selection process. Researchers should have secured funding for their research project prior to applying. If funding is pending and you would still like to host a teacher contact PolarTREC to discuss your situation and future opportunities.

If you are interested in participating in PolarTREC, but are unable to apply during the application period, please contact PolarTREC staff to discuss opportunities for future participation.

Applications and additional information about researcher and teacher requirements can be found on the PolarTREC website at:

View PolarTREC Researcher Application Page

For further information, contact:
PolarTREC
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 907-474-1600

Resource Available
International Arctic Observations Assessment Framework
Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks
Institute for Defense Analyses, Science and Technology Policy Institute

View and Download the Framework

The Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON) and Institute for Defense Analyses Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) announce the release of the International Arctic Observations Assessment Framework.

The Framework was developed in January 2017 as STPI and SAON co-hosted a workshop, convening experts from international, state, and local governments; industry; academia; and non-governmental organizations to review and revise a framework for assessing the societal benefits derived from Arctic observations. The methodology involved a review of international Arctic strategies for common objectives that rely on Earth observations. The resulting international Arctic Observations Assessment Framework will provide the foundation and justification for future international efforts to assess the value of Arctic observations and to structure a pan-Arctic observing system.

This Framework defines 12 Social Benefit Areas (SBAs) that rely on Arctic observations, including:

Disaster preparedness,
Environmental quality,
Food security,
Fundamental understanding of Arctic systems,
Human health,
Infrastructure and operations,
Marine and coastal ecosystems and processes,
Natural resources,
Resilient communities,
Sociocultural services,
Terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems and processes, and
Weather and climate.

The Framework is available to view or download through the SAON website.

Dear Antarctic Researcher:

The SCAR Expert Group ANTOS (Antarctic Near-Shore and Terrestrial Observation System) is a continent-wide biologically-focussed initiative to assess responses to environmental variability and change. A first step in establishing ANTOS is gathering information about which locations in Antarctica and the subantarctic islands might be optimal for gathering these measurements.

The survey below (see link) is intended to cast a broad net, capturing some of the general properties of each site. It is not intended to be exhaustive. Please provide as much information about each site as possible, but don’t feel obligated to provide information beyond that with which you are familiar. While many questions are applicable to sites with established long-term datasets, we welcome proposals for new sites as well.

If you wish to provide information about more than one site, please fill out a different survey for each site.

We would like this survey to have the broadest distribution possible. Forward this message as appropriate to others who may have an interest in this effort. The survey will close 30 September, 2017.

Survey: https://byu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3ehgKVpAF7Ze6vr

Thanks,
ANTOS steering committee

The prestigious Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica for 2017 has been awarded to University of New South Wales (UNSW) scientist Professor Matthew England in recognition of his outstanding research, leadership and advocacy for Antarctic science.

Scientia Professor England, of the UNSW Climate Change Research Centre, was honoured for his “sustained and seminal contribution to Antarctic science through profound insights into the influence of the Southern Ocean on the continent and its role in the global climate system”.

He was also recognised for his significant leadership roles in international programs such as the Climate and Ocean – Variability, Predictability, and Change (CLIVAR) project and the Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) project of the World Climate Research Program, where he has demonstrated a strong commitment to collegiality, capacity building and the global impact of Antarctic science.

“Importantly, Professor England has consistently shown a rare ability to translate global issues to local impacts, and in an engaging and accessible way to the general public,” the prize citation reads.

“He has led the world in championing the importance of Southern Ocean water masses and circulation in global climate, pioneering our understanding of the Southern Annular Mode and its influence on the coupled ocean-ice-atmosphere system, quantifying rates and pathways of the Southern Ocean overturning circulation, and discovering new insights into the physics of tropical high-latitude teleconnections.”

Professor England said: “I am delighted to receive this award and I wish to pay tribute to my research team and collaborators – past and present – for inspiring my work in Antarctic and Southern Ocean science.

“Antarctica plays a crucial role in regional and global climate. This award will further focus my efforts to better understand Antarctica's climate as well as the ocean circulation around the continent, aiming to improve our knowledge of the region's vulnerability to climate change.

“Preserving the Antarctic environment requires limiting carbon emissions to keep global warming below 1.5–2 degrees Celsius. We need to ensure this commitment is met. Every fraction of a degree of warming poses a greater risk for Antarctic ice sheet stability and catastrophic sea-level rise.”

UNSW Dean of Science Professor Emma Johnston said: “We congratulate Matthew on receiving this well-deserved prestigious award. The Antarctic continent and its surrounding oceans are a critical component of the earth’s climate system. What happens in this oft-forgotten region of the world matters to all of us. Matthew is an outstanding scientist who has dedicated his career to the southern oceans and this is due recognition of his enormous contributions.

“Matthew is also an inspirational leader, training the next generation of Antarctic scientists and using his talent as a science communicator to advocate for strong policy on climate change,” she said.

After appointments at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Toulouse France, and then CSIRO in Australia, England joined UNSW Sydney in 1995 where he has held Australian Research Council Federation and Laureate Fellowships. In 2007, he established the UNSW Climate Change Research Centre with Professor Andy Pitman. The CCRC became the host institution for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science in 2011.

England’s Antarctic research spans oceanography, climate dynamics, atmospheric processes, climate variability, paleoclimate and ice-ocean interactions. He has written seminal papers on the topics of Antarctic water-mass formation, ocean-atmosphere interactions, Southern Hemisphere climate variability, and Southern Ocean ventilation rates, including pioneering work on the use of tracers to evaluate large-scale ocean circulation in the Antarctic region. He has published more than 180 peer-reviewed journal articles during the past 25 years.

England has also been highly active in teaching, research supervision, media and outreach, lecturing to more than 3000 students and supervising projects for more than 50 PhDs and early career scientists.

In 2014, England was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and in 2016 he was elected a Fellow of The American Geophysical Union.

The award will be officially presented to him at the 12th International Conference for Southern Hemisphere Meteorology and Oceanography, AMOS-ICSHMO 2018, to be held at UNSW Sydney, Australia from 5 to 9 February 2018.

The Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica includes a US $100,000 unrestricted award presented to an individual in the fields of Antarctic science or policy that has demonstrated potential for sustained and significant contributions that will enhance the understanding and/or preservation of Antarctica. The prize is funded by the Tinker Foundation, whose goal is to recognize excellence in Antarctic research by honouring someone in the early to mid-stages of his or her career. The Prize is inspired by Martha T. Muse's passion for Antarctica and is a legacy of the International Polar Year. For further details, please visit the Muse Prize website.

“Addressing future Antarctic challenges from an Oceania perspective”

18th – 19th September 2017

Monash University, Melbourne (Australia)

APECS O logo.jpg

Global change now, more than ever before, is threatening society and biodiversity around the planet. The Antarctic region is no exception, and whilst largely considered to be pristine, and a “nature reserve, devoted to peace and science”, it is actually at risk from multiple pressures. The Antarctic Peninsula has experienced one of the most rapid temperature rises in the Southern Hemisphere, and managing invasive species has been labelled as the number one priority of the Antarctic Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP). Tourist numbers to the region continue to grow and each year more countries are interested in joining the Antarctic Treaty System and being involved with the governance of Antarctica. We are only beginning to understand what these changes mean for Antarctic science, biodiversity and society.

What can the Oceania region do to help address future Antarctic challenges and in what way can we contribute to perpetuate the aims of the Antarctic Treaty and the Protocol for Environmental Protection?

The 1st APECS Oceania symposium aims to bring together early career Antarctic researchers from across Oceania to address these questions and highlight what our region can contribute to tackling future Antarctic challenges.

This two days Symposium will include keynote presentations from prominent Antarctic Scientists, APECS Oceania Members and 2 x half day workshops.

Date:

The symposium will run on 18th – 19th of September as part of Polar Week celebrations worldwide.

Venue:

The symposium will be held in Australia with presentations from early career scientists and keynote speakers. For NZ speakers unable to attend in person – we can connect via video link to allow attendees to participate from across the Tasman Sea.

The venue for this event will be: Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Abstract Submission:

Opening: A call for abstracts is now open

Closes: Abstract submission closes on the 30th of July 2017

Click link here for Abstract submission

Guidelines:

All abstracts will be written in English
Abstract must be limited to 300 words
Include your name and any other authors involved in this presentation
Include your institution and your additional author institutions
Include a short title which summarises your presentation
State which session you want your abstract to be submitted to
Registrations

Registration:

To attend the APECS Oceania Symposium are now open. To register click here.

Sponsors:

This event is sponsored by Monash University.

APECS is thrilled to announce our 2017 APECS International Mentorship Award recipients - Dr. Hugues Lantuit and Dr. Renuka Badhe! These awards were established as a meaningful way to recognize and honor the efforts of mentors within the international polar science community who have devoted significant time and energy towards building a supportive community for early career researchers (ECRs).

This year, we received several deserving nominations for both categories and it was difficult for our award committee to select the winners in both award categories:

Dr. Hugues Lantuit (Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany) is the 2017 recipient in the “APECS category”, where APECS committees were encouraged to nominate a mentor who has made an outstanding contribution to the success of APECS. Ten years ago, Hugues was the co-founder of APECS, a network that supported since its formation over 7600 members during the early stages of their careers. With this, as well as with the foundation of the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN), he “provided ECRs with platforms to get connected with each other and to get deeply involved into the international polar research landscape”. Hugues has been an inspiration and bright example of passion for the polar sciences for many early career researchers and he provided solid foundations for future polar scientists to get actively engaged. Among others, through this position as the Executive Director of the International Permafrost Association (IPA) he helped to develop and maintain frameworks for the inclusion of ECRs at professional events, meetings, committees and working groups of which many APECS members have benefitted from over the years.

Hugues has been a great motivator and supporter for early career scientists. Since the foundation of APECS, he has been involved in many of our workshops and webinars, serving as a mentor for the participants and sharing his experience and advice; for example, how to navigate the world of polar acronyms or networking at conferences. Aided by his understanding that people will achieve more as a group than as individuals, he has supervised more than 20 PhD, Master’s, and Bachelor students. Nominators reiterated that “it was [Hugues] who infected [them] with the desire to learn more about the Polar regions” and provided the opportunity to succeed through fieldwork, speaking opportunities, and trusting them to take control of their academic careers.

Dr. Renuka Badhe (European Polar Board, Netherlands) is the 2017 recipient in the “member category”, where we encouraged APECS members to nominate someone who has been an outstanding personal mentor to them in their career. Dr. Badhe was nominated by several individuals who said that, “as far as mentors go, Renuka belongs in the ‘rockstar’ category.” Renuka has been been a strong supporter of several APECS national committees, and early career researchers and professionals from around the world have benefitted from her generous donation of time and sharing of her expertise. She is also a masterful creator of networks, not only amongst APECS members but the entire global polar community. Furthermore, not only is she a high-profile woman in polar science, but Renuka has also been open about the challenges she has faced throughout her career while remaining an outspoken advocate for members of underrepresented communities.

The nomination letters emphasized that she “never hesitates to provide support whether it is through her professional position or personal engagement”. Her “mentorship has been anything but passive. She has consistently gone out of her way to ensure that my voice is heard in professional settings as well as become a true friend - one of the few people I know that I can call upon at any hour, with any professional or academic concern, and she'll be there with a compassionate ear and thoughtful advice". The nominators also highlighted Renuka`s “talent for identifying someone’s research interests and priorities, and introducing them to leaders in the field, with a suggestion of how they may be able to mutually assist one another”. She is “a strong advocate for early career researchers, [who] helps to push our work to the forefront even when we might lack the confidence to do so”.

On behalf of all APECS members, we would like to sincerely thank Hugues and Renuka for everything that they have done as mentors for both our organization and so many of us as individuals. We are honored to present the 2017 APECS International Mentorship Award to them both as a small token of our enormous gratitude for their time, wisdom, and passion.

Would you like to recognize a mentor for their commitment? Nominations for the 2018 APECS International Mentorship Award will be announced early in 2018 on our website. You can learn more about this year’s nomination process through our archived page

One day ahead of the recent 2017 SCAR Biology Symposium, APECS organized an early career scientist workshop for conference participants (and anyone else interested). Lovely weather, sci-comm, fabulous guests, … read further for some impressions.

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The conference, which brought >300 Antarctic scientists from all over the world together, was scheduled to start on Monday. For this workshop, 37 people (+4 speakers) met already on Sunday morning on KU Leuven premises. The main workshop theme was “communicating with a non-scientific audience”. After getting organized, we jumped right in with José Xavier, scientist in Portugal and England, explaining what science communication is and why it is important. Siska Waelkens, working for the Faculty of Science of KU Leuven, then talked about the bridge that scientists need to build between themselves and others to facilitate mutual understanding. We continued with a coffee break (also very important for communication…). Stéphanie Brabant from France TV subsequently showed footage recorded during the recent Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition. She showed both good and less good examples of live interviews, outlining aspects that are critical to keep in mind when being interviewed as a scientist. Lastly, we switched topics with Grant Humphries (from http://blackbawks.net/) up next, talking about scientific data management – another crucial issue for basically any scientist.

listening1

Leuven spoiled us with perfect weather, so lunch was quickly relocated to the park just outside the building. In the afternoon we split up into two working groups: delving deeper into writing for non scientific audiences (for example school kids) and giving an interview with journalists. We briefly re-gathered, exchanged experiences and enjoyed another coffee break, before again splitting up for two parallel breakout sessions. This time one group worked with Grant through some examples of sharing code and/or data with github (an extremely useful tool, for those that don’t know it). In the other group we practised giving “lightning presentations” – in this case short two minute presentation without supporting slides. Not an easy task at all, so worthwhile practicing! After this long day, we met once more to briefly tell each other what we learned and saying our goodbyes (although many met shortly after again at the conference icebreaker). It was a great day, I’d say! Many thanks to our supporters (AntEco & SCADM, as well as LBEG as host), speakers, and of course also the participants!

listening

Communicating Across Borders: APECS Oceania Workshop

APECS Oceaniahosted a two hour workshop for early career researchers in Hobart on 4 July 2017, just prior to the 2017 SCAR Humanities and Social SciencesDepths and Surfaces Conference. Almost 40 early career researchers from all over the world took part in the event, with one third identifying themselves as scientists, one third identifying as social scientists, and one third as humanities scholars. All were united by their interest in communication, and in making connections with others outside their usual sphere.

In today’s research climate, communication is an important skill. Researchers need to be able to not only communicate with colleagues in the same area, but with those from very different backgrounds, and the wider public. A panel session in the first hour addressed the challenges associated with “communicating across borders" and noted that such borders may be disciplinary, geographic, or between areas such as science and policy. Panelists came from a range of backgrounds, and were very responsive to questions from the audience. The panel consisted of:

Dr Renuka Badhe (Executive Secretary - European Polar Board)
Mr Elias Barticevic (Chilean Antarctic Institute - INACH)
Dr Adrian Howkins (Environmental Historian - Colorado State University)
Dr Mel Fitzpatrick (Climate Scientist - E & O - Science Communication)
Dr Meredith Nash (Homeward Bound programme - UTAS)

The second half of the workshop involved breaking out into three groups to workshop themes that had been flagged as of interest when participants registered. Dr Daniela Liggett, Dr Cornelia Lüdecke and Dr Elizabeth Leane led discussions on “Fostering Interdisciplinary Projects,” discussing their own experiences and then helping workshop participants identify common ground, and providing strategies for planning a collaboration.

When it came to “Fellowships and Opportunities,” mentors provided advice on writing grant applications, from the perspectives of both successful applicants (Dr Rowan Trebilco and Dr Ursula Rack) and those who regularly review such applications (Dr Alan Hemmings and Dr Renuka Badhe). The guidelines for the COMNAP and SCAR Fellowships provided a useful guide, opening the floor for discussions about how to plan for such an application, and ensure it meets the criteria. As one workshop participant put it:

“I really enjoyed having three ''experts'' explaining the process of applying for funding. Personally, I have no experience in applying for such grants so it was great to have an examiner detailing what was expected that wasn't necessarily expressed in the instructions. The experts seemed genuinely keen to help us and the atmosphere, as well as the small size of the group, made it easy to participate. Despite being general, I still got concrete tips that I will for sure use the day I apply for a grant!”

Finally, those interested in “Science Communication” were in for a treat, thanks to the expert tutelage of Dr Mel Fitzpatrick and Stephen Curtain. The small group atmosphere lent itself well to in depth discussions, and left all participants with many elements to consider the next time they explain their research to others.

We thank the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) for their support in providing catering for the event, the mentors for their time, and all those who took part.

This event was organised by Hanne Nielsen, Gabriela Roldan, and Helene Aflenzer, along with Sumi Jayaseelan, Cyril Jaksic, and Ephaphrus Mamabolo

APECS workshop panel 4 July

APECS Panel in full force, chaired by Gabriela Roldan

Break out session APECS workshop 4 July

Break out session on fostering interdisciplinary research

Break out session on funding at APECS workshop 4 July

Break out session with tips on writing grant applications

Call for Abstracts
Arctic Frontiers Science 2018
Circumpolar Safety, Search, and Rescue Collaboration

21-26 January 2018
Tromsø, Norway

Abstract submission deadline: 19 September 2017

Organizers invite abstract submissions for the Arctic Frontiers Science 2018 conference. The theme of the conference will be "Circumpolar Safety, Search, and Rescue Collaboration." This conference will convene 21-26 January 2018 in Tromsø, Norway.

Conference description:

Search and rescue (S&R) in cold waters is a short race against time. Low temperatures, poor visibility, and bad weather, as well as vast distances, conspire to make S&R operations challenging. Although ice floes can keep people afloat for longer periods, and modern communication systems means there is less search and more rescue, even with the best survival gear the odds are decidedly poorer than in warmer waters. With the advent of dramatically reduced summer ice coverage, human activity in the Arctic Ocean ranging from petroleum exploration and drilling to shipping and cruise traffic is set to increase significantly. Mass rescue operations (MROs) must be handled differently in the Arctic, and to understand how the risk of a large accident in this sparsely populated area should be assessed one must draw on the understanding of the weather conditions, the changing climate, and the limited resources available in this region.

Conference topics will include:

Aquaculture in the high north in time of change;
The new Arctic in the global context;
Resilient Arctic societies and industrial development; and
Circumpolar safety, search, and rescue collaboration.

Abstract submission deadline: 19 September 2017.

For submission guidelines and to submit an abstract, view the call for abstracts.

For more information about the conference, go to Arctic Frontiers.

IARPC Collaborations Webinar Series: Outcomes of Arctic Horizons
7/17/17, 1:30pm US Eastern Time
More info: www.iarpccollaborations.org/webinars

The Arctic Horizons project brought together members of the Arctic social science research and indigenous communities through a series of workshops to reassess the goals, potentials, and needs of these diverse communities and NSF’s Arctic Social Sciences Program within the context of a rapidly changing circumpolar North. The Arctic Horizon’s Program Manager and Principal Investigators will describe the outcomes of the workshop series, including the soon to be released final synthesis report which will describe the community’s vision for the future of Arctic social science research.

Speakers:

Dr. Andrey Petrov, University of Northern Iowa
Dr. Colleen Strawhacker, National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado
Dr. Shelby Anderson, Portland State University
Dr. Anna Kerttula de Echave, National Science Foundation

ExCom Prag Are you looking for a way to get or remain active in APECS and the APECS leadership?

We encourage YOU to consider applying for the APECS Council or the APECS Executive Committee for the 2017-2018 term starting on 1 October and help shape our organization over the next year!

The APECS Council is the larger of the two leadership committees of APECS. Its members work on projects, coordinate APECS activities, and govern the organization. No prior experience in APECS is necessary to join the Council, and we encourage all APECS members to consider applying. The APECS Executive Committee consists of five members, who are elected by the Council to manage the day-to-day decisions of the organization. Any APECS member can apply for the ExCom, but some prior experience with APECS or equivalent is generally recommended.

You can find out more information on how to apply to the:

APECS Council 2017-2018 on our Council page
APECS Executive Committee 2017-2018 on our Executive Committee elections page.

For both opportunities, the application deadline is on 8 September 2017 at 23:59 GMT.

For questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The IPCC and Early Career Scientists Webinars

19 July 2017

Webinar 1: 7:00 – 8:30 UTC / GMT
(9:00 – 10:30 CEST, 15:00 – 16:30 CST, 17:00 – 18:30 AEST, 19:00 – 20:30 FJT)

and

Webinar 2: 15:00 – 16:30 UTC / GMT
(8:00 – 9:30 PDT, 11:00 – 12:30 EDT, 12:00 – 13:30 ART, 17:00 – 18:30 CEST)

Want to know how you can get involved in the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as an Early Career Scientist?

The Young Earth System Scientists (YESS) community and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) are organizing two webinars on 19 July 2017.

Join us online to hear representatives of the IPCC talk about their activities and the opportunities available for Early Career Scientists. The content in both webinars will be similar, but to accommodate as many time zones as possible we run the webinar twice.

The IPCC is currently in its Sixth Assessment (AR6) cycle, during which it will produce three Special Reports, a Methodology Report and the Sixth Assessment Report. These webinars will be an occasion to discuss the opportunities for Early Career Scientists to contribute to the work of the IPCC during this cycle. Moreover, the webinars will coincide with the opening of the first order draft of the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15) for review comments.

If you wish to know more about the IPCC activities and how to be involved in the AR6, save the date and register here:

Webinar 1: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7297726238792745731
Webinar 2: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5797729595227265027

Places are limited and only the 100 first to register will be able to attend.

What is the IPCC?

The IPCC is the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was set up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and United Nations Environment Programme to provide policymakers with regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation.

Since its inception the IPCC has produced five comprehensive Assessment Reports and several Special Reports on specific topics. IPCC has also produced Methodology Reports, which provide practical guidelines on the preparation of greenhouse gas inventories for the inventory reporting requirements of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). One of the many successes of the IPCC was receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 together with Al Gore "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change".

These webinars are organised by YESS and APECS with the participation of IPCC.

Gruppenfoto German SCAR IASC Meeing 2017 For the third time in a row, APECS received an invitation to select a representative among its members to be a guest at the annual meeting of the German National Committee SCAR/IASC (NK SCAR/IASC). The NK SCAR/IASC serves as the national body for the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), and it further plans and coordinates the activities of German university research in the field of polar sciences. The 26th iteration of the NK SCAR/IASC meeting was held at Schloss Wahn, located in the outskirts of the beautiful city of Cologne. The 2-day meeting was very well organized, thanks to Martin Melles and Eliza Stehr from the University of Cologne.

For this year’s meeting, however, the circumstances were a bit different from the previous two years, as July 2016 (just after last year’s meeting of the NK SCAR/IASC, attended by Heike Link as the former APECS representative) marked the official start of APECS Germany, the new German National Committee within the international APECS network. Hence, the current and still quite recently elected chair of APECS Germany, Andreas Preußer, took the opportunity to announce the formation of our National Committee on behalf of the current APECS Germany Board and the 176 German APECS members in total, as well as to give a short presentation on the first successful activities for young polar researchers in Germany that took place and/or were initiated in 2016/2017. Please check our website and facebook-page for more information on these events. Furthermore, a brief overview on international APECS activities over the last 12 months was given, with the most interesting news in this regard being the new location of the main seat of the APECS Directorate Office which moved from TromsØ (Norway) to Potsdam (Germany) in February 2017 and being hosted by the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) for the next 5 years.

Besides the 14 official members of the NK SCAR/IASC, currently being chaired by Günther Heinemann, 21 guests from various research institutions, funding agencies and federal ministries were attending the meeting - all occupying leading roles in the German polar research community. The list of affiliations included the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Marine Research, the German Research Foundation (DFG) and its Priority Program for Antarctic Research (SPP-1158), the German Association for Polar Research (DGP) and of course APECS. Major topics concerning German polar research focused on the “International Framework”, “Infrastructure and Expeditions” (this year with a special focus on MOSAiC – the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate), “National research planning and strategies” as well as more general SCAR and IASC matters from the respective SCAR and IASC international working groups.

As almost every participant was invited to give a short report or statement on their respective contribution to these topics, the 2-day meeting was densely packed with interesting information. However, likewise to most scientific conferences there were several coffee-breaks available to serve as an extended stage to initiate discussions in a more relaxed atmosphere.

In this context, it became clear that many attendees were quite happy to hear that APECS Germany had been officially founded and signalized willingness to support and collaborate in the future. As a first outcome, the coordination workshop of the Priority Program for Antarctic Research in September 2017 (APECS Polar week!) will likely set the framework for a 2nd APECS Germany workshop.

Overall, we are happy to see that the NK SCAR/IASC recognizes APECS (Germany) and the role of early career scientists (ECS) in general as an integral part of polar research in Germany. The invitation of an early career scientist to participate in their annual meetings can give valuable insights into national science activities and the translation of international science agreements and guidelines to a national level. Not less important – the NK SCAR/IASC is an ideal occasion to extend an ECS’s professional network by facilitating communication with experienced senior researchers, federal institutions and/or funding agencies.

If you are interested in learning more about APECS Germany and/or you want to actively participate in planning and organizing activities in Germany – get in touch with us! germany-board[at]apecs.is

For the occasion of the SCAR PAIS conference in Trieste (10 - 15 September 2017), APECS Italy is organizing a workshop on 11 September about the use of Social Media to effectively communicate science to the wider public.

Often, it seems, the ability to communicate our research is undervalued, or at least not given the importance it deserves. However, especially in a society in which “science culture” is not generally taken into account (just think of the popularity of falsehoods such as the “correlation” between vaccinations and Autism, “Stamina therapy”, or the idea that climate change is a hoax), the ability to render the results of our research comprehensible to the society at large is fundamental.

Involve, impassion, educate. These are the three objectives that every researcher should have in mind when concluding a project.

Today, thanks to the existence of social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, this goal is much more within reach. The power of these instruments is in the hands of all of us, and this is especially evident when “hyped results” from “fake science” go viral. It is necessary then to reverse this trend: to do what we can to make “good science” go viral, and involve the members at large of these social media communities. How? The goal of the workshop that APECS Italy is organizing alongside the PAIS conference aims to address this “How?” by providing practical tools to participants in order to be able to successfully share their own research.

Practical Information and Registration:

When? September 11th – 6:00 PM
Where? Stazione Marittima – Molo Bersaglieri 3 – Trieste – Room: Vulcania1
Who? Guests and program TBD

For more information and to register, please visit the APECS Italy website.

WCRP and WWRP have established an International Prize for Model Development, awarded annually for an outstanding contribution to weather and climate model development by an early- to mid-career researcher.

More details on eligibility, required nomination material and selection process can be found at http://www.wcrp-climate.org/wmac-activities/ipmd2017.

Nominations of suitable candidates should be forwarded to the WCRP (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and WWRP (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), and must be received by 1 Oct 2017.

Please do not hesitate to forward this announcement to your respective networks and contacts.

Arctic Frontiers Logo new 2013 The Arctic Marine Ecosystem Research Network (ARCTOS network) invites PhD candidates to a student workshop offering an exciting program for early career scientists working on issues related to the Arctic. The workshop is taking place 21-31 January 2018 in conjunction with the Arctic Frontiers conference and continues afterwards in Svolvær, Lofoten. As part of the workshop, participants have to attend the Arctic Frontiers conference and give a presentation (oral or poster) during the science section of the conference (submit your abstract here).

PhD students are prioritized but Master students and Post-docs may apply as well. The workshop is an official PhD level course (BIO-8516) at the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø worth 4 ECTS (only PhD students can receive credits). Travel and conference funding will be available for course participants.

Application deadline is Tuesday 19 September 2017.More information on how to apply can be found on the ARCTOS website.

Concurrent with the Arctic Circle Conference 2017, University of the Faroe Islands will arrange a course concerning international cooperation, science diplomacy, geopolitics and globalization in the Arctic. In relation to this event it is possible for ten young polar scientists to receive a grant of 10,000 DKK for participation in Arctic Circle Conference.

The grant can be applied for by any master student, PhD student or Post Doc affiliated with a university or a research institute in Denmark, Greenland or the Faroe Islands. The grant can be used for airline tickets to/from Reykjavik, accommodation in Reykjavik, conference fee, catering and relevant transfers from airport to Reykjavik and back during Arctic Circle Conference.

It is mandatory for the recipients of the grants to participate in the course. The course will start in Reykjavik on Thursday 12 October 2017 and will end in Reykjavik on Sunday 15 October 2017. The course is rated for 5 ECTS points at the University of the Faroe Islands.

In 2017, the Kingdom of Denmark will be officially represented at Arctic Circle Conference in Reykjavik, 13-15 October 2017, and several sessions will be led by Danish/Greenland/Faroese representatives. The annual Arctic Circle Assembly is the largest annual international gathering on the Arctic, attended by more than 2,000 participants from 50 countries. The Assembly is held every October at the Harpa Conference Center and Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland. It is attended by heads of states and governments, ministers, members of parliaments, officials, experts, scientists, entrepreneurs, business leaders, indigenous representatives, environmentalists, students, activists and others from the growing international community of partners and participants interested in the future of the Arctic.

An application (max 500 words) plus a short CV, documentation for exams at university level and a recommendation from supervisor/teacher should be send to Chief Consultant Morten Rasch, Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +45 23227109, no later than 25 July 2017.

The evaluation of applications will be carried out by an evaluation panel with representatives from research institutions in Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. It is a priority to secure participation of Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese ‘young scientists’. The results of the evaluation will be informed to all applicants before 15 August 2017.

Additional information about Arctic Circle Conference, the grants and the related course can be received by contacting either Lau Øfjord Blaxekjær (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +298 292599) and/or Morten Rasch (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +45 23227109).

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites community members to register as potential 2018 Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) panelists.

GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students pursuing research-based masters and doctoral degrees in science or engineering at accredited U.S. institutions. NSF seeks GRFP panels composed of researchers and educators from a wide range of institutions, geographic locations, and disciplinary and interdisciplinary backgrounds.

Serving as a GRFP panelist is an excellent opportunity for community members to apply their research and career expertise to help identify future science and engineering leaders, and to gain valuable perspective to share with faculty and students at their institutions. Panelists will also receive a flat rate payment of $200.00 per day for each full four-hour virtual panel session they attend. However, panelists who are Federal employees, citizens of foreign countries who are not permanent residents, and special visa holders are not entitled to the flat rate payment.

Below are details of the 2018 panels:

- All reviews and panels will be conducted online without travel requirements. There will be no on-site participation for the GRFP panels; the panels are completely virtual.
- In November, panelists must attend an orientation session webinar, selecting one from several available sessions. This is required for both new and returning panelists, as orienting information is subject to change.
- Panelists review graduate school-like applications that include one three-page statement, one two-page statement, transcripts, and three reference letters.
- Each panelist will review approximately 30 assigned applications in early December, over the course of about four weeks.
- Panelists will enter their reviews and ratings online.
- In January 2018, panels will convene online using WebEx for two virtual panel sessions scheduled on two different days (either Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday) to discuss the applicant pool and make selection recommendations to NSF.

To be considered as a 2018 GRFP panelist, please register in the panelist system found at: https://nsfgrfp.org/panelists.

If you have not been a GRFP panelist, you may create a new profile by clicking "Create an account." If you have been a GRFP panelist, please log in with your email address and password, and update your profile.

Registering in the panelist system or creating a profile does not commit you to serving as a GRFP panelist. Based on anticipated needs, NSF will send formal invitations to registered panelists starting in late September.

NOTE: If you have a student applying for the 2018 GRFP program or you will write a letter of recommendation for an applicant in a particular field of study, we request that you do not register to be a panelist in that field due to the conflict of interest. Since GRFP applicants are early in their scientific training and are still developing their interests, most panelists are qualified to review in a range of fields.
If you register in a particular field and subsequently learn of a conflict of interest, please inform us so we can remove your name from the list of potential panelists or attempt to place you on a different panel.

NSF invites community members to share this opportunity to review GRFP applications with their colleagues.

For questions, contact the GRFP Operations Center at:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 866-673-4737

To register to be a panelist, go to: https://nsfgrfp.org/panelists.

For additional panelist information, go to: https://www.nsfgrfp.org/panelist_info.

ICSU World Data System The World Data System (WDS) is a body of the International Council for Science (ICSU) that helps to coordinate and supports research data centres and date services worldwide. Our activities span all disciplines, and are designed to ensure that research data are preserved and openly disseminated to safeguard the integrity of science. WDS is also concerned with the availability to scientists and policymakers of the critical information necessary to manage Earth’s resources wisely.

WDS recognizes the important role of Early Career Researchers in developing and promoting best practice in data management and data sharing through its annual Data Stewardship Award. We have now started to create a WDS Network of Early Career Researchers and Young Scientists (collectively ECRs), and we are looking for enthusiastic and brilliant individuals to take this even further by helping foster better communication among ECRs, and to design activities targeting their interests and concerns.

If you are a data scientist or a scientist who collects and uses large data resources then this Network is specifically for you. Moreover, if you are interested in becoming involved in WDS endeavours and would like to contribute to the development of ‘next-generation’ data practices, then please contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to find out more about joining the WDS ECR Network.

SvalbardScienceConference2017 Svalbard Science Forum and the Research Council of Norway in collaboration with the Norwegian Polar Institute and the Ny-Ålesund Science Managers Committee (NySMAC) invites researchers, research managers and stakeholders to a conference on research in and about Svalbard.

The bi-annual Ny-Ålesund Seminar will be an integrated part of the conference in collaboration with The Norwegian Polar Institute and The Ny-Ålesund Science Managers Committee (NySMAC).

The conference will take place in Oslo, 6-8 November 2017.

It is free to register for the conference and the abstract deadline is 10 August 2017.

Further details, including tentative programme and registration form can be found here.

Dear Permafrost Young Researchers, pyrn small

We are happy to make a few announcements regarding the activities organized by PYRN during the
2nd Asian Conference on Permafrost (ACOP2017).

PYRN Ice-Breaker

A Permafrost Young Researchers Ice-Breaker will be held at the Hokkaido University Museum Café on July 3rd after the poster session. Food and drinks are going to be offered for free to the registered participants. It will be the ideal occasion to gather and unwind after the first day of the conference.

PYRN-IPA Awards

Awards will be granted during ACOP2017 for “Outstanding Oral Presentation” and “Outstanding Poster Presentation” by a Young Permafrost Researcher.

Please help the judges identify your presentation by putting the “Running for PYRN awards” logo on the title page of our presentation or at the top of your poster. The logo can be downloaded here.

Registration

Please register for the PYRN Ice-Breaker and sign up for the PYRN-IPA Awards by filling up the following form before June 28th: goo.gl/forms/vR3XMCpS3rYMSUj72

Also, make sure you are a registered PYRN members by looking up your name in the PYRN Member List or register for free.

We are also reminding you that you can follow PYRN on Facebook @PYRNofficial, Twitter @PYRN_official and Instagram @PYRN_official.

For any questions regarding the PYRN activities at ACOP2017, please contact Simon Dumais at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We are looking forward to seeing you in Sapporo!

Simon Dumais and Tatsuya Watanabe on behalf of the PYRN Executive Committee and the ACOP2017 Local Organizing Committee.

COMNAP2016 SCAR logo white background A recording of the SCAR-COMNAP-APECS Spanish language Fellowships application writing webinar hosted in March is now available from the SCAR Fellowships Mentoring page.

Writing about research can be difficult, writing in your second (or third) language poses yet another set of challenges. So building on the success of the first webinar that was in English, SCAR, COMNAP and APECS partnered again to hold a similar training webinar in March 2017, but this time in Spanish. This webinar aimed to provide additional tips and tricks for writing applications in English for Spanish speakers. apecs logo web

We had 46 participants joining the webinar, with lots of good advice from a highly qualified and experienced panel, and a wide range of questions from the participants.

To complement the original English language webinar a "Writing for Success" document was produced which includes information on the evaluation of proposals, feedback on positive examples as well as areas where improvement is often needed from those who review applications, and some Frequently Asked Questions on the technical details of submitting an application (also see the FAQs page as new questions are being added regularly, based on the queries we receive).

The deadline for applications for this year's Fellowships Programme is 1 July. For more information, visit the Fellowships Detailed Information page.

PCAS 2017 poster The Postgraduate Certificate in Antarctic Studies (PCAS) is a 14-week, in‐depth, multi‐disciplinary programme of study that critically examines contemporary scientific, environmental, social and political debates focused on Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

Jointly developed by the University of Canterbury and Antarctica New Zealand, this unique summer programme is the only programme in the world to take students to experience life in the Antarctic – at Scott Base, New Zealand’s station on Ross Island, and at a field campsite on the Ross Ice Shelf. The 10-day visit to Antarctica is supported by Antarctica New Zealand, and participants undertake a mix of analytical and interpretive field projects and environmental monitoring projects in the vicinity of Scott Base.

The programme provides a unique Antarctic experience that is valuable for:

Future Antarctic researchers;
Employees and managers within National Antarctic Programmes;
Employees within government agencies involved in Antarctic policy or environmental management;
School teachers and university lecturers; and
Antarctic enthusiasts.

The programme can be used as part of a Master’s Degree. While the University of Canterbury does not offer scholarships for PCAS, financial support may be available for participants from National Antarctic Programmes and through external funding bodies.

Please note that applications for PCAS close on 1 August 2017.

For further details, please visit the PCAS website.

The Polar HPDC Research Coordination Network (www.polar-computing.org) is offering a free computing skills training.

When: The mornings (approximately 4 hours each day) of August 1-4, 2017
Where: IACS, Stony Brook University
What: Software Carpentry modules on computing fundamentals, as well as content on high performance computing (HPC) and reproducibility.
Cost: The training is free, but participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses.

To participate: Please fill out this application formby June 30th.

Sincerely,
The Polar-HPDC RCN

P.S. Please share!

P.P.S. Polar-HPDC RCN is still open to one or two more proposed teams for the Hackathon portion of this event which will take place each afternoon after the training. Please see a flyer for details of the event and how to apply. Click here to access the application template to submit ASAP. Funding is available for Hackathon participants.

Diverse early career professionals in global sustainability, including researchers and leaders in policy, business, civil society and more, can apply for travel grants from Future Earth on a rolling basis.

Future Earth will offer a series of grants to early career professionals to support their travel to sustainability events around the world. The grants are open to early career researchers working in fields relevant to sustainability and to practitioners in policy, business, civil society and more. Interested professionals can apply on a rolling basis throughout the year.

The travel grants will support up to 20 early career professionals each year and provide as much as 1500 Euros in assistance. Professionals can use this support to attend Future Earth events or to serve as ambassadors for the Future Earth mission at other international conferences, workshops and symposia.

For more details about how you can apply for travel support and who is eligible see the official grant description.

For questions about these opportunities, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., capacity building and research enabling officer for Future Earth.

Future Earth is dedicated to supporting early career professionals to become leaders in global sustainability. We work with motivated individuals in and out of research to strengthen their skills in conducting inter- and transdisciplinary research and to build solutions for the challenges facing the world today. As part of these efforts, we partner closely with the Early Career Researchers Network of Networks.

You can learn more about our support for early career professionals here.

There are just over two weeks remaining to the deadline for applications for the 2017 SCAR Fellowship Scheme (http://www.scar.org/fellowship/information).
The deadline for applications is 1 July 2017.

Fellowships enable early-career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating partnerships that last for many years and over many Antarctic field seasons. Fellows may be awarded up to US$15,000 each and, this year, up to five are being offered by SCAR. Normally we award 4 a year, but thanks to the generous contribution from India, we can offer 5 this year.

Preparing a successful fellowship application is a skill. Often, lack of success with applications is not due to a poor research idea but can come down to the inability to express ideas clearly and confidently, in writing. To help applicants develop their fellowship proposal writing skills, two mentoring webinars were held jointly by SCAR, the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), one in English in 2016 and a second in Spanish in 2017. These are particularly meant for young researchers in countries with a small or just developing Antarctic research community that may not have adequate mentoring in their home institutions. The webinars can be accessed on the SCAR Fellowships Mentoring page (http://www.scar.org/fellowship/mentoring).

Our partner organization COMNAP will also again offer a Fellowship in 2017, but the eligibility criteria and application process are separate from that of SCAR - details of the COMNAP scheme can be found here. Please also note that another partner, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) also offers a scholarship and details can be found here.

Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR)
Scott Polar Research Institute

APECS 10 year logo YOPP LOGO beb4effb3c This school, for early career scientists, will include a combination of polar weather and climate theory lectures with exercises on modelling and field meteorology techniques as well as soft skill training. Each of these components forms a crucial pillar of the prediction problem, and the motivation for combining these is to provide participants with a complete overview of the components required to understand and predict polar weather.

More information and how to apply can be found on the Polar Prediction School 2018 website. Application deadline is 15 September 2017.

Arctic Data Center ARCUS Webinar0617 APECS Webinar: Arctic Data Center: Tools and Strategies for Archiving your Data
June 21, 2017 at 17:00 GMT

Presenter: Amber Budden, Jesse Goldstein and Chris Jones

Registration Link

The NSF Arctic Data Center plays a critical support role in archiving and curating the data and software generated by Arctic researchers from diverse disciplines. The Arctic community, comprising Earth science, ecology, archaeology, geography, anthropology, and other social science researchers, are supported through data curation services and domain agnostic tools and infrastructure, ensuring data are accessible in the most transparent and usable way possible. This interoperability across diverse disciplines within the Arctic community facilitates collaborative research and is complemented by interoperability between the Arctic Data Center infrastructure and other large scale cyberinfrastructure initiatives.

During this webinar we will provide a brief overview of the the Arctic Data Center; the history, infrastructure, and partnerships that support long-term preservation of the data and metadata. We will highlight the many features and services offered by the Arctic Data Center before stepping through some best practices for working with data and guidance on how to archive data to with the Arctic Data Center.

APECS poster 2017

As part of its efforts to promote and support international collaboration in science and technology, CRDF Global is pleased to announce the 2017 Catalyzing New Research Partnerships Program (Cat-NRP). Through this program, CRDF Global aims to catalyze new international research collaborations designed to open up new scientific directions for U.S. early career scientists, their South/Southeast Asian, Latin American West/Sub-Saharan African counterparts, and the broader international science community.

This solicitation will support travel grants of up to $10,000 for U.S. early-career scientists residing and working in the United States, so that they may travel to one of the aforementioned regions to undertake a new collaboration with a non-U.S. colleague. During visits to their colleague’s institution, CRDF Global expects selected applicants to participate in specific activities including data gathering, preliminary fieldwork, and research planning that will lay the foundation for a new international research partnership.

The scope of the research project that will be eventually undertaken should be in the area of the natural sciences or engineering and must be directly related to one of the following NSF directorates:

Biological Sciences
Computer and Information Science and Engineering
Engineering
Geosciences
Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Refer to the Request for Proposals (RFP) below for full program guidelines.

To Apply, please submit the required application materials through the electronic proposal submission system: https://eps.crdfglobal.org/CatNRP2017

Career Panel ICASS2017 Studying social sciences gives us all plenty of opportunities to use scientific knowledge and skills, not only for a career in academia, but also in governance, community development, planning and many other areas. Learn with us about opportunities and challenges in career choices for young Arctic social science researchers, both inside and outside academia!

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) will be organising a panel discussion on "Careers opportunities in Arctic Social Sciences" during the 9th International Congress on Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS) (8-12 June 2017, Umeå, Sweden), where you will have an opportunity to hear career experiences of our excellent panelists that we hope would be inspiring for your future career choices.

Join us on 8 June 2017 at 14:30 at Umeå University in room MC313.

Meet our panelists:

Mare Pit (German Arctic Office / AWI, Germany)
Anne-Lill Drugge (Centre for Sami Research (Cesam) - Vaartoe, Sweden)
Gail Fondahl (University of Northern British Columbia, Canada)
Katrin Stephen (IASS, Germany)

mast Kopie

Applications for the Polar Prediction School 2018 are now closed. Limited financial support to cover the costs of travel and registration have kindly been provided by our sponsors and will be distributed to accepted participants who indicated they required support.

Registration fees for the school will be approximately 600 Euros. This includes all accommodation, food, and other costs at the station. Travel to the station is not included in the registration fee.

The call for INTERACT Remote Access is open to 17 terrestrial research stations offering RA in INTERACT. The call is targeted for projects taking place between Oct 2017 and Sept 2018. From now on, the INTERACT Remote Access will be available through continuous calls, i.e. a new call will open right after the previous one closes, and incoming applications are assessed four times per year.

Learn more about Remote Access and the available call from our RA Call webpages, and apply for INTERACT Remote Access to the coolest places of the North!

APECS Switzerland Logo The APECS Swiss National Committee annual meting took place at the Alpine Museum in Bern on the 11th of May 2017.

Around 15 members, representing most Swiss universitites were present. In the afternoon, one person per university/research institute gave a small presentation on the different projects currently going on in their respective group. Afterwards, a discussion on future plans and activities of APECS CH took place.

The feedback from the members about this meeting was very positive and it was mentioned that having such information on a regular (annual) basis is useful.

After the meeting, most of us went for a beer :-)

The first set of INTERACT partners are now offering free access to their datasets and data via the INTERACT Virtual Access. By 2020, altogether 29 partners in the INTERACT network will offer Virtual Access available for all users.

Three stations are currently offering access to their data:

Visit the INTERACT VA single-entry point to learn more about the Virtual Access that is currently available and link to the data, and stay tuned for new VA entries during the upcoming months!

Editors announce a call for papers for a special issue of Polar Record.
This special issue of Polar Record will be dedicated to education, outreach, and engagement related to polar research and will help to draw scholarly attention to this aspect of polar research.

Submission deadline: 31 January 2018.

The special issue will be published in conjunction with the tenth anniversary of the International Polar Year 2007-2008. That International Polar Year led to an upwelling of education, outreach and communication (EOC) initiatives across the polar research community. At the 2016 Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) conference in Kuala Lumpur, the Humanities and Social Science Expert Group identified science communication as a research priority.

Submissions of original research articles of 9,000-12,000 words in length, Research Notes (peer reviewed short articles up to 3,000 words), and Commentaries (focused, view-point coverage of topics relevant to this special issue topic) are invited. Contact the editors if submitting Research Notes or Commentaries prior to submission.

All papers will be subject to the journal's peer-review process and submission does not guarantee acceptance. Accepted papers will be published in FirstView within a month after acceptance with the full special issue due for publication in January 2019.

Papers must be submitted through the journal's online submission center.
Choose the special issue "10 years of Polar Education, Outreach, and Communication initiatives" from the dropdown list in the "special issue question."

To view the full call for papers, go to: https://sciencernr.wordpress.com/2017/04/19/.

To submit a paper, go to: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/pol.

For questions and to discuss the submission of Research Notes or Commentaries, contact the co-editors at:

Rebecca Priestley
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rhian Salmon
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

AMAP Workshop2 The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) 2017 International Conference on Arctic Science: Bridging Knowledge to Action took place in Reston, Virginia, United States, from April 25-27. The conference brought together a diverse and international group of experts ranging from scientists to decision-makers to explore pathways for enhancing usability of scientific and other forms of knowledge to support policy and practice in the Arctic. The conference highlighted major AMAP assessments and the release of the latest AMAP assessment reports: Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic (SWIPA) and Adaptation Actions for a Changing Arctic (AACA) regional reports.

Another major highlight was the April 24 pre-conference workshop on "Scientific Assessments: Process, Dissemination and Impact" organized by the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). This one-day workshop engaged researchers in a conversation on scientific assessments with an international group of scientists and communication experts in government and academia through interactive panels and presentations. Workshop outcomes also contributed to a discussion during plenary sessions on a call for action held on the last day of the conference.

Contributions from the APECS/IASC/AMAP workshop echoed major themes that emerged throughout the conference, with usability of scientific assessment for policy and decision support being most prominent. In particular, participants noted that the well-established usability challenge of balancing credibility, saliency, and legitimately of information for a wide range of stakeholders with diverse values and priorities is compounded in the Arctic by amplified system changes and limited monitoring and research capacity compared with what is generally found in the lower latitudes. Ways forward focused on methods for stakeholder engagement during the assessment process such as co-production of products to enhance usability while building capacity for process/product use such as joint producer-user partnerships and training opportunities. The need to span disciplinary and researcher-stakeholder boundaries and the role of institutions in designing and facilitating such interactions was a related consistent conference theme. The need for such "boundary organizations" to enhance assessment usability discussed in the early career workshop was the main recommended call for action promoted at the end of the conference.

For more information on the conference and early career workshop visit the full conference program and APECS/IASC/AMAP agenda.

AMAP workshop

Polar Science Communication Workshop: Aug. 12-14, Boulder, CO, USA

USAPECS scicomm workshop flyer

We would like to announce an opportunity for polar scientists of all career stages to obtain formal training in science communication strategies during an NSF- and NASA-funded workshop held in Boulder, CO, USA from August 12-14, 2017. The workshop will take place immediately prior to the International Glaciological Society (IGS) International Symposium on Polar Ice, Polar Climate, Polar Change at the University of Colorado Boulder. The workshop will include two days of oral communication training by the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and one day of written communication training by Dr. Max Boykoff and his team from the University of Colorado Boulder.

The workshop is open to 32 polar scientists from all career stages and spanning all disciplines in the physical and social sciences. Workshop participants do not need to attend the IGS symposium in order to participate in the science communication workshop. Funding for domestic travel and lodging are available for ~19 early-career scientists.

Workshop applications and additional information can be found at http://usapecs.wixsite.com/usapecs/polar-scicom-workshop. Applications are due June 5^th. Notification of acceptance, and early-career funding if applicable, will be made by July.

Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions regarding workshop details or the application process, and please let your colleagues know about this workshop!

APECS-France met in Paris during the last scientific days of the CNFRA (Comity for French Research in the Arctic and in the Antarctic) the 11th and 12th of May. This event represents the annual meeting for the French polar community.

A part of the board (Céline Clément-Chastel & Lydie Lescarmontier) as well as 3 active members (Anne-Mathilde Thierry, Françoise Amelineau & Emmanuelle Sultan) attended the conference and assisted the association in the record of new members and in answering questions.

The 11th, Céline gave a talk about the functioning of the association, its missions, and the current projects. At the end of the scientific days, Lydie Lescarmontier animated a small workshop in communications, giving few rules to success in giving presentations, and organised a debate with general questions about mediation and a feedback about the two last days of talks.

This event also allowed the board and the active members to gather and discuss « in live! » about the current projects and the general functioning of the association: what is not working, and what could be improved? We also have to note the presence of our famous Kakemono APECS-France invited at every APECS-France event!

The Journal of Ocean Technology (JOT) production team invites the submission of technical papers that describe cutting edge research related to Ocean Mapping for its winter 2017 issue. Papers should present the results of new (i.e., not previously published) research in ocean technology, science or engineering, and be no more than 7,500 words in length. Student papers are welcome.

See the PDF for further details.

Deadline: August 25, 2017.

Feel free to distribute this invitation to your professional networks or any group you think might be interested.

Communicating Across Borders

3-5pm, Tuesday 4 July 2017
The Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Hobart, Australia
Association of Polar Early Career Scientists Workshop

APECS Oceania will be hosting a two hour workshop for early career researchers, just prior to the 2017 SCAR Humanities and Social Sciences Depths and Surfaces Conference. All conference attendees and local researchers are welcome, but please do register for the event. We thank the Coucil of Managers of National Antarctic Programs for their support in providing catering for the event. Details are below.

In today’s research climate, communication is an important skill. Researchers need to be able to not only communicate with colleagues in the same area, but with those from very different backgrounds, and the wider public. This session addresses the challenges associated with “communicating across borders" - such borders may be disciplinary, geographic, or between areas such as science and policy. An invited panel of international and local mentors will present short talks about their experiences communicating with various audiences, followed by a panel discussion with questions from the floor:

Renuka Badhe (Executive Secretary of European Polar Board)
- Focussing on connections between Arctic and Antarctic (both science and policy);
Elias Barticevic (Chilean Antarctic Institute - INACH)
- Chilean Antarctic Institute: approaches to Education & Outreach in the community of Punta Arenas and beyond;
Adrian Howkins (Environmental Historian - Colorado State University)
- How the Dry Valleys are understood in different ways (communicates with both scientists and tourists);
Mel Fitzpatrick (Climate Scientist – E & O - Science Communication)
- Experience working in the field and top tips for communicating to varied audiences;
Meredith Nash (Homeward Bound programme – UTAS)
- Intersectionality; borders and boundaries that often remain unseen in (Antarctic) research, Homeward Bound personal experience

The second half of the workshop involves practical activities related to writing effective project proposals and exploring ways to foster interdisciplinary approaches. A range of opportunities, including fellowships, for early career researchers will also be introduced. Mentors for "Science Communication" are Mel Fitzpatrick and Stephen Curtain; for "Fellowships and Opportunities" we have Ursula Rack, Rowan Trebilco and Alan Hemmings; and for "Interdisciplinary Collaboration" the mentors are Renuka Badhe, Daniela Liggett and Cornelia Lüdecke.

This workshop is open to all polar early career researchers. Delegates to the 2017 Depths and Surfaces Conference and local PhD candidates are both encouraged to attend. Please register for the workshop via this link.

YOPP LOGO beb4effb3c A concerted international campaign to improve predictions of weather, climate and ice conditions in the Arctic and Antarctic has been launched to minimize the environmental risks and maximize the opportunities associated with rapid climate change in polar regions and to close the current gaps in polar forecasting capacity.

The Year of Polar Prediction takes place from mid-2017 to mid-2019 in order to cover an entire year in both the Arctic and Antarctic and involves the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) and a wide array of partners around the globe.

During the next two years, a large international and interdisciplinary network of scientists and operational forecasting centres will jointly undertake intensive observation and modelling activities in the Arctic and Antarctic. As a result, better forecasts of weather and sea-ice conditions will reduce future risks and enable safety management in the polar regions, and also lead to improved forecasts in lower latitudes where most people live.

“The effects of global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions are felt more intensely in the polar regions than anywhere else. The Arctic and parts of the Antarctic are heating twice as rapidly as the rest of the world, causing melting of glaciers, shrinking sea ice and snow cover. The impact of this is felt in other parts of the globe – as exemplified by rising sea levels and changing weather and climate patterns,” said Thomas Jung, of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, and chair of the Polar Prediction Project steering committee.

“Arctic sea-ice maximum extent after the winter re-freezing period in March was the lowest on record because of a series of ‘heat-waves.’ Antarctic sea ice minimum extent after the most recent Southern Hemisphere summer melt was also the lowest on record. The rate and implications of polar environmental change is pushing our scientific knowledge to the limits”, said Mr Jung.

The Year Of Polar Prediction was officially launched during WMO’s annual Executive Council meeting. Polar and high mountain activities are among WMO’s top strategic priorities because of the growing impact of climate change from greenhouse gas emissions, because of the need to improve our understanding of weather phenomena in extreme regions and because the poor monitoring network leaves gaping holes in the global weather observing capability.

During special observing periods, the number of routine observations, for example through weather balloon launches from meteorological stations and buoy deployments from research vessels, will be enhanced; coordinated aircraft campaigns and satellite missions will be carried out; and new automatic weather stations will be installed at different polar locations.

In addition, coordinated field campaigns from mid-2017 to mid-2019 will raise the number of observations in both polar regions. A growing number of international projects, networks and organizations are already involved with activities during the Year of Polar Prediction, including several EU Horizon 2020 projects.

Read the full press release.

For more information on the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP), visit the Polar Prediction website.

A media kit is available with various information including infographics, videos, picture material and a "YOPP explorer" where activities during the Year of Polar Prediction are shown on a map etc. The media kit is accessible at http://www.polarprediction.net/yopp-media-kit/

Link to the brand-new YOPP YouTube channel with the new ICO WMO AWI video production on Polar Prediction and a video with polar prediction experts explaining what the Year of Polar Prediction experts explaining what the Year of Polar Prediction is about.

A question that many early career scientists ask themselves... We discussed this topic at the EGU GA during the Polar Science Career Panel, which was co-organized by the EGU Cryosphere ECS team and APECS on 27 April 2017.

Our five panellists, from different backgrounds and job fields, engaged in a lively discussion with over 50 session attendees. Questions ranged from “How and when did you know what you wanted to do”, to “How important is social media presence” and “What will be the next hot topic in the field.

One hot topic of debate was whether moving to different working groups, and with that to different countries, is a must? While most of our panellists pointed to the clear advantages, some words of caution were also voiced. Moving around comes at a cost not only regarding the personal life but also the professional networks. It is not easy to keep in touch when gone for a number of years, but as realization/acknowledgment is the first step, be sure to keep it in mind.

At the end we asked each panellist to come up with some final words of advice for ECSs, which were:

There is no right and wrong, ask other people and see what you like
Remember you can shape your own job
Take chances! Even if you are likely to fail, and think outside the box
Remember that you are a whole human being... not only a scientist, and use all your skills
And last but not least... come and work at Carbon Brief (thanks Robert McSweeney;))

We would again like to thank our five panellists, namely - Felicity Liggins (Climate Scientist and Outreach Program Manager from the Met Office, UK), Robert McSweeney (Science Writer for Carbon Brief), Lindsey Nicholson (SeniorPostDoc from the University of Innsbruck, Austria), Kerim Nisancioglu (Prof. of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Norway) and Wiebke Schubotz (Project Coordinator of HD(CP)² at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Germany) and everybody who attended and participated in the lively discussion.

If you would like more details, you can read up on twitter @EGU_CR, search for the #CareerPanel.

... and maybe see you next year at EGU!

The National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs has issued a new FAQ to address specific questions regarding proposal submittals to its Antarctic Research program solicitation.

The FAQ, "Compliance Issues to Avoid When Submitting Proposals to the NSF Antarctic Research Program Solicitation (NSF 17-543)", can be found at https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf17082.

The Antarctic Research program solicitation (NSF 17-543), describes all requirements for submitting a proposal and can be found in HTML and PDF formats at https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf17543.

The deadline for full proposals is 5:00 PM, at the submitter's local time, on May 23, 2017.

Storkobbe ved 80N Svalbard Audun Rikardsen for CAFF

CAFF to announce the publication of the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report, a publication from the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program's marine component.

The State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report (SAMBR) is a synthesis of the state of knowledge about biodiversity in Arctic marine ecosystems, detectable changes, and important gaps in our ability to assess state and trends in biodiversity across six focal ecosystem components (FECs):

CAFF invites you to browse through the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring or delve deeper with the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity full report. CAFF also encourages you to download the graphics and data that appear in the report from our Arctic Biodiversity Data Service.

CAFF also would like to take this opportunity to thank all contributors to this report for this excellent achievement, including the CBMP's Marine Steering Group and Expert Networks.

Please do not hesitate to contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions or comments.

CAFF green

Each year the Australian Academy of Science runs a Theo Murphy Australian Frontiers of Science Symposium for early- and mid-career researchers. This year’s topic is The Antarctic Frontier: developing research in an extreme environment which is relevant to the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists.

Does your research push the boundaries?

Do you want an opportunity to learn about and form cross-disciplinary collaborations?

Would you like an opportunity to network with the nation’s next generation of science leaders?

Then apply to take part in the 2017 Theo Murphy Australian Frontiers of Science – The Antarctic Frontier: developing research in an extreme environment to be held in Hobart 13 —15 September by the Australian Academy of Science.

Antarctica represents a unique and powerful natural laboratory for science and international collaboration. This symposium will bring together Australasian early- and mid-career researchers (EMCRs) from all fields relevant to Antarctic and Southern Ocean science.

Over two days, EMCRs will share their latest research findings, build networks and create pathways for future interdisciplinary research. This symposium is an outstanding opportunity for EMCRs to take part in shaping the future of Antarctic science.

Approximately 70 EMCRs (up to 15 years post-PhD, excluding career interruptions) will be chosen to attend the conference. The Theo Murphy (Australia) Fund will support the attendance costs of all successful applicants.

Find out more and apply to attend this year’s Frontiers of Science by Thursday 25 May and take part in this unique event which will enhance your career development. Applicants will be notified of the selection outcomes by 30 June. If you require any further information please contact Dr Sandra Gardam on 02 6201 9426 or via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Dear INTERACTers,

One of our aims in the second phase of INTERACT is to create a collection of state-of-the-art educational materials about the Arctic, for all levels of education (Work Package 2).

An important part of the process is to gather feedback from teachers and educators. In order to do so, we have set up an Internet survey. A link to the survey has been published on our INTERACT website (Outreach section) and on our Facebook page. The survey is anonymous and closes on 2nd June 2017.

And this is where we kindly ask you for your support: please share this link wherever you think it would be appropriate, e.g. on your website, on your official Facebook page, or among teachers and educators you are in contact with. The more answers we get, the better we know what are the teachers' needs and expectations!

The survey is here: http://www.eu-interact.org/outreach2/

and here (a direct link): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9bpv_iV3Vixbm5NlEurPN5mQstI7Hvx_a1StNzH6_cBG2yg/viewform

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Thank you very much for your support!

Best regards,

Wojciech Piotrowski
Department of Polar and Marine Research
Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences
64 Ksiecia Janusza St., 01-452 Warsaw, Poland
Phone: +48 22 6915 817, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Each year IASC reports on its activities and highlights international Arctic science initiatives in its Bulletin. The 2017 Bulletin is now available for download on the IASC website. A printed copy was distributed at the ASSW 2017 in Prague, Czech Republic. A limited amount of printed copies is available upon request.

Download the 2017 Bulletin [6 MB] here: http://iasc.info/images/media/print/bulletin/Bulletin2017.pdf

Want to find out more about IASC's cross-cutting initiatives, like those reported in the 2017 Bulletin?

IASC's 2017 Cross-Cutting funding call is open now until June 30, 2017.

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to draw your attention to our upcoming #GreatAntarcticClimateHack.

The #GreatAntarcticClimateHack will be held October 9-12 2017, at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography Forum, La Jolla, CA. Our first-ever Climate Hack will focus on bringing Antarctic and Southern Ocean observations to bear on evaluating the latest generation of climate and earth system models (with an emphasis on CMIP), producing new climate model metrics for the 21st century.

#GreatAntarcticClimateHack is a workshop to train non-modeling experts to interrogate CMIP model results and evaluate against observational datasets, thereby creating new model metrics and validation tools. The aim of the workshop is to facilitate preparation for the next IPCC report for a much broader science community, increase non-traditional climate modeling publications, and learn to apply/utilize data sets that help develop model validation skills.

This first workshop will accommodate 50 participants on site, and 50 participants to join remotely online.

To learn more or apply to attend, please visit http://www.scar.org/antclim21/antclim21-news.

Submission Deadline is 30 May 2017.

The Organizing Committee
Joellen Russell, Tom Bracegridle, Jeff Severinghaus, Alia Khan and Nancy Bertler

The Institute for Broadening Participation (IBP) announces the availability of the Pathways to Science website, which provides a listing of resources for graduate students, postodoctoral researchers, and early career scientists. Resources include, but are not limited to, fellowships, grants, travel awards, mentoring opportunities, and webinars.

Available resources are listed on the Pathways to Science website at: http://pathwaystoscience.org/index.aspx.

The mission of the IBP is to increase diversity in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce. IBP designs and implements strategies to increase access to STEM education, funding, and careers, with special emphasis on diverse underrepresented groups.
Resources are also available for faculty, administrators, undergraduate students, and K-12 teachers.

For more information about Pathways to Science and to search available opportunities, go to: http://pathwaystoscience.org/index.aspx.

For questions, contact IPB at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

On Sunday 2 April around 50 early career researchers assembled in the Clarion Congress Hotel Prague for a one day workshop organised by APECS prior to the start of Arctic Science Summit Week. The day started with two panel discussions and after lunch, participants could attend two of three different breakout sessions. By the end of the day we had all learnt something new (did you know that there are flamingos in Siberia?!) and came away with new ideas and friends. Below are the take home messages from each of the sessions.

Panel 1 - Turning science into policy: working with international organisations
Bob Rich (ARCUS), Joseph Nolan (EPB) and Kristina Bär (EU-PolarNet); chaired by Igor Pessi.

After introducing themselves the panelists were asked how they got into their current jobs. For Joseph and Bob, this involved taking internships and all of the panelists stressed the importance of asking for opportunities. The discussion then turned to how best to communicate science and societal impact. The importance of engaging with policy makers and funding organisations was stressed: if they are not aware of your research they can’t act on it or support it! Taking time to talk to the public was also highlighted and Kristina pointed out that you should aim to present your research at the level a 12-year old would understand.
Top tips:
- Take whatever opportunities you can and be persistent asking people for help.
- Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know, but be able to refer the person to someone who does.
- Be able to tailor content to who you’re talking to and listen.
Panel 2 - Building successful collaborations with indigenous organisations and communities
Arnajaaq Lynge (Greenland Research Council), Nikita Kaplan (Union of Indigenous Communities of the Evenki Municipal District), Lara Horstmann (University of Alaska Fairbanks), Nicole Misarti (University of Alaska Fairbanks) and Joachim Otto Habeck (University of Hamburg); chaired by Emily Choy and Meagan Grabowski.

Arnajaaq opened the panel by emphasizing that even within an indigenous group, in her case Inuk, there can be large demographic variations in values e.g. old vs young people. Nikita followed by giving a fascinating insight into the difficulties Evenki in Russia face in gaining legal protection for their land, for example against commercial logging. The discussion then focussed on how best to work with indigenous communities. All the panelists stressed the importance of fully engaging as early as possible and being humble: respecting that the local people know their land and lifestyle better than you ever will.
Top tips:
- Make contact early (even before funding is confirmed).
- Think about your role: it will be different depending on your gender and where you’ve come from.
- Talk to people e.g. give a seminar at the school.
- Who best to contact? Wide variation across the Arctic.
- You have visited them so don’t be surprised if they want to visit your home.
Breakout 1 - Getting into the field
Karolina Bælum (Svalbard Science Forum), Hannele Savela (INTERACT) and Philip Wookey (Heriot Watt University).

Karolina and Hannele opened the session by giving an overview of the Arctic Field Grant and INTERACT funding schemes, respectively. Phil then gave his insights from the reviewer side of the process. Afterwards workshop participants had a go and scoring 4 real-life proposals.
Top tips:
- Read and re-read the instructions and eligibility criteria, submit what they asked for.
- Do your background research on your topic area
- Make your proposal clear and visually appealing
Breakout 2 - Writing a funding application
Nicole Biebow (EU-PolarNet) and Peter Schweitzer (University of Vienna).

In this breakout session, Nicole Biebow and Peter Schweitzer provided their personal tips on writing funding applications and examined the current funding landscape, in particular on the evolution of modern topics. For example, 2017 is the first year that the European Commission has identified the Arctic as one of their main research foci. Announcements such as this serve as hints to take advantage of the opportunities associated with the surge in international Arctic interest!

Top tips:
- Though the majority of funding is reserved for big consortia, there are often smaller grants (e.g. INTERACT) reserved for early-career researchers. Submissions to these types of grants will provide practice in clear-concise writing--key elements for a successful grant. ECRs should also get involved by attaching themselves onto larger project proposals.
- Important to stress societal relevance: why should taxpayer money be invested into your research?
- Project outreach should be innovative and creative, to really engage the public. Grant readers can often tell when you are including E&O as simply to tick the box. The ideal outreach should already be integrated into your research.
- Check your proposal for typos, and include informative and useful figures to enhance the reviewer’s reading experience!
Breakout 3 - Perspectives on education and outreach

TJ Young (APECS), Alex Thornton (APECS), Hanne Nielsen (APECS) and Federica Scarpa (IASC)

Alex and Hanne opened the session by giving an overview of the different outreach strategies that APECS is involved in and how to get involved in those. Federica Scarpa then gave a talk on communication strategies with a focus on tailoring content to specific audiences. Afterwards participants divided up into three groups. One group focussed on the language used to communicate science in terms of reading level of the average citizen. They then had a go at describing their research using only the 1000 most common English words: not an easy task! Another group investigated how to effectively plan and implement a social media strategy, using IASC’s goals as a guideline. The brainstorming conducted during this time will be fed back to IASC to improve their social media presence.

APECS workshop ASSW2017

APECS Webinar: The first and only ice core histories from the Kilimanjaro ice fields

May 24, 20-21 GMT

[Note time change]

By Lonnie G. Thompson

Distinguished University Professor, School of Earth Sciences and Senior Research Scientist, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, The Ohio State University

Abstract

A little history Ice core recovery in the tropics, getting started and lessons learned on the Quelccaya ice cap that would later be applied on getting the Kilimanjaro ice core paleoclimate program started. I will explain the reasoning for selecting Kilimanjaro to do field work, first, by giving a short recount sampling shallow snow pits and shallow ice cores from Mt. Kenya, Africa 1978, which set the wheels in motion that would ultimately lead to the successful drilling of the ice fields of Kilimanjaro 22 years later. Essentially no research had been conducted on Kilimanjaro for over 30 years before our journey to the mountain in 1999. I plan to document how we went about setting up the necessary contacts to carry out the first shallow ice core recovery program on Kilimanjaro which would pave the way for the major ice core recovery program conducted in 2000. We conducted back to back research programs on Kilimanjaro in 1992 and 2000 and again in 2006. We have continued to obtain aerial and satellite photos of the shrinking ice fields since 2000 through 2017.

APECS OCEANIA SYMPOSIUM
“Addressing future Antarctic challenges from an Oceania perspective”
Monash University, Melbourne Australia & University of Canterbury, Christchurch New Zealand
18th – 19th September 2017

Rapid global changes are challenging our perception of the world and threatening biodiversity around the planet. The Antarctic Region is no exception, and whilst largely considered to be pristine, and a “nature reserve, devoted to peace and science”, it is at risk from multiple pressures. The Antarctic Peninsula has experienced one of the most rapid temperature rises in the Southern Hemisphere, and managing invasive species to Antarctica has been labelled as the number one priority of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP). Tourist numbers to the region continue to grow and more countries are interested in joining the Antarctic Treaty System and being involved with the governance of Antarctica. We are only beginning to understand what these changes mean for Antarctic science, biodiversity and society.
From an Oceania perspective, how are we addressing these changes? In what way can we contribute to perpetuate the aims of the Antarctic Treaty and the Protocol for Environmental Protection to the Antarctic? The 1st APECS Oceania symposium aims to bring together early career Antarctic researchers from across Oceania to address these questions and to invoke for answers to the future Antarctic challenges.

Date:
The symposium will run on 18th – 19th of September as part of Polar Week celebrations worldwide.

Venues:
The symposium will be held in Australia and New Zealand simultaneously with presentations from early career scientists and keynote speakers from both countries. The venues will be connected via video link to allow attendees to participate in all sessions across the Tasman Sea.
The venues for this event are:

Australia: Monash University, Level 7 Monash University Conference Centre Collins Street, Melbourne.
New Zealand: University of Canterbury, Christchurch, NZ

Abstract Submission:
Opening: A call for abstracts is now open
Closes: Abstract submission closes on the 9th of June 2017
Click link here for Abstract submission

Guidelines:

All abstracts will be written in English
Abstract must be limited to 300 words
Include your name and any other authors involved in this presentation
Include your institution and your additional author institutions
Include a short title which summarises your presentation
State which session you want your abstract to be submitted to
State which country and time zone you will be presenting from, so that we can find a sensible time slot for your presentation

Indian Polar Research Network (IPRN) (APECS India) in collaboration with Department of Geology, University of Delhi organised a talk titled “What lies beneath the ice - Role of Geologists in Antarctic Sciences” on 24th March 2017 in Ram Lal Anand College, University of Delhi. This event was to mark the International Polar Week Spring 2017 celebration and followed this year’s theme of Polar week - People of the Poles: Human Use and Appreciation of Earth’s Polar Regions. The event was organised to introduce and popularize Antarctic sciences to the undergraduate geology students of Delhi University.

2 Prof. Pant explaining Why explore Antarctica The event commenced with an introduction of Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and its national committee Indian Polar Research Network (IPRN) to the audience. I explained the significant findings about the melting of Antarctic ice sheet and subsequent predictions of sea level rise emphasizing the role Antarctica plays in regulating the global climate and oceanographic system. Prof. Naresh Pant, who has been working in Antarctic Geosciences from last 30 years, briefed the audience about the recently identified research priorities for Antarctic Earth Sciences. The introductory session brought out the key reasons for conserving and exploring Antarctica to the audience and initiated a dialogue.

3 Mayuri explaining her research work The third component of the talk was to highlight the fields and disciplines through which geologists contribute to Antarctic Sciences. This was described by Ms. Mayuri Pandey who is a research scholar at Department of geology, University of Delhi and also an IPRN member. She has recently submitted her PhD in Antarctic sciences and has been a part of 36th Indian Expedition to Antarctica. Her work includes provenance studies of the Wilkes Land through IODP (U1359) sediments, paleoclimate studies through clay minerals and interpreting sub ice geology through different methods. She aptly explained different areas of geology in polar sciences that are: Glaciology, Climatology, marine sediments study and interpreting sub ice geology through indirect methods like geophysics and remote sensing with a glimpse of her research work as well. Study of micro-meteorites found in marginal marine sediments was also explained by her.

I concluded the talk with details of Indian Antarctic programme and the procedure to participate in it through the student participation scheme of National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research (ESSO-NCAOR), an Earth System Science Organisation under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) - Government of India. Career opportunities in polar geosciences and the various information portals like APECS Jobs portal were also highlighted for students interested in polar research. The talk was attended by about 80 students along with the faculties of the University of Delhi. The feedback by the young students was highly encouraging and we plan to organise similar kind of event regarding Arctic sciences as well.

amap logo The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) announces the release of new scientific assessments for climate change in the Arctic, adaptation to Arctic change, and chemicals of emerging Arctic concern. The release of the scientific assessments took place at the AMAP-organized science conference in Reston, Virginia on 24-27 April 2017.

Available assessments (policy-makers summaries) include:

Additional documents are available for each assessment and may include a press release, a fact sheet, a summary for policy-makers, and scientific
background documentation. The SWIPA assessment also includes informational videos.

The conclusions and recommendations of these assessments will be presented to the Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in Fairbanks, Alaska on 11 May 2017.

To access all of the assessments and their associated documents, go to: http://tinyurl.com/AMAP-Assessments.

For more information about AMAP, go to: http://www.amap.no/.

APECS 10 year logo APECS has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the European Polar Board (EPB), recognising our common goals of engaging and supporting polar science through scientific activities, promotion of polar facilities, and education, outreach and communication. The EPB and APECS recognise the importance of fostering the next generation of researchers that will be faced with increasingly critical challenges due to the impacts of climate change on the polar regions and their global significance.

Gerlis Maaike2

The MoU was signed by EPB Chair, Maaike Vancauwenberghe, and APECS Executive Director, Gerlis Fugmann, during the EPB Spring 2017 Plenary Meeting in Prague.

The European Polar Board (EPB) is an independent organisation that focuses on major European strategic priorities in both the Arctic and the Antarctic regions. Current EPB membership includes research institutes, funding agencies, scientific academies and polar operators from across Europe.

The EPB envisions a Europe with a strong and cohesive polar research community and wherein decisions affecting or affected by the polar regions are informed by independent, accurate, and timely advice from the EPB.

The EPB has a mission to improve European coordination of Arctic and Antarctic research, by optimising the use of European polar research infrastructures. We promote multilateral collaborations between our Members and provide a single contact point for the global polar community. We advance the collective knowledge of polar issues, particularly in the context of European societal relevance.

The EPB and APECS look forward to years of further collaboration.

More information on EPB can be found at http://www.europeanpolarboard.org/.

The session program for POLAR2018, the joint SCAR and IASC conference, is now online on http://www.polar2018.org/program.html, together with a tentative schedule for the Open Science Conference week and further information about the conference venue.

Abstract submission will open on 1 September 2017. POLAR2018 takes place from 15 - 26 June 2018 in Davos, Switzerland.

Travel grants are available for early career scholars to participate in the Arctic-FROST meeting and the workshop on Community Sustainability in the Arctic: What sustainability theories and practices work and what fail in Arctic Communities? Organized in Narsaq, Greenland, Sept 13-17, 2017.

Arctic-FROST: Arctic FRontiers Of SusTainability: Resources, Societies, Environments and Development in the Changing North is a new NSF-funded international interdisciplinary collaborative network that teams together environmental and social scientists, local educators and community members from all circumpolar countries to enable and mobilize research on sustainable Arctic development, specifically aimed at improving health, human development and well-being of Arctic communities while conserving ecosystem structures, functions and resources under changing climate conditions.

The theme of the Annual Meeting and Early Career Scholars Workshop is on Community Sustainability in the Arctic. Papers could deal with (1) sustainability and sustainable development in the Arctic or Sub-Arctic of particular relevance to the rest of the world, (2) comparative studies of sustainability between Arctic and other regions, (3) studies from various geographic contexts, which provide valuable insights into Arctic sustainability, (4) studies that analyze the role of outside actors in arctic sustainable development are welcome.

The main focus question of the conference is “What sustainability theories and practices work and what fail in Arctic communities?”

At this meeting the Arctic-FROST casts a wide net and welcomes papers that address one of the following broad categories:
Sustainable environments
Sustainable economies
Sustainable cultures
Sustainable regions/communities

All participants:
(1) Will present their work at the Annual Meeting (all papers/presentations will be published online and considered for inclusion in the Arctic-FROST edited volume and/or in Polar Geography)
(2) Will participate in discussions and round tables with leading sustainability science researchers
(3) Will participate in the Workshop activities immediately following the Annual Meeting

Eligibility: an applicant shall be
(1) early career scholar (5 years since PhD) or current graduate student
(2) Arctic-FROST network member by registering at www.uni.edu/arctic/frost
(3) prepared make an oral presentation on the subject related to sustainability and/or sustainable development in the Arctic or Sub-Arctic regions at the meeting and
(4) available to participate in all conference and workshop activities.

We accept applications from eligible applicants from all countries, disciplines and institution types. Applications from Indigenous scholars and Arctic residents are especially encouraged.

Funding: Arctic-FROST will cover full cost of attendance including travel and accommodations. Normally funds will be paid after the travel is completed; based on the reimbursement claim. The participants will be expected to comply with NSF travel requirements.

Application deadline: May 10th, 2017

Quantarctica promo slide

Making Antarctic Maps and Figures with Quantarctica

June 7, 2017

13:00 - 14:00 GMT

Description

One of the most time-consuming and stressful parts of any Antarctic research project is simply making a map. Whether it’s plotting your own data points, lines, or images; making the perfect “Figure 1” for your next paper, or replying to a collaborator who says “Just show me a map!,” it seems that quick and effective map-making is a skill that we take for granted.

However, finding good map data and tools for Earth’s most sparsely-populated and poorly-mapped continent can be exhausting. The Quantarctica project (http://quantarctica.npolar.no/) aims to solve these problems by providing a package of pre-prepared scientific and geographic datasets, combined with easy-to-use mapping software for the entire Antarctic community.

In this webinar, we'll take a quick tour of what's available for you in Quantarctica before learning how to import and analyze your own scientific data. Then we'll dive into the world of cartographic design and show you how to create a great-looking, publication-quality map of your study site.

Registration link

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8483520940369720067

The U.S. Permafrost Association will provide travel grants for U.S.-based students and post-graduate researchers (within six years of their terminal degree) to attend conferences, field schools, or pursue field studies directly relevant to permafrost science and engineering in 2017. Successful applicants will receive a minimum of $500, up to a maximum of $1,500. The value of awards will be based on the merit of applications.

For conferences, the applicant must be first author on a permafrost-related research presentation. Early Career Travel Grants will not be awarded for the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting; AGU travel grant opportunities will be announced later in 2017.

Preference will be given to applicants who are current members of both USPA and the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN). Undergraduate students are encouraged to apply.

Apply at http://www.uspermafrost.org/and use the application form.

To view previous USPA travel grant award winners, see http://uspermafrost.org/education/UPEF/
To renew your membership, please visit http://www.uspermafrost.org/

The application deadline is May 15, 2017.

Find here the travel grant flyer. Questions? Email Dan Vecellio at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

EGU Cryosphere APECS 10 year logo The EGU 2017 offers plentify for polar ECRs from panels to social events! Whether it’s your first big conference and you are not sure how to approach it or you just want to catch up with some ‘old’ friends and colleagues. We kick-off the polar-rich EGU week during the Pre-Icebreaker Cryo meet-up on Sunday (23.4.) and head to the Icebreaker together afterwards.

Not sure which path your career might take? Join the APECS-EGU Cryosphere Polar Science Career Panel on Thursday (27.04, Session SC66/CL6.05/CR6.14), where our five panellists will engage in discussions around experiences, career paths and choices.

And meet up on Cryo Night Out (jointly organiyed by EGU Cryosphere Division and APECS on Thursday (27.04.) for a social evening with your peers.

Look out for more polar news, sessions and events on the EGU Cryospheric Sciences Blog, Facebook and APECS website.

On behalf of Arctic 21, ICCI is organizing a "policy preview" afternoon seminar on April 24 at the Arctic Council/AMAP conference venue in Reston (current agenda attached). The seminar will feature participation of many of the lead authors from AMAP's "SWIPA" (Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic) update report that will be officially released the next day; and is organized primarily for Washington policy makers who might not have the chance to attend the entire conference. It will include a panel discussion of the implications of these findings for the Arctic Council Ministerial meeting to be held in Fairbanks on May 11; for Arctic security issues; as well as for the future of the Paris Agreement and the 2018 Stocktaking Exercise.

More info can be found in the workshop program.

Clic logo1

The Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) Scientific Steering Group of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) met for its 13th session on February 17-18, 2017. The meeting was hosted at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and took place in conjunction with the International Symposium on the Cryosphere in a hanging Climate held from February 13-17, 2017. More than twenty presentations were in the agenda, and twenty-seven participants from thirteen different countries attended the meeting (both at the location and participating remotely). The meeting was led by CliC Co-Chairs Gerhard Krinner and James Renwick.

CliC group picture Lawrence Hislop, CliC Director, welcomed the participants and highlighted the different topics of the meeting: among them were evaluation of current projects benchmarking), identification of potential duplication of CliC activities, an update of the current Science Plan and new initiatives, linkages to other organizations and research groups, etc.

A number of oral sessions covered the wide range of CliC and WCRP activities from contributing to the 6th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to CliC supported Coupled Model Intercomparison Projects.

A focus was also on the multidisciplinary WCRP Grand Challenges: melting ice and global consequences, climate sensitivity, carbon feedbacks in the climate system, weather and climate prediction, water availability, sea-level change and its coastal impacts. The participants critically-reviewed the 2016-2020 CliC Science Plan, which describes their overarching research needs and themes: terrestrial cryosphere; marine cryosphere; ice sheets, glaciers and sea level; global and regional prediction and projection of the cryosphere.

Suggestions on the Science Plan were welcomed and led to an exciting discussion between the delegates about our future in an ongoing climate change. The core questions span the entire diversity of the Earth’s cryosphere: How much carbon is available in permafrost ? Why are Arctic and Antarctic sea ice behaving differently ? What is the contribution of glaciers and ice sheets to changes in global sea level on decadal-to-centennial timescales ? How does the cryosphere interact with the climate ? The answers are at the heart of an ongoing research effort across the science community. The group concluded that the current and proposed activities still reflect CliC priorities and that further work needs to be done to answer these questions.

CliC meeting room

As the APECS representative Christian Wild, I updated the participants on the actions of the Association of Polar Early Carrer Scientists (APECS). He pointd out that young scientists are passionate to contribute knowledge within the cryospheric community, be it through collecting invalueable observations, international research collaborations or education and outreach products related to the polar regions. CliC should clarify how to include Early Career Scientists generally in their activities through leadership, membership, planning and funding possibilities. Additionally, he gathered information about upcoming conferences/workshops and other opportunities for early career scientists to become actively involved. His participation at the meeting was a great experience and as his PhD topic targets the interaction between ice shelves and the ocean, he particularly enjoyed the discussion about the stability of the Antarctic ice shelves given the increase in both oceanic and atmospheric temperatures.

From a personal perspective, he had the chance to liaise with world-eminent experts of climate research and had the opportunity for more informal discussions during the breaks. Christian was also responsible for taking minutes and contributed to the meeting report. The final report of the 13th meeting of the WCRP’s CliC project Scientific Steering Group is now available at the CliC webpage and can be found here: http://www.climate-cryosphere.org/news/clic-news/1558-clicssg13reportavailable.

EU-PolarNet and a group of 50 polar experts and stakeholders are working together to develop a set of polar white papers. These white papers will provide a state of the art for a range of societal relevant polar issues and outline possible approaches on how to address these. We now would like to invite you to contribute to this process.

A brief anonymous online survey aims at giving you a chance to state where you see challenges and opportunities arising in the Polar Regions, which should be solved by future research. Your answers will build a fundamental basis for the white papers, which - once completed - will be given to the European Commission and other funding agencies as recommendations towards which issues need further investigation.

The survey comprises a short list of demographic questions, including your area of expertise, nationality and gender and one main question:

What are the most important topics in relation to your work and/or everyday life (either locally, nationally or internationally) in the Polar Regions that should be solved by future research?

You will be able to list three topics. We will then ask you to categorize your topics under one of the five overarching themes:

o People and societal issues
o Climate and cryosphere
o Sustainable resources and human impact
o Polar biology, ecology and biodiversity
o New technology

Please follow this link to participate in the survey: http://www.eu-polarnet.eu/project-themes/polar-research-for-science-and-society/public-consultation-on-research-priorities/

We are very much looking forward to your input and please feel free to share this survey with anyone who could be interested in participating.

If you have any questions, please get in touch and we will be happy to assist. We apologize if you receive this information from various people.

Thank you and kind regards,
In the name of the EU-PolarNet consortium

The IPA (International Permafrost Association) and IAG (International Association of Geomorphologists) have a reciprocal arrangement to benefit early-career scientists engaged in glacial and periglacial research. IAG funded early-career scientists to go to ICOP this summer, and now the IPA will provide travel grants to 2 early-career scientists attending the 9th International Conference on Geomorphology to be held in New Delhi in November 2017.

Find here the call for applications.

Sarah M. Strand
Executive Director

IPA Secretariat,
International Permafrost Association
Web: www.permafrost.org
Twitter: @ipapermafrost

IASSA is happy to provide stipends for ICASS IX participants. We are currently able to offer a selection of stipends provided by the National Science Foundation.

National Science Foundation (NSF) stipend for persons residing in The Russian Federation (covers full or part of costs for travel, accommodation and participation fee)

National Science Foundation (NSF) for Indigenous Peoples (covers full or part of costs for travel, accommodation and participation fee)

National Science Foundation (NSF) for early career scholars (covers full or part of costs for travel, accommodation and participation fee)

Application form is found here.

Deadline for all open stipends: April 23

If you have any questions regarding travel stipends, please contact Linus Lundström at the IASSA secretariat (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Please find following information on the Call for Nominations for the Weston Family Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Northern Research, generously supported by The W. Garfield Weston Foundation.

USAPECS is organizing a "Tweetstorm" event to celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd. That day, polar scientists who use Twitter should tweet blurbs about why their research is important (with or without photos) using #EarthScienceIsCool.

Polar enthusiasts around the world are encouraged to contribute!

EarthScienceIsCool

APECS is hosting a webinar titled Snow, Ice, Rivers, and Earthquakes: Himalayan Research and Life in Nepal, presented by Dr. Joseph Shea (University of Saskatchewan) on April 25, 2017 at 9:00 AM MDT (15:00 GMT).

Summary: From 2012-2016 Joe spent four years as a Research Scientist based in Kathmandu, Nepal, working in the "Third Pole". This talk will broadly cover the Himalayan research program that he contributed to, which includes high mountain hydrological and meteorological monitoring, UAVs, glacier modelling, and a major earthquake. Joe will also try to provide some insights into taking up positions in foreign countries, working and living as an expatriate/emigrant, and deviating from the traditional academic path.

Please register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3109116899014571779.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

ASSW2017 iasc web During the recent Arctic Science Summit Week (31 March - 7 April, Prague, Czech Republic) there were two evening poster sessions where early career researchers had the opportunity to showcase their work and impress a team of judges. The well-deserved prizes were awarded on the final day at the closing ceremony. Prizes were awarded for each of the IASC working groups in addition to a 'cross-cutting' prize. The competition was jointly organised by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and APECS and coordinated by Ruth Hindshaw. We would like to thank all the judges who contributed their time to judge the posters and of course to all the presenters!

Winners:

Atmopshere: Elena Kharyutkina "Tendencies in Current Climate Changes and Atmospheric Circulation Variability in the Arctic Region of West Siberia"
Cryosphere: Erlend Knudsen "Observational Evidence for Predictive Skills from Arctic Summer Sea Ice Extent"
Cross-Cutting: Diana Mastracci "“Hacking” Traditional Knowledge Based Solutions to Climate Change. The NASA “Sea-Ice” App Challenge"
Marine: Alex Thornton "Using Pacific Walrus Teeth to Study Patterns of Change in Alaska Food Web Dynamics"
Terrestrial: Anna Bobrik "Carbon Efflux and Soil Carbon Storage: Transect from Taiga to Tundra of Western Siberia
Social & Human: Yana Korneeva "The model of psychological safety of oil and gas shift workers in the Arctic"

The overall winner was Alex Thornton.

Congratulations to all!

2017 ASSW poster prize

Caption: Left - Alex Thornton presenting his winning poster. Right: IASC Vice President Larry Hinzman and APECS President Alice Bradley present Alex Thornton and Erlend Knudsen with their awards.

Windsled is a zero emissions mobile plattform, an specially designed sled inspired in the inuit sled, moved by giant kites, and able to transport up to 6 passengers and up to 2000 kg of cargo.

A radically new concept created first time in 2000 by Spanish team, and developed through 8 succesfull traverses, and more than 20000km covered, 6 in Greenland, and 2 in Antarctica, In 2005-6. A 4000km traverse Novo-SPI-Vostok-Progress station., And in 2011-12, a 3500 km traverse Novo-SP-Patriot Hills.

Proposed Antarctica Windsled Circunnavigation 2018-19, (AWC-18-19). Expedition want to prove the capability of this plattform for developing scientific research in the high Antarctic plateau in a complementary way to existing plattforms but totally clean, cheap, safe and logistically very simple.

See full Project in enclosed document: AWC-18-19 CRYOLIST.

In resume the Project will be composed of 2 diferent traverses,

A- A light and eficient 7500 km traverse around east antárctica, Novo-SP-Dome C-Dome A-Dome Fuji-Novo. Where only light and simple projects of data gathering can fit.

B- A heavier traverse from South Pole to Vostok and Concordia where 1 or 2 scientist can join the sled and have heavier equipment up to 200 kg.

Researchers or Projects interested in participating into the Windsled Expeditions are welcome to contact and make an aplication to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. you can see more general information about windsled in www.greenland.net/windsled.

Aplicants can send a proposal with a máximum 2 page resume of aplicant CV, institutions involved as well as the Project proposed before May 30th 2017.

Acceptance of projects will take place before July 30, 2017.

The Polar Research Coordination Network is seeking survey input from members of the polar researcher community who plan to attend the Scientific Computing with Python conference (SciPy2017) 10-16 July 2017 in Austin, Texas.

The Coordination Network aims to connect the Polar Science, Data, and High-Performance and Distributed Computing (HPDC) communities to extend computing methods and cyberinfrastructure products further into the polar sciences.

To participate in the survey, go to: https://goo.gl/forms/JArnIDL8ifw3o7ZG3.

The annual SciPy Conference brings together participants from industry, academia, and government to showcase their latest projects, learn from skilled users and developers, and collaborate on code development. The full program will consist of tutorials, talks, and developer sprints.

For more information about SciPy2017, go to: https://scipy2017.scipy.org/.

For more information about the Polar Research Coordination Network, go to: http://polar-computing.org/.

For questions, contact:
Allen Pope
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract submission deadline is 10 May 2017 for the next SCAR/Past Antarctic Ice Sheet (PAIS) conference that will be held in Trieste, Italy from 10-15 September 2017.

This is an international conference organized by OGS in collaboration with the University of Trieste, the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ITCP), The World Academy of Science (TWAS), CNR-ISMAR and supported by SCAR, Univ. of Victoria and also by PNRA, IUGG-IACS and IUGG-IAPSO.

The conference target is to inform and discuss on the latest developments in paleo-ice sheet and climate reconstructions using data and models. Researchers and students from geodynamical, climatological, glaciological, oceanographic, and ecosystem communities are also welcome, since their work is crucial for understanding the processes and dynamics of the integrated system

The US National Committee of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (USAPECS) is organizing a "Tweetstorm" event to celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd. The basic gist of the event is that polar scientists who use Twitter should tweet blurbs about why their research is important (with or without photos) on Earth Day using #EarthScienceIsCool.

We're hoping to get good enough participation to trend on Twitter so that there's a lot of exposure for the polar tweets. I think this is a great opportunity to increase awareness of the importance of polar research and I encourage everyone to participate.

Please circulate the Earth Day Tweetstorm flyer at the USAPECS website to anyone you think may be interested in the event! I hope to see your tweets on the 22nd!

APECS International Online Conference 2017 Prizes announced

The much anticipated third annual conference kick-started Polar Week on the 20th of March 2017. 44 spekaers presented over the course of 18 hours, providing many ways of thinking of the polar regions in novel ways. This year’s theme was: “Outside the Box: encouraging alternative solutions for undertaking and communicating polar research.” As a new generation of polar researchers stepping up to the plate, we must embrace new and innovative polar challenges.

APECS congratulates the three prize winners, all of whom have won funds towards future conference travel:

Arctic: Maciej Mańko, Katarzyna Walczyńska (session 1): 'On-board Citizen Science! How Tourist Can Aid Marine Biodiversity Monitoring in Svalbard?'
Antarctic: Hernan Sala: (session 4): 'Why is it Hard to Communicate the Future of the Antarctic Ice Sheet?'
Outside the box: Nuno Pereira (session 2); 'ViRAL: Virtual Reality Antarctica Laboratory'

Thanks to the talented key note speakers Jane Francis (BAS) - Session 1 - and John Walsh (Fairbanks) - Session 4.

We are also grateful to all the presenters and volunteers who made the conference possible.

For links to the conference recordings, and to view all abstracts of the 2017 Online Conference, please see http://www.apecs.is/events/past-event-highlights/event-highlights-2017/apecs-online-conference-2017.html

Victoria University of Wellington’s debut MOOC, Antarctica: From Geology to Human History, launches the 15th of April on the edX open education platform.

This virtual field trip to Antarctica is a free, five week course that will let you learn about and explore more than 500 million years of geological history and 250 years of geographical discovery and scientific endeavour on the coldest, driest, windiest continent on Earth.

Sign up for Antarctica: From Geology to Human History now!

With support from Antarctica New Zealand, Dr Rebecca Priestley and Dr Cliff Atkins visited Antarctica in 2014 to film lectures on location on Ross Island, in the McMurdo Dry Valleys and the Transantarctic Mountains.

Rebecca Priestley, a science historian and writer, visits historically important places and talks to some of the people who are part of shaping today's Antarctica. Cliff Atkins, an Antarctic veteran with 12 seasons on the ice, introduces some of the planet’s most remarkable landscapes and the stories they tell about the past and future of the world's climate.

The course is available through the edX platform—a non-profit, open education platform founded by Harvard and MIT. Enrolments are open now. Sign up and we will see you in Antarctica on April the 15th!

Learn more about this course.

Nominations are now accepted for the APECS International Mentorship Award 2017!

This year there will be two awards, which have been created to acknowledge the time and energy that mentors dedicate to early career researchers each year, and their efforts in building a supportive community.

APECS International Mentorship Award 2017 Categories:

“Member category”: APECS members are encouraged to nominate a mentor who has been an outstanding mentor to them during their career.
“APECS category”: APECS members, committees (including National Committees) and project groups are encouraged to nominate a mentor who has made an outstanding contribution to their APECS committees, activities or the organisation as a whole

The nomination process is open until 28 May 2017. More information about the award and nomination instruction you can find on the APECS website. Only complete nomination packages are accepted.

We are announcing an exciting opportunity to work as Project Manager with APECS and UiT The Arctic University of Norway (UiT)!

The Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) announces a vacant position for a Project Manager. The successful candidate will work on managing the UiT tasks focused primarily on training and outreach activities that complement APECS activities within the recently funded Horizon 2020 EU projects APPLICATE (Advanced Prediction in Polar regions and beyond: Modelling, observing system design and LInkages associated with ArctiC ClimATE change) and INTERACT (International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic). The tasks will include, but are not limited to, organizing a Summer School, the development of an Online Course, and other online training resources for APPLICATE as well as developing a fieldwork planning handbook and a practical field guide for INTERACT. The candidate will support and work with a group of volunteers as part of the project tasks. As part of the distributed APECS International Directorate Office, the candidate will also at times contribute to other APECS activities as needed.

The opportunity is a temporary full-time position until 30 April 2019 in the Research Department of The Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics. The period of appointment may be extended. The Project Manager will be located and employed at UiT in Tromsø, Norway. Additionally, the project manager will hold the title of “APECS Project Officer” within the APECS International Directorate Office. APECS and UiT will collaborate on UiT tasks in the APPLICATE and INTERACT projects. The APECS Executive Director will supervise the candidate remotely from the APECS International Directorate office location at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Potsdam, Germany.

The application deadline is 5 May 2017. The detailed position announcement and more information on how to apply can be found here: https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/137134/project-manager-for-uit-and-apecs

logo SB2017 Large Just one day ahead of the upcoming SCAR Biology Symposium 2017 in Leuven, Belgium, APECS is organizing an Early-Career Workshop under the overarching theme of "Communicating with a non-scientific audience - or: how to explain your research to your grandparents?". Most will agree that communication is key in promoting science and education, but what are characteristics of good communication? We want to tackle this from different perspectives (not only scientific that is) and plan insights given by seniors and hands-on practice. The program is still developing, but make sure to sign up early as it's first-come-first-serve!

Time: 9 July 2017, 9:30 - 16:30
Location: KU Leuven, Kolenmuseum, room KOL 0.04, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium

The workshop is free of charge, but please do register before 12 May 2017! For more information about the workshop and how to register, please visit the APECS website.

APECS Switzerland is organizing a one-day symposium on polar research, the “Swiss Polar Day” that will take place in Zürich on September 7th 2017. The symposium will take place in anticipation of the International Polar Week in September and be hosted by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL.

The symposium will provide a broad overview on all Polar research topics taking place universities/ institutions in Switzerland. Representatives of Swiss universities or research institution will present their university's’ activities in Polar research, inform about research platforms and future plans in Polar research, such as planned expeditions or projects.

The first (largest) part of the day is planned around presentation sessions open for the larger interested public. The second part of the day is reserved for a round table and networking event of the representatives of the universities/ institutes.

We invite you all to invite you all to participate in the presentation sessions of the Swiss Polar Day in September 2017 in Zürich. We also like to encourage you to extend the invitation to your colleagues in Switzerland.

A detailed program and a link for the registration will be available soon!

Thank you for all the great submissions to the APECS International Polar Week Photo Contest 2017! After all the votes are in, we are happy to announce the three winners:

1st Prize in the "PolarPeople in action" category: Stefano Ambroso (Institut de ciencies del mar (CSIC), Spain

This is an expression of the hard work that Polarstern crew does daily on-board. The scientific team want to thank all of them because their work is essential for our investigation. The photo was taken on board of the german icebreaker Polarstern in the Weddell Sea during the expedition ANT XXIX/9 in January 2014.

Stefano Ambroso copy

1st Prize in the "PolarPeople & wilflife" category: Gabriela Roldan (Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury, New Zealand)

'A tune for Adelia', the sound of a violin in the cold silence of Antarctica was enigmatic to the Adelie penguin. January 2015

A tune for Adelia GabrielaRoldan copy

1st Prize in the "PolarPeople at home" category: Elizabeth Erickson (University of California, Santa Barbara, United States)

Enjoying a snack break and rest after cutting ice blocks to build the kitchen walls. Antarctic home life. Ross Sea Ice Shelf, Antarctica, 1 November 2016

2 PolarPeople ElizabethErickson copy

amap logo iasc web APECS 10 year logo The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) will be organizing a workshop on “Scientific Assessments: Process, Dissemination and Impact” at the upcoming International Conference on Arctic Science: Bringing Knowledge to Action in Reston, Virginia, United States on 24 April 2017.

There is an urgent, recognized need to bridge the gap between science and policy to enhance the use of scientific knowledge as a basis for decision-making. Scientific assessments are principal mechanisms for harnessing scientific information to inform policy- and decision-making. A scientific assessment is, however, far more than just a final report or deliverable, it is the entire multi-year process, within which expert knowledge is gathered, evaluated, interpreted - before it is communicated to decision-makers and other audiences.

Participants will have a chance to learn more about scientific assessments, their do’s and don’ts, best practices in translating and communicating science and knowledge into action, and how individual scientists can make their voice heard. Workshop outcomes will contribute with their views to the discussions on the last day of the conference.

The workshop is open to all participants of the International Conference on Arctic Science: Bringing Knowledge to Action.

Registration deadline is on 15 April 2017. To register, please fill out the online form here.

Early career researchers have the opportunity to apply for partial travel support provided by IASC. Application deadline for travel support is 5 April 2017.

For a draft schedule and more information, please visit the APECS website.

For questions please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Polar Week logo2 01 The APECS International Polar Week Photo Contest Spring 2017 has received 60 submissions! And now it’s time for YOU to vote for the best photos in three different categories:

PolarPeople in action
PolarPeople at home
Polar People & wildlife

How to vote?
Go to the photo contest website and look up the photo numbersand the names of the photographers of the photos that you like best in the three categories. And then submit your vote in the polls below:

PolarPeople in action: https://goo.gl/r09qlg
PolarPeople at home: https://goo.gl/LorTId
PolarPeople & wildlife: https://goo.gl/tWNfdQ

You can vote for one photo per category.

Voting deadline is Tuesday 28 March 2017 at 21:00 GMT. The photographers of the best photo in each category will win 100 Euros towards travel to a conference of their choice. The winners will be announced after the voting deadline.

Call for Nominations: Nye Lecturer and Cryosphere Early Career Award
American Geophysical Union, Cryosphere Focus Group Executive Committee

Nomination deadline: 15 April 2017

For instructions about nominations for the Nye Lecturer, go to: http://honors.agu.org/sfg-award-lecture/john-f-nye-lecture/

For instructions about nominations for the Cryosphere Early Career Award, go to: http://honors.agu.org/sfg-award-lecture/cryosphere-early-career-award/

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The American Geophysical Union (AGU) Cryosphere Focus Group Executive Committee announces a call for nominations for the Nye Lecturer and the 2017 Cryosphere Early Career Award.

The Nye Lecturer is selected based on highlighting and recognizing an outstanding cryospheric scientist and her/his recent accomplishments as well as the individual's ability to present exciting science to the non-cryosphere community of AGU scientists. To qualify for the Nye Lecturer, nominees must be an active AGU member.

Formerly known as the Cryosphere Young Investigator Award, the Cryosphere Early Career Award is given annually to one honoree in recognition of significant early career contributions to cryospheric science and technology.

To qualify for the Cryosphere Early Career Award, nominees must be within ten years of receiving their degree, have an active AGU membership, and have their primary affiliation with the Cryosphere focus group.

For more information about award qualifications and nominating instructions for the Cryosphere Early Career Award, go to: http://honors.agu.org/sfg-award-lecture/cryosphere-early-career-award/.

For more information about award qualifications and nominating instructions for the Nye Lecturer, go to: http://honors.agu.org/sfg-award-lecture/john-f-nye-lecture/.

A great opportunity if you are from NU, NWT or Yukon.

For more informtion, please visit the website of the Gordon Foundation: http://gordonfoundation.ca/initiatives/jane-glassco-fellowship/apply/

README leaflet The SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica (CGA) is the authoritative source for Antarctic place names. It was begun in 1992 and consists of approximately 37,000 names corresponding to 19,000 distinct features. These place names have been submitted by the national names committees from 22 countries. Since 2008, Italy and Australia have jointly managed the CGA, the former taking care of the editing, the latter maintaining the database and website. The SCAR Standing Committee on Antarctic Geographic Information (SCAGI) coordinates the project.

Recently, the SCAR Expert Group on Antarctic Biodiversity Informatics and SCAGI have produced an R package around the CGA. This R package (called "antanym") is intended to provide R users with easy access to CGA data, as well as functionality for filtering, searching, and using place names in the R software environment.

The package can be found here, along with installation instructions and examples of its use. Currently the package only exposes data from the CGA but may be expanded at a later date to other place name sources, such as subantarctic gazetteers. For more information about the CGA, see the overview page on the SCAR website or the CGA home page.

Some GIS packages (e.g. QGIS and ArcGIS) are capable of running R scripts, and so the antanym package might also be of interest to GIS users. QGIS users can alternatively access the CGA through Quantarctica, which also provides some of the same functionality for searching and filtering place names.

#GreatAntarcticClimateHack will be held October 9-12 2017, at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography Forum, La Jolla, CA. Our first-ever Climate Hack will focus on bringing Antarctic and Southern Ocean observations to bear on evaluating the latest generation of climate and earth system models, producing new climate model metrics for the 21st century.

#GreatAntarcticClimateHack is a workshop to train non-modeling experts to use observational datasets to interrogate CMIP model results, thereby creating new model metrics and validation tools. The aim of the workshop is to facilitate preparation for the next IPCC report for a much broader science community, increase non-traditional climate modeling publications, and learn to apply/utilize data sets that help develop model validation skills. This first workshop will accommodate 50 participants on site, and 50 participants to join remotely online. To learn more or apply to attend, please visit http://www.scar.org/antclim21/antclim21-news.

The Physical Science Group of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the International Commission on Polar Meteorology (ICPM) of the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS) have provided funding to support the participation of graduate students (M.S. and Ph.D.) and early career scientists (within 5 years of graduation of either Ph.D. or M.S.) in the 12th Workshop on Antarctic Meteorology and Climate. Support can cover the registration fee of $145, hotel accommodation, and airfare. Depending on the number of applications received and their merit, partial support may be awarded to some or all applications. Preference will be given to under-represented groups and applicants from countries with developing Antarctic programs. Selections will be made by the Organizing Committee for the workshop.

To apply: Send a short CV (1 page), a brief statement of the benefit to your career of attendance and how you will contribute to the workshop (1 page), and a budget for the support you are seeking. Send these materials to Dr. David Bromwich, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Receipt of applications will be acknowledged.

Deadline for receipt of applications: April 1, 2017.

Awards will be announced by April 15, 2017. Successful applicants will pay for their justified expenditures and will get refunded later (up to the award amount) based on receipts provided.

Things to remember: The funding is limited and applications will likely be very competitive. Please keep these factors in mind when completing your application, and make your best case for support.

A Great PhD Opportunity! SCAR logo white background

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is the international organization tasked with coordinating research in Antarctica and as part of its 60yr Anniversary celebration, has decided to open its archives for a comprehensive study. This is SCAR’s veritable legacy of sixty years of research coordination at the bottom of the world. We are looking for an enthusiastic and bright scholar to examine the archival documents in order to better understand SCAR’s role in the shaping of Antarctic science and geopolitics as well as to use the historical evidence to cast new light on Antarctica’s present and future. The SCAR archive consists of official documents and correspondence from 1958 to the early 2000s stored in approximately thirty boxes at the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI, Cambridge, UK). The materials document meetings; projects in glaciology, oceanography, solid earth science, and environmental conservation; negotiations and related agreements in the context of the Antarctic Treaty System.

Application Deadline: 07 April 2017

The researcher will be working under the supervision of Simone Turchetti as first academic supervisor and in coordination with Kieron Flanagan, the second supervisor. He/She will also report regularly on the project’s progress to Jenny Baeseman, the SCAR Executive Director.

The researcher will be employed at the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine (CHSTM), University of Manchester, where she/he will receive further training on research methods as well as working space. The PhD student will travel regularly to Cambridge to visit the SCAR archive. SCAR will contribute the office space and incidentals needed by the student to complete the project, as well as some travel costs. SCAR will also provide in-kind assistance to the student while in Cambridge. The investigator may also have the opportunity to attend one of the Antarctic Treaty Meetings to familiarize with the system of scientific governance existing in Antarctica.

The student will familiarize with advanced techniques to carry out archival research including ethical and legal aspects (confidentiality, ethical issues). In defining the historical study, the appointed PhD student will also extensively benefit significantly from the diversity of research interests existing in the supervisory team. She/He will thus draw on other disciplines, including environmental and science studies, international relation studies, and law studies. SCAR’s role will also expose the scholar to a number of other studies in scientific disciplines such as glaciology, oceanography and conservation studies.

Candidates must hold a minimum upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in areas such as: history of science/technology, general history, historical geography, science and technology studies, environmental history or environmental studies or another subject closely relevant to the themes of the project. Candidates with a Masters in a relevant subject area would have distinct advantage. In some cases we may be able to consider relevant professional experience in place of a Master’s qualification: please contact the academic supervisor for guidance before applying. All applicants should also have at least an Upper Second-class undergraduate degree (or non-UK equivalent: see http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/overseas-degree-equivalency-table-and-methodology).

Interviews for the studentship are expected to be held in May 2017.

Funding Notes
This project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. UK applicants qualify for the full studentship. Students from EU countries other than the UK are eligible for a fees-only award. Only EU applicants who have been resident in the UK for minimum of 3 years prior to commencing the studentship, will qualify for the full award. Applicants whose native language is not English must be able to satisfy the English language entry requirements of the University of Manchester: for further guidance see www.manchester.ac.uk/study/international/admissions/language-requirements/

For more information contact Dr. Simone Turchetti (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

On March 21, Russian International Affairs Council will host an expert discussion titled “Science Diplomacy: US-Russia Cooperation in the Arctic”.
The meeting will be broadcasted online at 12:00

Paul Berkman, Coordinator, Arctic Options and Pan-Arctic Options; Professor of Practice in Science Diplomacy, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University; Director, US-Russia Relations Project, Carnegie Corporation, will deliver the key speech at the event.
Leading Russian experts on international cooperation in the Arctic will take part in the discussion.

Discussion Points:

● The Arctic on the international agenda: geopolitical interests, sustainable development and ever-increasing research
● Russia–US cooperation in the Arctic against the background of Russia–West crisis
● Promoting connections between science, diplomacy and technology on the path to good governance and informed decision-making
● Science diplomacy as a way to reduce tension and build common Russia-US interests
● Interaction between scholars on the Polar issues: prospects for joint Russia-US research and multilateral formats

Working Language: English

The meeting will be broadcasted online at RIAC’s website.
You may send your question to the key speaker at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or RIAC’s Facebook page and we will be glad to voice it.

Russian International Affairs Council

APECS is organizing the International Polar Week from March 20-26, 2017. Polar Week is a series of international events with the goal of promoting the science that takes place in polar latitudes, and educating the public about all things polar. The theme of this year's Polar Week is “People of the Poles: Human Use and Appreciation of Earth’s Polar Regions.” On the spring equinox we are hosting an online panel discussion to discuss the nuances, challenges, and successes of working in collaboration with Indigenous people and the role of Traditional Knowledge in northern research.

APECS Polar Week Panel Discussion: Working in Collaboration with Indigenous People and the Role of Traditional Knowledge in Northern Research

Details: Tuesday, March 21, 16:00 - 18:00 GMT

Current Panelists:

Dr. David Atkinson, professor at Ryerson University who works closely with the community of Baker Lake, Nunavut.
Kaare Erickson, Community Liason and Nagruk Harcharek, Science General Manager from Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation in Barrow, Alaska
Vicki Sahanatien, Arctic Ecologist, Iqaluit, NU, Canada

To register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4881513150268143617

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

APECS ran its first online town hall meeting today, with two sessions timed to be accessible to APECS members around the world. The meeting covered some highlights of current activities, including the upcoming online conference and polar week, a recap of the last Antarctica Day. Several ways for APECS members to get more involved were highlighted, including upcoming APECS workshops and webinars, the soon-to-be-announced Mentor awards, and a number of opportunities to volunteer with APECS. Finally, a few areas of growth for APECS were showcased, including ongoing work on Alpine Cryosphere and Third Pole resources within APECS, two new National Committees, and the World Summit planned for 2018. As always, it was stressed that APECS is a volunteer-based organization and that any ideas and/or interested members are welcome. There were a total of approximately 50 participants in the two sessions.

The slides from the Town Hall are available here.

Early-Career Workshop at Arctic Science Summit Week, Prague: “Inter-disciplinary coordination and multi-stakeholder cooperation through the notion of ‘boundary objects’”

Time: Thursday 6.4.2017, First Part: 14.-15.30, Second Part: 16-17.30
Place: The Virgo Room

This early-career workshop introduces one specific way to approach inter-disciplinary coordination and multi-stakeholder cooperation in the Arctic. It consists of two parts. The first part is a round table-session with talks by three early-career and three senior-scientists about their experiences in multi-disciplinary or multi-stakeholder communication between participants from different social worlds. The second part is a workshop-session where early-career scientists exercise communicating their own work, interests and goals to different audiences by using the insights of the notion of ‘boundary objects’ from Science Technology Studies.

Participants who register with Dr. Justiina Dahl (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by 30.03.2017 will be sent a workshop information package upon registration. Registration is, however, not mandatory and pop-ins are welcome.

More information

Fully funded places for early career researchers based in UK and Russia (travel, accommodation and meals) are available on competitive basis.

The Workshop will address the following research topics:

• Observational evidence of change in coupled snow-frozen ground-hydrology-ecology system
• Present state and future projections of local, regional and pan-Arctic and Antarctic hydrology
• Modelling studies representing landscape evolution, dynamics of water storage and permafrost degradation
• Impacts of cold-region hydrology changes on ecology and local communities

Programme includes lectures from leading researchers, presentations from early career researchers, meeting with local stakeholders, field trip to research sites and local excursions.

Applications open now to early career researchers. Deadline is 26 March 2017.

Workshop website: https://sites.google.com/view/cold-regions-hydrology
Workshop contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

arcus logo 75 APECS has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS), recognizing our shared interest in raising the profile of polar research and fostering early career researchers in the field. The MoU was signed by Dr. Robert Rich, the Director of ARCUS, and Dr. Gerlis Fugmann, the Executive Director of APECS.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) was formed in 1988 to identify and bring together the distributed human and facilities resources of the Arctic research community—to create a synergy for the Arctic in which each resource, when combined with others, can result in a strength that enables the community to rise to the many challenges facing the Arctic. ARCUS’s vision is to establish strong and productive linkages among international Arctic researchers, educators, communities, and other stakeholders that promote discovery and understanding of the Arctic and inform sound decisions related to the Arctic. ARCUS members join in a common purpose of advancing knowledge of the Arctic through science, technology, indigenous knowledge, and other forms of knowing; promoting the application of this knowledge to circumpolar Arctic problems; and addressing in concert those questions that require the collaborative skills and resources of scientists, engineers, indigenous knowledge holders, and others throughout the world.

APECS and ARCUS look forward to years of further collaboration.

We are in the process of putting together and editing a book of collected papers on the role(s) of librarians, archivists, and information professionals working in and with the Arctic social sciences and humanities. The working title of the book is “Arctic Social Sciences and Humanities: The Role of Library, Archival, and Information Sciences in the Circumpolar North.” Our aim is to publish the book through Routledge, the international academic publisher, who has expressed interest in the project.

We are seeking proposals for papers on topics related to the roles, activities, and scholarship of librarians, archivists, curators, and information professionals specifically within the context of Arctic social sciences and humanities.

Priority consideration will be given to submissions from:

Persons currently working within Arctic geographies and/or working directly with Arctic materials, information, data, and populations
Persons currently involved with library/archival/museum/information/data projects in Alaska, Canada, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden

Proposals pertaining to all types of libraries, museums, and information centres—including academic, public, government, etc.—will be considered. Possible examples of topics might include, but are not limited to:

1. Current, real-life, applied projects and topics in: special collections, archives, digital humanities, cultural heritage, literacy, education, etc.

2. Current, real-life, applied projects and topics in: information representation and retrieval with indigenous languages, particularly in terms of website and/or database development, language translation, online information-seeking behaviours, etc.

3. Current, real-life, applied projects and topics in: social sciences data/dataset management and curation, particularly related to libraries’ involvement in quantitative or qualitative data for specific disciplines such as anthropology, communication, geography, history, political science, psychology, sociology, etc.

4. Critical, conceptual, and theoretical papers about: libraries and museums as spaces for the communication, display, and critique of Arctic societies and cultures—perspectives from anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, communication studies, gender studies, philosophy, psychology, etc. are encouraged

We are only interested in high-quality proposals. If you have an idea or project in mind and would like to submit a proposal for consideration, please email, in English, the following:

Names, institutional affiliations, and brief biographical information of all intended authors
Email address of primary author/main contact
Proposed title of paper
Proposed abstract of paper (i.e., tell us about your intended paper, please be as specific as possible)

Deadline for proposal submissions: 17 April, 2017.

Authors will be notified of proposal status on: 1 May, 2017. Authors of accepted proposals will be asked to write a paper aimed for academic and professional audiences. Papers must be original submissions not published elsewhere. Papers must be submitted to the editors in English to be included in the book. Complete details for writing the full paper will be sent to authors whose proposals are accepted.

Expected deadline for final paper submissions: 1 September, 2017.

If you have any questions about the proposal process, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you and best regards,

Spencer Acadia, editor
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Marthe T. Fjellestad, editor
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We would like to invite you to submit manuscripts to a special issue of the journal Advances in Polar Science (APS) on “Response of polar organisms and natural environment to global changes”.

APS is an international, peer-reviewed and open-access journal jointly sponsored by the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC) and the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration (CAA). It is a quarterly journal published in March, June, September and December and circulated internationally (ISSN 1674-9928, CN 31-2050/P). Articles published in APS are free of charge with generous funding from PRIC. For more details, please see the attached introduction file or visit the APS’s websites: http://www.aps-polar.org/.

We thank you in advance for your consideration to submit manuscripts to this special issue, and we encourage you to share this announcement broadly with interested colleagues. Any queries should be addressed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Special Issue on “Response of polar organisms and natural environment to global changes”

High altitude and high latitude regions on Earth are experiencing rapid changes in climate, with impacts on polar organisms and the environment. The persistent cold and sometimes inhospitable conditions create unique ecosystems and habitats for polar organisms. This thematic issue will focus on various polar organisms and natural environmental changes including the polar fauna and flora, polar microorganisms, the carbon and nitrogen cycles of the polar tundra, polar environmental change and contamination. In addition, there is an urgent need to identify sensitive indicators of ecosystem history, which may be sentinels for change or adaptation. For instance, plant quadrats are one platform to study the correlations of vegetation (e.g. hair grass, mosses, lichens), microbiology and environmental characteristics, and to monitor the influence of climate change on these organisms. This Special Issue seeks to bring together polar researchers studying different ecological systems and components of the food web, and to consider these sensitive natural environments in a changing global perspective. We welcome relevant contribution on this topic.

Submitted manuscripts, except for review papers, should be complete and adequately supported by original investigation; they should not be versions of communications submitted or published elsewhere. All manuscripts will undergo regular review by members of the Editorial Board and other appropriate experts.

The schedule for this special issue is:

• Paper submission deadline: 10 February 2017 (extended into 30 March 2017)

• Final acceptance deadline: 30 April 2017 (extended into 30 May 2017)

• Publication: June 2017

Details can be found at http://www.aps-polar.org/news/details/M161017000002OvRy

Prof. Xiaoliang Ling

Assistant Editor

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: https://www.aps-polar.org

Online Submission: https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/apsci

APECS 10 year logo You are invited to the APECS Online Town Hall meeting, a webinar-based meeting open to APECS members and the public. There will be updates on APECS news and activities, calls for volunteers for projects that could use some additional help, and APECS leaders on the call to answer questions.

We're going to run two meetings so that there is one available during normal waking hours for APECS members around the world. Session 1 will be 09:00 GMT and session 2 will be 20:00 GMT (4:00pm EST). The two sessions will cover the same content.

Spanish Language Webinar: Writing for Success! Preparing winning fellowship applications

Preparing a successful fellowship application is a skill. Often, lack of success with applications is not due to a poor research idea but comes down to the inability to express clearly and confidently, in writing, your research to someone else. Everyone’s writing skills can be improved and be made more effective. This mentoring activity is designed to help early career persons with developing their fellowship proposal writing skills. It is particularly meant for young researchers in countries with a small or just developing Antarctic research community that may not have adequate mentoring in their home institutions.

The need for such mentoring arose after review of the many hundreds of SCAR and COMNAP Fellowship applications received over the past several years. Funding is limited and so reviewers often need to make difficult choices. Success or failure often depends on whether the proposal is written clearly and efficiency.

After the success of the first training webinar held in 2016 (recording available here https://vimeo.com/165109392), SCAR, COMNAP and APECS will be partnering again to hold a similar training webinar, but this time in Spanish . Writing about research can be difficult, writing in your second (or third) language poses yet another set of challenges. This webinar hopes to provide additional tips and tricks for writing applications in English for Spanish speakers.

Join us for a webinar on our fellowships and tips for successful applications on 15 March 2017 at 13:00 GMT

Speakers/Panel participants will be:

Jéronimo López-Martínez (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid) (Past President of SCAR 2012-2016)
Irene Schloss (Instituto Antártico Argentino)
José Retamales (Instituto Antártico Chileno )
Carlota Escutia (Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, University de Granada )
Gabriela Roldan (Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury)
Pablo Wainschenker (Antarctic Treaty Secretariat)
Luis R. Pertierra (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos)

Register for the webinar here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7208702077454125059

Background

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) initiated the SCAR Fellowship Programme in 2002. The aim was to encourage the active involvement of early career scientists in Antarctic scientific research and to build new connections and further strengthen international capacity and cooperation in Antarctic research. Since the initiation of the programme, 48 SCAR Fellowships have been awarded.

In 2011, the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) launched the COMNAP Antarctic Research Fellowship Scheme, offering one fellowship per year for an early career person in order to carry out research within a COMNAP National Antarctic Program. To date, there have been 10 COMNAP Antarctic Fellowships awarded. In addition, there have been four joint SCAR-COMNAP Fellowships awarded since 2012. This year, the COMNAP Antarctic Fellowships will change their focus, from purely research-based fellowships to a broader opportunity based on a list of projects of direct relevance to National Antarctic Programs.

The Fellowships supports the scientific goals of SCAR and the goal of COMNAP to develop and promote best practice in managing the support to Antarctic science. The Fellowships enable early career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating partnerships that last many years and over many Antarctic research seasons.

This years fellowships will be opened on 1 March with an application deadline of 1 July 2017.

For more information visit http://www.scar.org/awards/fellowships

Link to the PDF announcement.

Seminario web en español: Escribe para tener éxito! Cómo preparar solicitudes ganadoras para las becas de investigación de SCAR y COMNAP

Preparar una solicitud adecuada para una beca de investigación requiere cierta habilidad. Frecuentemente, la falta de éxito en las solicitudes no se debe a la baja calidad de la idea para la propuesta de investigación sino, a la falta de habilidad para expresarla por escrito claramente y con confianza. La destreza para escribir solicitudes puede ser mejorada, con el fin de que estas sean más efectivas. Esta tutoría está diseñada para ayudar a quienes se encuentren en una etapa inicial de su carrera de investigadores y quieran desarrollar aptitudes para escribir propuestas para becas de investigación. En particular, está dedicada a jóvenes investigadores de países con una comunidad científica relativamente pequeña o en proceso de desarrollo, en la cual la disponibilidad de mentores es limitada o inexistente en las instituciones a las que pertenecen.

La conveniencia de una orientación adecuada se pone de manifiesto a raíz de la revisión de las centenares de aplicaciones recibidas a lo largo de los últimos años para las becas de SCAR y COMNAP. Como los fondos son limitados, con frecuencia los revisores tienen que tomar decisiones difíciles. El éxito o el fracaso dependen, en muchos casos, de que las propuestas hayan sido escritas con claridad y eficacia.

Tras el éxito del primer seminario web que se realizó en 2016 (archivo con la grabación disponible en https://vimeo.com/165109392), SCAR, COMNAP y APECS se han unido nuevamente para ofrecer un seminario similar, que en esta ocasión será en español. Escribir sobre una investigación a realizar puede resultar difícil, y hacerlo en una segunda (o tercera) lengua plantea desafíos adicionales. Este seminario tiene como objetivo proporcionar consejos y sugerencias a hispano-hablantes para escribir aplicaciones en inglés.

Participa en el Seminario web sobre las becas de investigación de SCAR y COMNAP y averigua como elaborar solicitudes exitosas: 15 de Marzo de 2017 a las 13:00 GMT

Los presentadores serán:

Jerónimo López-Martínez (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Ex presidente del SCAR, 2012-2016)
Irene Schloss (Instituto Antártico Argentino)
José Retamales (Instituto Antártico Chileno)
Carlota Escutia (Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad de Granada)
Gabriela Roldán (Gateway Antarctica, Universidad de Canterbury)
Pablo Wainschenker (Secretaria del Tratado Antártico)
Luis R. Pertierra (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos)

Regístrate en el Seminario web aqui: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7208702077454125059

Antecedentes

El Comité Científico para la Investigación en la Antártida (SCAR) inicio su programa de becas SCAR en el año 2002. El objetivo fue fomentar la participación activa de investigadores en una etapa inicial de su carrera en investigaciones científicas antárticas, ayudar a construir nuevas relaciones y a reforzar la capacidad y la cooperación internacional en las investigaciones antárticas. Desde el inicio de este programa se han seleccionado 48 becarios SCAR.

En el año 2011, el Consejo de Administradores de Programas Nacionales Antárticos (COMNAP) lanzó su programa de becas COMNAP, ofreciendo una beca por año para una persona en el inicio de su carrera profesional para llevar a cabo un proyecto de investigación dentro de los Programas Nacional Antárticos pertenecientes al COMNAP. Hasta la fecha, se han otorgado 10 Becas Antárticas COMNAP. Además, desde el año 2012 se han otorgado 4 becas conjuntas SCAR-COMNAP. Este año, la beca COMNAP cambiará el enfoque, de becarios basados únicamente en investigaciones abiertas a que sean sobre una lista de proyectos de relevancia directa para los Programas Nacionales Antárticos.

El programa de becas encaja con los objetivos científicos del SCAR y con el objetivo del COMNAP de desarrollar y promover las mejores prácticas en el apoyo de la ciencia antártica. Las becas permiten que investigadores que se encuentran en el inicio de su carrera puedan unirse al proyecto de un equipo de otro país, abriendo así nuevas oportunidades y, en muchos casos, creando conexiones que pueden durar mucho tiempo.

Este año, el plazo para la solicitud de las becas de investigación se abrirá el 1 de Marzo y la fecha de vencimiento es el 1 de Julio de 2017.

Para más información visitar http://www.scar.org/awards/fellowships

Listado de proyectos para aplicar a la Beca de Investigación de COMNAP 2017

Link to the PDF announcement

IPRN (APECS India)’s fourth issue of its quarterly newsletter Polar Bytes Vol 2(2) has been published. In this newsletter, we bring to you the warm memories of Antarctica by a budding glaciologist, weather conditions in the southern ocean explained by a meteorologist, a special section on Biodiversity in Third Pole where two mammalogists share their experiences, news about polar regions, upcoming opportunities and much more.

AMAP Assessment 2015: "Temporal Trends In Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Arctic" has now been published.

Find the electronic version here.

You are kindly asked to contact the AMAP Secretariat if you would like a printed copy.

amap logo

The registration for FRISP 2017 which will be held in Bergen, Norway June 19th-22nd is open: http://folk.uib.no/ngfso/FRISP/news.html

The deadline for registration is 10 April, 2017, but why not do it now?

Master and PhD students can apply for a 30% reduction of the conference fee - the deadline for student application is 15 March, 2017. The support is primarily targeting advanced Master students and PhD candidates, but subsidiaries will be distributed as long as funding is available.

The meeting will take place at Panorama Hotell and Resort on Sotra, an island outside Bergen, Norway, see link above for details.

The FRISP - Forum for Research into Ice Shelf Processes - is an opportunity for scientists working on ice shelf processes to meet in an informal setting and exchanging ideas, results and field plans. Since 2016 FRISP is also confirmed as an Expert Group under the SCAR Physical Sciences Group to focus on the glaciological, oceanic and atmospheric processes governing the behavior of ice shelves that are key to the ice sheet contribution to sea level change: http://www.scar.org/ssg/physical-sciences/frisp

Feel free to spread the word and looking forward to see you in Bergen!

Best wishes from this year's FRISP organizing committee

APECS International Online Conference 2017: Outside the Box: Encouraging alternative solutions for understanding and communicating polar research, think outside the box!

Conference Date: 20 March 2017 (07:30 GMT to 00:30 GMT of the following day)

Event Format: Online conference (webinar)

Registration is now open for audience members to participate in the APECS International Online Conference 2017 "Outside the Box - Encouraging Alternative Solutions for Undertaking and Communicating Polar Research" on 20 March 2017 (07:30 GMT to 00:30 GMT of the following day). It is completely free to attend from the comfort of your home!

How to register? Please register separately for each session of the conference you wish to attend. Once you register you will receive a unique attendance link for each of the sessions you registered for in your email inbox. Please use the attendance links to join the conference as an audience member on March 20. Please register as early as possible but no later than 30 minutes before the session starting time in order for you to receive your attendance link via email. Sessions are limited to 100 participants each.

Session 1 (07:30 - 09:50 GMT): Session 1 Registration Link
Session 2 (10:45 - 12:30 GMT): Session 2 Registration Link
Session 3 (13:30 - 15:45 GMT): Session 3 Registration Link
Session 4 (16:45 - 18:30 GMT): Session 4 Registration Link
Session 5 (19:45 - 22:00 GMT): Session 5 Registration Link
Session 6 (22:30 - 00:15 GMT): Session 6 Registration Link

Outside the Box: As a new generation of polar researchers stepping up to the plate, we must embrace new and innovative polar challenges. Our ability to successfully address such challenges and steer the polar world in a positive direction has far-reaching local, regional, and global consequences. We should not be afraid to venture Outside the Box of the ideas that previous generations of polar researchers have left us in order to overcome the severity of polar challenges we face.

What to Expect: Presenters will address this topic in relation to a wide range of research, including Atmosphere and Climate, Biology, Cultural, Education, Science Communication, Geology, Environmental, Cryosphere, History, Oceanography, Policy research. Audience engagement is encouraged, with time for questions at the end of each 10 minute presentation.

The detailed conference programme including all abstracts can be found on the APECS International Online Conference 2017 Website.

iassa logo1 In June 8-12, 2017 International Arctic Social Science Association (IASSA) are organizing the Ninth International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IX) in Umeå, Sweden.

IASSA is now happy to provide stipends for ICASS IX participants! Please note that we aim to open additional stipends to apply for in the near future. We will update the ICASS IX web page as soon as we know which supplementary stipends we can offer. We currently await final approval on a large application to provide funds to American, Russian, and Indigenous scholars.

Current open stipends:

For persons residing in The Russian Federation (covers full or part of costs for travel, accommodation and participation fee)
For persons residing in Norrbotten in Sweden (covers full cost for travel, accommodation and participation fee)
For persons residing in Nordic countries outside Sweden (covers participation fee)

For more information and application, please visit the ICASS IX website Travel stipends.

If you have any questions regarding travel stipends, please contact Linus Lundström at the IASSA secretariat (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Dear APECS Friends,

Join us for an exciting Young Scientist meeting this summer: the Gordon Research Seminar “Marine Molecular Ecology” at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology from July 22-23, 2017!

Entitled “Molecular Insights into Marine Ecological Interactions from Micro to Macro Scales”, the seminar focuses on cross-disciplinary studies of interactions between all domains of marine life and the ecological impact of climate change. Focal topics include molecular adaptations to changing oceans, marine holobiont functioning, symbioses, chemical signaling, metabolic exchange, co-evolutionary dynamics, and virus-host ecology (http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?id=17043).

In addition to oral/poster sessions where everyone can present and discuss their research, we’ll have two exciting talks by senior scientists: the Keynote Presentation by Rebecca Vega Thurber ("Tracking the Dynamic Roles of the Microbiome and Virome in 250 Million Years of Coral Evolution") as well as a dedicated Mentorship Session with Jed Fuhrman (“Where Marine Microbiology is Going and Advice on How to Get There”).

The seminar offers multiple benefits for young scientists: getting experience in scientific presentation, an informal atmosphere which is ideal for networking and discussion, and vital guidance on career development and hot topics in marine sciences through the Mentorship Component. The seminar is followed by a prestigious Gordon Conference, which everyone should definitely attend as well - two exciting conferences on Marine Molecular Ecology at a fantastic meeting venue overlooking the ocean! A real advantage of Gordon conferences is their small size, with everyone staying/eating at the same place: this guarantees plenty of networking opportunities and social exchange. Last but not least: meals, lodging and sea view are included in the registration fee!

For registration and further details, please visit http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?id=17043

Looking forward to see you in Hong Kong! GRS2017

Quixote Expeditions is excited to announce its 2017-2018 Guest Scientist programfor our Jan 27 – Feb 27, 2018 trip to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Quixote Expeditions has a Guest Scientist Program where scientists can join any of our regularly scheduled trips in order to help them carry out their active research. This can be anyone working on a master’s or PhD thesis, professors and researchers at universities, and scientists associated with non-profits. We offer a free space onboard any of our scheduled trips for scientists to perform their research. We sail in remote places that are often hard for scientists to get to and for those with limited funding, impossible due to the expensive nature of working in remote areas. We hope that by offering these spaces – one per trip, that amazing and interesting science can be continued here at the end of the world.

In exchange we ask that the scientists to contribute the following:

To involve the other guests onboard with the research and data collecting if possible (Its not always possible!).
To present some of their current or past research while onboard.
At the end of the trip to prepare a short write up about the trip and the science that will then be posted on the QuixoteExpeditions Website.
To help operate the vessel (standing watch, helping in the galley, etc). Ocean Tramp, while a large sailboat, is still small compared to a larger research vessel. We ask that all scientists chip in, along with our guests.

We can offer free room and board to one scientists per trip. All other related costs are at the expense of the scientists. Please go to our website for the application and full details http://www.quixote-expeditions.com/guest-scientist/

Cheers,
Laura, Owner
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

QUIXOTE EXPEDITIONS
www.quixote-expeditions.com

Follow us: https://www.facebook.com/QuixoteExpeditions/
Twitter: @QuixoteExped
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quixote_expeditions/

SCAR and COMNAP Fellowships 2017 and CCAMLR Scientific Scholarships 2017

Three leading Antarctic organisations today announce opportunities for early-career researchers. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes (COMNAP) and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) are working together to attract talented early-career researchers, scientists, engineers and other professionals to strengthen international capacity and cooperation in fields such as climate, biodiversity, conservation, humanities and astrophysics research.

SCAR and COMNAP have again joined forces to launch fellowships for early-career researchers. SCAR will offer 4 to 5 fellowships of up to USD $15,000 each for 2017 and COMNAP will offer up to 1 fellowship with funding of up to USD $15,000. The fellowships enable early-career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating partnerships that last for many years and over many Antarctic field seasons. Note that for 2017 the COMNAP eligibility criteria and application process are separate to that of SCAR. The deadline for SCAR and COMNAP applications is 1 July 2017.

The SCAR and COMNAP schemes are launched in conjunction with the Scientific Scholarship Scheme of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). The CCAMLR Scholarship provides funding of up to AUD $30,000 to assist early-career scientists to participate in the work of the CCAMLR Scientific Committee and its working groups over a period of two years. The objective of the scheme is to build capacity within the CCAMLR scientific community to help generate and sustain the scientific expertise needed to support the work of CCAMLR in the long-term. The deadline for CCAMLR applications is 1 October 2017.

All three schemes are being jointly promoted by the three organisations.

For more information on SCAR and COMNAP Fellowships, visit the SCAR website at: http://www.scar.org/awards/fellowships/information.htmlor the COMNAP website at: www.comnap.aq/SitePages/fellowships.aspx

For information on CCAMLR Scholarships, visit the CCAMLR website at: http://www.ccamlr.org/en/science/ccamlr-scientific-scholarship-scheme

Background information:

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR)

www.scar.org

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is an inter-disciplinary committee of the International Council for Science (ICSU). SCAR is charged with initiating, developing and coordinating high quality international scientific research in and from the Antarctic region, and on the role of the Antarctic region in the Earth system. SCAR Science Groups represent the scientific disciplines active in Antarctic research. They conduct the scientific business or SCAR and provide regular reports. In addition to carrying out its primary scientific role, SCAR also provides objective and independent scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings and other policy-oriented organizations, on issues of science and conservation affecting the management of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

The Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP)

www.comnap.aq

Contact: Michelle Rogan-Finnemore, Executive Secretary

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+643 364-2273

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)

www.ccamlr.org

Contact: Andrew Wright, Executive Secretary

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+61 3 6210 1111

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was established by international convention in 1982 with the objective of conserving Antarctic marine life. CCAMLR is an international commission with 25 Members, and a further 11 countries have acceded to the Convention. Based on the best available scientific information, the Commission agrees a set of conservation measures that determine the use of marine living resources in the Antarctic. CCAMLR practices an ecosystem-based management approach. This does not exclude harvesting, as long as such harvesting is carried out in a sustainable manner and takes account of the effects of fishing on other components of the ecosystem.

http://www.scar.org/contacts/

The AGU Cryosphere Focus Group Executive Committee reminds you that it is time to nominate your colleagues for AGU Fellow, AGU Ambassador, Cryosphere Early Career Award (10 years post-degree), and Nye lecturer. Fellow/Ambassador nominations are due March 15, 2017 and award nominations are due April 15, 2017. Instructions for the nominations can be found below. AGU is looking to increase diversity across awards and particularly encourages international and female nominees. International nominees are required to be AGU members for at least 3 years. As a reminder, nominations of Fellows and Ambassadors who declare multiple focus group/section affiliations will be reviewed within each focus group/section they declare within AGU.

If you are interested in participating in the AGU Cryosphere Executive Committee please contact one of the officers listed below. Follow us on Facebook at Cryosphere Focus Group for more information.

Sincerely,

Noah Molotch, Awards Chair

Tavi Murray, President

Lora Koenig, President elect

Sinead Farrell, Secretary

Instructions for nominating an AGU Fellow:

https://honors.agu.org/fellows/union-fellows-nomination/

Instructions for AGU Ambassador:

http://honors.agu.org/medals-awards/ambassador-award/

Instructions for nominating the Cryosphere Early Career Award:

http://honors.agu.org/sfg-award-lecture/cryosphere-early-career-award/

Instructions for nominating the Nye Lecturer:

http://honors.agu.org/sfg-award-lecture/john-f-nye-lecture/

Nye Lecture Criteria for Nominee Proposals

Nominations for Nye Lecture should succinctly address:

a. The candidates history at producing relevant, cutting-edge science in any sub-discipline of cryosphere sciences research, as well as how the candidate’s prominent research would complement the Nye Lecture’s history

b. The candidate’s merit as a prominent member of the cryosphere sciences community

c. The candidate’s merit as an engaging, effective speaker to an audience of non-specialists.

Nominations should be limited to no more than 2 pages (with reasonable formatting choices) including the name, area of expertise, and potential lecture topics of the nominee. We actively encourage diversity in nationality, race, gender and career stage in nominees. Nominations may be submitted by a single individual or multiple individuals, but are limited to a single submission per individual per year. Nominations for the Nye Lecturer are to be submitted to Noah Molotch, Cryosphere Science Focus Group Awards Chair, before or on the posted deadline.

The Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies announces a call for papers for the Summer/Fall 2017 issue.

The Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies (JTMS) is an interdisciplinary journal of research on territorial and maritime issues sponsored by the Northeast Asia History Foundation, with editorial offices hosted by Yonsei University in South Korea. The journal provides an academic medium for the announcement and dissemination of research results in the fields of history, international law, international relations, geography, peace studies, and any other relevant discipline. The journal covers all continental areas across the world, and it discusses any territorial and maritime subject through the various research methods from different perspectives. Practical studies, as well as theoretical works, which contribute to a better understanding of territorial and maritime issues are encouraged.

Manuscript submissions should include four sections:

- A title page,
- A structured abstract,
- A main body, and
- References.

Manuscripts must be submitted electronically.

Manuscript submission deadline: 1 April 2017.

To submit a manuscript, email all required documents to:
Lonnie Edge
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For information on proposal guidelines and style guide, go to:
http://www.journalofterritorialandmaritimestudies.net/submissions.

For questions, contact:
JTMS Editorial Office
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

APECS International Polar Week Spring 2017 will be from March 20-26! Polar Week is a series of events happening globally, with the goal of promoting the science taking place in polar latitudes. Through social media interactions to an online conference and photo contest, we hope to educate the public about all things Arctic and Antarctic.

The theme for this Polar Week is People of the Poles: Human Use and Appreciation of Earth’s Polar Regions. Many people live or find a “Sense of Place” in both the Arctic and Antarctic, from residents to researchers to artists or even tourists. That’s why we are highlighting humans as well as their activities and impacts on the poles. Information on all Polar Week activities and events you can find on our Polar Week website:

Here are some ways how you can get involved!

APECS International Online Conference 2017

Attend the APECS Online Conference 2017! More information about the conference and how to register as audience member, will be released shortly.

Photo Contest (with Prizes!)

We are organising a photo competition, #PolarPeople, where everyone will be able to vote for the best photo in three different categories 1- #PolarPeople in Action; 2- #PolarPelople at Home; 3- #PolarPeople & Wildlife. The deadline for submission will be the 20th of March, midnight Alaska time (GMT-9). Voting vote will take place during the Polar Week and the photo getting the most votes in each category will be the winner of €100 towards relevant conference travel costs! Find out more about the photo contest and all rules and regulations to participate on our website.

Twitter campaign

To honor this year’s theme, we are asking all members to post their own polar stories using the #PolarPeople hashtag. We hope people will share short stories about their research or experience as polar researchers and to hear what makes them #PolarPeople. They can be funny stories about field or lab work, interesting facts about your research project, or simply why you love the polar regions.

We’d love to feature you as one of our #PolarPeople! Feel free to Tweet randomly throughout the week, but we encourage you to sign up here

Reddit AMA

APECS will be hosting an Ask Me Anything (“AMA”) on the Reddit forum /r/Science. We are seeking 4-5 APECS members to answer questions from the public about polar science and research on Saturday March 25 from 11 am-2pm EST. While the theme is “People of the Poles: Human Use and Appreciation of Earth’s Polar Regions,” we are sure to get wide range of questions. Please let Liz Ceperley (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) know by March 13 if you are interested in participating.

Member and National Committee Events

We encourage APECS National Committees and members to organize their own activities and to submit details via the Polar Week website. We would love to include your event in our advertising!

Thanks for helping us make Polar Week an awesome event! Please e-mail the March Polar Week lead, Jean Holloway at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., with any questions.

The 5th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP 2018) will be held in Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France, 22 June - 1st July 2018. The conference aims at covering all relevant aspects of permafrost research, engineering and outreach on a global and regional level.

We have opened at the beginning of February the call for session proposals, which should be submitted until 15 April 2017.

Each session will be organized by two to three co-conveners (i.e. those that submit the session proposal). We encourage a high degree of internationality for the convener boards. At least one convener should be a member of the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN). PYRN conveners are students or young researchers within six years after completion of their doctoral thesis, however, they must not be students or formally under the supervision of the senior conveners of the according session. The conveners will be responsible for the selection of abstracts and for the organization of oral or poster presentations.

Inspired from the research developments exposed during the last conferences on permafrost, the following general themes denote the diversity of research to be presented at the conference: Mountain permafrost - Lowland permafrost - Periglacial geomorphology and paleoenvironments - Planetary permafrost - Permafrost and climate change – Climate and carbone feedback - Ecology, microbiology, biogeochemistry - Natural hazards - Foundation engineering and infrastructure on permafrost - In-situ and remote observation techniques and programs - Modelling - Socioeconomic and cultural dynamics - History of permafrost engineering and research - Education and outreach - Infra-periglacial geomorphology - Risks on permafrost-affected slopes – Forest/ice/snow covers on permafrost - Critical zone - Etc.

Those themes are by no means restrictive and we especially wish to favour a transdisciplinary, holistic and systemic vision of the questions that the permafrost community faces. This latter includes researchers as well as stakeholders, socio-economic, political and cultural actors, commonly engaged to address the societal challenges of permafrost in a warming world.

By 30 May 2017, a decision by ISC/LOC will be presented on the acceptance of submitted sessions. The decision will be based on the inherent scientific interest and quality of the session proposal, the potential to attract participants, the thematic overlap and number of available slots at the conference.

The call for abstracts for the accepted sessions will open 20 August 2017 until 15 December 2017. After that date, depending on number of abstracts being submitted to each session, the LOC and the ISC may propose to merge, modify or cancel sessions.

We are looking forward to receive your session proposals for the EUCOP 2018 (session title, names of the conveners with their e-mail, summary of 10-15 lines) asap by e-mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs has issued a new solicitation for Antarctic research proposals.

The NSF-managed U.S. Antarctic Program supports scientific research on the southernmost continent and provides related operational research support. OPP’s Antarctic Sciences Section supports research to:

· expand fundamental knowledge of the Antarctic region;
· improve understanding of interactions between the Antarctic region and global earth systems;
· utilize the unique characteristics of the Antarctic continent as an observing platform.

Antarctic fieldwork is supported for research that can only be performed or is best performed in Antarctica. The Antarctic section encourages research using existing samples, models, and data that does not require fieldwork as well as research that crosses and combines disciplinary perspectives and approaches.

The new solicitation, which describes all requirements for submitting a proposal, may be found in HTML and PDF formats here:

https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=5519&ods_key=nsf17543

The deadline for full proposals is 5 p.m., at the submitter's local time, on May 23.

APECS is celebrating its 10th Anniversary! Since its inception during the International Polar Year 2007-2008, APECS has been widely recognized as one of the legacies of the IPY continuing to provide networking, training and career development opportunities for early career researchers as well as promoting education and outreach as integral components of polar research.

This year, as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of our flourishing organization, we invited members to design an APECS logo featuring this milestone, with the winning logo to be used on all official items authored during 2017. Out of the many submissions received, we proudly present the winner logo by Stephanie Bates, a research technician at the University of Bristol (United Kingdom) specialising in isotope biogeochemistry:

APECS 10 year logo

For her winning contribution, Stephanie received a travel award to a conference of her choice. Congratulations Stephanie! And many thanks to all those who participated.

The organizers of the SCAR Biology Symposium 2017 are providing the opportunity for APECS members to be early career co-conveners of the two sessions in subtheme 5 (Societal impact of Antarctic biological science) of the conference along with conveners from other groups. The two sessions are:

S25: Education and Outreach
S26: Assessing, understanding and predicting Antarctic ecosystem services

As early career co-convener, you would help the other conveners to review and approve the abstracts, help to develop the program for the session, and convene the session on-site during the symposium.

If you are planning on going to the symposium and interested in this opportunity, please fill out this form

As the abstract reviews will be starting very soon, the deadline for the early career co-convener applications is Friday 3 March 2017 (23:00 Central Europe Time).

Pic 1 Devsamridhi introducing her research in Antarctica copy A panel discussion titled “Shape the future of Polar Geosciences” was organised by Indian Polar Research Network (APECS-India) in association with Department of Geology, University of Delhi on 28th January 2017 on the special occasion of Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the department. The event was held to introduce polar geosciences to the undergraduate students and enhance knowledge of the postgraduate students. This panel discussion aimed at creating awareness among the students regarding the career opportunities in polar geosciences, the priorities of the polar research and their significance in the contributions to humanity.

The panel was chaired by eminent polar geologist Dr. Anil Joshi along with, Dr. Siddharth Swaroop(Himalayan glaciologist) and Mr. H. C. Khanduri(Himalayan projects expert). Dr. Anil Joshi, now retired, served as the Deputy Director General of Polar Division, Geological Survey of India. He participated in the initial years of Indian Antarctic Expeditions in 80s and led geological research in Antarctica later. Dr. Siddharth Swaroop, a celebrated glaciologist, has retired as the Deputy Director General of Glaciology Division, Geological Survey of India after working extensively in Himalayan glaciers for decades. Mr. H. C. Khanduri is a greatly admired engineering geologist associated with colossal Himalayan projects like Tehri Dam project and has a comprehensive experience of about 30 years in geotechnical research in Indian region of Himalayas.

Pic 2 Dr. Anil Joshi sharing his experiences copy The event was initiated with the introduction of APECS and IPRN by Prof. N. C. Pant followed by presentations by research scholars of the department who are working in the Polar Regions. I introduced Antarctica and Arctic to the audience with a glimpse into my research in Antarctica. Abul Aamir Khan, also an IPRN member, introduced Himalaya and its importance as the third pole and conferred a talk on his research at Gangotri glacier, Himalaya. This was followed by a talk by Debojyoti Basuroy who focused on the adventures and eccentricity of working in Polar Regions by sharing his lively experiences of working in high altitude Himalayas and his research study on the Sutlej river reorganisation.

A special session on Geosciences in Himalayas was organized with a view to promote Himalayas as a third Pole and to highlight the fragility of the Himalayan social-ecological system. The Hindu Kush-Himalayan region, known as the third pole, stores more snow and ice than anywhere else in the world outside the Polar Regions and forms a daunting global ecological buffer. The third pole region is sensitive to climate change and directly or indirectly affects millions of people (about one fifth of the world's population). The session highlighted some recent studies suggesting a greater vulnerability of the cryospheric environment to rapid warming and climate change. However, there are many unanswered questions and their potential implications which indeed, should be the priorities of the future research work focused in Himalayas.

Pic 3 copy The panel discussion was attended by about 100 students along with the distinguished alumni and the faculty of the department. The panel discussion was followed by an open forum Polar Quiz for the students. This was the very first time when students of department of geology, Delhi University were introduced to polar geosciences at a broad platform. This event provided them an opportunity to hear and interact with renowned polar scientists as well as early career polar researchers and get to learn about their personal experiences of working in extreme and pristine polar conditions. The response of the students was overwhelming with requests to add few more topics in our next events. Students expressed their desire to know about ways to get involved in polar studies and participate in Indian expeditions to poles. They requested to emphasize more on the various interdisciplinary research programs in Polar Sciences. Overall, this event was highly appreciated by the audience and was a successful icebreaker activity to plan up future APECS's events in University of Delhi.

PYRN DACH 2017 The yearly meeting of the German-speaking PYRN community was held during the 9th AK Permafrost meeting, 9-11 February 2017 in Einsiedeln, Switzerland. The meeting and workshop was generously supported by the Swiss Snow, Ice and Permafrost Society (SIP), the Association for Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN).

A short presentation of recent and planned activities within PYRN and APECS was followed by a half-day workshop on “Scientific Poster Presentation Skills” lead by Dr. Janneke van Woerden (University of Zurich). We learnt what makes a good and effective poster - and what not – and how to create a poster which is attractive, easy to read and invites for discussions. By discussing poster examples the participants reflected on lessons learnt and got feedback on their own posters.

In line with the theme of the workshop, PYRN-DACH and APECS organized a poster award for the first time during an AK Permafrost meeting. We`re happy to announce that we awarded two posters with a prize of a swiss knife engraved with the conference name to:

George Tanski (AWI Potsdam): Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) stocks in Arctic ground ice and its contribution to OC carbon fluxes into the Arctic Ocean

Matthias Meyer (ETH Zurich): Interactive Visualization of Big (Matterhorn) Data

The 9th AK Permafrost Meeting attracted about 60 participants with at least 30 PYRN members. The general program can be found here.

Josefine Lenz (Germany), Ingo Hartmeyer (Austria) and Samuel Weber (Switzerland)

SCAR Biology Symposium 2017 The XIIth Biology Symposium of the Scientific Committee of Antarctic Research (SCAR) with the general theme 'Scale Matters', will be held in Leuven, Belgium from Monday 10th to Friday 14th July 2017.

We would like to inform you that our deadline for abstract submission has been extended, to allow more time for researchers still returning from field expeditions. The local organizing committee (LOC) and the scientific committee (SC) will consider all abstracts submitted to the conference until Tuesday, the 28th of February 2017. Abstracts must be relevant to one of the Conference sessions and authors are requested to mark one of them, under which their abstract should be evaluated by the referees.

Furthermore, we are happy to announce following keynote speakers for the Symposium:

Renuka Badhe
Christophe Barbaud
Alexander Choukèr
Don Cowan
Karin Lochte
Irene Schloss
Scarlett Trimborn
Lily Simonson as artist in residence

The International SCAR Biology symposia were initiated in 1973 with the purpose of bringing fundamental and applied scientists together with an interest in Antarctic terrestrial and marine life sciences, including man. Symposium themes under consideration include: Distribution and trends; Adaptation and processes; New insights through multi-disciplinary research; Threats and impacts: from the poles to the globe to the poles; Societal impact of Antarctic biological science; Human biology at the poles.

For information, registration and abstract submission (deadline: 28th of February 2017!), see http://www.scarbiology2017.org and the pdf-file in attachment of this e-mail.

"Sustainable Tourism and Natural Resource Conservation in the Polar Regions"
Tourism in the Arctic and Antarctic regions is growing rapidly. Tourism operations in the polar-regions capitalize on the regions' natural assets, including their landscapes, wildlife and remoteness. Tourists from across the world are attracted by the pristine character, the sparsely or non-populated wilderness areas and the unique historical and cultural assets. However, the Arctic and the Antarctic are among the regions in the world where climatic changes are most rapid and profound, turning them into a focal point of economic and geopolitical development. Tourism development can be both seen as a contributor and a victim of these developments, with potential implications for natural resource use and peripheral communities. This Special Issue explores how expectations towards tourism development in the polar regions can be managed to enhance the conservation of natural resources, the protection of the environment, and the wellbeing of peripheral communities. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

* Impacts of tourism on polar wilderness area
* Human-wilderness/wildlife interactions in the polar regions
* Regulation and management of polar tourism and wilderness protection
* Tourist motivations for visiting the polar regions
* Community interactions with tourism enterprises and polar tourists
* Tourism and land use competition
* Economic geographies of polar tourism
* Accessibility and transportation in polar areas
* The social construction/performance of touristic polar wilderness
* Global change and the polar regions
* Parks and protected areas (including marine) in the polar regions

This Special Issue is targeted at the papers presented at the International Polar Tourism Research Network (IPTRN) conference held in Iceland in August 2016, but the call is also open to others. We would like to invite a feature contribution from you (i.e., either a long review or research paper). Papers will be published *free of charge* in this Special Issue (contrary to normal papers published in this open access journal).

We encourage you to check out the Special Issue website at:
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/resources/special_issues/polar_tourism
The official deadline for submission is 30 April 2017. The call is open now.

Resources (ISSN 2079-9276) is an Open Access journal of natural resources. The journal is indexed by ESCI (Web of Science), Scopus, and gets high visibility.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/resources

We look forward to your papers.

Kind regards,

Dr. Machiel Lamers, Wageningen University, the Netherlands (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Dr. Edward Huijbens, University of Akureyri, Iceland

Depths & Surfaces: Understanding the Antarctic Region through Humanities and Social Sciences

A conference to be hosted by the University of Tasmania, Hobart, 5-7 July 2017
Deadline for Abstracts: 3 March 2017
Conference Website
Keynote Speakers: Prof. Sanjay Chaturvedi (Panjab University), Prof. Anne Noble (Massey University) and Prof. Tim Stephens (University of Sydney).

Antarctica rarely makes it onto the map of the humanities and social sciences. While artists have produced responses to the continent for centuries, non-scientific researchers have been reluctant to venture intellectually into the far southern latitudes. The continent’s lack of an indigenous or permanent human population, together with a popular Antarctic exceptionalism which frames the continent as immune to the political, social and economic forces that affect the rest of the globe, has made it seem off-limits to analysis outside of a scientific framework.

Increasingly, however, public attention is being drawn to Antarctica, as the surface of its ice plays host to tourists, proliferating stations, heroic re-enactments, and national manoeuvring; its icy depths reveal the environmental history of our planet; and its ocean currents ominously undermine the glaciers around its edges. While scientific efforts are crucial, understanding the Antarctic region – past, present and future – requires contributions across the disciplinary spectrum. This conference aims to bring together humanities, creative arts and social sciences researchers interested in the Antarctic, fostering a community of scholars who can act in concert with natural scientists to address the issues that face the Antarctic region.

HASSEG Title Image WEBSITE e1484290258962

CALL FOR PAPERS

We invite papers from a broad range of disciplines – including history, literary and cultural studies, creative arts, sociology, politics, geography and law – that engage with the Antarctic, sub-Antarctic and Southern Ocean. Contributions from scientists interested in engaging with the HASS community are encouraged. Both proposals for individual papers (20 minutes with 10 minutes question time) and interdisciplinary panels are welcome.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

Antarctic texts and subtexts
Antarctic cryoscapes
Anthropocene Antarctica
Ice cores as cultural and political objects
Submerged issues in the Antarctic region
Connections and collaborations between the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences (particularly oceanography and bathymetry)
History of polar science
Antarctic historiography
History and politics of the Southern Ocean
Digging into the past: archives, artefacts, archaeology
Subantarctic islands: histories and cultures
Postcolonial Antarctica
Ice and identity politics
Islands and ice
Antarctic nationalisms
Polar geographies and geopolitics
Antarctica and the global commons
Transpolar connections
Polar mobilities, vertical and horizontal
Antarctic tourism and travel
Inhabiting the ice: structures and dwellings
Polar heritage and museums
Antarctic aesthetics
Antarctica and emotions
Antarctic futures

ABSTRACTS of up to 250 words, including a short bio note, in WORD doc format, should be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 3 March 2017, with notification of acceptance by 31 March 2017. There will be an opportunity for selected papers to be expanded into one or more publications stemming from the conference.

For enquiries please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Joel McAlister, Environment and Natural Resource Technology Senior Instructor at Aurora College, won the 2016 APECS Canada-ArcticNet Student Association Mentor Award.

joel 4

Photo by Aurora College

Joel was nominated by both peers and students. When the Mentor Award Committee hosted its conference call in early November, it was a challenge to determine the 2016 winner – all nominations were tremendous! Out of nine highly qualified candidates, Joel was distinguished based largely on his deep connections to community – he is certainly greatly invested in the community of Aurora College and the larger Inuvik region!

Joel had close to two dozen letters of support from past and current students, all of whom identified his unwavering commitment to supporting and engendering his student’s learning process. Of note is Joel’s continued work in ensuring that traditional Indigenous ways of knowing guide the endeavours of western science researchers across Inuvialuit and Gwitch’in territories. Joel practices his mentorship under the guidance of the community, and his humility and respect for other knowledges is commendable. Congratulations, Joel!

Photo by Mike Sudoma

At the 2016 ArcticNet ASM banquet in Winnipeg, Joel accepted his award. Award Committee members Kate Snow, Jen Lalonde, and Rudy Riedlsperger were on hand to introduce the winner to the hundreds of scientists, academics, and researchers present. One of Joel’s prior students and current colleague and friend, Sarah Beattie, participated in creating a slide show and video about the great things Joel has been involved in. Look here for the video.

We would like to send a HUGE thank you to all of those who helped contribute to Joel’s win, as well as all of those who worked hard to ensure that the other eight mentors had been nominated. Thank you!!

A new Call for Nominations for the 2017 Mentor Award will be circulated in April, 2017.

For the 2016 Awards Committee,

Marney Paradis

Chair, 2016 APECS Canada-ASA Award Committee

During the annual Arctic Frontiers 2017 conference in Tromsø (Norway), APECS and the Nordnorsk Vitensenter Tromsø (Science Centre of Northern Norway) organized a unique event for schools to learn about Arctic science. Over the course of three days, 13-18 year old students from a number of schools attended diverse presentations by early career scientists from all over the world.

Picture1 AF SfS

Photo: The Nordnorsk Vitensenter at the University of Tromsø was the place chosen for the Science for Schools event (Photo by Sara Aparício). On the right, from top to bottom some of this year’s early career presenting scientists: Dennis Fink, Karley Campbell, Jennifer King and Peter Leopold (Photos by Mar Fernández-Méndez).

This year, students also presented posters of their independent research projects that they had been working on for months leading up to the event. This was a highlight of the Science for Schools event as despite their young age, many of the students had created very high quality posters. Their level of understanding of complex problems such as pollution of the ocean by chemicals and plastics, the potential impacts of climate warming on the country’s fishing industry, and ecosystem response to environmental change was impressive. Furthermore, students associated these concerns with their lifestyles and often had ideas about potential avenues for positive change and this gave us all hope that there is a brighter future ahead.

Here are some of the impressions of the early career scientists that participated in this outreach event.

Karley Campbell (PhD candidate on sea ice biology at the University of Manitoba, Canada): “It was an opportunity to share my love of science, teach students about important topics such as climate change and engage with youth who live in the North. It was refreshing to see creativity applied to common scientific ideas in student posters through catchy titles, innovative research projects and interesting poster designs.”
Alexey Pavlov (Postdoc on ocean optics at the Norwegian Polar Institute): “I am glad to see that education of youth is one of the priorities at the Arctic Frontiers conference. I am always happy to share my knowledge and experience with school kids, it’s always fun and rewarding. I have done it for the past two years, and will do it again in the future.”
Jennifer King (Postdoc on sea ice physics at the Norwegian Polar Institute): “It’s always a pleasure to get out of the office and share our science with different audiences. I was blown away by how engaged the students were with the topic and how much effort they had put into their preparations for it.”
Ioanna Merkouriadi (Postdoc on snow physics at the Norwegian Polar Institute): “I was definitely impressed by the students’ engagement and their overall level, in both science and English language skills. I also very much enjoyed interacting with them and I would definitely do this again in the future.”
Hanna Kauko (PhD candidate on sea ice bio-optics at the Norwegian Polar Institute): “It was great to be involved and get to interact with school youth – I was impressed about the quality of the posters, and happy about their interest for polar environmental issues.”
Sara Aparício (Trainee on earth observation data analyst at the European Space Agency): “I have been part of the Arctic Frontiers’ Science for School event for three years now, and each year I never fail to get even more impressed. This year was the most difficult to find the winning poster. Overall, the content and poster structure had a great level of quality, and I must say that I found the themes quite interesting. The students showed interest on their research, and you could tell during the poster presentation, that they had conducted further research to deepen their knowledge on the topic. In addition, their English is amazing and a good asset for their future, in case they pursue a scientific career. Hats off also for their teachers who are also behind the great success of Science for Schools.”
Dennis Fink (CEO of the science communication company Mediomix): “The Arctic Frontiers 2017 conference was the first time that I joined a "Science for Schools" project and that I had the opportunity to share my passion of science communications with school kids of different age. When I presented my work on marine bacteria they got really interested in the topic and engaged with me. But what really impressed me were the conversations I had with the kids during their poster presentations. All of them managed to prepare not only comprehensive posters but they were also able to stand in front of it and share what they've learned with the audience. Many of them showed real passion, some even more than I've seen from "real" scientists when they present their work on conferences. I had many good conversations and also learned myself things I didn't know before (e.g. about the tourism on Svalbard). It was a great event and I hope that those kids will keep their passion for science and one day, become scientists themselves.”

Picture2 AF SfS

Photo: Upper two photos show the students presenting their posters to the early career judges (Photos by Mar Fernández-Méndez). The lower photo shows the poster award presentation (Photo by Dennis Fink).

This year’s overall poster winner titled An Ocean of Problems from the science class of Kongsbakken School, discussed an experiment that they had performed about the effects of ocean acidification on mussels. The judges agree that the highlight of this poster, in addition to the clear layout and informative text, was the enthusiastic discussion about why their experiment hadn’t worked. This level of critical thinking is impressive and represents good training for those choosing to become scientists in the future! We can now be sure that at least they have acquired skills in communication and the utilization of the scientific method that will help them in whichever career path they choose. We look forward to next years challenges.

See you next year!
Mar Fernández-Méndez and the APECS-Arctic Frontiers team

Two of the early career researchers, Megan O'Sadnick (Research Scientist at Norut Narvik) and Mar Fernández-Méndez (Postdoctoral researcher at the Norwegian Polar Institute) had the opportunity during the Arctic Frontiers 2017 Science for Politics event, organized by the Science Centre of Northern Norway (Nordnorsk Vitensenter Tromsø) in cooperation with Arctic Frontiers and APECS to speak with students from Tromsø who are interested in becoming politicians about the interaction between science and politics.

We discussed topics such as the possibility of oil spills in the ice-covered Arctic Ocean and the importance of an appropriate interaction between politicians and scientists. A much-needed discussion in our current world political situation. The young politicians learned that even things that are apparently not related to climate change, such as piracy in the waters of Somalia, are actually triggered by depletion of fish stock populations in those seas. They also took good note on the advices to double check facts posted on social networks before sharing them further, and to surround themselves by people who base their statements on peer-reviewed knowledge. We hope that when these students make it into politics, whether it be with the Norwegian government or elsewhere, they will draw upon some of the things they learned from this event. After all, they are the ones who might transform the future into a better place.

Mar Fernández-Méndez and the APECS-Arctic Frontiers team

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Photo: Young politicians with early career scientists Megan and Mar at the end of their presentations (Photo by Hanne Sofie Roaldsen).

During the Arctic Frontiers 2017 Conference in Tromsø Norway, APECS organized a panel discussion on 25 January about different career paths in Arctic science, inside and outside academia. The panelists represented various career possibilities: Bodil Bluhm is a professor at UiT The Arctic University of Norway; Katrin Bluhm works as a coordinator of the science part of Arctic Frontiers at Akvaplan-niva; Lawrence Hislop works with science management in Climate and Cryosphere project (CliC); and Dennis Fink facilitates science communication through his company Mediomix. Following introductions, the audience posed questions, and the experiences, choices, and random encounters that led to these positions were discussed.

Some take-home-messages from the panel include:

Be persistent! Don’t give up with your goal, but be determined e.g. in seeking contact with future employers.
Manage your online presence well (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter..etc).
Build yourself a diverse toolbox (e.g. software skills, various work experience) and be active also outside the direct study path.

The panel recording can be accessed here or in the APECS webinar archive to give many more early-career researchers the opportunity to benefit from it.

Mar Fernández-Méndez and the APECS-Arctic Frontiers team

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Photo: Expand your frontiers career path panel organized by APECS. (Photos by Mar Fernández-Méndez).

The Oceans Future reception during Arctic Frontiers 2017 in Tromsø Norway was held at the Scandic Ishavshotel on 26th of January 2017 after an intense poster session with vivid discussions. Thanks to the voluntary help of 20 judges, the 50 posters presented by early career scientists were evaluated to determine the ‘Nansen award’ winners for each topical part as well as one overall winner. Part I was about Bridging physical and biological processes; Part II was about Pushing back the Frontiers: New approaches, new technologies, and new insights; Part III about Future Fisheries, and Part IV about Managing risks in policymaking and the law. Part III and IV were merged into one category. It was a tough decision with tight scoring due to the high quality of the posters that were presented. Award winners were acknowledged with a diploma and a voucher to attend the next Arctic Frontiers conference during the awards ceremony, which was presented by Hanna Kauko and Mar Fernández-Méndez and the charismatic presence of Prof. Jan-Marcin Weslawski (IOPAS, Poland). At the end of the evening, Gerlis Fugmann (APECS Executive Director) arrived at the venue directly from a meeting in Iceland to join the celebration of the prizes.

Winners of the 2017 Nansen Awards were:

Overall winner: Katalin Blix (UiT Arctic University of Norway) for the poster “Monitoring primary productivity through Chlorophyll-a content estimation in the Arctic.”
Winner Part I: Oliver Müller (University of Bergen, Norway) for the poster “How permafrost organic matter input in an Arctic fjord alters the bacterial community structure.”
Winner Part II: Sarah Holmes (University of Exeter, UK) for the poster “Using annually resolved bivalve records and biogeochemical models to understand and predict climate impacts on coastal oceans.”
Winner Part III/IV: Laura Wheeland (Center for Fisheries and Ecosystem Research, Newfoundland, Canada) for the poster “Inshore fisheries resources, biogeography and oceanography: Insight from sampling aboard platforms of opportunity in the Canadian Arctic.”

See you next year,
Mar Fernández-Méndez and the APECS-Arctic Frontiers team

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Photo: In the upper left photo you can see the winners of the third edition of the Nansen Poster Awards. Below you can see some of the APECS members, including our director, who made these events possible. From left to right: Mar Fernández-Méndez, Hanna Kauko, Alexey Pavlov, Karley Campbell and Gerlis Fugmann. (Photos by Marcel Sieben)

The 2017 Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica is open for nominations until 17 May 2017.

The "Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica" is a US$ 100,000 unrestricted award presented to an individual in the fields of Antarctic science and/or policy who has demonstrated potential for sustained and significant contributions that will enhance the understanding and/or preservation of Antarctica. The Prize is inspired by Martha T. Muse's passion for Antarctica and is a legacy of the International Polar Year 2007-2008.

The prize-winner can be from any country and work in any field of Antarctic science and/or policy. The goal is to provide recognition of the important work being done by the individual and to call attention to the significance of understanding Antarctica in a time of change. A website with further details, including the process of nomination, closing date and criteria for selecting the prize recipients, is available at www.museprize.org.

The Prize is awarded by the Tinker Foundation and administered by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

APECS is organizing a FREE career development workshop on Sunday 2 April 2017 at the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2017 in Prague (Czech Republic).

Topics covered by the workshop include:

working for international science-policy organisations
collaborating with indigenous people
obtaining funding
education and outreach

For more details and the registrations form, go to the workshop website.

Registration deadline is 17 February 2017.

For questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The SCAR SRP AnT-ERA is happy to inform you that a limited amount of SCAR funds had been allocated to support especially early career scientists and representatives of
underrepresented national programs to join the SCAR Biology Symposium 2017 in Leuven, Belgium. Applications for mini-grants are to be sent by email to Julian Gutt (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and should contain:

Name of the applicant and affiliation
Status (graduate student, PhD student or post-doc)
Title of the presentation
Short paragraph (approx. 4 lines) of the motivation, why the participation in the symposium is important;
Amount of money needed for e.g. ticket and accommodation (max: $500 for European; $1500 for non-European participants).
Relevance of the presentation to the SCAR SRP AnT-ERA (approx. 4 lines, for implementation plan see http://www.scar.org/scar_media/documents/science/antera/AnTERA_ImplPlan_160127.pdf)

Deadline: 12 February with an option to get a decision before the deadline for abstract submission 15 February.

This US National Science Foundation sponsored Antarctic Biology Course will be held during January 2018 in Antarctica, at the United States Antarctic Program’s McMurdo Station. The training program is designed to provide early-career scientists with opportunities to work in Antarctica and to study polar biology. Applications are invited from graduate students currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program and researchers who have completed a Ph.D. within the past five years. This is an international training program, open to all nationalities. Partial support is available to cover the cost of travel from each participant’s home institution. While in Antarctica, full support is provided for room & board and science activities. The emphasis of the Antarctic Biology Course is on integrative biology, with laboratory- and field-based projects focused on adaptations to extreme polar environments. This program will also provide opportunities to understand and appreciate the complexities and logistical challenges of undertaking successful science in Antarctica. A diverse instructional faculty will offer participants the opportunity to study a wide range of Antarctic organisms (bacteria, algae, invertebrates, fish), using different levels of biological analysis (spanning molecular biology, physiological ecology, species diversity, and evolution).

Deadline for receipt of completed applications is April 17, 2017. More information and the on-line application form are at https://www.usfca.edu/arts-sciences/antarctic-biology-training-program and https://goo.gl/forms/7zAH4pzRf85x5Tt62.

Outside the box logo Deadline for abstract submission extended until 31 January 2017!!

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) cordially invites you to submit an abstract for our 3rd APECS International Online Conference 2017 which will kick-start Polar Week on the 20th of March 2017. This year’s theme is “Outside the Box: Encouraging alternative solutions for undertaking and communicating polar research.” We encourage abstracts for punchy 10 minute PowerPoint presentations consistent with this theme.

Please visit the conference website to learn more about the conference and submit your abstract by the 31st of January 2017 at 22:00 GMT. We will notify you with regards to the success of your abstract prior to the 15 of February 2017.

Please note that this is an online conference that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home or office. Please direct any questions you have to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Are you planning your next months and wondering at which meeting you could present your brand-new, groundbreaking data? You might consider the Gordon Research Conference in Polar Marine Science and the associated Gordon Research Seminar for early carrier scientists in Ventura, CA, USA in March 2017. Both the conference (chair: Jackie Grebmeier) and the seminar for early career scientists (chairs: Ingrid Wiedmann and Nicole Couto) aim to bring together outstanding scientists to discuss how technological advancements, long time series and biophysical modelling can enhance our understanding of polar marine ecosystems.

(detailed information: www.grc.org/programs.aspx?id=12642, and www.grc.org/programs.aspx?id=14834)
Application deadline is February 25th!

APECS Italy Antarctica Day2016 The Italian Association of Polar Early carrier Scientist, (APECS Italy) in collaboration with the Ca’ Foscariri University of Venice has organized the Antarctic Day 2016 with the contribution other organizations and associations. In particular an important support has arrived from the PNRA (Programma Nazionale di Ricerca in Antartide – Italian National program for Antarctic research), CNR (Consiglio nazionale delle ricerche – National Research Council) and the Accademia Nazionale delle scienze detta dei XL. The second edition of the Antarctic day, the first one was in 2015, had the aim to introduce to students from secondary school as well as to the student of the Ca foscari University of Venice the Antarctic continent. A total of 7 researchers have been invited to present their research experiences in Antarctica as well describe the role of the Antarctic continent from a geopolitics and environmental point of view. A particular attention was give to the Antarctic treaty and all the typology of research conducted. Considering the importance of the polar area in the global climate and earth system we decided to extend the celebration also to the Arctic, in particular the Svalbard Archipelago. Three researcher have been invited to talk about the research conducted in the Svalbard as well introduce this magnificent archipelago with its unique fauna and flora. In total almost 200 students were present at the outreach seminar, almost 150 from secondary school and fifty from Ca foscari University of Venice. The Antarctic day seminar was divided in two section, the first section about Antarctica, from 9.00 am to 11.00 am and the Arctic section from 11.40 to 13.00. During the break, a show and tell session has been organized. The show and tell had the aim to show the material (includes clothes) and instrument used for the research in Antarctica. The Students had the opportunity to “touch with their hands” the equipment used at the poles and fill their curiosity about poles.

APECS Italy Antarctica Day 2016 2 During the Antarctic day 2016, APECS Italy has announce the release of their new website (www.apecsitaly.it). The website has the aim to work as platform for all the polar early carereer scientist where everyone can share their polar experience as well as their research topics.

Apecs Italy would like to thanks all the peoples help in the organization and the speaker during the Antarctic day. The list of the peoples involved is include below:

ORGANIZATION

Andrea Spolaor (Apecs National coordinator, Ca Foscari University of Venice)
Francois Burgais (Ca Foscari University of Venice – APECS Italy member)
Andrea Gambaro (Ca Foscari University of Venice)
Warren R.L. Cairns (IDPA-CNR)
Rossano Piazza (Ca Foscari University of Venice)

SPEAKER

Prof. Carlo Barbante (Ca Foscari University of Venice, CNR-IDPA)
Dr. Michela Segnana (Ca Foscari University of Venice)
Dr. Elena Barbaro (Ca Foscari University of Venice - APECS Italy member)
Dr. Warren Cairns (CNR-IDPA)
Dr. Marco Vecchiato (Ca Foscari University of Venice - APECS Italy member)
Dr. Roberto Sparapani (CNR)
Dr. Luisa Poto (CNR-IDPA)
Dr. Roberta Zangrando (CNR-IDPA)
Dr. Jacopo Gabrieli (CNR-IDPA - APECS Italy member)

SHOW AND TELL

Massimiliano Vardè (IDPA-CNR)
Villoslada Hidalgo Maria Del Carmen (Ca Foscari University of Venice)
Elena Gregoris (IDPA-CNR)
Sarah Padoan (Ca Foscari University of Venice)
Giuliano Dreossi (Ca Foscari University of Venice)

CBSS logo The Baltic Science Network (BSN) launched A Baltic Sea Region-Wide Survey of Academic and Researchers’ Mobility Trends and would welcome participation from APECS members in the following countries:

Denmark
Estonia
Finland
Germany
Iceland
Latvia
Lithuania
Norway
Poland
Sweden
Russia (Russian North Western Region only).

The deadline for survey submission is 20 January 2017.

AGU APECS Panel 2016 At the American Geophysical Union last month, APECS and AGU continued the tradition of cosponsoring the Cryosphere Careers Panel. The panel, which included a mix of both academic and non-academic scientists, was comprised of Dr. Åsa Rennermalm, Dr. Bob Rich, Dr. Twila Moon, and Dr. Sophie Nowicki.

From the academic side, Dr. Rennermalm is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at Rutgers University. Dr. Moon is a Lecturer at Bristol Glaciology Centre, University of Bristol. Dr. Moon has broad experience applying to jobs in both the U.S. and the U.K., where she recently moved and started a tenure-track position.

From outside academia, representing someone who has pursued what he calls a "non-traditional science career," Dr. Rich is Executive Director of the U.S. Arctic Research Consortium (ARCUS). While pursuing his PhD in Chemistry at UC Berkeley, he realized that he didn't want to be in a lab all day but he really wanted to keep working with scientists on a deep level. As a result, he sought out a career path that would help improve people's lives on a wholesale level using science. In May 2015, he began working at ARCUS as Executive Director, where he is responsible for a staff of 14 people, including scientists, project managers, administrative support, and technology experts.

Finally, Dr. Nowicki is a research scientist and deputy lab chief at the Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory at NASA Goddard. In other words, she's a civil servant doing science for the US government.

Applying for the next step

As the target audience largely included early-career scientists looking to make a jump from one stage to the next, the discussion centered on "applying for the next step." What follows is a summary of the questions, most of which came from students and postdocs in the audience, and the panelists.

Belgium Netherlands Photo Comp2016

APECS Belgium along with APECS Netherlands organized an Antarctic Photo competition to celebrate Antarctica Day on December 1st 2016.

In total, 132 photos from 32 different photographers were submitted for the contest and displayed on Facebook to let the public vote for their favorite pictures.

The overall winner, Bartek Jerzak, received 101 likes for his shot “Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) in the vicinity of the H. Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station”.

In addition to the public prize, the national committees selected a few other pictures that, in their opinion, deserved to be highlighted in one way or another. Check out all the winning pictures including some “special awards” here. Currently, we plan to display large prints of the winning pictures during the upcoming SCAR Biology Symposium to be held in Leuven, Belgium in July 2017. If you would like to acquire one of these amazing pictures, that’s your chance!

We believe the photo competition was a great success. It showcased the beauty of Antarctica and engaged many scientists as well as non-scientists on social media, thereby also promoting the work APECS international in general and APECS BE/NL in particular.

APECS Sweden new logo 2016 As part of Polarforum, the annual conference for Swedish polar research, APECS Sweden had a whole afternoon of sessions for early career researchers on 23 November 2016 at the Maritme Museum in Stockholm.

We started with a panel discussion about careers in and outside of academia after a "polar" degree. Our speakers were Veijo Pohjola from the University of Uppsala and Karen Assmann from the University of Gothenburg, both academics; Åsa Lindgren from the Swedish Polar Secretariat who also works as a polar guide; and Sandrine Testaz who is responsible for scientific coordination and communication at the French embassy in Sweden.

Ulf Jonsell from the Swedish Polar Secretariat then gave an overview of upcoming calls and expeditions that students and early career researchers can apply to.

After a well needed coffee break (which actually was a poster session), we received some valuable polar safety training from Henrik Tornberg (how to plan your fieldwork, what to pack, life saving piece of kit...). In particular, we all want a harness and a bevvy bag now!

Finally, we reported on APECS Sweden's activities for 2016 and elected the 2017 Executive Secretary, Céline Heuzé from the University of Gothenburg.

SCAR is pleased to share the 2017-2022 SCAR Strategic Plan. The plan was written by a team of dedicated SCAR-affiliated scientists and leaders (listed below) over the course of 2016, in consultation with SCAR’s Delegates, National Committees, Partners and concerned scientists and educators.

SCAR’s vision is to create a legacy of Antarctic research as a foundation for a better future. In line with this vision, through scientific research and international cooperation SCAR will establish a thorough understanding of the nature of Antarctica, the role of Antarctica in the global system, and the character and effects of environmental change and human activities on Antarctica. SCAR's work in the next five years will focus on key objectives:

To amplify its leadership in Antarctic research by further strengthening and expanding high-quality collaborative and visionary Antarctic research, including observations from Antarctica;
To offer independent scientific advice to Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings and other bodies dealing with Antarctic and Southern Ocean matters;
To enhance and grow research capacity in SCAR member countries;
To enhance public awareness and understanding of Antarctic issues through communication of Antarctic research results in a timely and accessible manner; and
To facilitate unrestricted and free access to Antarctic research data.

As part of our efforts to reduce our environmental impact, we will not be printing a large quantity of these plans as the pdf is available online. If you would like a printed copy, please fill out the online request form before 31 January or contact the SCAR Secretariat.

We would particularly like to thank the Core Writing Team for their many hours of work:
Huw Griffiths, Julian Gutt, Daniela Liggett, Yan Ropert-Coudert, Aleks Terauds, Anton Van de Putte, Jerónimo López-Martínez and Jenny Baeseman.

And much appreciation to the larger SCAR Leadership group for constructive feedback through the process:
Karin Lochte, Azizan Samah, Bryan Storey, Terry Wilson, Nancy Bertler, Dave Bromwich, Carlota Escutia, Adrian Fox, Jesus Galindo, Graham Hosie, Berry Lyons, John Storey and Steven Chown.

This new plan replaces “Antarctic Science and Policy Advice in a Changing World: SCAR Strategic Plan 2011-2016” and went into effect on 1 January 2017.

Have you been wondering what your career alternatives are besides staying in academia? Are you passionate about Arctic science and you would appreciate some inspiration about how to proceed with your career? During the Arctic Frontiers "White Space - Blue Future" 2017 Conference in Tromsø Norway (22 - 27 January 2017), the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and Arctic Frontiers Young will give you the opportunity to hear the experiences of professionals with scientific backgrounds that chose different career paths inside or outside of academia. Get involved, ask questions and get ideas for your own career path!

Join us on 25 January 2017at 14:00at UiT The Arctic University of Norway in room E0101

This years panelists include:

Prof. Dr. Bodil Bluhm from the University of Tromsø
Dr. Katrin Bluhm from Akvaplaniva
Lawrence Hislop from Climate and Cryosphere project (CliC )
Dr. Dennis Fink from Mediomix

Registration and abstract submission are now open for the Polar Prediction Workshop 2017 (PPW 2017) and the 2nd Sea Ice Model Intercomparison Project Meeting (2nd SIMIP Meeting).

The workshops will be held at Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum in Bremerhaven, Germany from 27th to 30th March 2017. Both events are jointly organized by the Polar Climate Predictability Initiative (WCRP-PCPI), the Polar Prediction Project (WWRP-PPP), the Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN), and the Sea Ice Model Intercomparison Project (SIMIP).

Polar Prediction Workshop 2017 (March, 27th morning - March, 29th noon)

The Polar Prediction Workshop 2017 (March, 27th morning - March, 29th noon) will start with the public Alfred Wegener Lecture where every other year a distinguished climate scientist is invited to report on emerging fields of research for scientific exchange. This time, the lecture entitled “A Decade of Sea Ice Prediction“ will be given by Cecilia Bitz (Atmospheric Science Department, University of Washington) who is going to review rapid advances in predicting skills of Arctic sea ice conditions since The Sea Ice Outlook began collecting and reporting predictions in 2008.

The focus of the subsequent Polar Prediction Workshop is on environmental prediction in the polar regions on subseasonal to interannual timescales, thereby helping to build a "seamless“ polar prediction community. As in previous years, sea ice prediction will play a central role. Desired outcomes include the compilation of recommendations for the 2017 Sea Ice Outlook season, as well as the stimulation of collaborations in the context of the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP; mid-2017—mid-2019).

Confirmed keynote speakers are:

* Dirk Notz

* François Massonnet

* Leif Toudal Pedersen.

For the Polar Prediction Workshop 2017, we invite abstracts related to polar prediction topics such as:

* Predictability,

* Modelling, data assimilation, and forecasting,

* Observations,

* Verification, and

* User needs.

SIMIP workshop (March, 29th noon - March, 30th noon)

The SIMIP workshop (March, 29th noon - March, 30th noon) is devoted to discussions about the sea ice simulations from the upcoming CMIP6 experiments (SIMIP), with three distinct aims:

1. To discuss and define best practices for the evaluation of sea-ice simulations against observations
2. To identify and define new remote sensing and in situ sea ice observations that will allow for improved model evaluation and initialization
3. To discuss and coordinate the analysis of CMIP6 sea ice simulations for improved understanding of sea ice processes and improved sea ice projections.

The SIMIP workshop will primarily be a discussion meeting with a few invited presentations to set the scene. The SIMIP workshop is organized by the WCRP-CliC Sea ice and Climate Modeling Forum.

Registration

To register and/or submit an abstract, please use this online form for both workshops. Abstracts can be submitted only for the PPW 2017. Registration and abstract submission are open until the 30th of January.

There is some funding available to support early-career scientists. If you’d like to apply for early-career travel support, please indicate so in the online form.

Information on the venue and accomodation can be found here.

For any questions, please contact the PPP International Coordination Office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.<mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>

Best wishes,

The Workshop Organisers

Helge Goessling

Cecilia Bitz

Ed Blanchard-Wrigglesworth

Ed Hawkins

John Fyfe

Alexandra Jahn

Dirk Notz

Kirstin Werner

Dear APECS members, supporters and friends,

APECS had again a very successful year in 2016 and we wanted to thank all of our members, mentors, sponsors and partners for helping us shape the future of polar research!

Enjoy some of our best moments of 2016 in our APECS Season’s Greetings video.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all of you! We are looking forward to a fantastic 2017!

Best wishes,

Alice Bradley, APECS President 2016-2017
Gerlis Fugmann, APECS Executive Director
on behalf of the APECS Leadership

The Antarctica Day 2016 was held by the APECS Swiss National Committee on the 1st and 2nd of December. One early career scientist organized an event at the WSL institute in Zurich and another one in a primary school in Neuchâtel.

Antarctica Day @ WSL:

WSL is a federal research institute and 300 people are working there. On the 1st of December, two presentations were organized for the whole WSL. The first presentation was made by Konrad Steffen on the effect of climate change in Antarctica and future politic action by Switzerland in Polar regions. The second talk was held by Julia Schmale, from the Paul Scherrer Institute about her project on the oncoming Antarctica Circumpolar Expedition. The topic was related to atmospheric components in the Southern hemisphere.

In total, over 60 people took part of this event which is surprising as very few polar scientists are working in this institute. This showed the overall interest from many people for Antarctica and we had a very good feedback.

Antarctica Day in a primary school:

Four classes of a primary school took part of the Antarctica day. In the morning, a power point resuming the climate, geography, history and fauna was presented by the professors. The power point was prepared by the APECS members beforehand.

In the afternoon, an APECS member came and could answer all remaining questions about the continent, as well as present the scientific work done down south.

The questions were on very different topics and lasted over two hours. The APECS member also brought with her a “working suit” used by the scientists to work in very cold conditions. The students could try it on and realized how warm and heavy it is.

The week preceding the Antarctica day, the children had the exercise to draw an Antarctica flag. These flags are already on their way to Antarctica, with an APECS mentor (Julia Schmale) that will make a circumpolar expedition around Antarctica. She will display the drawings on the ship.

This Antarctica Day was a real success in school and the children showed a lot of interest and curiosity about this continent. The feedback from the professors and parents was very positive!

rsession Indian Polar Research Network (APECS-India) collaborated with Wildlife Institute of India-ENVIS centre on Wildlife & Protected Areas to celebrate the Antarctica Day by hosting ICECAPS 2016 (Improving Communication Effectiveness and Capacity Addition in Polar Science), a science communication workshop for early career researchers and graduate students. The workshop was attended by about 50 masters and PhD students from biology, geology, and environmental science disciplines. The theme of the workshop was providing orientation to the young minds towards a successful career in Polar Science and to equip them with key communication skills. Sessions on Climate change and Protected Area network in Himalayas, Trans-boundary biodiversity conservation and Antarctic treaty system with a focus on Madrid protocol were conducted to utilize this platform for outreach activities. These sessions also underlined the challenges faced by biodiversity conservation efforts in the Polar Regions and the need for sustained scientific data collection and publishing in achieving these goals.

First day into the workshop, the participants were introduced to the importance of communication in the day to day life of a researcher. The participants were given tips on writing emails to a potential research supervisor or an adviser, creating professional resumes and developing networking skills during professional gatherings. Participants were also exposed to effective presentation skills that would help them in getting noticed in a science conference. Interactive hands-on sessions on identifying appropriate funding agency, grant writing process and the process of developing a research proposal were conducted. Lastly, the participants were introduced to the document preparation system Latex for creating large documents with basic hands-on practice.

Amit talks about Himalayan plants on thennature trail icecaps Day two of the workshop was initiated with a field session on the plants of the Himalayan foothill campus of Wildlife Institute of India. Participants were taken around the nature trail to learn about the adaptive features of the plants and were also brought in close encounter with migratory and resident species of the campus. Later, an exhaustive session on the open source software R was conducted to initiate them into the world of ecological analysis. This session familiarized participants with basic working and simple statistical analyses with R. In the end, students were taught the concepts of effective sampling design, choosing variables in a study, determining the sample sizes, and experimental vs. mensurative approach.

Sixty percent of the applicants of the workshop were M.Sc. students, 27.5 % were PhD students while the rest were early career researchers with less than 5 years to complete their PhDs. Around 60% of the students were already working in the Polar Regions and the rest intending to do so in their future career. The toughest job in this workshop, with students from different disciplines and academic backgrounds, was to invoke the interest of participants to communicate. We played Polar Bingo in the beginning of the workshop to break the ice between the students and generate an interest in the workshop topics. Our team of resource persons also interacted continuously with them between the sessions. Feedback from the participants was encouraging as almost 93% termed it “very useful” for their research career. Participants responded to include popular science writing in the future workshops while giving A-rating to sessions on R program, Grant writing and improving presentation skills.

thegroup

iasc web The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), have the pleasure to announce the start of the fourth edition of the IASC Fellowship Program. During the selection process, managed by IASC in close cooperation with APECS, five successful early career scientists were chosen from 101 applicants. The reviewers were impressed by the record amount and excellent quality of the applications.

The IASC Fellows 2017-2018 are:

Thomas Armitage, Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling, University College London, UK / NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USA (Marine Working Group)
Alevtina Evgrafova, University of Bern, Switzerland (Terrestrial Working Group)
Manisha Ganeshan, Universities Space Research Association, USA (Atmosphere Working Group)
Violetta Gassiy, Kuban State University, Russian Federation (Social and Human Working Group)
Shridhar Jawak, National Centre For Antarctic & Ocean Research, Earth System Science Organization (ESSO), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India, India (Cryosphere Working Group)

More information about the IASC Fellowship Program can be found here

The registration now is open at http://cryosol.ru/en/registration-en.html ! The next important date is April 15, 2017 – the final possibility to send us you abstracts (not longer than 4000 characters with spaces). The early summer is good time on the Oka river, and we hope that you will fulfill this time with productive disscussions. The motto for 2017 conference is «Earth's Cryosphere: Past, Present and Future», it will be organized June 4-8 in the Institute of Physico-chemical and Biological problems of soil science.

All information is available at http://cryosol.ru/en/cryoconference-2017.html. It is still not late to suggest new session topics, round tables or became a partner of the conference, like Earth Cryosphere Institute (ikz.ru) and Beta Analytic (radiocarbon.com). If you have general questions, like why we include lunch snacks into the registration fee and where to

stay in Pushchino – the conference e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. is the right place to send them.

Pushchino is situated not far from Moscow, Russia (one-hour bus drive from Uznaya underground station). The conference fee is 7000₽ (~100$) and 2000₽ (~30$) for students; it covers participant set, coffee and lunch during the working days and the permafrost dinner at one of the evenings (surely with dancing). We will speak Russian and English, simultaneous translation will be provided.

The sections will cover all topics of permafrost research:

- Regional aspects in polar and mountain areas

- Paleoreconstructions

- Carbon in permafrost

- Cryosphere as ecosystem: microbiological, biotechnological and astrobiological aspects

- Permafrost soils

- Permafrost hydrology and hydrogeology

- Physico-chemical peculiarities of frozen ground

- Geophysical investigations in permafrost areas

- Antarctic permafrost and soils

-Philosophical ideas about past, present and future of cryosphere

APECS Netherland Belgium Symposium2016 In the fall of 2016 the national APECS committees of the Netherlands and Belgium joined efforts in organizing a shared symposium. Organizers of the symposium were Ariadna Szszybelski and Douwe Maat from the APECS NL board and Henrik Christiansen and Igor Stelmach Pessi from the APECS BE board. The symposium was held on the 2nd of November in the headquarters of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), and was financed by this same organisation. Douwe and Igor kicked-off the symposium with a welcome and a shared presentation on the different ways in which APECS can be beneficial to early career polar researchers. During the day two invited speakers climbed on stage. The first invited speaker was Kees Rade, the Dutch Arctic Ambassador, who informed us about the Dutch Polar Strategy until 2020. He explained which Dutch ministries are involved in polar politics and on which pillars this is based: sustainability, economy, research and geopolitics. This was followed by an interesting discussion on the interface of science and politics. The second speaker was Joseph Nolan from the European Polar Board (EPB), who explained what the EPB does and how scientists can benefit from it. This talk was followed by a discussion on what EPB can do for early career scientists. Possibly the EPB can be a platform for exchange of early career scientists amongst different institutes and universities, but at the moment there are no concrete ways yet.

Over the day, 8 APECS members, being Andrea Cabrera, Henrik Christiansen, Sebastiaan Koppelle, Eveline Pinseel, Hans Slagter and Stef Bokhorst, presented their scientific work on very different topics, such as the demography of Arctic marine mammals, evolutionary history of polar diatoms and iron in the Arctic Ocean. In addition, Heather Mariash, current APECS ExCom member, informed the public about Polar Educators International and her own role in APECS. Esther Kokmeijer, an artist and APECS Netherlands board member, showed different ways in which art can be used as a form of communicating science, without toning down on either art or science. We were pleased with the special attendance of three high school students, and hopefully APECS members to be: Maarten Burggraaff, Mees van Rhijn and Menno Hosper. All three students have been to the Arctic for their final exam projects and Mees gave a talk about his work on the color of polar bear fur. The last session of the meeting was by Ariadna and Henrik, who explained in which ways APECS members can contribute to APECS as an organization or to APECS’ aims, such as education and outreach, and in which ways peoples contributions would benefit them.

A total of 27 people attended in a nice mix of different scientific career stages from high school student to postdoc. A short questionnaire for feedback and suggestions was send around. In general the responses were very positive. The symposium was experienced as a good mix between scientific talks, politics and discussion. Although some people had to travel quite far, the location and venue were also well-accepted. Some suggestions for improvement were for instance an evening program with more time for discussion and networking, a more general part of the meeting in which APECS topics such as planning of new events can be discussed, and more information on the Dutch and Belgian polar research programs. All in all, also the organizers of the Dutch and Belgian national committees were very pleased with the attendance of the meeting and the quality of the talks. For the near future both committees are looking forward to more of these fruitful collaborations or contributions to each others activities. The talks of the organizers, pictures of the symposium and more information on the program is available on the Dutch and Belgian national committee websites: apecsnl.wordpress.com and apecsbelgium.wordpress.com.

Outside the box logo The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) cordially invites you to submit an abstract for our 3rd APECS International Online Conference 2017 which will kick-start Polar Week on the 20th of March 2017. This year’s theme is “Outside the Box: Encouraging alternative solutions for undertaking and communicating polar research.” We encourage abstracts for punchy 10 minute PowerPoint presentations consistent with this theme.

Please visit the conference website to learn more about the conference and submit your abstract by the 20th of January 2017 at 22:00 GMT. We will notify you with regards to the success of your abstract prior to the 3rd of February 2017 at 22:00 GMT.

APECS Canada Logo web To have a local ECR presence at the Haines Junction Mountain Festival, we had Marney Paradis (APECS Canada), Ellorie McKnight (previously APECS Council), and myself (APECS Canada) organize and host an APECS booth in the atrium of the Haines Junction Convention Centre. We had APECS promotional materials (posters, brochures) available, researcher updates from three different research groups that work in the Kluane region, a slideshow of research photos, and a button-making activity. The buttons were a big hit with adults and kids alike leaving a booth with a hand drawn button, photo of local plants or animals, or a small section of a local map! It was great to share more about APECS with Mountain Fest attendees and grow our northern Canadian presence. Thanks to APECS for helping us with promotional materials, Team Shrub at University of Edinburgh for the photos, Dr. Gwenn Flowers at SFU for photos/research handout, Ellorie for the help and research updates, and Marney for the help and the amazing button art activity! Looking forward to more outreach events in Canada's northern territories, stay tuned!

APECSAGUCareersPanelFlyer copy

Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR) is pleased to announce that it is supporting the Polar Data Catalogue (PDC) in establishing a National Antarctic Data Centre (NADC) for Canada.

The Antarctic Treaty (section III.1.c) requires that Antarctic scientific observations and results be exchanged and made freely available. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) coordinates the Antarctic Data Management System (ADMS), which is a comprehensive international directory of Antarctic data and metadata. As Canada’s NADC, the PDC will work with POLAR and the broader Canadian Antarctic research community to serve as Canada’s national focal point for this system, and support Canadian Antarctic researchers in preparing and submitting metadata and hosting data as needed.

Canada’s NADC will facilitate access to and use of Canadian Antarctic data to facilitate further polar research and discovery at the national and international levels. In the coming months, PDC will be reaching out to past and present members of the Canadian Antarctic research community to begin to identify Canadian Antarctic data holders and associated metadata.

For more information about Canada’s NADC, please contact Gabrielle Alix, Polar Data Catalogue at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

More information about Polar Data Catalogue (PDC)
Polar Data Catalogue (PDC) is an online database of metadata and data that describes, indexes, and provides access to diverse data sets generated by polar researchers. PDC is Canada’s primary source for data and information about cold regions and has a growing master directory for data from Canadian and international polar research programs.

For more information about the PDC, please see: https://www.polardata.ca/

More information about Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR)
Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR) is Canada’s lead federal agency that was established on June 1st, 2015 to strengthen Canadian leadership in polar science and technology. POLAR consists of a knowledge management function to support Arctic and Antarctic research; a pan-northern Science and Technology program; and the world-class Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) campus.

POLAR is a full member and Canada’s adhering body to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), which initiates, develops and coordinates scientific research internationally regarding Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

For more information about POLAR please see: https://www.canada.ca/en/polar-knowledge/index.html

APECS will be organizing a career development workshop on the 2nd April 2017 at the Arctic Science Summit Week 2017 in Prague (Czech Republic). Details of the workshop, as well as the link to pre-registration (required for the workshop) is available on the APECS website.

The workshop is free of charge for workshop participants (registration for the business meetings of ASSW is not required to attend the APECS workshop).

Registration deadline is 17 February 2017.

For questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA) is pleased to announce the first Call for papers and posters for the 9th International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IX) to be held at Umeå University, in Umeå, Sweden, 8-12 June 2017.

ICASS IX’s theme is People and Place. Research on social sciences and humanities have a great responsibility to address the challenges for sustainable development in the Arctic, with a specific focus on the many different parts of the Arctic and the people that live there. The multiple Arctics have lately been addressed by many policy makers and researchers. The purpose is often to counteract the stereotypic understanding of the Arctic too often represented by icebergs and polar bears. A focus on people and place highlights the many variances across the region in terms of climate, political systems, demography, infrastructure, history, languages, health, legal systems, land and water resources etc. etc. We welcome sessions and papers on all facets of the North. And, as always, we also welcome sessions and papers on all other subjects of relevance to our members.

Please submit your paper and/or poster proposals using the ICASS IX Submittal Form available on the ICASS IX website. ICASS IX sessions are divided in themes which all of them are led by one chair. You will find the themes listed at the conference website together with a list of proposed sessions which are listed under each theme. Choose your preferred session in the theme to submit your abstract. You are also most welcome to submit a poster presentation within a theme.

Please not that all presenters must submit an abstract on the ICASS IX website, including Session chairs who intend to give a presentation in his/her proposed session.

Submissions should contain:

name and contact details of the author(s)
title of paper or poster
a 150 words (maximum) summary / abstract

Please note: that some sessions due to special funding situations and programs are invited papers only and are marked as closed (these sessions are generally open to participation, though). Session proposers have been asked to fill out various data about their session proposals, but this information has not all been gathered, so please be aware that changes will occur and extra information will be added to some of the sessions later.

Submitting a proposal for a paper or a poster presentation is at this stage non-committing. Registration for ICASS IX will open in mid-January 2017. The early-bird registration fee will be 350 Euros. Membership to IASSA is required and is set to 100 Euros, with reductions for students, unemployed, retired and Russian participants.
Prospects for the funding of your participation in the Congress. We hope to be able to provide some travel funding to students, early career researchers, Indigenous participants, and participants from Russia (and individuals who have limited means to attend). Please indicate if you wish to be considered for financial support in the ICASS IX Submittal Form. We anticipate announcing the travel awards in February 2017.
A maximum of two paper proposals per person please, although you may submit as many posters as you wish.

The deadline for submitting paper and poster abstracts is 16 December 2016.

We encourage participation of Indigenous peoples, Northern residents, decision-makers and politicians, as well as academics, so that ICASS IX provides a rich environment in which to advance discussions on sustainabilities in the North and on other Northern matters.

Please note that in addition to the ICASS conference fee, membership in IASSA is mandatory for all ICASS participants – to become a member or renew your membership visit: http://iassa.org/membership

Follow developments regarding ICASS IX at our conference website: http://iassa.org/icass-ix

The Ice Core Young Scientists (ICYS) are pleased to share the news that they will be providing a limited number of travel grants to early career researchers attending the 2016 AGU Fall Meeting. The funds have generously come to us recently from the SCAR Standing Scientific Group on Physical Science. Awards are intended to help with travel expenses for presenting authors whose research focuses on or relates to ice cores. We plan to make 10 awards of $200 each.

Eligibility:
1) First author presenting either a poster or a talk at AGU
2) Early career researcher in a field related to ice core science
3) In need of financial assistance

To Apply:
Fill out this Google Form no later than December 5: https://goo.gl/forms/e7q3jBV3aaXsuTMs2

Due to the proximity of the meeting, we aim to turn these grants around quickly. We will be in touch via email to let you know the status of your application.

APECS Panel Tromso 2016 During the IGS Nordic Branch Meeting in Tromsø on the 27th of October, APECS Council member Vikram Goel organized an APECS Panel on Balancing work and personal life. It was an open discussion with questions and comments from the attending audience. The event was organized during the lunch break on the second day of the meeting. The panelists included -

Dr Alun Hubbard
Dr Miriam Jackson
Dr Ioanna Merkeraudi

It started with the panelists briefly sharing their career path, along with the developments in their personal life. The three panelists had taken different paths and made very different choices to reach their current stages. This made the discussion all the more interesting, and provided alternate viewpoints to the audience. The discussion touched many sub topics including - setting priorities in work/personal life, working in a different country, work politics and approaches to managing stress.

Some of the key take away points from the discussion are -

Different people have different priorities and needs. The work/life balance hence should be tailored to you, rather than following somebody else's path or rules. As most things you get better at it with experience. Also, one should re access their priorities/needs, periodically as they change with time.
You cannot say yes to everyone. Some things might pay off in long terms. Investing time in students is usually rewarding.
Get a lot of post-doc experience while you can and make most out of the freedom. Such position are well payed and there are not many side tasks.
Not get too involved in work politics. Learn to say no.
Think strategically about your future. Plan in advance.
Research is a flexible job. It provides much more freedom compared to other options. However, we should not get too flexible and let work take over your personal life.
Job market is very competitive. However, when in position to decide, pick your supervisor and work institute/country wisely. Consider other factors beyond research like compatibility with supervisor (investigate his nature), language, work-culture and society. Factors that are important to you. Give higher preference to working in Scandinavia over US/UK!
Join unions to keep track of your rights in terms of employment and you are aware what to expect from the employer. Specially when you are in a new country.
Communicate our personal stuff with our colleagues and don't shy from asking for help.
If you don't ask, you don't get.
Get rid of rules. Do not need to follow a specific trajectory, find what fits for yourself.
We have a tendency to stress on things, which are not that important. Sometimes we associate much more value to things than they actually deserve.
Life/death balance. Stay safe in the field. An extra risky kilometer to get that extra measurement may not be worth it.

APECs Portugal Workshop2016 2 copy The VII Workshop of Career Development of APECS Portugal took place on October 26th in Lisbon, under theme “POLAR QUESTS – Policymaking: Science strikes back”. This year the aim of the workshop focused on policymaking and science in the polar regions.

The morning session focused on talks regarding science and policy in Arctic and the Antarctic regions, by José Xavier (British Antarctic Survey) and João Canário (Arctic), after a broader approach to both regions by Renuka Badhe (European Polar Board). The after session starter with tips and hints from Ariel Brunner (Birdlife International), followed by practical exercise and a... jedi jam session! Renuka Badhe from European Polar Board Renuka is presenting the work of European Polar Board work in merging science, communities and policymakers... and gave the amazing example of "Aliens in Antarctica" as a successful case of how policymaking and science cooperated together.

APECS Portugal Workshop1 copy Jose Carlos Caetano Xavier unfolding the progresses in policy and science collaboration since the early beginning of explorations in #Antarctica. Great explanations of the background that lead to the creation of the Antarctic Treaty.

João Canario our "bi" polar scientist is explaining how did he engaged with both polar regions, and his important role at one of the major International Arctic Science Committee IASC

APECS Portugal Workshop 2016 3 copy João Canário and Jose Carlos Caetano Xavier showing how two similar regions are yet so different in terms of policymaking, geopolitics and how science can operate there. Both regions have different approaches, different political organizations and scientific committees - yet both demand a thigh collaboration and public engagement!

Ariel Brunner from Birdlife International and currently based in Brussels, gave valuable tips and lifehacks solutions in regards to communicate science for policymakers. The participants engaged afterwards in a small debate.

After the speech from Ariel Brunner and using his tips, we went for a Practical exercice! Our participants were trying to convince our "policymakers" - brought exclusively by José Carlos Caetano Xavier and Renuka Badhe excelent - and funny roleplaying, on how they science is meaningful and should be funded.

European Commission Logo The International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic (INTERACT) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) are seeking an early career researcher (minimum postdoc level) for an INTERACT Transnational Access Evaluation Board member for 2017-2018.

INTERACT is a consortium of 47 partner institutions in Europe, Russia and North-America, funded 2016-2020 by the EU H2020 as well as further 31 observer institutions. The network currently consists of 78 terrestrial research stations, 43 of which offer Transnational Access.

INTERACT seeks to build capacity for research and monitoring in the European Arctic and beyond, and is offering research groups Transnational Access to conduct research free of charge at 43 terrestrial research stations located in the Arctic, northern alpine and forest areas in Europe, Russia, US and Canada. The sites represent a variety of glacier, mountain, tundra, boreal forest, peatland and freshwater ecosystems, providing opportunities for researchers from natural sciences to human dimension.

The applications for Transnational Access (both physical and remote access) undergo a scientific evaluation made by a Transnational Access Evaluation Board (TA Board) that consists of six experts external to INTERACT and six representatives of stations in particular geographical regions. INTERACT is now seeking for an external early-career expert to join the TA Board. Applicants should be early career researchers (up to 5 years since PhD, excluding career breaks) who already have completed their PhD (minimum post-doc level). A specialization in geosciences (paleo-ecology, geomorphology etc.) is preferred, but specialists on other fields of research with an Arctic or northern focus are also welcome to apply.

The tasks of a TA Board member include participation in the scientific evaluation of the submitted Transnational Access applications and attendance at the related TA Board meetings, both held annually (with a possibility for 1-2 additional, specified, TA calls). TA Board members do not receive financial compensation for their membership, but the travel and accommodation costs to the meetings, as well as daily allowance, are reimbursed by INTERACT. An early career scientist participating on the INTERACT TA Board will benefit from working with distinguished scientists at an international level, from gaining valuable experience and insight of the evaluation process for future expert positions, and becoming aware of new projects and contacts.

If you are a post-doctoral researcher working on one of the themes mentioned above and are interested in this great opportunity to join the INTERACT Transnational Access Evaluation Board, please e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. including your statement of interest noting your research interests and experience (no more than one side of A4) and your CV (no more than two pages of A4) in a single PDF-file by 4 December 2016. The position of a TA Board Member sought now is for a two-year period in 2017-2018, with an option for additional two years. The applicants will be notified about the decision by mid-December 2016.

For more information about the position, please contact Dr. Ruth Vingerhagen (outgoing APECS representative on the INTERACT Transnational Access Evaluation Board) (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Dr Hannele Savela, INTERACT Transnational Access Coordinator, hannele.savela(at)oulu.fi.

AntarcticaDayLogo The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), together with Our Spaces - Foundation for the Good Governance of International Spaces, Polar Educators International, PolarTREC , the International Polar Foundation, Gateway Antarctica, the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operations, the UK Polar Network and the British Antarctic Survey are once again proud to support Antarctica Day commemorations on 1 December 2016. This event was created to celebrate the spirit of international peace and scientific cooperation that signified the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959.

Antarctica Day 2016 is an international effort to share knowledge about Antarctica. APECS is proud to take part, helping to inspire a new generation of polar researchers. The day is for everyone, so take some time to celebrate with your co-workers, family and friends!

This year will see many events and classroom activities take place, centered around Antarctic science and exploration. Who goes there? What happens in Antarctica? And why is Antarctica important to the planet as whole? We look forward to having these discussions all over the globe.

Are you planning to organise something for Antarctica Day? See all of what is happening at the APECS Antarctica Day website, and add your event to the list of activities for Antarctica Day 2016.

To include your support for Antarctica Day 2016 you can also insert your information in our map.

Join Antarctica Day on Facebook.

Happy Antarctica Day 2016 from APECS!

REMINDER: Submit your session to POLAR2018's Open Science Conference before the end of November 2016

SCAR & IASC Conference POLAR2018 - Call for Sessions is open

POLAR2018 is a joint event of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research SCAR and the International Arctic Science Committee IASC and will take place in Davos, Switzerland from 15 - 27 June 2018. It includes the XXXV SCAR Biennial Meetings, the Arctic Science Summit Week 2018 and the joint SCAR and IASC Open Science Conference.

The organizers of POLAR2018 are now accepting session proposals for the joint SCAR and IASC Open Science Conference “Where the Poles meet“ which will be held on 19 - 23 June 2018.

A template to submit session proposals, including a brief session description, the contact information of the session conveners and other session details, is available on . We are looking for sessions that cover a broad range of topics across the spectrum of Polar and high altitude research, such as, but not limited to, climate, glaciology, social and human sciences, ice sheets, atmospheric sciences, oceanography, biology, astronomy, geology, economic aspects, sustainable development, technology and education. There will be oral and poster sessions as well as further session formats.

* The organizing committee strongly encourages session topics that encapsulate research conducted in both the Arctic and Antarctic.
* We also encourage including early career scientists as conveners and encourage diversity regarding conveners’ nationalities, gender, and where possible, indigenous peoples.

The tasks of the conveners include:
• Soliciting submissions for their session;
• reviewing the abstracts submitted for the session;
• working with the International Scientific Organizing Committee to arrange the program of their session, including oral and poster presentations and
• chairing the session.

Depending on the session proposals received, the International Scientific Organizing Committee might have to merge similar session where necessary and appropriate.

Session proposals can be submitted until 30 November 2016. Lead conveners will be notified on 31 March 2017 and the final list of sessions will be announced in spring 2017. Abstract submission will open on 1 September 2017 with a submission deadline not earlier than 1 November 2017 and notification of acceptance after 31 January 2018. Further information can be found on .

Any questions should be directed to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The co-chairs of the International Scientific Organizing Committee
Martin Schneebeli
Karin Lochte
Huigen Yang

ASSW second circular

Click here for a pdf version.

The call for applications is now open with a deadline of 18th December 2016 for transnational access taking place between March 2017 and April 2018.

Further TA call information, stations available in the call, descriptions of stations and their facilities, and registration to the INTERACCESS on-line application system from the INTERACT website.

For additional information, please contact the Transnational Access coordinator Hannele Savela, hannele.savela(at)oulu.fi.

Apply INTERACT Transnational Access to visit the coolest places on the Earth!

APECS has released its Annual Report 2015-2016 for the period of October 2015 to September 2016! Read about:

the APECS leadership and National Committees in 2015-2016
APECS event highlights
reports about APECS projects, webinars and other online activities and publications
and much more!

The full report can be accessed here or in our APECS publications database. We hope you enjoy reading it!

A special thank you goes to the Research Council of Norway, the UiT The Arctic University of Norway and the Norwegian Polar Institute for supporting and hosting the APECS International Directorate in Tromsø!

Thank you also to the many dedicated members and mentors who volunteered their time over the past year to help us achieve continued success in shaping the future of polar research!

"Don't give up" is Mirko Scheinert's final message to Germany's polar early career scientists, when it comes to proposal writing.

September 14th 2016 marks the day when Germany's National Committee of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS Germany) organized their first workshop in Rostock.

Held prior to the annual coordination workshop by the German Priority Research Program on Antarctic research, 19 participants joined the workshop - most of whom were new to APECS. They benefited from five mentors in polar research giving their secrets on how to increase chances for their proposals to be a success. During the panel discussion, Sonja Berg (University of Cologne), Mirko Scheinert (Technische Universität Dresden), Inna Sokolova (University of Rostock), Charlotte Havermans (University of Bremen) and Florian Leese (University of Duisburg-Essen) answered questions on how to receive feedback, how to approach colleagues or simply advised to celebrate a success when it happens!

What APECS Germany will be up to in the coming year was introduced by Caroline Coch and Heike Link representing the APECS Germany Board. Overall, the first APECS Germany workshop was a successful kick-off for further initiatives coming from Germany's polar early career scientists.

The UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has opened nominations for the WMO research Award for Young Scientists. This yearly award, granted by WMO, aims to encourage young scientists, particularly in developing countries, to undertake outstanding research work in all fields of meteorology and hydrology. More information about the award can be found here.

In the effort of promoting excellent science undertaken by early career scientists, the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) intends to provide informal recommendations to the nomination process - through WMO and/or the respective Permanent Representatives - on a few outstanding young scientists in climate research. Please note that a WCRP recommendation would not guarantee the nomination or granting of the award, as the final selection will be made by the WMO Executive Council. In the meantime, WCRP will continue to promote those identified candidates through its community newsletters and other media, to enhance visibility and opportunities for further engagement with related WCRP activities.

How to apply for the WCRP recommendation?
Send a short paragraph (0.5 page) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. mentioning ‘WMO Young Scientist Award’ in the subject line of your email.
Please explain in the short paragraph your research background and your connection to meteorology or hydrology and WCRP climate science.
Attach a short CV and a recent scientific publication.

NOTE: the deadline is 14 November 2016.

Points for consideration:
- Read the WMO guidelines for the award carefully.
- Please note the WMO’s Award for Young Scientists application process must be done through the WMO Permanent Representatives – i.e. you can not apply directly.
- Ensure your research is connected to meteorology or hydrology, as desired by WMO.
- Preferably your research has a strong link with the WCRP Grand Challenges and/or Core Projects.
- Note that the final selection for the award will partly be based on a recent publication in an international scientific journal.

WCRP is looking forward to your application and will let you know if you are selected for a WCRP recommendation before the 30th of November.

Please don’t hesitate to contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have further questions.

The Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS), is seeking nominations for the international Scientific Steering Committee. Nominations of qualified individuals are due 11 November 2016.

SOOS is an international initiative of SCAR and the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) with the mission to facilitate the collection and delivery of essential observations on dynamics and change of Southern Ocean systems to all international stakeholders (researchers, governments, industries), through design, advocacy and implementation of cost-effective observing and data delivery systems.

Nominations should only be made for those with the capacity to be actively involved in driving SOOS forward. The SSC meet annually, whilst the majority of SSC activities and input is managed via email. In some instances, SSC members will be invited to represent SOOS at scientific meetings, usually on an opportunistic basis. Membership on the SSC is for a 3-year period, with the potential for renewal for an additional 3 years, on approval of the EXCOM.

For more information about SOOS and its SSC please visit the SSC webpages or contact the Executive Officer, Louise Newman (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

The Social and Human Working group of the International Arctic Science Committee is sponsoring the participation of early career scientists or traditional indigenous knowledge holders in a multi-disciplinary workshop at the 2017 Arctic Science Summit Week in Prague with three travels grants. The workshop, "Meaningful multi-disciplinarily and the governance of evolving global dynamics in the Arctic", explores new ways to define and respond to challenges and opportunities in global, regional, and local governance, as intersections between science, technology, and different societies in the Arctic increase. The sum of each grant is 650€. The deadline for applications is November 27th 2016. The 2017 Arctic Science Summit Week will take place in Prague March 31 - April 7.

Further information about the workshop, eligibility, and applying is available in the attached document.

*** The general call for abstract submissions for the session (24. Meaningful multi-disciplinarity and the governance of evolving global dynamics in the Arctic: Towardsa more materialistic study of world politics) the workshop is part of is now also open at: http://www.assw2017.eu/session-list.htm) ***

The International Conference “Polar Routes of the Arctic” will take place as part of the Fifth Murmansk International Business Week at Murmansk Arctic State University, Murmansk, Russia on 15 November 2016.

Main purposes of the Conference:

To involve early career scientists in an active process of unexplored territory development by means of realization of interesting research and cognitive projects in cooperation with advanced research centers and organizations engaged in developing the Arctic region resources.
To draw general public’s attention to development of prospecting, expedition and research activities in the Arctic on basis of historical experience, prospects of economic and innovation development of the Arctic territories.
To discuss prospects of national and regional project realization in accordance with state interests of the Russian Federation in the Arctic.
To form a modern education research base for young specialist training by means of intellectual potential development in the field of usage of high-end technologies in the northern latitudes.
To develop international cooperation in the field of research expedition activity and organization of circumpolar studies in the Arctic.

Conference Participants:

Early Career Scientists, travelers and explorers of the Arctic.
The Russian and foreign public, scientific and political men.
Managers of the Russian Arctic.
Representatives of research institutes and centers.
Public youth organizations.
Business communities.
Mass media.

Conference Structure

Plenary meeting with participation of representatives of the Federal and Regional authority, leading research and education centers of Russia and the Barents/Euro-Arctic Region, practicing travellers.
Panel discussion «Arctic for the youth and the youth for Arctic»
Session “Historico-geographical expeditions and studies in the Arctic”.
Round table “Science and innovations in the Arctic: challenges for young

To learn more please check the information in attached file

apecs logo web We are celebrating ***APECS 10th anniversary*** in 2017!

In order to spread the good news and to emphasize the achievements of our organization, we would like to use a special APECS anniversary logo during the coming months. We would like to invite all members to design and create an APECS logo which features the 10th anniversary in 2017!

Send us a logo in .jpg, .tif or .bmp-format until 14 November 2016 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.! The APECS Executive Committee will vote for the best logo, which will be used on APECS materials and the website over the next year. The winner will also receive a 200 Euro travel award to a conference of their choice within the next year.

The APECS logo in various formats is available on the APECS website. The orange colour is (RGB 241, 106, 34) and the Blue is (RGB 0, 77, 140), and the font used for the text is Optima Bold.

For questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Finland Japan Workshop 2016 1 APECS Japan and Finland welcomed early career polar researchers in Helsinki on October 17th 2016 for a workshop on sharing research projects, career advice and future connections. The meeting kicked off with presentations from four Japanese early career scientists about their current research projects. The Japanese guests came from Hokkaido and Tohoku University and their research topics covered terrestrial, marine and social sciences. In the second and third session, early career researchers from several departments at the University of Helsinki (UoH) talked about their research also covering many interesting areas. The audience included other staff and students from UoH who always had some interesting questions following the talks.

In the afternoon, Associate Professor Marius Jonassen from the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) talked about his research projects in meteorology and led over to sharing his own experiences transitioning from his PhD into the position of Associate Professor at UNIS. After hearing about career opportunities on Svalbard, Yasushi Fukamachi and Matti Leppäranta continued talking about inspiring research projects and sharing useful career advice. The focus was on the importance of gathering international experiences and creating networks with other researchers. Our workshop was just the right opportunity for that!
After that, Eero Rinne concluded the career session by some inspiring words about “surviving the European academia”. The informal talk brought up many comments and questions from young researchers about their thoughts on succeeding as a young scientist.

Lastly, the participants of the event discussed possibilities for continuing the connection in the future. Among these were research exchange visits and future workshops together.

Overall, the meeting was a success and we received positive feedback from the audience.

Finland Japan Workshop 2016 2

uk polar network logo At the Challenger Society for Marine Science conference in September 2016, the UK Polar Network ran a workshop for early career scientists on making and presenting good scientific posters. The event was attended by over 50 people and we had a panel including Dr. Yvonne Firing (National Oceanography Centre Southampton) and Dr. Sian Henley (Univ. of Edinburgh). The workshop began with a few hints on what makes a good poster; attractive, clear visible title, easily readable without large amounts of text, clear diagrams and not overcomplicated. We then showcased some examples of winning posters. Sian Henley bravely slipped her poster into the session for anonymous criticism. It became clear during this that while there are many different opinions on what makes a “great” poster, there was aspects which people didn’t like. It is important to consider the type of conference you are at (Is your poster up all week?) and your audience. The UK Polar Network also provided two poster examples, one which was obviously “bad” and the other which was an improved version of the same (fake) research about moving polar bears to the Antarctic to cope with a declining sea ice environment and loss of food. You can see both of these examples below, hopefully which one is bad and improved is obvious to you.

Before our panel discussion we went through a few other ideas for making a great poster, some of these are:

Keep text to <800 words
Have handouts available (also if you print your poster on A4 you should be able to read it)
Avoid dark backgrounds and consider colour blindness!
Use other media tools, if you have a video think about having a tablet

There were also some good tips for presenting a poster, a few unique suggestions also:

Keep hands out of pockets and don’t chew gum
Talk to your audience, not to the poster (it doesn’t care)
Keep sweets or chocolates with you, it will draw people in
Make a t shirt advertising your poster, or even put your most interesting figure on it
Don’t wear sunglasses inside, people will assume you are hungover, high or both

During the panel discussion a lively debate occurred on the consumption of alcohol during poster sessions. Some were in favour, some were not, however everyone agreed that over-consumption was bad, and you shouldn’t be slurring and spilling drink on your poster (or worse your audience)! Overall, the event went well with plenty of discussion and participation from the audience. We hope that people take away some of the hints and tips provided, and we look forward to seeing some excellent posters at the next Challenger Conference! For further information please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Read the summary also on the UKPN website.

ASSW2017 Abstract submission for the 2017 Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) conference in Prague, 31 March - 7 April is now open!

Please use this form to submit your abstract to one of the 28 sessions by 16 December 2016. Further details are available here.

pyrn small The Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) has published its Fall Newsletter 2016. In this newsletter you will find some updates on recent PYRN activities as well as information on events to come later this or next year.

From Portugal to Germany, gathering over 3000 visitors and 10 countries!

On the last sept 30, polar science was one of the hot topics in the European Researchers’ night event in Kiel, Germany, thought the IRRESISTIBLE project.

This event, open to all ages, had the purpose of lead the public to interact and learn more about Polar Science and climate change, as well as Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI).

The Portuguese team presented the work developed by students, teachers and researchers in collaboration with their schools (EB de Vale Rosal and Externato Cooperativo da Benedita), creating an opportunity for exploring Polar Regions and Polar science throughout the interactive exhibits and for sharing ideas and experiences.

The games developed by students that resulted from the research previously conducted over the polar regions, polar science and RRI, allowed visitors - kids, parents, teachers, scientists and other adults - to understand the current situation of the polar regions and their influence on global climate, science contribution to understandability and minimising the resulting consequences of the observed changes, as well as highlight the crucial role of each of the social actors in this process - the objectives of participation in the event.

Patrícia Fialho Azinhaga
Institute of Education, University of Lisbon

The Scientific Committee of Antarctic Research Expert Group on Birds and Marine Mammals (EG-BAMM) is tasked with the role of providing expert scientific advice on issues relating to birds and mammals, as well as helping to facilitate and coordinate research in the Southern Ocean. During the recent 2016 SCAR Open Science meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (August 2016) members gathered for the annual EG-BAMM meeting and the new APECS representative to the group, Jaimie Cleeland, attended the meeting. Here some of the exciting EG-BAMM projects discussed:

1. Antarctic Biodiversity
The Antarctic Biodiversity Portal is an electronic biodiversity infrastructure that houses biological data on Southern Ocean and Antarctic species. The portal; an official SCAR product, brings together large and small biodiversity datasets from both marine and terrestrial realms, with the aim of producing an open source digital biogeographic atlas. Scientists are encouraged to contribute to the portal to expand the register of Antarctic species.

2. Satellites, drones and wildlife monitoring
The primary role of the SCAR Action Group on Remote Sensing is to develop Antarctic-wide approaches to monitoring bird and marine mammal populations. The group, in collaboration with EG-BAMM, is aiming to develop a set of operating guidelines for the use of AUVs around Antarctic birds and marine mammals to avoid disturbance. This group is actively supporting Early Career Scientists working in this area by providing travel funding to attend the SCAR Biology Symposium in Leuven, Belgium, 2017. More information can be found here.

3. Wildlife health in Antarctica
The Health Working Group, led by Dr Andres Barbosa operates within EG-BAMM and focuses the influence of climate change on disease emergence and spread in Antarctic wildlife. Filling research gaps in Antarctic wildlife health is a priority for the group, who have identified that knowledge of disease in Antarctic marine mammals is currently lacking. Consequently, they are seeking marine mammal experts to collaborate with EG-BAMM. The group is presently working to document the emergence of a new feather loss disease in Antarctic penguins. A summary of Antarctic Wildlife Diseases can be found here.

4. Areas of Ecological Significance for Antarctic and Southern Ocean Birds and Marine Mammals
The Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking Data (RAATD) is one of the largest initiatives run by EG-BAMM. It aims to bring together ecologists, statisticians and data managers to produce circumpolar habitat maps for Southern Ocean marine predators and identify areas of ecological significance. Currently, over two million locations from penguin, seabird, seal and whale tracking data have been contributed to the project. The future of the RAATD program is looking good after securing a French-based grant to host two workshops a year for the next two and a half years.

EG-BAMM works closely with APECS to support early career scientists. You can find out more about EG-BAMM and its initiatives here.

The new APECS council term has started, and we're seeking additional people to help with a new project group that is working on improving APECS' resources for early career researchers interested in Alpine and mid-latitude cryosphere environments. This includes research in the "Third Pole" region and other mountain regions.

An increasing number of APECS members do not work on the polar regions but rather in mid-latitude cryosphere and high-altitude environments. This project group will assess existing APECS resources and see where we as an organization can improve the resources for non-polar researchers. The group will also come up with ideas to address some of these gaps (e.g., webinars, articles, etc) and start implementing them.

If you are interested in contributing to this project, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we'll put you in touch with the group.

EUPolarNet logo2 The EU PolarNet was recently established as an umbrella organization for European polar research expertise and infrastructure. On 27th September a Town Hall Event was held at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels to engage important stakeholders and discuss European polar research priorities for the coming years. APECS had the chance to participate and did so in person of Igor S. Pessi and Henrik Christiansen.

Now, many may think policy meetings are rather dry events. While this can hold true for some cases, it certainly didn’t for the EU PolarNet Town Hall. Here’s a brief and personal report of some highlights:

After registration you’re told to “just turn right after the dinosaurs”. So, briefly inspecting giant creatures that didn’t make it through extreme climate change related to a giant asteroid, and then further on to discussions of present day climate change (for which we can’t blame an asteroid). Kristina Bär and Nicole Biebow provided excellent organization and after a warm welcome by Nicole and an amazing video with greetings from various polar researchers from the field (both Arctic and Antarctic) compiled by Kristina, the first talks and discussions began. The theme of the morning was “The 1.5° C climate target – What does the European society need from polar research?”. Amongst others, Jannie Staffansson held an extremely impressive, emotional plea for renewable energy and for inclusion of indigenous people in Arctic research. Their knowledge can be invaluable and they should not just be used as ‘data source’, but actively engaged. Peter Gibbs from BBC followed suit with his experiences of documenting Antarctic research in action. A must-see for anyone interested in science communication (see link below).

In the afternoon discussions revolved around “European priorities for polar research”. Jane Francis, director of British Antarctic Survey, started explaining what international collaboration can achieve and emphasized repeatedly that it’s in fact largely the future of younger generations that is at stake. Therefore, young people should play a dominant role in shaping future polar research and may come up with important new ideas. Obviously, APECS couldn’t agree more and it’s also up to us to make our voice heard. During the discussions for the conference statement Tom Armstrong, CEO of Madison River Group and long time expert on global change in the White House, critically reminded everyone that 1.5° C may be a noble goal, but scientists should know that it’s not a very realistic goal, especially in a world that has already breached the 400 ppm CO2 barrier this year. Climate change particularly in polar regions leaves four choices: adapt, mitigate, intervene, or doing nothing. The latter is usually by far the worst. The mission of EU PolarNet to coordinate and strengthen polar research is hence extremely important given the challenges, but also opportunities of climate change.

This really is but a very short excerpt, many more relevant talks can be seen in the recordings of the event here. A protocol and a conference statement will be published soon as well. Watch out for that!

APECS Balkan Meeting 4 Kopie The first APECS Balkan Meeting was held from 1 - 2 October 2016 in Kardjali, Bulgaria. The forum was attended by representatives of APECS Bulgaria, APECS Turkey, APECS Romania (via Skype), APECS International (via Skype), Bulgarian Antarctic Institute, Istanbul Technical University Polar Research Center, National Polar Research Center of Sofia University, Committee for Foreign Affairs – National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria and Municipality of Kardjali.

The event was officially opened by the Mayor of Kardjali, the Director of Bulgarian Antarctic Institute (BAI), the Head of the Istanbul Technical University Polar Research Center (ITU PolReC) and the Deputy-Chairman of The Committee for Foreign Affairs in the Bulgarian Parliament.

APECS Balkan Meeting 6 Kopie The panelists shared their professional experience and scientific results from various research projects and fields in Antarctica and Southern Ocean. General information on the activities of APECS Bulgaria and APECS Turkey was presented to audiences and scientists. APECS Romania and the International Secretariat also participated via video conference line. Best practices and experience were shared between the Bulgarian and the Turkish polar programs, including different educational activities, social awareness on the polar issues, work with students and media. Special attention was paid on the legal aspects of the Antarctic cooperation and the legal framework of the human activities on the Southern Continent.

During the workshop was signed Memorandum of Understanding regarding the academic and scientific cooperation between Bulgarian Antarctic Institute and Istanbul Technical University Polar Research Center. Exchange of scientists was arranged between the Bulgarian and the Turkish programs. Accordingly, it was agreed that 2 early-career scientists from Turkey will work in Bulgarian Antarctic Base during the 2016-2017 Antarctic season.

The results from the first APECS Balkan Meeting was presented in an Information Paprer at XXX Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Beijing, submitted by Bulgaria and Turkey.

APECS Balkan Meeting 1 Kopie

PFFlogo

During Polar Weeks, which are week-long polar events held around the solar equinoxes, APECS members get creative about sharing science with their communities and the broader public. These events are often informal and meant to highlight the most fascinating aspects of polar science and the broader themes that make the subject globally relevant. This year, the USAPECS Board piloted a Virtual Polar Film Fest to harness the power of inspiring and exciting educational videos that are already available online and repackaged them for Polar Week in September 2016.

Video nominations were crowd-sourced from the polar research community. We received more than 100 submissions (already posted on Vimeo and YouTube) of both amateur and professional videos of varying lengths, some of which covered serious topics and others that were more light-hearted (e.g., “Happy Feet”). Videos were reviewed and organized into four themes, each of which was highlighted on a day of the Film Fest: Frozen Worlds, Partly Frozen Mostly Cute, Climate & Connections, and People at the Poles.

During Polar Week, APECS members hosted in-person and virtual watch parties where groups gathered to watch selected videos and/or playlists and discuss what they were watching with APECS experts. In-person watch parties were held in Boulder (CO), Fairbanks (AK), Orono (ME), Whitehorse (YT), Potsdam (DE), and Cambridge (UK). Virtual watch parties were hosted by Alice Bradley, Mia Bennett, Morgan Seag, and David Schutt on Twitter using the #PolarFilmFest hashtag. Playlists were also widely disseminated to APECS members, APECS partners (including Polar-ICE), and over social media.

Overall, Polar Film Fest videos racked up over 24,000 views, contributing an average of 8% to the total views on the films featured on the playlists. There were 184 tweets using the #PolarFilmFest during the week, with participants from around the world contributing. We hope to run the Virtual Polar Film Fest again, creating new playlists, including more languages besides English, and working with partners to host more exciting events that bring together the arts and sciences!

The 2016 Virtual Polar Film Fest was organized by Allen Pope, Alice Bradley, Ariel Morrison, David Schutt, Olivia Lee, and Alex Thornton with further help from the USAPECS Board and APECS members. If you would like to get involved in future events like this one, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Early career researchers and professional newcomers now have the opportunity to join Future Earth's Knowledge-Action Networks by applying to become a member of their development teams. The deadline is 2 November 2016.

Future Earth is opening up its Knowledge-Action Networks to early career researchers and early career professionals. Becoming part of Knowledge-Action Networks in their early stages will allow you to shape innovative research agendas over the coming years and connect with a global network of leading academics and professionals.

Future Earth explicitly welcomes applications from both practitioners and scientists, so from both university graduates and professionally trained people without a university degree. Eligible candidates should have started their careers or finished their master’s degree maximum ten years ago. It is also a necessary requirement to be a member of an early career network, group or organisation. All applicants need to have a strong link to sustainability.

Apply now by filling in this form until 2 November 2016 and become part of Future Earth’s innovative research projects for global sustainability!

More information on our website: http://futureearth.org/news/call-applications-early-career-representatives-knowledge-action-networks

The Finnish-Japanese early career arctic scientists (ECASs) workshop is organized by the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) Finland and APECS Japan. It aims to shed lights on career planning and international collaboration for ECASs in Japan and Finland.

Register here

(We kindly ask you to register on the doodle poll to be able to get the name badge from the reception and enter the venue. This is also necessary for the preparation of coffee and refreshments. We also encourage you to bring your own posters for a casual poster session.)

The U.S. Permafrost Association (USPA) invites applications from U.S. based students and post-graduate researchers for travel grants to attend the 2016 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meetings in San Francisco.

Eight grants will be awarded at a value of $500.00 each. Applicants must be first author on a permafrost-related research presentation at the AGU Fall Meetings. Preference will be given to applicants who possesses both USPA and Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) memberships.Two of the grants are reserved for engineering disciplines. Undergraduate students are encouraged to apply.

Application deadline: 16 October 2016

For further information and to download the application, go to: www.uspermafrost.org.

Or, contact:

Daniel Vecellio
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

You are cordially invited for the joined Netherlands/ Belgium APECS symposium 2016, which will take place on November 2 in the NWO 'Java building' in Den Haag. This is one day before, and at the same location, as the NWO ALWNPP meeting: 'the importance and challenges of long-term polar research studies'.

There is plenty of room in the program (see attachment) for talks and posters by APECS members. We hope to be able to give everyone a change to talk and we aim for 15 minute talks, but this will depend on the total number of abstract submissions. When preparing your poster/ talk and thus the abstracts, please take into account that we're an interdisciplinary organisation with members from all fields of research, so please introduce the topic of your research clearly and avoid to much jargon.

You can register for the symposium (latest on Friday October 14) by mailing us (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.):
- Your name
- Position/ affiliation/ Field of Research
- Special dietary needs
- Your wish to give a talk or poster presentation

Abstract submission deadline: Friday October 21. Please, keep your abstract clear and not too long (max. 300 words).

Kind regards,

Douwe Maat
(on behalf of the Dutch and Belgian national APECS committees)

CAFF Board Group Photo 2016 The Arctic Council working group Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), hosted a board meeting September 6-8 2016 in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. An APECS council member, Karolina Paquin was invited to attend as a representative. The meeting brought together 38 delegates from member states, permanent participants, observer states and expert organisations. Delegates came from all the Arctic states, in addition to the much appreciated participation by South Korea and Japan in relation to the Arctic Migratory Bird Initiative (AMBI).

The status of ongoing projects and proposals for new projects were reviewed with efficiency, with delegates being quite pleased avoiding the need for push ups to stay awake. Make sure to keep your eyes open for upcoming publications from the projects in the next year (www.caff.is)! The projects reviewed were: Arctic Invasive Species, Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report (SAMBR), Coastal Biodiversity Monitoring Project (CBMP), Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity Report (SAFBR), Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity Report (START), Arctic SDI, Mainstreaming/Ecosystem Services, Protected Areas: Marine and Terrestrial, Arctic Marine Cooperation Task Force, Sea Ice Associated Biodiversity, Salmon Peoples of Arctic Rivers, Traditional Knowledge and Wisdom, Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI), Arctic Biodiversity Data Service (ABDS), and the Nomadic Herders Project.

This was Karolina’s first board meeting of this caliber, and she was left with a strong impression of the professionalism, rigour and passion of the delegates. She spoke with some delegates and inquired about the initiatives taken by their organizations regarding engagement with youth and early career researchers. She can tip APECES members to:

potential youth engagement with Gilbert Castellanos from the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Service
UNEP WCMC has occasional internships based in Cambridge, and are actively looking for help from an enthusiastic early career scientist with a penchant for working with large datasets
The Nomadic Herders have engaged with indigenous youth by holding a workshop with 35 participants to teach them about local sustainability, indigenous knowledge, CAFF, biodiversity and conservation

Some interesting tools are in development, with expected releases in 2017:

ArticDEM, a 2m resolution digital elevation model of the circumpolar Arctic to be released in Norway in Spring 2017, public domain and free to use
Arctic Biodiversity Data Service, a database with free to use data
Webinars to communicate the content of the developing reports
Globio3, a model to assess environmental, climate and biodiversity change and fragmenting habitats, to be used by decision makers

The CAFF working group is a wonderful collection of experts from around the world, and show genuine interest in how APECS can become a partner in initiatives. We can look forward to working with them in the future, and their board meetings allow for young scientists to gain insight into the how working groups function.

25 Years ago today, on 4 October 1991, the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was adopted in Madrid. That outcome was the project of many people over many years, and has made a lasting difference ot the way Antarctica is both conceptualised and used for human activity. The Madrid Protocol (as it is now generally known) banned mining in Antarctica, and set aside the icy continent as a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science. It remains the cornerstone for environmental protection over the 10% of our planet that is Antarctica.

The Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) is an advisory body establihsed by the Environmental Protocol. To celebrate 25 years since the signing of the Madrid Protocol, the CEP have released a publication about the emergecne of the Protocol, the work of the CEP, and the reasons behind Antarctica being designated as a reserve dedicated to peace and science.

The central principles of the Protocol are:

The designation of Antarctica as a ‘natural reserve, devoted to peace and science’;
A prohibition on mining and mineral resource activities in the Antarctic Treaty area;
The requirement that protection of the environment shall be a fundamental consideration in the planning and conduct of all activities in the Antarctic;
A comprehensive framework for assessing environmental impacts in Antarctica, including prior assessment of all activities;
A requirement to establish contingency plans and provide for prompt and effective response to environmental emergencies in the Antarctic;
The establishment of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP).

To find out more about what the six annexes of the Madrid Protocol contain, visit the Antarctic Treaty System website here or download the CEP publication (available in the official Antarctic Treaty languages of English, French, Russian and Spanish).

APECS is excited to announce that another leadership term has begun on 1 October 2016!

APECS Executive Committee 2016-2017:

APECS’ tenth Executive Committee (ExCom) is now in place and ready to continue to shape the polar world.

Alice Bradley (University of Colorado Boulder, United States)
Josefine Lenz (Alfred-Wegener Institute, Germany)
Hanne Nielsen (University of Tasmania, Australia)
Alex Thornton (University of Alaska Fairbanks, United States)
TJ Young (University of Cambridge/British Antarctic Survey, United Kingdom)

have been elected to form the ExCom, the main leadership body of APECS. Ruth Vingerhagen (United Kingdom), Heather Mariash (Canada), and Tristy Vick-Majors (Canada/United States) will serve as ex-officios and support the new ExCom over the coming year. And of course, Gerlis Fugmann, the APECS Executive Director will continue to support and foster the group from the International Directorate in Tromsø, Norway (and from February 2017 from our new location in Potsdam, Germany). More information on the APECS 2016-2017 Executive Committee can be found here.

APECS President 2016-2017:

With a new term, comes a new president, and this year Alice Bradley will be taking on this role. Alice is currently finishing her PhD research at the University of Colorado Boulder. She uses in situ and remote sensing observations of upper ocean heat and sea ice to study how the annual cycle of first-year ice growth in the Arctic is changing. She has been involved in APECS leadership for the past two years and is on the board of the US APECS committee.

APECS Council 2016-2017:

In 2016-2017 the APECS Council is made up of 49 very enthusiastic members from 24 countries: Sara Aparicio (Italy), Ted Bibby (USA), Gesche Blume-Werry (Sweden), Liz Bowman (USA), Julie Bull (Canada), Marta Bystrowska (Poland), Jilda Caccavo (Italy), Adam Campbell (New Zealand), Elizabeth Ceperley (USA), Henrik Christiansen (Belgium), Caroline Coch (Germany), Jennifer Cooper (USA), Adrian Dahood (United States), Meagan Dewar (Australia), Onur Sabri Durak (Turkey), Tamara Fletcher (USA), Friederike Gehrmann (Finland), Caroline Geisert (France), Vikram Goel (Norway), Claire Griffin (USA), Jean Holloway (Canada), Christopher Horvat (USA), Luis Huckstadt (USA), Bruno Ibañez (Peru), Lynn Kaluzienski (USA), Hanna Maria Kauko (Norway), Minkyoung Kim (South Korea), Nikita Kuprikov (Russia), Douwe Maat (Netherlands), Claudia Maturana (Chile), Bernabé Moreno (Peru), Swati Nagar (India), Karolina Paquin (Norway), Igor Stelmach Pessi (Belgium), José Queirós (Portugal), Pablo Rodríguez Ros (Spain), Gabriela Roldan (New Zealand), Vicki Sahanatien (Canada), Jose Séco (Portugal), Elisa Seyboth (Brazil), Evgeniia Sidorova (Canada/Russia), Merran Smith (Canada), Sara Strey (USA), Lorna Thurston (USA), Katya Uryupova (UK/Russia), Gary Wesche (USA), Scott Zolkos (Canada). Additionally, Yulia Zaika (Russia) remains on the Council in an ex-officio role. More information on the APECS 2016-2017 Council can be found here.

We once again thank the many APECS leaders that have come before us and have helped guide and foster many of those serving today! We look forward to another year with the projects that are currently underway, and continue to look for more ways that we can serve and help early career polar researchers around the world.

iasc web Following a competitive hiring process with various highly qualified candidates, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) is happy to announce that Dr. Allen Pope will be IASC´s new Executive Secretary as of 01. January 2017.

Before coming to IASC, Dr. Allen Pope held positions as a research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (University of Colorado Boulder) and the Polar Science Center (University of Washington) where he researched remote sensing of glaciers. He also was a visiting scientist at Dartmouth College where he taught a course on Polar remote sensing. Allen holds a Ph.D. and a M.Phil. in Polar Studies from Cambridge University where he worked on multispectral remote sensing of Arctic glaciers and conducted glaciological fieldwork in Antarctica, Iceland, Svalbard, Sweden, Alaska, Canada, and Nepal. He has worked extensively with a range of international scientific organizations, including as a council member of the American Geophysical Union and president of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists. You can find out more about Allen and his research at https://about.me/allenpope. He also enjoys sharing and discussing polar science with the public and tweets @PopePolar.

The following early career researchers served on the 2015-2016 Council. In addition, the members of the APECS Executive Committee 2015-2016 are also part of the Council: Ruth Vingerhagen, Alice Bradley, Heather Mariash, Hanne Nielsen, Trista Vick-Majors, as well as Jean-Sébastien Moore(ex-offio), and Yulia Zaika (ex-officio).

We would also like to recognize our past leaders as they continue to serve our organization as Ex-Officio members of the Council: Allen Pope (USA) and Mariette Wheeler (South Africa).

Rachel Downey - Germany - APECS Council Co-Chair 2015-2016

Naturmuseum Senckenberg, Germany

I am a PhD student researching the ecological impacts of environmental change on sponge communities, specifically the biological impacts of the Larsen AB ice-shelf collapse in Antarctica. I have broad skills in Southern Ocean marine taxonomy and have managed and contributed to large-scale data collaborations, such as the SCAR-MarBIN/TOTAL Foundation Bioconstructors project, which compiled, and made freely available, over 30,000 records of corals, bryozoans, and sponges in the Southern Ocean for scientists, policy makers and conservation managers. I am by discipline, a physical geographer, having specialised in environmental change research in the cryosphere regions (University of Bristol). I gained experience of the environmental impacts on biological communities during my post at ZSL (Zoological Society London), working on reports, posters and organising conferences on the impact of climate change on corals and migratory species. This was furthered within my post as a marine biologist at (BAS) British Antarctic Survey, in which I worked on a broad range of Antarctic marine invertebrate taxonomy, biogeography, and marine geology projects. I gained experience of fieldwork in the Southern Ocean, during a 2-month marine biology and geology expedition to the Weddell Sea in 2012
Scott Zolkos - Canada - APECS Council Co-Chair 2015-2016

University of Alberta, Canada

I am a PhD Student in the biological sciences program at the University of Alberta. My graduate focus in ecology stems from my longstanding fascination with the impact of climate change on Earth systems. After completing my B.A. in environmental science at Middlebury College (2011), I joined the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) as a Research Assistant. For 2.5 years at WHRC, I was part of research teams investigating the impacts of climate change and land disturbance on river chemistry and land-ocean linkages (Global Rivers Observatory), with much focus on the Arctic. My participation as a team member on the international Polaris Project expedition (2012) to the Siberian Arctic inspired me to pursue graduate studies in arctic science. As a graduate student in Dr. Suzanne Tank's lab, I am studying the influence of massive permafrost degradation on carbon cycle dynamics and aquatic ecosystems in the Peel River watershed (Northwest Territories, Canada). I find this research rewarding and fascinating because I work with a fantastic group of international researchers and Northern communities to understand the impacts of climate change on arctic ecosystems.
Alexander Thornton - United States - APECS National Committee Coordinator

University of Alaska Fairbanks, United States

From an early age, having read about explorers like Shackleton, I was bitten by the ‘Polar Bug,’ and this passion grew over time; but my interests matured as I did. Growing up in the years following the discovery of a hole in the ozone layer over the South Pole and aftermath of the Exxon-Valdez oil spill, my interests found a natural home studying polar ecosystems impacted by climate change and anthropogenic forces, under-toned by a sense of urgency for conservation. An animal enthusiast, I was delighted to find ecosystem sentinels in many species of marine mammals and seabirds, but didn’t know I could actually be a field researcher until—the year before beginning college—I met a graduate student who researched penguins in Antarctica. It was this encounter and her advice that sent me back to school with renewed passion, and turned my focus to polar sciences. Today, still on that path, it is my intention to be a highly-skilled scientist who not only studies the relationships between sympatric populations of polar species within their fragile environments, but one who also can overcome challenges of applying my research across disciplines and cultural divides to promote international cooperation.
Mar Fernandez Mendez - Norway - APECS National Committee Coordinator

Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway

I am a biologist by training who has always been fascinated by the ocean and its hidden secrets. After studying Biology in Madrid (Spain), I was totally convinced of the power of marine microbes to shape our planet. That´s why I decided to pursue my Masters in Marine Microbiology at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany. Since I am concerned about the increase of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, I decided to specialize on the group of marine microorganisms responsible for carbon fixation: phytoplankton. During my PhD studies at the Alfred Wegener Institute (2011-2014) I decided to focus on understanding the carbon cycle in the rapidly changing Arctic Ocean. Since 2011 I have joined three expeditions to the Arctic Ocean, presented my research at five international conferences, and supervised four master students. Currently I work as a postdoctoral researcher at the Norwegian Polar Institute analysing recent scientific data from the N-ICE2015 drift expedition to answer societies most pressing questions regarding anthropogenic climate change and its impacts on the Arctic ecosystem.
Adam Campbell - New Zealand

University of Otago, New Zealand

I am presently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Otago in New Zealand researching fracture propagation on the Ross Ice Shelf. In June of 2015, I completed my Ph.D in Earth and Space Sciences from the University of Washington. My dissertation focused on understanding environments that could serve as refugia for photosynthetic life during the Snowball Earth Events of the Neoproterozoic. While attending the University of Washington I served at manager for Engage Science, a science storytelling organization, from 2013-‐2015. I completed a Masters degree in Geology at Portland State University in 2009, where I modeled the reaction of Crane Glacier to the disintegration of the Larsen B ice shelf. I have Bachelors degrees in Geology and Physics from Portland State University and Oregon State University, respectively.
Jennier Cooper - United States

CSULA, United States

As an undergraduate student, I was avid to learn about all things science and I became involved with as many research groups and organizations as possible. Despite having to narrow down my career interest to astrophysics, I still have a desire to remain engaged with other fields, since there are oftentimes collaboration opportunities and I want to know how these other disciplines function and evolve. I’m currently involved with the Scientific Community on Antarctic Research, Astronomy & Astrophysics subgroup and I’ve loved every minute! I’m looking forward to developments for astronomy in Antarctica and how this can lead to insight for other research teams as well. Besides my academic life, I was a national level athlete in gymnastics and swimming for many years and I maintain my active side by hiking, surfing, and exploring the world wherever the opportunity presents itself.
Kristina Creek - United States

Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS), United States

I am and early career professional with an educational background in writing / language and Arctic Policy. I grew up in New York, went to school on Long Island, and lived in South Carolina for a while, but seven years ago I returned to my birthplace of Fairbanks, Alaska. I live in a small cabin 20 minutes outside of the city with my dog Kira and I work at the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS). My interests outside of work are varied and I spend a lot of time trying new things but I am habitually in on and around water of any type and in any place. I travel as often as possible and enjoy boating, swimming, scuba diving and exploring.
Archana Dayal - India

National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), India

I received my Master’s in ‘Climate Science & Policy’ from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) University, New Delhi and Bachelors in ‘Biological Sciences’ from the University of Delhi. My interest in climate research was sparked when I joined an expedition to Kolahoi glacier in the Western Himalayas (in Kashmir) to study the geomorphological features of glaciers during my course work on ‘Glacier Hydrology’. My interest in polar research was further fuelled when I undertook my summer internship and Master’s thesis at the Ice Core Laboratory of the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa, (which is India’s nodal centre for polar research). Later I was selected as a student researcher of the 33rd Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (December 2013 to April 2014) where I carried out my research project on the biogeochemistry of blue ice and cryoconite holes.
I have recently been awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship and am very excited to begin my PhD on the biogeochemical processes of the Arctic environment at the University of Sheffield, UK from October, 2015.
I hold the post of Vice-President of the Research, Education and Outreach (REO) working group of the Indian Polar Research Network (IPRN) since August 2014.
Alena Dekhtyareva - Norway

UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway

I have grown up in Murmansk, the largest city north of the Arctic Circle. Since upper secondary school, I became interested in environmental protection issues and technologies. I graduated with honours in 2010 from the Murmansk State Technical University with the specialist degree (5 years education) in environmental engineering. Since 2011, I have been studying in Norway, at the University of Tromsø (UiT). During my Master studies I spent one semester at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) studying polar meteorology in order to improve my understanding of physical processes of cold climates and gain an experience in the meteorological field work and advanced data processing. I have been awarded a diploma for the degree of Master of Science in Physics at the UiT within the specialization in energy and climate in 2014. I have started my 4-years PhD in Environmental surveillance technology at the Department of Engineering and Safety of the UiT The Arctic University of Norway in 2015. My research fields are polar meteorology and atmospheric chemistry in the Arctic. The work is dedicated to modelling and monitoring of pollution transport and dispersion processes from regional emission sources in the Arctic such as ships and power plants.
Ivan Dubinenkov - Germany / Russia

Alfred-Wegener Institute, Germany / Russia

I am just graduated from the POLMAR graduate school of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research. I work there since 2012 and the main focus of my research is biogeochemistry of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in the permafrost‐influenced Lena River and coastal Laptev Sea. In my studies on DOM I extensively apply non‐targeted molecular tools (i.e. Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT‐ICR MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR)) for understanding of roles, reactivity, transformations, and properties of DOM in the changing arctic rivers. Also, I am interested in permafrost, its carbon pools and degradation processes. During my work I have done two expeditions to the Lena Delta and inner Laptev Sea (the Lena Delta 2012 and 2013 field campaigns). Prior my PhD studies I have studied organic chemistry in Lomonosov Moscow State University where I received my diploma degree. During my university years I started to be interested in studies on DOM in natural waters due to its extreme molecular complexity and incomplete understanding. Futher, I have combined my interest in DOM research with the Arctic Science. My involvement to the Arctic Science began from "the Polaris project" expeditions for undergraduate students to the Kolyma River (East Siberia, Russia) in 2010 and 2011. In these expeditions I realized how beautiful and at the same time vulnerable the Arctic is.
Friederike Gehrmann - Finland

University of Helsinki, Finland

I grew up in Germany and after finishing school in 2008 I moved to London, England for three years where I studied biochemistry for my Bachelor’s degree. In 2011, I moved to Finland and completed a Master’s degree in Plant and Forest Biotechnology at the University of Helsinki. I enjoyed living in the North so I decided to stay in Finland for my PhD in Plant Ecology which I started in 2014. My research concerns the adaptation of Nordic plants to natural small-scale environmental variations. I spend every summer in Kilpisjärvi, Finnish Lapland, where I do my fieldwork on mount Saana. In my free time I volunteer with the Helsinki Deaconess Institute, go running and spend time outdoors as well as meet my friends and learn Finnish.
Vikram Goel - Norway

Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway

I am a second-year PhD candidate in Antarctic Glaciology working at Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, Norway and enrolled at the University of Oslo, Norway. Broadly, my research interests are in the domains of glaciology, ground penetrating radar and cryospheric modeling. My research work focuses on studying the current status and evolution of ice rises in Dronning Maud Land Antarctica. It includes using field collected GPS, firn cores and GPR data to calculate the mass balance of the ice rise and modeling its deep internal radar reflectors to study its evolution over the past several millennia. Previously, I did my masters in Earth System Science & Technology from IIT Kharagpur (India) in 2013 and a bachelors in Aerospace Engineering from UPES Dehradun (India) in 2011. During my masters i was awarded the DAAD scholarship under which I carried out my Master’s thesis work at the Leibnitz University Hannover, Germany. As a part of the research, I participated in the field expedition at the Fimbulisen ice shelf, DML, Antarctica in 2014.
Meagan Grabowski - Canada

University of British Columbia, Canada

Meagan Grabowski was born in Dawson City, raised in Whitehorse, and continues to live in the Yukon Territory. She completed a BSc Natural Resource Conservation at the University of British Columbia and is currently an MSc Student in the Department of Zoology. Meagan is interested in alpine and Arctic science and how this science is communicated to the people who live where it takes place. Her work experience has been over 8 field seasons of ecological research in the circumpolar regions including southwest and Arctic Yukon, Nunavut, and Svalbard. Meagan is a member of the third cohort of the Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship (http://gordonfoundation.ca/north/jane-glassco-northern-fellowship/2015-2017-fellows).
Gunnar Mar Gunnarssson - United Kingdom

Scott Polar Research Institute, United Kingdom

Gunnar Mar Gunnarsson is a former faculty member at the University of Akureyri, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, with a specialization in Anthropology & Social theory. More specifically, his work examines subjecthood, power & the social realm in general, or the basic structure of social reality. With respect to Gunnar’s professional life, his academic background includes course work both in social sciences as well as the humanities. He earned undergraduate B.A. degree from University of Iceland in Anthropology, followed by graduate study in Icelandic Medieval literature and cultural history, aforesaid university. His studies enabled him to, essentially, gain knowledge of northern communities, with a particular emphasis on North Atlantic Rim cultural history. Prospective research will advance his understanding of Arctic colonialism, sovereignty and the relationship between such historical groundings & everyday life in the Arctic. He has recently been accepted as a research student (MPhil) at Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge.
Svenja Halfter - Germany

University of Rostock, Germany

I grew up in Bremen (northwestern Germany) and last year, I finished my Bachelor degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Rostock (northeastern Germany), where I worked about the particle and chlorophyll a distribution in the Black Sea. I began my Master studies in marine biology, also in Rostock. We had many excursions to the Baltic and the North Sea, but I have never been to the Polar Regions, though it is my biggest dream to become a polar scientist. I was always fascinated of the marine life in Arctic and Antarctica, especially the organism communities which are directly dependent on sea ice. Other hobbies of mine are seabirds-watching and swimming in too cold waters (yep, I´m a crazy biologist). Additionally, I love to show other people the ocean and its inhabitants. The winter semester I will be on “holidays”: participating in biological courses and internships. For instance, in the last two months I went to the Baikal Lake in Russia for a Summer School and to Scotland for a course about marine megafauna. At the moment I live in Brussels to learn more about marine politics on EU level. And I applied for several courses in the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) in the next year. I´m so excited to get in contact with polar science and the polar scientist community!
Lara Hughes-Allen - United States

University of Southern California, United States

Lara Hughes-Allen is a graduate student in Geographic Information Systems Technology Master’s Program at the University of Southern California. She graduated from Pitzer College in 2011 with a double major in Environmental Biology and Geology. In the summer of 2015, she participated in the Juneau Icefield Research Program where her passion for glaciology and arctic climate research was solidified. Previously, Lara was a researcher for the Institute for Bird Populations, studying the foraging habits of Black-backed Woodpeckers, a contender for the Endangered Species List. She also worked as a researcher for Under the Trees, a privately owned forest research firm, which conducts carbon inventories and forest management inventories for private and public landowners. A level two PSIA certified ski instructor, she is currently a ski instructor and training assistant at Northstar Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe, CA. Lara is interested in using GIS to analyze the effects of recent anthropogenic climate change on the condition and extent of glaciers and the long-term implication of these changes on surrounding watersheds.
Ming Jing - China

China Meteorological Administration, China

I got my first academic degree of BS in Geology when getting graduated from Zhejiang University in 2002 and then was enrolled by IGGCAS pursuing the Ph.D. degree during 2002-‐2008. Black carbon and other aerosols in the atmosphere over the Tibet Plateau are also my research interests. I had been focused on measuring black carbon in snow and ice collected from the glaciers in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and Tianshan Mountain. I was recruited as a research scientist by National Climate Centre, China Meteorological Administration as a research associate professor since October of 2010. Beyond scientific research, I am involved in taking service on the scientific support of climate change of NCC/CMA, including the policy-making inquiry on the impacts of climate change and scientific popularization of climate change to the general public. I’m also involved in the Arctic and Antarctic ice-core research during my visit in Dr. Ross Edwards’ group based in Curtin University, Australia. In his TRACE laboratory, ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica are analyzed for DNA, black carbon, and trace elements, for which I am fully joining in the analyzing group, which will take years to be completely coming into publications.
Alia Khan - United States

University of Colorado Boulder, United States

A native of the Tarheel state, I completed my BS in Public Health in the US at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, School of Public Health. My research interests began in detecting fecal contamination in rural drinking water in developing countries. After travelling in the high mountains in the Himalayas between research field stays in South Asia, I discovered a love and passion for cold environment field work. In May 2010 I began my MS at the University of Colorado – Boulder, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Studies. During that time I completed a UNIS field course on 'Fate and Modeling of Pollutants in the Arctic, and was also a member of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, Long Term Ecological Research Site (LTER), 'Stream Team'. The Stream Team is tasked with measuring discharge of ephemeral glacier fed streams in the Dry Valleys which flow 6-10 weeks per year, as well as collect water samples for chemical and biological analysis. We spent almost four months camping in the dry valleys and hiking to and from the stream sites. I then stayed on at CU-Boulder for a PhD in Environmental Engineering, and am now in my third year. My dissertation specific research interests are in local and long range transport of contaminants and pollutants to the cryosphere, and their resulting impacts on albedo reduction, the hydrological cycle and water quality. I am also very interested in the social and human impacts of climate change and have worked with the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo. Like many researchers in the polar sciences, I love the great outdoors! I'm an avid backcountry splitboarder and also enjoy rock and ice climbing.
Nikita Kuprikov - Russia

Russian Polar Initiative, Russia

I’m a science researcher at Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (St.Peterburg, Russia) since 2014 and Associate Professor at Department 101 «Airplane design» of Moscow aviation institute (National Research University) (Moscow, Russia). My research focuses on aircraft design, polar exploration, ocean-atmosphere interaction and remote sensing. I have graduated from Moscow aviation institute (National Research University) as Engineer for Aeronautical design and Specialist for Linguistics in 2011. I did my masters 2011-2013 at MGIMO University (Moscow state institute for foreign affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russian Federation). I have done my Ph.D. on aeronautical design at Moscow aviation institute (National Research University). My thesis focuses on analysis of economical and technical characteristics of regional airplanes for the Arctic region. I am a current member of Russian Geographical society and Russian Association of polar explorers.
Elena Kuznetsova - Norway

Representing the Permafrost Young Researcher Network (PYRN) on the APECS Council

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Road group of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway. I had the privilege to complete my bachelor/master studies and PhD research at the Department of Geocryology (Faculty of Geology) of the Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia). My PhD dissertation was focused on thermal properties and phase composition of water in the frozen volcanic ash and scoria (region – Kamchatka, Far-East of Russia). Since 2012, I have been living and working in Norway, 2012-2013 I was working as a research scientist at SINTEF - the largest independent research organization in Scandinavia, and from 2014 I started my 3-years postdoc in NTNU. My research interests focus on frost heaving with special application to roads in cold climate regions. Currently I am IASC (International Arctic Science Committee) fellow in Cryosphere Working Group (CWG) and a member of PYRN ExCom.

My main hobbies are practicing yoga, skiing (both cross-country and downhill), drawing, and photography.
Béatrice Laudet - France

Always curious about biology, scientific research and adventure, I first accomplished studies in agronomics fields engineering. More interested by human aspects, I made a PhD, aiming at develop new inhibitors of a kinase protein involved in cancer, by high throughput screening of small molecules and rational drug design. After that, I decided to start medical studies to know more about pathologies and be able to treat patients in any case. I am at the moment specializing in emergency aspects, and coldness and mountain pathologies. In 2013, I spended a wintering in Kerguelen Islands, French Austral and Antarctic Lands, in the small hospital of the base. Now I am 35 years old and I am finishing medical studies this year. I am working in Paris in an Emergency Department. I am also interested in hiking, bike ride, Nordic skiing, karate and accordion.
Lydie Lescarmontier - France / Australia

I'm passionate about anything relative to the polar places ! My first trip in Antarctica in Adelie Land was in 2008, during my PhD on the interaction between Ocean and Ice-Shelves. Since, I've been traveling to Antarctica 7 times, in the context of my Phd on the Mertz Glacier, but also during my Postdoctoral Research studies at the Australian National University. There, I was working on the Antarctica mass balance, using satellite data (Gravity, Altimetric, Global Positioning System…) and in-situ data collected from GPS beacons in East Antarctica. Also curious about the Arctic, I'm working with a guiding company as a polar guide in Spitzbergen and Greenland.
Juliana Marson - Canada

University of Alberta, Canada

Born in a small city in the country side of Sao Paulo, Brazil, I was in love with Ocean Sciences since I was 12 years old. I left my parent’s home when I was 17 to get my BSc in Oceanography in the southern part of Brazil. In my second year at the Universidade de Rio Grande (FURG), I started working with Physical Oceanography around the Antarctic Peninsula. From that, I moved my focus to Antarctic sea ice and spent two months of my last undergrad year in Germany, at the Alfred-Wegener Institut (AWI), working with sea ice remote sensing in Svalbard. I obtained my BSc degree in 2008 under the supervision of Dr. Mauricio Mata and started my Masters at the same university (FURG), studying sea ice variability within a numeric model (OCCAM). I concluded my PhD this year at the Universidade de São Paulo (USP) under the supervision of Dr. Ilana Wainer, working with the effects of meltwater in the ocean circulation of the last 21,000 years using the NCAR-CCSM3 model. The last year of my PhD was carried on at McGill University (Montreal, Canada), under the supervision of Professor Emeritus Lawrence Mysak.
Claudia Marturana - Chile

I have always lived in the north part of Chile, where the desert becomes dominant. From this point of view, Antarctica always seems very far away and unknown for me; eventually this place becomes very intriguing and fascinating. At school I was interested in biology and evolutionary trends in organisms, especially in extreme environments. It was only until many years later that I found my place at the Molecular Ecology Laboratory, where I could combine this childhood motivation with scientific knowledge. During my master study, I developed laboratory skills using molecular tools in marine invertebrates focus on the genetic consequences of a particular mode of development in Antarctica. Now, I am on the first year of my PhD, when I am going to test two biogeography hypotheses regarding of the evolutionary history of this group in Antarctica using a phylogeographic approach. Through all this years I traveled and met a lot of interesting people all over the world because of the network that I was able to make thanks to APECS. Now I am very excited and I want to make more things with you.
Ellorie McKnight - Canada

University of Alberta, Canada

When not daydreaming about the next hiking, climbing, or skiing adventure, I’m currently spending my time working towards a MSc degree in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. My research area is in northern limnology and focuses on studying the dynamics of large northern lakes (using Kluane Lake [Yukon Territory] as a model system) and how these lakes may be changing in the face of climate change and development. These lakes have recently been described as sentinels of climate change: slight physical, biological, and chemical changes within these waterbodies can lead to significant shifts in lake properties & ecosystems. Baseline data and monitoring identify these changes and provide information which can be then be applied to resource and water management. Prior to undertaking graduate school, I completed an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and Biology from the University of Ottawa. During and after this degree, I spent several field seasons working on various ecology & physical geography projects in Greenland, Alaska, and Yukon. I like to combine science & adventuring and have somehow managed to incorporate hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, canoeing, and pacrafting into various research projects. I also enjoy science outreach & education, particularly with youth.
Bernabé Moreno - Peru

Científica del Sur University, Peru

Call me Bernabé Moreno, Peruvian Marine Biologist passionate about the ocean. I obtained my BSc Diploma at the Cientifica del Sur University (Lima, Peru) on 2013. Early that year I made it to visit –for my first time– the Antarctic Peninsula during the austral summer. I was sent as a scientist member of the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cientifica del Sur University, to survey the macrobenthic communities of the Mackellar Inlet, King George Island. Since that expedition I’ve been involved with the Antarctic project of my institution, sharing some of my results on symposia and open science conferences like the last XXXIII SCAR (Auckland, 2014). On the science field I develop I’ve tilted my interests towards the marine ecology of polar and subtropical ecosystems, in order to look for contrasts both in faunistic composition and physical drivers. In my country, Peru, with its sea sustaining plethora of diversity and richness, I’ve been performing as a consultant for the zoning plan of Marine Protected Areas of certain offshore islands for which I’ve steered and executed SCUBA Scientific Diving Protocols assessed with Underwater Photography. I’m looking forward to implementing these techniques for the next Antarctic Expedition on 2016.
Karolina Paquin - Norway

Karolina hails from Montreal, Canada. She lives and breathes for the fresh air of Alpine and Polar Regions, a passion originating from weekend trips to the cabin and the Canadian Rockies as a youth. With a Master of Arctic Biology under her belt, she can be found working various positions on Svalbard at the moment, such as at a remote station Isfjord Radio and guiding in the winter. With such a curious nature, she always seeks out ways to be more capable in the Arctic, mountains and sea she calls home. With an energetic and sunny disposition, she finds it almost impossible to refuse embarking on wilderness adventures on skis, boats and foot. Otherwise, she spends her time dabbling in Arctic sciences when possible, while living and learning in the environment that suits her best.
Vicki Sahanatien - Canada

I have been an Arctic-o-phile since the mid-1990s when I moved to Inuvik to work on the Yukon North Slope in Ivvavik National Park. Since then I have lived in NWT, Yukon, and Nunavut, working on environmental research and monitoring projects from 66°N-83°N (Ward Hunt Island). My most recent research project was for my Ph.D. at the University of Alberta, which I defended on September 8th, 2015! I studied the sea ice habitat, space use and movements of polar bears in Foxe Basin, Nunavut. I have been a member of APECS since 2010 and an APECS-Canada board member since 2012. As an Iqalummuit (resident of Iqaluit) I would like to raise awareness locally and in Nunavut about APECS and current polar research through special events (e.g. Polar Week), radio and public presentations. One of the reasons I love the Arctic is because the ski season begins in November and lasts until June.
Sara Strey - United States

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, United States

I am an atmospheric scientist and instructor studying interactions between the Arctic and midlatitudes from the perspective of air sea interactions. I received my BS from Central Michigan University in 2009, and my MS in 2009 in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Illinois. I’m currently the Meteorology Teaching Fellow at Northland College in Ashland, WI while finishing the final stages of my PhD work remotely with the University of Illinois. My current areas of research interest include arctic-midlatitude interactions, excellence in undergraduate education, and air sea interaction from both the atmospheric and oceanic perspectives.
Camila Signori - Brazil

University of São Paulo, Brazil

Bachelor’s in Oceanography at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (2001-2005) and Master`s in Biological Sciences/Zoology at the National Museum/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2006-2008). After a 2,5-years period working at a company for environmental consulting, I came back to the academy and did the PhD in Sciences/Microbiology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2010-2014, CNPq fellowship), including two periods as a Guest Student at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Apr-Dec 2013 and Apr-Jul 2014), supported by CAPES fellowship and WHOI Mary Sears Visitor Award. This year I came back to WHOI to develop my research as a Guest Investigator with the SCAR fellowship (Jun-Aug 2015) and since September I am a post doc at the Oceanographic Institute - University of São Paulo, Brazil. My research interests include bacterial and archaeal diversity and biogeography, interactions between the oceanographic/environmental factors and the microbial community structure in the Southern Ocean, microbial processes in the marine carbon cycle and extremophile microorganisms. I have a good experience in oceanographic expeditions, including 3 times to Antarctica (and getting ready for the next Brazilian Expedition), 1 time crossing the South Atlantic Ocean, some cruises on the Brazilian coast, 1 time to the Pacific Ocean, where I had the chance to dive in Alvin (DSV-2). The ocean is definitely my passion, and I look forward to collaborating with APECS.
Paul Suprenand - United States

Mote Marine Laboratory, United States

Combining environmental science, biological oceanography, and marine animal physiology, I develop assessments of natural marine resources through ecological modelling. Assessments include considerations of environmental drivers to quantify alterations in food-web trophodynamics and developing fishery management indices. Environmental drivers include climate change with consequential food web impacts, as well as oil spills and restoration efforts. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies, a master’s degree in Environmental Science and Engineering, and a doctorate in Marine Science, Biological Oceanography. I am currently an International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) fellow, and an APECS member. I have received training in Arctic Biology at the University of Iceland at Reykjavik, conducted field-work along the western Antarctic Peninsula, and have been trained in ecological modelling by the Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (IMBER) project. In addition to my academic experience, I have worked as a conservation biologist, a biotech scientist, and a university-level educator. Current publications include the topics in Antarctic zooplankton ecology and physiology, Antarctic and Gulf of Mexico ecological modelling, as well as developing predictive models for an aquaculture industry in Florida. My current research is focused on utilizing my ecological model of the Beaufort Sea Arctic marine ecosystem, which considers predator-prey relationships, seasonal/environmental changes, as well as the indigenous community (Inupiat and Inuvialuit) artisanal hunting and fishing efforts, to identify marine species, habitats, and indigenous communities that are at risk of being negatively impacted by Arctic oil spills.
Zuzanna Swirad - United Kingdom

Durham University, United Kingdom

I am 2nd year PhD student in Physical Geography at Durham University, UK. I am interested in evolution of post- and peri-glacial rocky coasts. My main research areas are north-eastern England and southern Svalbard. I got hooked on the Arctic when, as an undergraduate student, I took part in the 32nd Polish Polar Expedition to Hornsund, Svalbard. I am originally from Wroclaw, Poland, where I completed my BSc and MSc in Geography. For a year I worked on polar remote sensing at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge. I took part in the Permafrost course at the University Centre in Svalbard, assisted in the spectrometry fieldwork in the Khibiny Mountains, Kola Peninsula, Russia and got involved in a project whose aim was to map ice-related landforms on Mars. I joined APECS Council in 2013. I have shared knowledge about the Arctic through volunteering for Polar Museum in Cambridge and giving physical geography classes in secondary schools.
Lorna Thurston - United States

Hello, my name is Lorna Louise Thurston. I am a physical geographer and my current research interest is in cold climate fluvial geomorphology. I recently relocated from New Zealand to the USA to pursue this interest. Over the coming two years, I look forward to being part of the Arctic Glacial Lakes, Catchments and Climate Linkages Project titled: “Collaborative Research: Developing A System Model Of Arctic Glacial-Lacustrine Sedimentation For Investigating Past And Future Climate Change”, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. I will be contributing to the fluvial geomorphology component of the project at Northern Arizona University (NAU). Prior to coming to NAU, I studied and worked within the environment sector in New Zealand for almost ten years. I completed my BSc (Honors) degree in 2009, and I subsequently worked as an environmental consultant, managing the planning of large-scale subdivision and development projects. I left my consulting position in September 2014 to pursue academic interests and travel. Over the past year, I have completed the Postgraduate Certificate of Antarctic Studies at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand; travelled throughout the Southwest Pacific to Japan with the Enderby Trust; worked for charities in Australia; participated in the Summer School on Geomorphology in Austria, funded by the Volkswagen Stiftung; and started studying and working at NAU! I am grateful to have had so many interesting experiences and I look forward to having more during my time on the APECS Council.
Ekaterina Uryupova - United Kingdom

University of Salford, United Kingdom
Anna Varfolomeeva - Hungary / Russia

Central European University, Hungary / Russia

My name is Anna Varfolomeeva, I am an environmental anthropologist from Russia, currently starting my PhD at Central European University (CEU) in Budapest. I received my Master's Degree (2012) from CEU as well, and my thesis was devoted to the evolution of the concept of indigenous people in the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation with the case study of Vepses, a small ethnic minority residing in the North-West of Russia.
In 2013/14 I was conducting research at Uppsala Centre for Russian and Eurasian Studies in Sweden; my research focused on the state policies of Sweden towards its indigenous population in comparison with Russia. I am specifically focused on the topics of indigenous land and natural resources rights in the Northern Europe and Russia as well as indigenous youth organizations and their activities. I took part in several European conferences on minority rights and youth policies and had an internship in event organization at a youth NGO in Slovenia in 2012/13. Now I am at the next step of my career and will study the complex relations of indigenous communities to mining in the North-West of Russia.
Matthias Wietz - University of Oldenburg - Germany

University of Oldenburg, Germany

I am a postdoctoral research associate at Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, which is affiliated with the University of Oldenburg (Germany). My research focuses on the ecophysiology, biogeochemistry and biogeography of marine bacteria, with special emphasis on the bacterial degradation of macroalgal organic matter. My Polar research activities included a number of projects in the Southern and Arctic Oceans, Antarctica, and Svalbard. Collaborative research on frost flowers with the University of Washington has been featured in National Geographic Magazine and other media (see e.g. http://www.nationalgeographic.de/aktuelles/leben-in-eisblumen). My academic background includes an MSc from Australian Institute of Marine Science, a PhD from the Technical University of Denmark, and a postdoc at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. As Council member I'm excited about promoting the international cooperation among young Polar scientists.

apecs logo web AWI WortBildmarke Farbe RGB The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research are pleased to announce that the APECS International Directorate will be hosted by AWI at its research centre in Potsdam, Germany for five years from February 2017. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between both this week. The staff of the APECS International Directorate at AWI will include the APECS Executive Director, Dr. Gerlis Fugmann, and Heike Midleja as new half-time APECS Administrative Assistant (currently Administrative Assistant for the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC)).

The APECS is an international and interdisciplinary organization for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, early faculty members, educators and others with interests in the polar and alpine regions and the wider cryosphere. By providing networking and career development opportunities, APECS’ activities aim to: a) raise the profile of polar research; b) develop effective leaders in research, education and outreach; and c) stimulate interdisciplinary and international research collaborations. To achieve this, APECS works with many partners in the international polar research community and has, among others, close connections with IASC and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) with whom it has had a Memorandum of Understanding since 2008.

The AWI is a well-recognized polar research institution with high international standing engaged in research both in the Arctic and Antarctic. It provides infrastructure for polar research to national and international researchers and is active in many international committees for polar research. AWI will provide a stimulating environment for APECS through a wide scientific network, international visitors, frequent workshops and summer schools, and APECS will provide improved linkages between AWI and the next generation of polar researchers.

APECS is very thankful for this opportunity and commitment by AWI and is looking forward to a fruitful collaboration in the coming years to continue to help shape the future of polar research!

The Past Antarctic Ice Sheet Dynamics (PAIS) Geoscience SCAR Research Programme, in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), would like to appoint an early career researcher to the PAIS steering committee on a rotating 2 year time frame, to contribute to the leadership and implementation of PAIS activities in general, but specifically to help improve the reach of PAIS science outcomes through outreach and communication by:

helping develop an informative and engaging website
increasing the use of social media to profile PAIS publications, events and activities
helping attract early career researchers and students to be involved in PAIS workshops, symposia and activities (e.g. videos, blogs, exhibitions, training schools)

Applicants should be early career researcher with a PhD, and a passion for Antarctic and Southern Ocean paleoclimate research and communication of its societal relevance. The position is a volunteer position without any funding attached to it.

If you are interested in applying, please send us the following by no later than 12 October 2016 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CV
Statement of Interest including:
- Your research background and how it relates to the foci of PAIS
- Why you would be interested in joining PAIS and how this position would be beneficial for your research career
- Clear statement that you can commit to this position for the next two years

If you have questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SAON SAON (Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks) was recently reviewed by an external committee, which included APECS member Justiina Dahl. The committee looked at SAON's accomplishments and made recommendations for future directions.

SAON was formally established in January of 2012, although the concept had been under development under the auspices of the Arctic Council as early as 2007. Its purpose is to support and strengthen the development of multinational engagement for sustained and coordinated pan-Arctic observing and data sharing systems that serve societal needs, particularly related to environmental, social, economic and cultural issues. SAON promotes the vision of well-defined observing networks that enable users to have access to free, open and high quality data that will realize pan-Arctic and global value-added services and provide societal benefits.

In 2016, the SAON board convened an external review committee to review the first five years of SAON's accomplishments and make recommendations for future directions. The review committee concluded that SAON is valued by the Arctic observing community, but has yet to reach its full potential. The committee offered recommendations in several critical areas. Both the executive summary and the full report are available online. Click here to access the executive summary, and click here to access the full report.

Invitation to Participate

EMERGING LEADERS

for the Arctic challenge, Norway 18 - 24 January 2017

Future activities and operations in the Arctic call for a broad understanding of the opportunities and challenges to ensure sustainable development. Emerging Leaders calls for young professionals and Ph.D. students/post docs to meet with representatives from academia, business and the public sector through an inspiring and educational program.

PROGRAM

Emerging Leaders will take place from 18th to 24th January 2017. 30 selected candidates from different countries will participate in a blend of technical, social and cultural events accompanied by mentors from business, politics and academia. The program starts in the city of Bodø, then continues onboard the Norwegian Coastal Express “Hurtigruten” and ends in Tromsø, “the gateway to the Arctic”. To explore the marine resources and potential in the Lofoten Islands, a stopover will be made in Svolvær. The participants will be challenged to engage in discussions and presentations during the program.

The Emerging Leader program is linked to the topic of Arctic Frontiers 2017 "White Space – Blue Future" and includes the following sessions:

Session 1 Politics and Security in the High North
Session 2 New Conditions for Blue Growth
Session 3 Technology Development and Arctic Business
Session 4 Workshop, preparing a presentation

Further information
Emerging Leaders enrolls approximately 30 participants, under the age of 35, both Norwegians and internationals, with a blend of Ph.D. students/post docs and young professionals from the public and business sectors. The program fee is NOK 37.500 VAT included per participant. Ph.D. students/post docs affiliated with Norwegian university colleges, universities and research institutes may apply for a grant from the Research Council of Norway. Ph.D. students/post docs at research institutions abroad who has a scientific focus relevant for Emerging Leaders 2017 could also be considered. The fee covers:

Accommodation (hotel accommodation for six nights) and transport (including Hurtigruten from Bodø to Stamsund)
Food and cultural activities (including RIB trip and Lofotr Viking Museum.)
Registration fee for the two-day policy section (23. – 24. January) at the Arctic Frontiers 2017 conference

For questions concerning Arctic Frontiers' Emerging Leaders program or how to apply for funding for young scientists made available by the Research Council of Norway, please contact project manager Laura Johanne Olsen (email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone: +47 90 75 12 75).

Please note that registration is open until November 1st.

Here you can find the program for Emerging Leaders 2016 and funding criteria. The program for Emerging Leaders will be published as soon as possible.

The ArcticNet Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada and its partners are pleased to welcome the Arctic research community to Winnipeg, Manitoba for the 12th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM2016) to be held from December 5 – 9th 2016 at the RBC Convention Centre.
As the largest annual Arctic research gathering held in Canada, the ASM welcomes over 500 participants annually and is the ideal venue to present results from all fields of Arctic research and stimulate national and international networking and partnership activities. Scientists, policy and decision makers, representatives of government and non-government organizations, the private sector, Inuit and northern stakeholders and media are invited to join us at ASM2016 to address the global challenges and opportunities brought to the Arctic by climate change and modernization.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS:
Abstracts for oral and poster presentations addressing all fields of Arctic research are now being accepted by completing the online abstract submission form available on the ASM2016 website. The deadline for abstract submission is Monday October 3, 2016.

There are also several proposed dedicated Topical Sessions – please contact the convener if you wish to participate:

Kitikmeot Region Marine Science Program (Kristina Brown: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )
Hudson Bay Region (Lauren Candlish: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
GEOTRACES (Roger Francois : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Oil in the Arctic – Science and Policy Issues (Gary Stern / Casey Hubert: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )
Inuit Health Metrics That Matter (Sherilee Harper: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )
Glacier Changes (Luke Copland / Anna Crawford: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )
Sea Ice Physical and Biological Processes (C.J. Mundy: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )
Participatory Research: State of the Field (Noemie Boulanger-Lapointe: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )

Posters presented by graduate students are eligible for the Graduate Student Poster Awards.

PROGRAM :
The ASM2016 is a 5-day Conference beginning with Student Day at 8:30 on Monday December 5, 2016. The official opening session of the Conference will be at 13:30 on Tuesday December 6 and the Conference will finish at 12:00 on Friday December 9, 2016.

The Conference Banquet will be held Wednesday December 7 at the RBC Convention Centre and is included with your registration.

ArcticNet is very pleased to have the 2016 Arctic Inspiration Prize Awards Ceremony in conjunction with its annual meeting. This event will be held Thursday December 8 at 8:00 pm at the Centennial Concert Hall (transportation will be provided) and will feature a performance by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Nunavut Sivuniksavut Performers.

REGISTRATION:
On-line registration for the Conference is now available on the ASM2016 website. Register before the early-bird deadline of Monday October 31, 2016 to save on your registration fee.

HOTEL:
Our host hotel for the ASM2016 is the Delta Winnipeg, ideally situated in the heart of the city and conveniently connected by Skywalk to the RBC Convention Centre and in close proximity to downtown Winnipeg attractions.

Our block of rooms is guaranteed until November 7, 2016. Please book your rooms as early as possible by using the hotel reservation information provided on the ASM2016 website. Be sure to quote ASM2016/ArcticNet when making your reservation by phone in order to take advantage of the Conference rates.

VISIT THE ASM2016 WEBSITE:
Additional information on the conference, hotel & venue, and sponsor/exhibitor opportunities is available on the ASM2016 website.

Quantarctica logo v3 nobg The Norwegian Polar Institute is pleased to announce a limited opportunity for full travel funding (airfare + accommodation) to students and researchers attending the Nordic Branch of the IGS meeting in Tromsø, Norway, from 26-28 October 2016.

http://www.npolar.no/en/events/2016/10-annual-meeting-of-the-nordic-branch-of-the-international-glaciological-society/

Funding is provided by the Quantarctica project (http://quantarctica.npolar.no) and is contingent on active participation in the Quantarctica User Workshop on the morning of Wednesday, 26 October. Eligibility is not strictly limited to Antarctic researchers. However, we ask that only those who have a genuine interest in including Quantarctica/QGIS in their research toolbox apply.

Those interested should submit a short (1-2 paragraph) summary of their research background and statement of interest to the Quantarctica Project Coordinator, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Any questions are also welcome.

Please note that due to cost concerns and the regional scope of the meeting, we limit submissions to Antarctic researchers based in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden). However, researchers from other countries may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The Quantarctica project strongly encourages applications from students and early-career researchers.

Thank you to everyone who entered a figure into our Fall Polar Week figure competition!

Voting has closed and we can now announce the results: congratulations to all!

1st place: Noémie Ross and the 'A Frozen Ground Cartoon' team

Ross Noemi

‘A Frozen-Ground Cartoon’ is a scientific outreach project presenting permafrost research conducted in the field with thematic comic strips. It is coordinated by a core group of Permafrost Young Researchers from Canada and Europe and is funded by the International Permafrost Association (IPA). This poster is realized by Noémie Ross, a professional young artist from Montréal, Canada. For more information click here.
'A Frozen-Ground Cartoon' Team: Project Leader: Frédéric Bouchard Collaborators: Bethany Deshpande, Michael Fritz, Julie Malenfant-Lepage, Alexandre Nieuwendam, Michel Paquette, Ashley Rudy, Matthias B. Siewert, Ylva Sjöberg, Audrey Veillette, Stefanie Weege, Jon Harbor

2nd place: Mathieu Casado, University of Paris, Saclay

Acquisition of the isotopic composition signal in Polar Region: first, during evaporation, the clouds are depleted in heavy isotopes by the cumulated effect of equilibrium fractionation at the phase transition and kinetic fractionation; second, the cloud isotopic composition is depleted at each precipitation events as the heavy isotopes are preferentially found in the condensed phase; finally, in remote polar region, due to the low amount of precipitation and it is necessary to take into account post-deposition processes in the isotopic budget of the snow.

3rd place: Ruth C. Heindel, Dartmouth College

RCH soilcrustfigure

Conceptual framework for understanding the role of biological soil crusts (biocrusts) in the West Greenland landscape. Starting in a high productivity stable state (shrub and graminoid tundra), wind disturbance can remove soil and vegetation, exposing loess and glacial till. After biocrust development, the role of the biocrust either as a permanent landscape cover or a successional facilitator determines whether the landscape remains in a low productivity stable state or returns to the initial high productivity state. Concept from Bowker et al., 2007.

iassa logo1 The IASSA Council has prolonged the deadline for Session proposals to 7 October 2016.

The International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA) announces the 9th International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IX) to be held at the campus of Umeå University, in Umeå, Sweden, 8-12 June 2017. ICASS is arranged every three years, bringing together people from all over the world to share ideas about social science and humanities research in the Arctic. ICASS VIII, held in May 2014, attracted 470 participants from 27 different countries.

Please submit your session proposals by 7 October 2016 to Gabriella Nordin (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Please include session title, name of organizer and complete contact information, and a brief description of the session. General ideas on sessions will also be gratefully accepted.

ICASS IX's theme is People & Place. Research on social sciences and humanities have a great responsibility to address the challenges for sustainable development in the Arctic, with a specific focus on the many different parts of the Arctic and the people that live there. The multiple Arctics have lately been addressed by many policy makers and researchers. The purpose is often to counteract the stereotypic understanding of the Arctic too often represented by icebergs and polar bears. A focus on people and place highlights the many variances across the region in terms of climate, political systems, demography, infrastructure, history, languages, legal systems, land and water resources etc. etc. We welcome sessions and papers on all facets of the North. And, as always, we also welcome sessions and papers on all other subjects of relevance to our members.

We encourage the participation of indigenous peoples, northern residents, decision-makers and politicians, as well as academics, so that ICASS IX provides a rich environment in which to advance discussions on sustainabilities in the North and on other Northern matters.

The Call for Papers will be distributed in Autumn 2016, with a preliminary list of sessions.

iasc web apecs logo web The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), in cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), invites Early Career Scientists (ECS) to apply for the IASC Fellowship Program 2017.

The IASC Fellowship Program is meant to engage ECS in the work of the IASC Working Groups (WGs): Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social & Human and Terrestrial. Each year, one Fellow per WG is chosen. IASC Fellows are doctoral or postdoctoral researchers who actively participate in selected activities of the IASC WGs. They are expected to scientifically contribute but also to help organize specific activities and to coordinate the reporting to the IASC Secretariat. Thus, the Fellowship Program provides the opportunity for ECSs to become involved in leading-edge scientific activities at a circumarctic and international level, to build an international network or contacts and also to develop management skills.

The total duration of the IASC Fellowship Program is 1+2 years. In their first year, selected Fellows will receive travel support to attend two consecutive Arctic Science Summit Weeks (ASSWs) where the annual WG meetings are held. After the first year, Fellows have the opportunity to stay involved for up to 2 more years without dedicated funding support from IASC and the further involvement is individually decided by the WG Steering Group and the Fellows. Note: The travel support during the first fellowship year is the only financial remuneration for the fellows. Salary is not included during the fellowship.

For more information please see http://iasc.info/capacity-building/fellowship or contact the IASC Fellowship Coordinator Maja Lisowska (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or the APECS Executive Director Gerlis Fugmann (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

For this round of applications, interested ECSs have to fulfill the following criteria:

PhD student/candidate or postdoctoral researcher (up to 5 years past the PhD)
able to commit to participating in the activities of one of the IASC WGs for at least 12 months from March 2017 to April 2018.
able to attend the two upcoming ASSWs: 31 March - 7 April 2017 in Prague (Czech Republic) and 15 - 27 June 2018 in Davos (Switzerland, as part of the POLAR2018 conference)
located in an IASC member country (Austria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark / Greenland, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA)
have a good command of English

How to apply:
If you are interested in this amazing opportunity then please fill out this application form (https://goo.gl/forms/E3tJoBMbIFqp5Oy72). If you have problems accessing or submitting the form, please contact the APECS Executive Director Gerlis Fugmann at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive a word version of the form.

Application deadline is Monday 14 November 2016 at 13 GMT (late applications will not be considered). Successful applicants will be notified before the end of the year.

Polar Week logo2 01

The APECS Polar Week Figure Competition 2016 received 10 submissions and now it is time for YOU to vote for your favourite!

Click here to view all the submissions and click hereto cast your vote.

Voting closes midnight 25th September (GMT) and the winners will be announced shortly after.

Special Issue in Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (AAAR): "Environmental Change and Impacts in the Kangerlussuaq Area, West Greenland"

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 01 February 2017

Research Topics: Terrestrial Ecology, Fjord Ecology, Glaciology, Hydrology, Limnology, Geomorphology, Biogeochemistry, Permafrost, and Quaternary Geology.

The Kangerlussuaq area has been an important location for intense research activities for many decades. This region of Greenland contains a large diversity of geomorphic systems from a sector of the Greenland Ice Sheet to a proglacial foreland exposed to fluvial, aeolian and limnological environmental change to a long and narrow fjord. Significant progress in understanding ecological, geomorphological, and climatic processes in the Arctic derives from studies conducted in the Kangerlussuaq area. However, as with most other regions in the Arctic the Kangerlussuaq area is undergoing climate-driven environmental change and impacts and it has become even more important to document and understand the ecological and geological implications of these changes. In this context, robust case studies and cross-system analyses from the Kangerlussuaq area serve as a valuable source of knowledge for progressing our understanding of processes, mechanics and modeling. We invite contributions t
hat address all aspects of physical and biological research on all ranges of spatial and temporal scales conducted in the Kangerlussuaq area.

Please contact Jacob Clement Yde This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in the first instance. Inquiries are encouraged prior to manuscript submission.

If you have colleagues working in West Greenland, please let them know about this special issue.

Further details available at: http://instaar.colorado.edu/news-events/instaar-news/submit-papers-for-aaar-journals-special-issue-about-west-greenland-environments/

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Jasmine Saros, John Anderson, Eric Post, Jon Telling and Jacob Yde
(Guest Editors, AAAR)

Take part in helping to shape AGU’s future in the 2016 AGU Election. Get to know this year’s candidates and vote through 27 Sept!

This year there are quite a few cryospheric scientists up for election. In addition to the Cryosphere Focus Group (Lora Koenig & Ian Howat for president, Sinead Farrell & Byron Parizek for secretary), other polar scientists are up for election - including Robin Bell (running for President of AGU), TJ Young (for student candidate of the AGU Council), and Anna Hogg (for early career member of the AGU Council).

Every AGU member will have been sent their voting credentials individually. If you have not received san email, please contact AGU member services.

Every vote counts! Vote and let your voice be heard to choose your Earth and space science community leaders. Deadline is 27 September.

Best,
Allen Pope

This Polar Week (Fall 2016), communication was in the spotlight for APECS Oceania. On Monday 19 September (1300 AEST), Indi Hodgson-Johnston from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (Hobart) presented an introduction to "Social Media for Marine and Antarctic Scientists." Tune in to a recording of the talk to learn about the various social media platforms, how to use a hashtag, networking effectively online, and ways to promote your research.

Social Media for Marine & Antarctic Scientists from APECS Webinars on Vimeo.

APECS Oceania’s Indi Hodgson-Johnston talked about:

The value of a social media presence
Working out what you want to achieve from dipping your toe into social media
How to set up social media accounts (with an emphasis on Twitter)
How to promote your research sensibly (and avoid those trolls)
How much time does it take?
How to find other scientists in your field
Etiquette, visualisation, professionalism etc.
Honest reflections of several years working with companies, organisations and other researchers in social media
And so on…

Why social media?

Employers are increasingly demanding outreach and communication skills of their employees. A solid social media presence provides scientists and other researchers with precious contacts, networking and outreach opportunities that are beyond those found in traditional research institutions. But it’s a bit scary when you hear about trolling, multiple platforms etc, so that’s why we’re going to tell you all about how to set up accounts, what to say, what not to say, who to follow and so on. It’s aimed at a wide audience, from those wanting to start up an account, to those that want to refine their audiences.

To view a recording of the presentation on the APECS vimeo channel, click here.

A full day APECS workshop was held in Malaysia on August 21, immediately prior to the 2016 SCAR Open Science Conference. This workshop attracted over 60 participants, with early career researchers from all over the globe attending.

Jose Xavier from the British Antarctic Survey opened the workshop, presenting on “Networking Skills: an important soft skill for a scientist?” Next, Renuka Badhe from the European Polar Board provided an introduction to “international Cooperation and Interdisciplinary Work.” Their advice about networking was soon put into practice, with an interactive icebreaker activity encouraging participants to mingle and meet each other during the coffee break.

Jose Xavier presenting at APECS workshop Renuka Badhe presenting at APECS workshop

Jose Xavier and Renuka Badhe present at the APECS workshop - image: Bernabé Moreno

The second part of the morning was spent learning about some of the unique projects and products that were being launched or further developed at SCAR 2016. George Roth, from the Norwegian Polar Institute, provided an introduction to Quantarctica, a collection of Antarctic geographical datasets which works with the free, open-source software QGIS. He was followed by Anne le Brocq from the University of Exeter, who provided a preview of her new interactive computer game about ice sheets in Antarctica, called “Ice Flows.” The SCAR conference provided a unique opportunity for scientists and policy makers to meet face to face, and this fact was highlighted by Gabriela Roldan from the University of Canterbury. Gabriela introduced the Survey on Antarctic Science - Policy making engagement, and encouraged all APECS members present to take place in the survey in order to improve science-policy interactions in the future. Cornelia Lüdecke from the SCAR History Expert Group also spoke briefly, and encouraged APECS members to make the most of the SCAR conference by attending sessions outside of their immediate fields.

For many of those present, the workshop was their first APECS event. APECS Director Gerlis Fugmann presented an introduction to “The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists and how to get involved” in order to outline the many activities APECS is involved in. Hanne Nielsen from APECS Oceania and Alex Thornton from USAPECS then talked about their National Committee activities.

APECS workshop participants in Kuala Lumpur (SCAR 2016)

APECS workshop participants in Kuala Lumpur - image: Bernabé Moreno

Lunch was followed by a plenary discussion on Career Paths, with the mentors Louise Huffman, (Dartmouth College, United States), Renuka Badhe, (European Polar Board, Netherlands), Anne Le Brocq, (University of Exeter, UK), and - via skype from New Zealand - Victoria Metcalf (National Coordinator of the Participatory Science Platform, Office of the Prime Minister's Chief Science Adviser - New Zealand). The discussion, which was chaired by Jennifer Cooper, provided an opportunity for those present to contemplate the range of career paths available post-PhD, including academia, industry, policy, and education.

The final session of the day involved two breakout sessions, one on ‘Writing Funding Applications,” and the other on “Sharpening communication skills.” David Walton, (British Antarctic Survey, United Kingdom), Pete Convey, (British Antarctic Survey, United Kingdom) and Daniela Liggett, (University of Canterbury, New Zealand) first identified common pitfalls in grant writing, and answered specific questions in smaller workshop-style groups. In the parallel session, Louise Huffman (Dartmouth College, United States), Michael Becker (BBC Natural History Unit), Tim Naish, (University of Wellington, New Zealand), Jan Strugnell (La Trobe University, Australia) and Kenny Matsuoka (Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway) explored novel ways of communicating science to the wider public.

Many thanks to all of the mentors who helped to make the workshop a success, to Antarctic Science for providing lunch, and to the SCAR 2016 conference for providing a venue and coffee breaks. The workshop was organised by Hanne Nielsen. Alex Thornton, Bernabé Moreno, Jennifer Cooper, and Gerlis Fugmann.

Polar Week logo2 01 International Polar Week is an opportunity for APECS and its members to promote Polar science. APECS uses this opportunity to plan and develop Polar science related activities alongside teachers, educators and those interested in polar education for the equinoxes of each year. The equinoxes in March and September are the only time when everywhere on earth the day length is 12 hours, a perfect opportunity to celebrate the poles on a global scale!

The International Polar Week Fall 2016 will be from 19 - 25 September 2016! We want to celebrate by focusing on the science being conducted in the Arctic and Antarctic. Please send us your planned activities so they can be added to the Polar Week Website by filling out this form. If you have problems accessing / sending the form, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. And don’t forget to send us a short article about your activities afterwards (with some pictures).

More information on International Polar Week Fall 2016 and how to participate can be found on the Polar Week page.

This year we have a number of events organised for you to take part in!

Figure competition(deadline 18th September)
#PolarFilmFest(organized by US APECS)
Webinar on 'Understanding the ecological power of communication'
Webinar on 'Social Media for Marine and Antarctic Scientists'

We look forward to celebrating Polar Week with you!

Every year around spring, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) publishes its yearbook. Around 1500 copies of the IASC bulletin are widely circulated by mail and distributed at the Arctic Science Summit Week. For graphics and photographs we depend solely on what our council members, related research institutes and scientists themselves send us. For the publication of the yearbook 2017 and other IASC publications such as the website, brochure and calendar, we are looking for new photographs. We welcome images depicting all areas of arctic science: ranging from scientists in the field, animals, landscapes, to everyday life on the work floor and much, much more.

Although we are not able to pay for the copyrights, we of course mention the photographers name and (if required) the institute he or she works for. The photographer always receives a copy of the print by regular mail. The image quality must be around 3500 x 2500 pixel.

With each photo we would appreciate:
• a short description about what we see and background information on the project/research;
• place;
• name of photographer / Institute;
• contact information.

You can send the photographs by e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Should the files be very large, please send me a short note with your name and I will send you an invitation for a dropbox folder where you can upload the photographs.

We thank everyone who takes the effort to send in their photos. However, we usually receive more photographs than we can place and therefore have to make a selection based on geographical and thematic representation. We only notify the photographers who's contributions are selected for publication.

Unless, indicated otherwise, we will assume that we are free to use the photograph for any IASC involved publication. Non of the photographs in our database are used for commercial purposes. Should we receive a commercial request we will always refer the inquirer to the photographer.

If you have any further questions feel free to contact me (e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). For more information on our publications and work, you can visit our website at www.iasc.info

Thank you and best wishes,
Ursula Heidbach
(IASC Secretariat)

The organizers of POLAR2018 are now accepting session proposals for the joint SCAR and IASC Open Science Conference “Where the Poles meet“, which will be held on 19 - 23 June 2018.

A template to submit session proposals, including a brief session description, the contact information of the session conveners and other details, is available here. This pages uses google forms; if the use of google forms is blocked by your institute, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive a word document. We are looking for sessions that cover a broad range of topics across the spectrum of Polar and high altitude research, such as, but not limited to, climate, glaciology, social and human sciences, ice sheets, atmospheric sciences, oceanography, biology, astronomy, geology, economic aspects, sustainable development, technology and education. There will be oral and poster sessions as well as e-poster sessions with a mini-oral.

The organizing committee strongly encourages session topics that encapsulate research conducted in both the Arctic and Antarctic.
We also encourage including early career scientists as conveners and encourage diversity regarding conveners’ nationalities, gender, and where possible, indigenous peoples.

The tasks of the conveners include:

Soliciting submissions for their session;
reviewing the abstracts submitted for the session;
working with the International Scientific Organizing Committee to arrange the program of their session,
including oral and poster presentations and
chairing the session.

Depending on the session proposals received, the International Scientific Organizing Committee might have to merge similar session where necessary and appropriate.

2016 Presentation Awards2

The SCAR Open Science Conference and Biennial Meetings 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (20 - 30 August 2016) attracted nearly 1000 Antarctic researchers and managers from around the world. To acknowledge the outstanding presentations (oral and poster) given by the many early career researchers, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) awarded prizes for the best oral and poster presentations by region and one each for the best overall.

The Award Organizing Committee (Heike Link, Johanna Grabow, Gerlis Fugmann and Jenny Baeseman) would like to especially thank the many conveners and conference participants that helped with the judging for those awards!!!

Congratulations to the recipients are listed below:

BEST OVERALL:

Best Overall Early Career Oral Presentation: Theresa King (University of South Florida, United States) - Mid-20th century intrusion of Circumpolar Deep Water on Ross Sea and Wilkes Land continental margins evidenced by stylaster-coral isotopic signals.
Best Overall Early Career Poster Presentation: Francyne Elias-Piera (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) - E-learning course on the Antarctic environment: An interdisciplinary and collaborative production

ASIAN Region:

1st Place Early Career Oral Presentation: Wee Cheah (Academia Sinica, Taiwan) - The role of mixing and silicate in regulating phytoplankton community structure in the iron-limited Antarctic Polar Front
2nd Place Early Career Oral Presentation: Abiramy Krishnan (University of Malaya, Malaysia) - Influence of temperature on amylase and cellulase activity from polar and tropical soil microfungi
Best Early Career Poster: Shridhar Jawak (National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, India) - Empirical modelling of bathymetry of Antarctic lakes using high-resolution multispectral imagery

AFRICAN & MIDDLE EAST Region:

1st Place Early Career Oral Presentation: Jean Loock (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) - The seasonal distribution and controls of bioactive trace elements cadmium and cobalt in the southern ocean, Atlantic sector.
2nd Place Early Career Oral Presentation: Trevor McIntyre (University of Pretoria, South Africa) - Long-term niche fidelity in southern elephant seals: Do individuals display unique foraging strategies?
Best Early Career Poster: Ryan Cloete (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) - The distribution and controls of bioactive trace elements (Cu and Zn) in the Atlantic Sector of the Southern Ocean.

AUSTRALASIAN & OCEANIA Region:

1st Place Early Career Oral Presentation: Taryn Noble (Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Australia) - Testing the ice-ocean feedback mechanism: Reliable extraction of proxy data from surface sediments on the East Antarctic margin.
2nd Place Early Career Oral Presentation: Hanne Nielsen (University of Tasmania, Australia) - Hoofprints in Antarctica: The significance of Byrd’s polar dairy.
Best Early Career Poster: Diana King (University of Wollongong, Australia) - Semi-automated Antarctic vegetation monitoring using digital photography

EUROPEAN & RUSSIAN Region:

1st Place Early Career Oral Presentation: Muhammed Jeofry (Imperial College London, United Kingdom) - Geophysical investigations of the subglacial embayment in the Institute Ice Stream of West Antarctica
2nd Place Early Career Oral Presentation: George Roth (Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway) - Quantarctica 3.0: A Cross-Platform, Full-Featured Open GIS for Antarctic Research
Best Early Career Poster: Rachel Downey (Senckenberg Natural History Museum and Research Institute, Germany) - Biogeographic review of carnivorous sponges in the Southern Ocean

NORTH AMERICAN Region:

1st Place Early Career Oral Presentation: Cassandra Brooks (Stanford University, United States) - Competing values and political complexity in the Southern Ocean: CCAMLR and the challenge of marine protected areas
2nd Place Early Career Oral Presentation: Michelle Shero (University of Alaska - Anchorage, United States) - Do Weddell seals “freeze” pregnancy? Intra-specific variation in gestation of a top Antarctic predator
Best Early Career Poster: Jade Lawrence (Louisiana State University, United States) - Subsurface hypersaline brine discharge from Taylor Glacier into Lake Bonney at depth

SOUTH AMERICAN Region:

1st Place Early Career Oral Presentation: Camila Signori (University of São Paulo, Brazil) - Assessing the impact of climate change on microbial diversity across environmental gradients in the southern ocean
2nd Place Early Career Oral Presentation: Claudio Rivas (Austral University of Chile, Chile) - Stress response in Chlorella sp. isolated from snow community in King George Island
Best Early Career Poster: Patricia Saez (University of Concepción, Chile) - Diffusive and biochemical limitations to photosynthesis in Antarctic plants from two populations in Antarctica

The Co-Chair of the Conference Sciencific Organizing Committee, Irene Schloss, presented recipients with a certificate and a copy of “Polar Science and Global Climate: An International Resource for Education and Outreach” at the Closing Ceremony hosted by Dato’ Dr. Mohd Azhar Bin Hj. Yahaya, Secretary General, Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation. Oral and poster presentations were judged in 3 categories: scientific content, quality of presentation and capacity to contribute with the research to the session and a broader context.

CONGRATULATIONS to all recipients and we hope to see you in two years at the POLAR 2018 Conference in Davos, Switzerland!

SCAR logo white background During the biannual meeting and open science conference of the Scientific Committe on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Standing Scientific Group of Life Sciences (SCAR SSG-LS) holds an open and closed meeting with its representatives. Established life scientists of currently 33 countries come together during this meeting to discuss their latest reports and advances.

At this year’s SCAR meeting and conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jeff Bowman (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, USA) and Henrik Christiansen (KU Leuven, Belgium) attended the meetings of SSG-LS on behalf of APECS. Yan Ropert-Coudert, the new chief officer, opened the first meeting, which took place mid-week of the conference and was well-attended by many spectators including early career scientists. Updates about the various expert groups (EGs) and action groups (AGs), as well as the two life science scientific research programs (AnT-ERA and AntEco) were presented. Many of the EGs and AGs and both AnT-ERA and AntEco continue to support early career scientist – they have for instance sponsored a number of early career scientists to attend this conference in Malaysia. To find out about such opportunities sign up for their e-mails lists (http://lists.scar.org/mailman/listinfo/antera and http://lists.scar.org/mailman/listinfo/anteco)! Besides proposing the continuation of some EG/AGs, the creation of a new AG, BEPSII(Biogeochemical exchange processes at sea ice interfaces) was proposed.

On Saturday the representatives gathered again for a closed meeting. Here, new initiatives, upcoming meetings (e.g. http://kuleuvencongres.be/scarbiology2017/) and highlights of national research programs were introduced. Budget discussions and votes took place as well. When discussing the new format of the life sciences meeting (having a first meeting mid-week), many noted the high attendance, which shows that there is an interest in this format. APECS strongly supports the idea of having an open, publicly advertised meeting embedded within the general conference program, as it may be a good opportunity for early career scientists to learn about the work of SSG-LS.

APECS Webinar: Understanding the ecological power of communication: Culture & nature tourism contexts

Presented by A/Prof Tema Milstein - University of New Mexico

Thursday, Sept. 22, at 2 p.m. (US Mountain Standard Time)
Watch the webinar recording at https://vimeo.com/183906220

Scholars of environmental communication argue that “What we say is what we see” - communication shapes environmental perceptions, and perceptions shape environmental actions. This argument has broad implications at a time when our planet responds to a range of human actions, from the tremendously destructive and extractive to the potentially restorative and transformative. It has particular significance for those who study – and communicate about - the polar regions.

This talk will introduce an overview of the trans-disciplinary field of environmental communication, and introduce several core concepts and frameworks. A/Prof Milstein will use the lens of ecotourism and illustrative examples from her own work, including research on whale and dolphin tourism in North America and New Zealand, to explore an ecocultural way of understanding our current situation.

Tema Milstein worked as a journalist, editor, and current events talk show host before entering academia. She now examines the ways communication functions as a cultural force. Tema’s award-winning ethnographic and qualitative research includes examinations of cultural environmental meaning systems, ecotourism and endangered wildlife, climate crisis activism, culture jamming, and ecopedagogy. You can read her research at https://unm.academia.edu/TemaMilstein/ and join the conversation in her Ecocultural Communication Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/428111227269773/.

Do you enjoy converting complex research findings into simple, intuitive figures? Do you enjoy drawing cartoons about your science?

If so, then this is the competition for you!

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words and good graphics are a vital component of disseminating research. During the APECS International Polar Week Fall 2016, we will organise a figure competition, where everyone will be able to vote for the most eye-catching, informative and inspiring figures. We are looking for figures in the broadest sense of the word (infographics, cartoons, figures for journals etc.) which capture either the overall theme of your research or a particular finding in pictorial format.

If you want to participate by sending a figure, send it to the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will upload it for you on our website. Entry in limited to one figure per person.

What to submit for each picture?

Name, affiliation and email address
Caption (if needed). If the figure is already published please send the source link.
Permission for APECS to use the picture on its website.

The deadline for submitting a picture will be the 18th September. You have to be an APECS member to participate. The vote will then take place during the polar week and the photo getting the most votes will be the winner!

And of course you can win something! 1st Prize (100 Euros); 2nd Prize (50 Euros) and 3rd Prize (25 Euros) towards the travel costs to a polar or cryosphere related conference or meeting of your choice.

You can find the photo submissions here.

We are looking forward admiring your figures.

logoArcticNet The ArcticNet Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada and its partners are pleased to welcome the Arctic research community to Winnipeg, Manitoba for the 12th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM2016) to be held from December 5 – 9th 2016 at the RBC Convention Centre.

As the largest annual Arctic research gathering held in Canada, the ASM welcomes over 500 participants annually and is the ideal venue to present results from all fields of Arctic research and stimulate national and international networking and partnership activities. Scientists, policy and decision makers, representatives of government and non-government organizations, the private sector, Inuit and northern stakeholders and media are invited to join us at ASM2016 to address the global challenges and opportunities brought to the Arctic by climate change and modernization.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS:
Abstracts for oral and poster presentations addressing all fields of Arctic research are now being accepted by completing the online abstract submission form available on the ASM2016 website. The deadline for abstract submission is Monday October 3, 2016.

Anyone interested in organizing specific topical sessions should contact me as soon as possible at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Posters presented by graduate students are eligible for the Graduate Student Poster Awards.

The Conference Banquet will be held Wednesday December 7 at the RBC Convention Centre and is included with your registration.

ArcticNet is very proud to host the 2016 Arctic Inspiration Prize Awards Ceremony in conjunction with its annual meeting. This event will be held Thursday December 8 at 8:00 pm at the Centennial Concert Hall and will feature a performance by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Nunavut Sivuniksavut.

VISIT THE ASM2016 WEBSITE:
Additional information on the conference, hotel & venue, and sponsor/exhibitor opportunities is available on the ASM2016 website.

ice flows game start Scientists and games developers have joined forces to help communicate the impact of climate change on the Antarctic Ice Sheet.

The ice held in the Antarctic Ice Sheet has the potential to cause significant changes in sea level in the future, which will affect many people around the world. As a result, it is important that people have an awareness of the impact of a changing climate on the world’s ice sheets, but this complex system is difficult to understand and predict.

Now the scientists and games developers have produced a free-to-use interactive game, “Ice Flows”, to help demonstrate how the Antarctic Ice Sheet responds to climate change in an accessible way to children and game players of all ages. The game, which can be played at www.iceflowsgame.com, will be launched at the SCAR Open Science Conference in Kuala Lumpur on the 23rd August. It will be free to download from app stores.

The game is built on a simple representation of how ice flows in Antarctica and how it responds to changes in the environment - through changes in snowfall and ocean temperature. It allows players to impose climatic changes to control the extent of the ice sheet to guide penguins to fish; if they get it wrong, the penguin may meet its doom in the jaws of a leopard seal. The aim is to promote understanding of the complexity of the ice sheet system by enabling the player to carry out their own ice sheet model experiments, much like the scientists working on the research. The game has a number of levels representing how different parts of the Antarctic will respond to climate change. ice flows game play

The game development is funded as part of a research project ‘Ice shelves in a warming world’, investigating the Filchner Ice Shelf system in Antarctica, combining field measurements with numerical modelling of ice flow, ocean currents and the atmosphere. This region is potentially highly vulnerable to changes in ocean currents driven by a changing climate.

ice flows game playThe game has been developed by Anne Le Brocq at the University of Exeter, in collaboration with games developers Inhouse Visuals and Questionable Quality, and the British Antarctic Survey, who are leading the research project. The project also involves researchers from the UK Met Office, National Oceanography Centre, University College London, the University of Oxford and the Alfred Wegner Institute in Germany.

Dr Anne Le Brocq, Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography at the University of Exeter, said: “The response of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to a changing climate is very complex and, as a result, is difficult to communicate in a clear and understandable way. The use of a game helps not only to visualise the system, but also to provide an immersive environment for the player to fully understand the behaviour of the ice sheet and how it responds to changes in the environment. Hopefully it’s fun to play too!”

The game development was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council.

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) are pleased to announce this year’s Fellowship awardees. The Fellowships are worth up to US$15,000 each and seven Fellowships (four SCAR, three COMNAP) will be awarded in this round. The SCAR Fellowships are awarded to: Lavenia Ratnarajah, Jilda Caccavo, Graeme Clark and Ryan Reisinger. Graeme Clark becomes the second Prince Albert II of Monaco Fellow, funded from the Prix Biodiversité awarded to SCAR in 2013. The COMNAP Fellowships are awarded to: Chris Horvat, Blanca Figuerola and Ronja Reese.

This year, 55 applications were received. The winners of the Fellowships will carry out a range of scientific research in areas including sea ice distribution, ecological response to environmental change, invasive species and iron fertilization in the Southern Ocean.

SCAR has been offering scientific fellowships to early career scientists since 2005. Such fellowships have enabled Antarctic scientists to participate in a range of significant research including using ice cores to determine proxies for the Southern Annular Mode, a molecular study of Antarctic ostracods, and investigating particulate carbon and biogenic silica in sea ice in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Since 2005, 38 SCAR Fellowships have been awarded.

In 2011, COMNAP launched the Antarctic Research Fellowship Scheme, offering one fellowship for an early career person in order to carry out research within a COMNAP National Antarctic Program. With this year’s awards, there have been twelve COMNAP Fellowships or joint Fellowships awarded.

The Fellowships support the scientific goals of SCAR and the international cooperation goal of COMNAP to develop and promote best practice in managing the support to Antarctic science. The Fellowships enable the early career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating research partnerships that last many years and over many Antarctic research seasons.

Are you attending the SCAR Open Science Conference 2016 in Kuala Lumpur? Registration is still open for the one-day APECS career development workshop on 21 August. The workshop will be at the Renaissance Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

You can find all the information on how to register and the workshop program on the APECS website.

We are looking forward to seeing some of you there!

The Association of Early Career Scientists for the sea and the Poles (APECS-Brazil) and the Journal of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (JICZM) are preparing a thematic issue dedicated to the subject “Coasts, Oceans and the Cryosphere: Polar Science and the 25-years of the Madrid Protocol”.

The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty - the Madrid Protocol - reached 25 years in 2016. This is an opportunity for the scientific community to discuss polar science in broad areas according the context of this important document. We particularly encourage polar early career scientists to submit manuscripts to this issue.

The JICZM is an open access peer-reviewed international journal indexed in several international databases, including Scopus. The special issue will include research papers, review articles and case studies addressing all aspects related to polar science on past and present coasts, oceans and the wider cryosphere, including Earth, Life, Human and Physical Sciences. Where appropriate we encourage the inclusion of a short section relating the paper main subject with Madrid Protocol relevant aspects.

Submitted manuscripts must be in English, in order to reach the international audience of the polar community. Manuscripts will be peer reviewed and, if accepted by the Editorial board, published online in a formal specific journal issue. Each paper will have a DOI in order to increase visibility. The papers will be available in electronic, open access, version. This thematic issue is expected to be published in 2017.

Submission guidelines are available at http://www.aprh.pt/rgci/manuscripts-Subm.html.

Submission deadlines:
One–page expressions of interest: August 31, 2016.
Full article submissions: December 31, 2016

The editorial board warmly invites you to be part of this exciting thematic issue!

Guest editors:
Fernanda Quaglio, Juliana Assunção Ivar do Sul and Erli Schneider Costa (Brazil); Peter Convey and José Carlos Caetano Xavier (United Kingdom); Ceridwen Fraser (Australia).

Editors RGCI / JICZM:
João Alveirinho Dias, Ulisses Azeiteiro, Monica Costa, Tomasz Boski, Helenice Vital , Marcus Polette

Dear Colleagues of the Antarctic Community,

With 2016 marking the 25th anniversary of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (Madrid Protocol), we would like to investigate how communication between scientists and policy makers could be enhanced, thereby improving our stewardship of Antarctica. With this aim in mind, we would like to invite you to participate in a brief online survey to investigate current engagement between Antarctic researchers and policy-makers. We anticipate that the outcomes of the survey will be used to inform the thinking of SCAR, Antarctic Treaty System Parties and other stakeholders.

The survey will take about 25 minutes to complete. We would kindly ask you to complete the survey within four weeks.
You can access the survey here:Antarctic-science-policy.

This work is associated with the Mini-Symposium “Linking Antarctic Science with environmental protection: Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Madrid Protocol” of the SCAR Open Science Conference at Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia, August 2016), where issues of science-policy interactions will be discussed further. To obtain more information about the Mini-Symposium go to http://scar2016.com/symposia-session.php.

Please forward this email to colleagues in your network. If you have any queries, or comments after taking the survey, please send them to Daniela Liggett (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Gabriela Roldan (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) who are coordinating the survey in association with the University of Canterbury.

We greatly appreciate your help and participation in this research.

With thanks and very best wishes,

Daniela Liggett, José Xavier, Annick Wilmotte, Kevin Hughes and Gabriela Roldan

P.S. This research project has been reviewed and approved by the Human Ethics Committee of the University of Canterbury (Ref: HEC 2016/36/LR-PS).

DSC 0015 UKPN ran a workshop for Early Career Researchers immediately prior to the 2016 Antarctic Science Conference (. The event and conference were held at the University of East Anglia on Norwich Research Park, UK. In total, 34 ECRs attended, including Masters students, PhD Researchers and Post Doctoral Researchers. The UKPN workshop comprised a number of sessions dedicated to outreach, career development and personal development. During the outreach session, we demonstrated experiments and educational puzzles and games, that participants could either take into schools or educational settings directly, or gain inspiriation from to produce more engaging outreach events in the future. The kit used in the demonstrations was loaned from the International Polar Foundation, who we also promoted for the resources they offer on outreach. Following this, we had a very interactive and engaging session on 'How to get the most out of conferences', which was followed immediately by a networking/ drinks reception, during which participants were able to practice their new skills. DSC 0020 Having this session just before the main conference was also well received as this made it relevant and, according to feedback, helped participants get more out of the conference that they otherwise might have. The following morning, two more informative sessions were held. The first was on publishing and featured talks from a UEA professor and a leading publisher from the Nature Group. This session covered how to write your paper, how to select the journal to publish in, and how the review and publication process works. Finally, we had a talk from the Fieldwork and Logistics Team at British Antarctic Survey to inform ECRs about the potential for opportunities for fieldwork with BAS and how to link into using their logistics, both in the immediate and more longer-term future. As well as the drinks reception, the meeting also featured a dinner on the Monday night, which provided another opportunity to develop new personal and professional relationships and, ideally, lay the foundations for new collaborations in the future. The workshop was altogether a big success, with lots of positive feedback received from participants. Please find attached to this some photos of the event and the outreach session in particular, and the agenda for the day

PFFlogo

To celebrate Polar Week 2016, the USAPECS program is bringing together the best footage that the internet has to offer and showing off the Polar Regions to the world! Whether it is your own footage, something you found while surfing the web, or something a you've seen at the cinema, as long as it shares the Poles with the world, then it has a chance to be featured in the Polar Film Fest. From silly to serious, one minute to feature-length, and Arctic to Antarctic, we want to see it all!

All submissions should fit into one of four themes:
* Frozen Worlds: the Cryosphere
* Partly Frozen, Mostly Cute: Polar Biology & Ecology
* People at the Poles: The Human Dimension
* Climate & Connections

Please submit your Polar Film Fest suggestions by August 15th at the USAPECS website: http://usapecs.wix.com/usapecs#!polar-film-festival/usqor

Before Polar Week in September, we'll post curated playlists with your suggestions on each of these themes. During Polar Week, join us online at #PolarFilmFest or plan your own in-person watch party to enjoy some of the best films in polar science!

Got questions? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The call for proposals for the 2016 – 2018 Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship is now open. The Fellowship provides young scientists with the opportunity to conduct research in East Antarctica operating out of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station.

A joint initiative of the Baillet Latour Fund and the International Polar Foundation, the €150,000 research grant aims to promote scientific excellence in Antarctica and underscores the crucial role polar science plays in furthering our understanding of the Earth and how it functions.

Young researchers interested in conducting research in the atmospheric sciences, glaciology, geology and microbiology (excluding marine microbiology) at, or near, the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica are encouraged to apply.

Since 2012, the Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship has been open to applicants from any country around the world. Applicants must be either doctoral researchers or post-doctoral researchers who have completed their PhD within the past 10 years. The successful applicant will continue to work at their current research organisation.

More information is available at http://www.polarfoundation.org/projects/detail/baillet_latour_fellowship

Thanks to the generous support of several partners, APECS was able to give out travel awards for members to attend Antarctic-related conferences this summer and we want to announce the recipients of the awards:

Support from Antarctic Science Ltd., made it possible to give out partial travel awards for members to present Antarctic research at upcoming conferences, including the SCAR Open Science Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in August 2016. In total, we received 140 applications for this opportunity and were able to give out 13 travel awards. The recipients are:

Henrik Christiansen (Belgium)
Gemma Clucas (United Kingdom)
Minkyoung Kim (South Korea)
Gemma Kulk (Netherlands)
Heike Link (Germany)
Rabia Mathakutha (South Africa)
Bernabé Moreno (Peru)
Hanne Nielsen (Australia)
Benedict Reinardy (Norway)
Maria Gabriela Roldan (New Zealand)
Camila Signori (Brazil)
Roseline C. Thakur (India)
Alex Thornton (United States)

Support from ISMASS (Ice sheet mass balance and sea ice level), made it possible to give out 4 travel awards to attend the SCAR Open Science Conference 2016 and the ISMASS activities at the conference. We received 9 applications and the 4 recipients are:

Shridhar Jawak (India)
Theresa King (United States)
Bertie Miles (United Kingdom)
Dieter Tetzner (Chile)

Congratulations to all recipients!

CAFF Logo CAFF is seeking a 10% position to coordinate the East Asian-Australasian Flyway of the Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI), and envisions a post-doc or other graduate student to conduct the tasks alongside their studies, research or other work.

Applicants from East Asian-Australasian Flyway countries (East Russia, Singapore, Japan, China, Republic of Korea) are strongly encouraged to apply.

Tasks include:

Organize and guide the EAAF Working Group (comprised of country AC and observer country and organization representatives) tasked with implementing the AMBI workplan
Coordinate, organize, host, and act as rapporteur for monthly EAAF Working Group online conference calls
Liaise and communicate with the AMBI coordinator and CAFF International Secretariat on EAAF progress
Help to organize and participate in the AMBI EAAF project meeting in Singapore, January 2017
Work with the overall AMBI coordinator and CAFF international secretariat to prepare and deliver the EAAF portion of the AMBI mid-term review
Contribute to the overall AMBI mid-term review process in collaboration with the AMBI coordinator and CAFF international secretariat
Fundraise to support continuation of this position beyond April 2017

Applications sought by July 27 and the work is planned to start in early August.

For full job desciption and details of how to apply please click here.

Are you looking for a way to get or remain active in APECS and the APECS leadership? How about you apply for the APECS Council 2016-2017!

The 2016-2017 Council term is from 1 October 2016 till 30 September 2017. And we encourage YOU to consider applying and help us shape our organisation and the future of polar research!

Find out more information and how to apply on our Council page

Application deadline is on 9 September 2016 at 23:59 GMT if you want to join the 2016-2017 term from the beginning.

For more information on the Council contact the two current Council chairs Rachel Downey and Scott Zolkos via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We will have elections again in September for a new APECS Executive Committee for the 2016-2017 term!

The purpose of this announcement is to encourage YOU to consider applying for the new APECS Executive Committee and help shape our organization over the next year!

Find out who can apply, the timeline, application process and what to submit for your application on the Executive Committee elections page

Application deadline is on 9 September 2016 at 23:59 GMT!

If you have any questions about what it means to be a member of the APECS Executive Committee, the application process or any other queries, please contact the elections coordinators at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ruth Vingerhagen, Tristy Vick-Majors and Gerlis Fugmann
APECS ExCom election coordinators 2016

Are you looking for a way to get or remain active in APECS and the APECS leadership? How about you apply for the APECS Council 2016-2017!

The 2016-2017 Council term is from 1 October 2016 till 30 September 2017. And we encourage YOU to consider applying and help us shape our organisation and the future of polar research!

Do you want to find out more about what the APECS Council does? Check out our Council pages to find out more about the Council and the current Council members.

How do you apply?

First-time applicants

For first-time applicants or applicants that are not involved in the current 2015-2016 Council, please fill out this application form by 9 September 2016 if you want to join the 2016-2017 term from the beginning.
Reapplications from current 2015-2016 Council members

For members of the current 2015-2016 Council wanting to reapply for the 2016-2017 term, please submit your final Council report (September 2016) via this form, mark that you want to reapply for the 2016-2017 term and then fill out the reapplication part at the end of the form. Application deadline for those wanting to join the new term from the beginning is 9 September 2016!

After you have submitted your application, the Council chairs will be in touch with you and set up a call with you to talk about the Council. After that the Executive Committee will vote on your application.

For more information on the Council contact the two Council chairs Rachel Downey and Scott Zolkos via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

"Arctic Snapshots connects researchers from different northern research stations so they can network, share ideas, and learn about each other’s research.” (E. McKnight, U. Alberta)

Arctic Snapshots is a series of online webinars between researchers in Arctic earth, biological, and social sciences at different field stations. The main objectives of Arctic Snapshots are: (i) for scientists to share the excitement of their research; (ii) to promote networking between researchers; (iii) for participants - particularly young scientists - to gain experience presenting their research.

We are pleased to invite you to participate in the Arctic Snapshots 2016 online session which will take place on July 14, 16:00 GMT. To register and join the session, please follow the link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7626959594512789252

This session will connect scientists from 3 locations in Canada and Russia: Churchill Northern Studies Centre (Churchill, Canada), Khibiny Educational and Scientific Station (Murmansk Region, Russia) and McGill Arctic Research Station (Axel Hieberg Island, Canada).

We will have interdisciplinary presentations and discussions across the Arctic Ocean. The session will be recorded and video will be available online at the APECS website.

If you have any questions, please send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

EUPolarNet logo2 amap logo

During the ASSW meeting in Fairbanks earlier this year, AMAP and EU-PolarNet organised a workshop to discuss research needs for Arctic Health and Wellness. Climate change has the potential to disrupt traditional ways of life in the North and thereby precipitate worsening health and wellness of those who live there. This workshop aimed to discuss these issues and possible ways forward. The format of the workshop was talks by invited experts followed by open discussions of themes raised during the presentations. The report summarising this workshop has now been published and can be accessed here.

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International Conference on Arctic Science: Bringing Knowledge to Action will take place in April 24-27, 2017 Reston, Virginia, USA, organized by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP).
Building on the 2011 Arctic Messenger of Change Conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark, the 2017 International Conference on Arctic Science: Bringing Knowledge to Action will provide updated scientific, decision-making and policy-relevant information across a broad array of different Arctic issues and related scientific disciplines. Emphasis will be on what state-of- the-art research is now telling us about present and future change within the Arctic- and its implications for policy- and decision-making. Organized to include plenary and breakout sessions covering both disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives, results from the various sessions will be used in shaping future science priorities and strategies across the Arctic Council’s six Working Groups.

To learn more please visit AMAPs' website or check the information in attached file.

APECS Chile copy APECS Chile is featured in the Chilean Antarctic Science Program's (INACH) English language newsletter ILAIA. Read the full article here (page 35)!

Save the date!

This is the First Announcement for the 12th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM2016) to be held from 05 to 09 December 2016 at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

As the largest annual Arctic research gathering held in Canada, the ArcticNet ASM is the ideal venue to present results from all fields of Arctic research and stimulate networking and partnership activities.

Building on the success of previous ASMs, the 2016 Meeting will welcome researchers, students, Inuit, Northerners, policy makers, stakeholders and the media to address the global challenges and opportunities brought by climate change and modernization in the Arctic.

Detailed information on the meeting, registration, call for abstracts and sponsor/exhibitor opportunities will be available on the ASM2016 website in July 2016.

The European Polar Board (EPB) is looking for an Assistant Policy Officer to assist with creating and editing internal and external policy documents, handle communications and provide administrative support for the organisation. The post is part-time (80% or 4 days a week) and is based in Den Haag (The Hague) in the Netherlands.

The deadline for applications is 14 July 2016. Full details of the post are available on the EPB's vacancy webpage.

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is pleased to announce that Dr. Robert Dunbar, from the USA, has been selected to receive the 2016 SCAR Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research.

Dr. Dunbar, Professor at Stanford University, California, USA, has contributed many important advances to our knowledge of environmental changes in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean both now and in the past. In addition, SCAR would like to note his particular selfless dedication to scientific investigation, support of early career researchers, ability to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries and the leadership he has given to the SCAR community.

After receiving the news about his award, Rob commented "Wow wow wow! That is my reaction as this is surprise – a really nice one! I’ve always worked in Antarctica as part of a team, sometimes as a team leader and sometimes as a follower – so any recognition for excellence in Antarctic research is in fact a tribute to lots of people and many programs. What makes me most happy is the recognition for international collaboration and for supporting other scientists – at all levels of experience. We have many scientific grand challenges to be solved in Antarctica, challenges that impact the entire world. We can only meet them by working together as scientists from many nations – and by making sure we have the next generation of Antarctic investigators well-trained, well-funded, and well-prepared.”

Dr. Dunbar’s application, led by Martin Siegert, was considered by an independent medal committee and approved by the SCAR Executive Committee. He will be presented with the Medal at the SCAR Open Science Conference Banquet on 25 August 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Rob Dunbar joins a distinguished group of past recipients of this Medal including Steven Chown (2014), John Priscu (2012), John Turner (2010), Angelika Brandt (2008) and Paul Mayewski (2006).

In addition, SCAR recently announced that Dr. Heinz Miller is the recipient of the 2016 SCAR Medal for International Collaboration and the SCAR President’s Medal for Outstanding Achievement will be announced soon. For more information on SCAR Medals, please see http://www.scar.org/awards/medals.

Please join us in celebrating the important contributions of Dr. Robert Dunbar.

German SCAR IASC Meeting 2016 APECS was invited to send a German representative as guest to the annual meeting of the German SCAR-IASC Committee. As the name already implies, the German SCAR-IASC National Committee (NK SCAR/IASC) is the official representative of German research in SCAR and in IASC. Once a year, the committee brings together the assigned (usually for 3 years) NK SCAR/IASC members and guests, established scientists from most research entities involved in polar research in Germany.

As chair, Günther Heinemann welcomed the participants on May 19 this year at the MARUM in Bremen. They could present updates of their organizations and had time to discuss during breaks along the well-organized 2-day meeting. On behalf of the currently 131 APECS members based in Germany, Heike Link presented APECS activities since summer 2015 with a focus on events involving German members. The presentation also stimulated a discussion about how and why a national APECS group could be initiated in Germany, but the interest and implementation has to come from Germany’s polar early career scientists themselves. An APECS Germany committee would certainly facilitate communication between the NK SCAR/IASC and early career scientists.

The more than 30 other statements or short presentations included information on their polar activities from the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Marine Research, the German Research Foundation (DFG) and its Priority Program for Antarctic Research (1158), the German Association for Polar Research (DGP), APECS, and, of course, the different SCAR and IASC working groups. For APECS it was encouraging to hear from AnT-ERA’s chief officer and German representative, Julian Gutt, that they invest 55% of their budget in early career scientists. Volker Rachold, IASC Executive Secretary, emphasized the value of early career IASC fellows - including the Germans Allison Fong and Josefine Lenz - in their different groups. Having a regular APECS representative at the NK SCAR/IASC will not only allow young researchers to learn about the various polar research activities in Germany, but it will also improve the communication between early career and established polar researchers in Germany.

Interested in helping create an APECS Germany National Committee? Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

IARPC Arctic Data Collaboration Team (ADCT) Meeting and Webinar

June 30, 2016 13:00 EDT (09:00 AKDT)

Webinar

Adobe Connect : https://iarpc.adobeconnect.com/ctmeetings/

Bridging across data barriers: From Arctic permafrost to global connections

Lynn Yarmey, Research Data Alliance
Colleen Strawhacker, National Snow and Ice Data Center

Abstract: Of critical importance to the ultimate success of Arctic data efforts is the ability to connect data across geospatial and temporal scale, domain, and national boundary among other dimensions. While rarely can a project or program address all of these at once, partnering and collaboration offer mechanisms to advance data efforts. In this talk we present one example of this type of partnership and opportunity by looking at connections within the national and international permafrost data communities, and then between permafrost efforts and broader global cross-disciplinary work. Partnering permafrost and data management expertise, the NSF-funded PermaData project led by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) has the goal of making existing permafrost data easier to access and use across scales. PermaData has partnered with national and international teams from the Arctic Observing Viewer (AOV) the international Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P), the Arctic Data Committee and others to ensure a widely useful approach that will support meaningful change to make permafrost data easy to use. The Research Data Alliance is a community-driven, distributed organization committed to enabling the open sharing of data by building social and technical bridges. With similar goals and communities, collaboration and partnership across Arctic and global efforts present a natural path forward to advance the work of data and research more broadly.

Faculty of Earth Sciences UMCS SCAR logo white background CPS logo en APECS Polska logo During the XXXVI Polar Symposium in Lublin, Poland, APECS Poland held a workshop for young researchers dedicated to interdisciplinary cooperation in polar science, entitled: “What really matters is not ‘How to do it?’ but ‘With whom?”, with kind support of the Centre for Polar Studies, University of Silesia; the Polish Polar Consortium; and the Scientific Committee of Antarctic Research (SCAR).

The workshop, held on 8 June 2016, gathered around 30 participants representing a vast range of disciplines, institutions and career stages, and consisted of two parts. The first one, led by dr. Bartłomiej Luks (Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences) and dr. Michał Łuszczuk (Faculty of Political Science, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin) focused on interdisciplinary collaboration in science. The second part, led by dr. Agnieszka Skorupa (Institute of Psychology, University of Silesia in Katowice), aimed at examining the role of psychological mechanisms during polar expeditions.

The workshop was meant to be a hands-on experience. Thus, apart from talks and presentations, the participants were involved in group tasks so that they practiced
interdisciplinary thinking and team work during breakout sessions. We even experienced an emergency landing on the Moon!

After the workshop, the participants attended the SCAR information session which was dedicated mainly to the on Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica, SCAR Fellowship Programme and other SCAR awards and recognition activities.

The workshop, which was the first APECS Poland event after a long break, turned out to be very successful, both, as a learning opportunity and a platform to meet and get to know new colleagues. We received positive feedback after the event, accompanied by specific ideas for next initiatives.

We are deeply grateful to the organizers of the XXXVI Polar Symposium, especially the Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spacial Management, University of Maria Curie-Skłodowska, Lublin and all the partner institutions which made this event possible. We also thank our mentors for their time and dedication. Last but not least: many, many thanks to the participants!

APECS Polar Workshop 2016

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) announces that applications are now available for student travel grants for assistance in attending the 2016 AGU Fall Meeting which will be held from 12-16 December 2016 in San Fransisco, California.

The AGU Fall Meeting General Student Travel Grant provides some funds to assist with travel costs. Awardees traveling from the U.S. and Canada will receive a $500 award, and awardees traveling from outside the U.S. and Canada will receive $1000 in funds. Funds are delivered after Fall Meeting and are not meant to reimburse specific travel costs (i.e. airfare, hotel, etc.), rather they are meant to help recoup costs of traveling to Fall Meeting.

To be eligible to apply for a student travel grant, the applicant must meet the following requirements:

Current student member of AGU;
Be either a high school student, 2 and 4 year undergraduate student, or a graduate student;
Successfully-submitted abstract prior to filling out travel grant application (abstract reference number will be required on the application); and
First author presenting a paper or poster.

Preference will be given to applicants from demographic groups who underrepresented in the sciences. After students are rated for diversity, students who meet the following criteria will be selected:

Students with sufficient additional funding resources to cover the remainder of the meeting registration and travel expenses;
Students whose abstracts show strong scientific merit to application reviewers in their respective Sections/Focus Groups; and
Students who thoroughly answer the short essay questions.

Application Deadline: 10 August 2016.

For more information, including specific instructions on how to apply, go to:
http://tinyurl.com/AGU-Student-Travel-Grants.

For more information on the AGU Fall Meeting 2016, go to:
https://fallmeeting.agu.org/2016/.

For questions, please contact:
Pranoti Asher
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The 2016 Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica has been awarded to Professor Robert DeConto, University of Massachusetts-Amherst. This recognition comes for his outstanding work on past and future Antarctic climate and for research integrating geological data with modelling to reveal likely consequences for future sea level rise from ice sheet melt.

Rob DeConto’s background spans geology, oceanography, atmospheric science and glaciology. He studied at the University of Colorado in the late 1980s and early 1990s before undertaking one of the first PhD studies on Earth System modelling to help understand warm climates in the geologic past. This was followed by post doctoral positions at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), before joining the faculty of the University of Massachusetts.

In the last fifteen years, Rob’s work has focused on the climate of Antarctica, the dynamics of ice sheets, and the sensitivity of the Antarctic Ice Sheets (and sea level) to conditions warmer than today. The need for model/field data integration was born in part from an international workshop he organized in 2002 that laid the ground work for what would eventually become the SCAR Antarctic Climate Evolution (ACE) and SCAR Past Antarctic Ice Sheet Dynamics (PAIS) scientific research programmes. His leadership has been instrumental in bringing ice sheet modelling and data acquisition communities together, enabling a data-constrained modelling approach to understanding the past and future behaviour of Antarctica’s ice sheets. This initially led to the now classic 2003 Nature paper with modeller David Pollard, Pennsylvania State University, which presented a new coupled ice sheet-climate model showing how atmospheric CO2 levels declining below ~3 times pre-industrial levels could initiate ice sheet growth on Antarctica.

Rob’s pioneering data-model integration strategy was also key to the success of the ANDRILL programme, central to SCAR ACE and PAIS, and eventually adapted by the International Ocean Drilling Program’s (IODP) science plan with an emphasis on the role of the South Polar region in climate evolution and sea level history.

Over the last decade, Rob has worked with colleagues to build on this basic methodology in a series of influential papers, incorporating new and significant ice loss processes that provide improved comparisons between model results and geological data. In their most recent article (DeConto and Pollard, Nature, March 2016), the models predict a doubling in the amount of sea level rise by the end of the century and beyond, compared with the 2013 assessment by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This increased sea-level rise comes from melting ice sheets if atmospheric CO2 emissions continue to rise as at present. They also show that aggressive reductions in CO2 emissions in order stabilize global warming at no more than 2 degrees C agreed in the Paris Climate Change Accord, substantially limits Antarctic ice sheet melting and future sea-level rise.

Rob DeConto says, “I am thrilled to receive this award. Our work indicates we do still have choices in addressing climate change and sea-level rise. The award will stimulate my work with colleagues to improve the robustness of this new generation of models, hopefully leading to greater confidence in confronting the issue.”

Julie Brigham-Grette, Head, Department of Geosciences. University of Massachusetts Amherst, and chair of the U.S. National Academy Polar Research Board, says, “DeConto has forged an international reputation through his work with colleagues toward understanding the processes and dynamic interactions of past ice sheets and climate. The latest article reflects his evolving research focus toward Antarctica’s future and global-to-local sea-level impacts, by informing international climate mitigation policy.”

The award will be officially presented to him at the SCAR 2016 Open Science Conference in Kuala Lumpur on August 23.

The Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica includes a $100,000 USD unrestricted award presented to an individual in the fields of Antarctic science or policy that has demonstrated potential for sustained and significant contributions that will enhance the understanding and/or preservation of Antarctica. The prize is funded by the Tinker Foundation, whose goal is to recognize excellence in Antarctic research by honouring someone in the early to mid-stages of his or her career. The Prize is inspired by Martha T. Muse’s passion for Antarctica and is a legacy of the International Polar Year. For further details, please visit the Muse Prize website.

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is pleased to announce that Dr. Heinrich Miller, from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany, has been selected to receive the 2016 SCAR Medal for International Coordination.

Dr. Miller has an outstanding breadth of expertise and scientific contribution across glaciology, geophysics and applications to ice core research. Of particular note has been his active involvement in SCAR and significant contribution to large-scale international scientific projects, as well as his involvement in the Council of Managers for Antarctic Programs (COMNAP), the Antarctic Treaty, helping link SCAR and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), and his leadership in and vision for Antarctic science.

After receiving the news about his award, Heinz commented "I feel greatly honoured by receiving the SCAR Medal for International Coordination and I thank those who thought me worthy enough for this award. However, all I have ever done in Antarctic science was just governed by my fascination for science on and around this beautiful continent.”

Dr. Miller’s application, led by Hubertus Fischer, was considered by an independent medal committee and approved by the SCAR Executive Committee. He will be presented with the Medal at the SCAR Open Science Conference Banquet on 25 August 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Heinz Miller joins a distinguished group of past recipients of this Medal including Chuck Kennicutt and Rasik Ravindra (2014 joint award), Ian Allison (2012), Alan Cooper and Robert Rutford (2010 joint award), Claude Lorius (2008), and David Walton (2006). SCAR will also be announcing the recipients of the 2016 SCAR Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research and the SCAR President’s Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the coming weeks.

Please join us in celebrating the important contributions of Dr. Heinrich Miller.

Share this story: http://www.scar.org/2016/872-miller-intcoordaward

The first circular is available for the Arctic Science Summit Week 2017 in Prague, Czech Republic, including a reminder that session proposals can be submitted until 30 June 2016. More information here.

US APECS Webinar - Writing for Media and the General Public

with Jeff Richardson,public information officer at the University of Alaska Fairbanks

June 21, 2016 at 12:00 AK/4PM EDT

Register here.

Organizer: Lauren Frisch

Description: Jeff Richardson has experience working in local media and as the public information officer for the University of Alaska Fairbanks. His webinar will give some tips about finding the story in your research, and other strategies to consider when writing for the media and general audiences.

From the archives:

Writing Science: Framing the story: structure. APECS webinar with Josh Schimel
Working with the Media. APECS webinar with David Vaughan

International Penguin Early Career Scientists (IPECS) is accepting abstracts for a small number of oral presentations during our 1st Early Career Forum on Sun., Sept. 4, 2016. The Forum is a scheduled session of our International Penguin Careers workshop (Sept. 2-4), to be held the weekend before and in partnership with the 9th International Penguin Conference in Cape Town, South Africa (Sept. 5-9). This workshop is free to attend, thanks to the generosity of our Major Sponsor, the Global Penguin Society.

If interested, early career scientists should submit abstracts for oral presentations during our Forum no later than Thurs., June 30, 2016. Each speaker will receive time to share their penguin research, time to answer questions, and then personal feedback from IPECS' expert mentors on how they can improve their presentation.

For information on workshop registration and abstract submission, please visit our website: www.ipecs.org/workshop

Please e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or tweet @iPenguinECS with any questions.

ISMASS, SCAR and APECS are happy to announce the availability of 3 travel fellowships to attend the 2016 SCAR Open Science Conference in Kuala Lumpur. The funding is provided by ISMASS (Ice sheet mass balance and sea level), a joint expert group of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the WCRP Climate and Cryosphere Project (CliC).

ISMASS will be organizing two activities during the conference that the recipients are required to attend and provide a short report afterwards to the ISMASS Steering Committee:

session S06 “Glaciers and ice sheet mass balance”
mini symposium 4 “The Antarctic Ice Sheet from Past 2 Future”

Criteria for application:

early career researcher
presenting an oral presentation or poster at the 2016 SCAR OSC
scientific background related to the work of ISMASS

Funding amounts are designed to cover the partial costs of attending the conference and will be limited depending on your country of residence to no more than:

1500 USD (Asia, Australia, New Zealand)
1600 USD (Europe and Africa)
2000 USD (North and South America)

If you fit the criteria, you can apply by filling out this application form http://goo.gl/forms/plCYGqfIIAUyNbBW2 . Application deadline is 18 June 2016.

For questions please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at any time.

SCAR 2016 LOGO NEW

The SCAR SRP State of the Antarctic Ecosystem (AntEco) is pleased to be able to provide a contribution to travel funding (up to $1000 US) for a few Early Career Researchers* to attend the SCAR Open Science Conference in KL, Malaysia in late August this year.

Please answer the following three questions in your application:

1) Are you presenting either a poster or talk at the OSC? If so please provide the title
2) Please provide up to 2 sentences on how your work addresses the key objectives of AntEco
3) Please provide up to 2 sentences on how it will help your career to attend the OSC.
4) A one sentence budget detailing how you will spend the funds.

Please send your application to Huw Griffiths (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) AND Jan Strugnell (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by Friday 17 June.

Please note: *ECR is defined for these purposes as less than 5 years post PhD. Applicants with a career break meaning that they are beyond 5 years post PhD will also be considered.

The Art and Science of Blogging

with Mia Bennett, Cryopolitics blogger

June 9 at 11:00 Pacific / 14:00 EDT

Register here.

Organizer: Mia Bennett

Description: For over seven years, Mia Bennett has written a blog on all things Arctic. Drawing on her experience blogging for the Foreign Policy Association and now the independently-run Cryopolitics, she'll talk about the art and science of blogging and how you can use it to improve your communication, research, and impact.

From the archives:

Blogging to Improve Scientific Communication. APECS webinar with Matthew Stiller-Reeve
Why Bother with Social Media? New Tools for Your Science Communication and Career. APECS webinar with Liz Neely

APECS International Online Conference: Polar Science: Through New Eyes

Conference Date: 18 May 2016 (08:50 GMT to 21:20 GMT)
Event Format: Online conference (webinar)

The APECS Online Conference 2016,entitled “Polar Science: Through New Eyes,” took place on 18 May 2016 (08:50 GMT to 21:20 GMT)!

The conference was a great success, with over 100 audience members registered, and a full day of presentations about polar research. The presenters engaged in scientific dialogues, and represented multiple disciplines and backgrounds, providing new research perspectives in their field of research. We would like to thank all of our presenters and those who tuned in. Special thanks to José Xavier (Session 2) and Rasmus Gjedssø Bertelsen (Session 4) for their inspiring keynote presentations in the successful second year of our global APECS online conference series for early career scientists.

Prizes were awarded to Jesse Colangelo (McGill University, Canada) for his Arctic talk on the "Sluggish viral dynamics in Arctic hypersaline spring sediments" (Session 4) and Lavenia Ratnarajah from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (University of Tasmania, Australia) for her Antarctic talk on "The biogeochemical role of Baleen whales in Southern Ocean nutrient cycling"(Session 1). The Antarctic prize is provided thanks to funding from Antarctic Science Ltd.

With increased attention on the changing polar environment and the future challenges this will bring, the conference conveyed the broad range of new research currently being conducted internationally. Sessions covered a range of disciplines, including Oceanography, Biology, History, Policy, Education, Geology, Atmosphere, and Climate Research, and were split into five sessions, depending on presenter time zones.

Recordings of each of the sessions from the 2016 APECS Online conference are available below.

Conference Organizing Committee: Lorna Thurston, Rachel Downey and Hanne Nielsen

The detailed conference programme including all abstracts can be found here.

APECS Mentor Awards v2x

Are you an early career researcher and your work is related to birds and marine mammals in the Antarctic? We are looking for a new APECS representative for the Expert Group on Birds and Marine Mammals (EG-BAMM) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

The representative would be serving on the group for a minimum of two years. Your role would focus on participating in the work and discussions of EG-BAMM, as well as being a link between EG-BAMM and APECS (e.g. reporting on APECS activities of interest to EG-BAMM during EG-BAMM meetings; reporting on EG-BAMM activities of interest to APECS to APECS members and other early career researchers). In addition, the representative would ideally attend the meeting of the Expert Group at the 2016 SCAR OSC in Kuala Lumpur and other meetings as they arise. In return you would gain a valuable insight in coordinating research at an international level. This APECS representative is a volunteer position without any funding attached to it.

If you are interested in this position, please send us the following to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 6 June:

CV
Statement of Interest including:
- Your research background and how it aligns with the foci of the Expert Group?
- Why this position would be beneficial to your research career?
- Clear statement that you can commit to this position for at least two years, including attending the 2016 SCAR OSC (and have your own funding sources to do so)

If you have questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Broadening Your Scientific Impact & Addressing NSF Funding Criteria with Polar-ICE

Carrie Ferraro, Polar-ICE

May 31 at 10:00 Pacific/1:00 Eastern

Register here

Organizer: Ellyn Enderlin

Description: Scientists are increasingly being asked to communicate the “broader impacts” of their work. Learn about the important points to include in your a BI statement that will satisfy NSF Criterion II and tips on selecting potential audiences, identifying appropriate collaborators, and developing activities that achieve broader impacts. We will explore a suite of new online resources for scientists aimed at helping you develop a BI statement and fulfill your interest in communicating your science. We will also explore the ways that you can partner with the Polar Interdisciplinary Coordinated Education (Polar-ICE) to fulfill your BI requirements.

PolarMusNet image The Polar Museums Network is a new international initiative to strengthen and spread the knowledge of polar history, science and exploration. The PMN is open to all museums, institutions and individuals with an interest in the collection, preservation, research and interpretation of polar artefacts. (Further information about the PMN can be found at: www.polarmuseumsnetwork.org.)

The PMN will be holding its inaugural conference this autumn, 21–23 October 2016 at the Fram Museum, Oslo, Norway. The conference theme is Polar Partnerships: Working together to spread the knowledge of polar history, science and exploration. The conference will feature presentations and discussion sessions.

The PMN invites proposals for presentations and discussion sessions. Your proposal should include your name and email address, the title or topic, and an abstract of no more than 500 words. Please see the attached Call for Papers or the PMN website for further details. Please submit all proposals to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 3 June 2016.

aklogo en HuSArctic project organizes an international conference on Human and Societal Security in the Circumpolar Arctic in March 25-28, 2017 in Enontekiö, Finland and Kautokeino, Norway. The specific focus of the conference is on the Barents region and its environment, sustainability and development.

HuSArctic project teams up researchers from numerous countries and various backgrounds to jointly elaborate on multiple vulnerabilities and challenges to the Arctic population, with a specific reference to the Barents region. The project is hosted by the Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law at the Arctic Center of the University of Lapland.

In order to bring together these researchers, we organize an international conference on the Finnish-Norwegian border, in a beautiful Lappish setting. As the conference will take place during the St Mary’s Day (Marianpäivät), we will also visit the Sámi festival in Hetta (Enontekiö).
Transportation from Rovaniemi to Enontekiö will be arranged, and a number of travel grants are available for covering travel costs to Rovaniemi.

Call for papers by 15 July
We welcome academic papers from early career scientists at their advanced level of doctoral research as well as from the post-docs to present at the conference.
Please send your abstract (maximum 300 words) with your name, title, affiliation and contact information by 15 July, 2016 by email to the following address: husarctic.conference2017(at)gmail.com.

The accepted abstracts will be announced by July 30, 2016. The deadline for paper submission is 15 September, 2016.

More information:
Detailed call for papers can be found from here.

ACE logo

explorers club

The Explorers Club is proud to be accepting applications on behalf of the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition (ACE) Maritime University under the auspices of the Russian Geographical Society. Philanthropist, polar explorer, and Honorary Director Dr. Fredrik Paulsen is sponsoring this Antarctic Circumpolar Research Expedition in 2016-2017.

NOTE: DEADLINE DATE IS MAY 27th 2016 17:00 CET

The ACE Maritime University is offering Masters and early Ph.D. students from the UK, Australia, South Africa, France, Switzerland, Russia, Norwayand the USA the opportunity to follow a 3-4 week intensive course onboard the Akademik Treshnikov during a ~25 day transit cruise prior to the expedition. The departure from Bremerhaven (Germany) is planned on November 20th and will arrive in Cape Town, South Africa approximately on December 16th 2016.

Applications will be accepted from graduates with a background in marine sciences. Master level students and Ph.D. students registered at a university in the ACE partner countries (Australia, France, Norway, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom) and the USA are eligible. Five to six US applicants will be selected by The Explorers Club.

Among other areas, students should be interested in studying one or more of the following themes:

• Physical Oceanography
• Biological Oceanography
• Biogeochemistry and the Carbon Cycle
• Atmospheric Science
• Marine Instrumentation
• Data Management and Analysis

There will be 40-45 students onboard together with approximately 20 experienced researchers who will be setting up their equipment for the ACE cruise and will contribute to the teaching/mentoring on the ACE Maritime University expedition. Additionally, the group will be split into 2 groups, each with one coordinator and will do both classroom and practical work.

All costs (including one night in Bremerhaven and Cape Town, and all travel and subsistence will be covered apart from the students’ medical coverage (private or university health insurance) and their outdoor gear for the cruise (which should not require anything exceptional).

Please visit the website to download application form.

Click here for additional important program details

All Applicants should send their application files/forms in one batch to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by May 27th 2016 with a copy to The Explorers Club at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Announcements of awards are expected by early July.

NOTE: The eligibility of applicants is determined by his/her academic affiliation, not his/her nationality (i.e. a Swiss student studying at an Italian university will not be eligible; and an Australian citizen studying in the UK will fall under the UK group, and is eligible).

The Department of Agriculture of the Falkland Islands plans to create a film on biosecurity issues to show to all incoming passengers and thereby help to protect the environment, wildlife, people and the economy of the Falkland Islands.

Footage is particularly welcomed of:

general landscape and scenery
Falkland's wildlife
People (locals and tourists)
Industries (farming, fishing, tourism etc.)
Footage with a strong biosecurity message from memorable events e.g. foot and mouth

All footage will be credited.

Please send footage to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Full details here.

The UTP Team invites international scientists to take part in the UTP III Expedition "From Pole to Pole" onboard a polar schooner, the "Why". The idea is to propose to young scientists to conduct their fieldwork onboard this science international expedition. The UTP III expedition is a three years of circumnavigation and submarine exploration from Arctic to Antarctic dedicated to scientific programs focusing on a better understanding of the marine world.

The goal is to offer to scientists a unique opportunity to study the marine environment of the Arctic, Pacific, Antarctic and Atlantic oceans by providing them innovative human underwater exploration facility from the surface down to 130 meters. The expedition scientific team and experts will select 10 research projects focused on marine science, marine biology, chemistry, marine conservation, biodiversity and aiming to unravel key scientific questions arising from recent and innovative research.

For further information about Under The Pole and its series of underwater expeditions, please visit the website.

For detailed instructions for applying including expedition planning information, the polar schooner the "Why", services and underwater tools, selection criteria, please download the full announcement.

For questions, please contact the scientific team at : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

UTP Expedition

The Collaborative Innovation Centre for Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Rights (CICTSMR), the Research Institute of Environmental Law (RIEL), Wuhan University, China and the School of Law, University of New England, Australia are pleased to announce the call for papers for the “Conservation of Marine Living Resources in the Polar Regions: Science, Politics and Law” Conference.

The conference will be held on 25-26 March 2017.

Abstracts of no more than 400 words should be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 15 September 2016. All abstracts will be peer-reviewed by an international panel of reviewers. Selected speakers will be notified by 15 November 2016. It is anticipated that an edited book of papers or a special issue of journal articles from the Conference would be published in 2018.

For more details and a list of confirmed speakers please visit the conference website.

Arctic Summer College Ecologic Institute US and Ecologic Institute Berlin are now accepting applications until May 29, 2016, from motivated students and professionals passionate about the people and the environment of the Arctic.

Through this one-of-a-kind 8-week virtual campus, participants from around the world learn about contemporary issues affecting the Arctic and engage in discussions with experts, exchanging views and creating a lively learning environment. The curriculum focuses on climate change adaptation, natural resource management, biodiversity protection, environmental governance, energy policy, security, and human health.

The College provides opportunities to develop academic skills, broaden professional and academic networks, and engage with policy and thought leaders working every day on the critical issues facing the Arctic.

This year, we are offering two tracks to choose from: Arctic Summer College for Students and Arctic Summer College for Professionals, each tailored to best benefit the participants.

Both programs offer:
To learn more about each track and begin your application, follow the link below to your preferred program.

Application for Arctic Summer College for Students:
http://goo.gl/forms/Q4w0wbXr0a

Application for Arctic Summer College for Professionals:
http://goo.gl/forms/1RqBUhTiHx

Application deadline: May 29, 2016

For questions about the application process, write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To learn more about past programs, visit http://arcticsummercollege.org.
We look forward to receiving your application.

Sincerely,
The Arctic Summer College Team

Building Bridges & Designing Activities with Teachers

Morgan Seag, Manager of Bay Area Scientists in Schools

May 17 at 11:00 Pacific/2:00 Eastern

Organizer: Ellyn Enderlin

Description: Want to inspire the next generation? Webinar presenter Morgan Seag has trained hundreds of scientists to conduct engaging, interactive outreach lessons in elementary and middle schools. Join us to learn how to build bridges with teachers and design simple activities that leave an impact.

From the archives:

Education and Outreach. APECS webinar with Elena Sparrow

SeaIceLSciullo

APECS-Brazil is happy to share it's new newsletter (July-December 2015), which is the first edition to be made available in English as well as Portugeuse! The APECS-Brazil committee has been busy, so read the current newsletter on their website.

SCAR logo white background As SCAR’s current Strategic Plan expires at the end of 2016, efforts are underway for the development of a new plan to meet the future needs of SCAR in the period 2017-2022.

As it was approved in the last SCAR Delegates Meeting, we have been working to develop a new strategic plan, under the guidance of the SCAR Executive Committee, Chief Officers, staff, and several other leaders within the organization.

This next Strategic Plan is intended to be reviewed yearly by the SCAR Executive Committee and Chief Officers, and is to be a living document – remaining relevant to SCAR’s changing needs in the period 2017-2022. The goal is to streamline the plan and make it short, succinct, direct, and purposeful. One of the main outcomes of the Strategic Plan meeting (held in conjunction with the SCAR ExCom 2015 meeting) was to focus on communication and strengthening SCAR, under the auspices of the SCAR Antarctic Science Horizon Scan. Thus the vision for the next SCAR Strategic Plan is:

SCAR’s vision is to be an engaged, active, forward-looking organization that promotes, facilities, and delivers scientific excellence and evidence-based policy advice on globally significant issues that are relevant to Antarctica.

The current version has been through several iterations by the Strategic Plan Team, and many national delegates, leaders of SCAR groups, and SCAR partners have provided feedback. We hope that you will find the document useful to enhance and communicate SCAR’s mission and carry out its goals for years to come.

We are now seeking feedback from the full SCAR community as we work to further refine the plan. Please provide specific comments to SCAR’s Executive Director, Jenny Baeseman <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.> by 6 June 2016.

The next version of the plan will be ready for the SCAR Delegates meeting in August 2016 in Malaysia.

The SCAR Strategic Plan 2017-2022 should be a consensus, inclusive document prepared after an open and iterative process of consultation. Therefore, we would like to count on your cooperation in reviewing and providing input to the SCAR Strategic Plan, Draft 6, which is attached in both pdf and MS Word versions.

SAON The Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON) is an initiative of the Arctic Council together with the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The purpose of SAON is to support and strengthen the development and multinational engagement for sustained and coordinated pan-Arctic observing and data sharing systems that serve societal needs, particularly related to environmental, social, economic and cultural issues.

The SAON Board has established an External Review Committee to conduct an external review of SAON. The plan for the review states that the Committee should organise a survey among Arctic stakeholders. The outcomes of the survey will be used to inform the External Review Committee’s deliberations and be part of the report that the External Review Committee delivers to the SAON Board by 1st September 2016. There is more information about the External Review Committee and timelines for the work here.

The survey has 25 questions and will take 10-15 minutes to fill in. We should kindly ask you to complete the survey by 1st June.

Link to survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VX9XVVS

Do you have Arctic freshwater ecology and monitoring expertise? Do you live in or nearby Helsinki or would be able to fund a trip to Helsinki yourself? The Arctic Council’s Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna working group’s Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) is looking for one APECS member with Arctic freshwater ecology and monitoring experience to join them at their annual meeting to discuss the implementation of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring Plan, June 13-15, 2016 in Helsinki, Finland.

This workshop will continue the process to develop the State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity Report (SAFBR) and advance a work plan to further the coordination and delivery of Arctic freshwater biodiversity monitoring.

Involvement in this workshop presents an excellent opportunity to have your biodiversity monitoring efforts and knowledge contribute towards the Arctic Council’s efforts to facilitate more rapid detection, communication, and response to the significant biodiversity-related events affecting the circumpolar world.

The SAFBR report is a key deliverable from the implementation of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring Plan, the second of four pan-Arctic biodiversity monitoring plans developed by the CBMP to improve the collective ability of national and sub-national research and monitoring networks, Arctic traditional knowledge holders, northern communities and scientists to detect, understand and report on long-term change in Arctic freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity.

Lunches will be provided at the meeting. Unfortunately there is no funding to support the candidate’s air travel or accommodation, but there is the potential for ground transportation (i.e., train) support.

If you are interested, please send a CV and a statement of interest letter including your research background and why you want to attend this meeting to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 20 May 2016. The successful candidate will be notified shortly after. Thank you!

APECS International Online Conference: Polar Science: Through New Eyes

Conference Date: 18 May 2016 (08:50 GMT to 21:20 GMT)
Event Format: Online conference (webinar)

Registration is now open for audience members to participate in our APECS Online Conference 2016 , “Polar Science: Through New Eyes,” scheduled for 18 May 2016 (08:50 GMT to 21:20 GMT)! It is completely free to attend!

How to register?You have to register separately for each session of the conference and you will then receive a unique attendance link for each of the sessions you are registered for in your inbox. Please register as early as possible but no later than 30 min before the session as the attendance link will be sent to you via email.

Session 1: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6707291783659493633
Session 2: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5005281868722755841
Session 3: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8035206061385125889
Session 4: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4764392065216656641
Session 5: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7939388021071032321

The detailed conference programme including all abstracts can be found on the APECS Online Conference 2016 website

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We are pleased to announce the International school-conference for young scientists “Climate, geography and environment of the Russian Arctic” which will take place in Apatity town, Murmansk region, Russia on 4-10 September 2016.

The conference is organized by the Institute of the North Industrial Ecology Problems (Kola Science Center RAS), Institute of Geography RAS, the Faculty of Geography Lomonosov Moscow State University and A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics RAS. We would like to invite you to register to our event especially if you are Bachelor, Master or PhD students or young scientists under 35 years old. The school will have a focus on research in the field of geography, palaeogeography, climatology and oceanography of polar regions of Russia within the following topics:

Evolution and modern dynamics of terrestrial and marine ecosystems of the Arctic;
Present conditions and projected changes of the climatic system of the Arctic;
History of study and exploration of the Russian Arctic;
Ecologic, economic and social problems of the Arctic;
Perspectives of the development of Arctic region in the changing climate

The conference programme will be complimented by the lectures and presentations of senior scientists and experts in the field of Arctic research. The most interesting presentations of the young scientists will be considered for publication in the periodicals of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

No registration fee is required. Travel and accommodation costs are the sole responsibility of participants. Official languages of the conference – Russian and English.

Important deadlines:

1 May – Conference website launched, registration form is available online at http://apatity2016.ru

1 June– Registration deadline

For any questions, please get in touch with the Organizing Committee at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

More information coming soon!

khibiny

ArcticFrost

The Arctic-FROST research coordination network announces the availability of travel awards for Early Career Researchers to attend The Third Arctic-FROST network meeting and Early Career Scholars Workshop on Arctic Sustainability in the Global Context in Vienna, Austria on 9-12 September 2016.

Application Deadline: 30 April 2016

Arctic FRontiers Of SusTainability: Resources, Societies, Environments and Development in the Changing North (Arctic-FROST) is a new NSF-funded international interdisciplinary collaborative network that teams together environmental and social scientists, local educators and
community members from all circumpolar countries to enable and mobilize research on sustainable Arctic development, specifically aimed at
improving health, human development and well-being of Arctic communities while conserving ecosystem structures, functions and resources under
changing climate conditions

The theme of the Annual Meeting and Early Career Scholars Workshop is on Arctic Sustainability in the Global Context. Papers should deal with one
of the following topics:

Sustainability and sustainable development in the Arctic or Sub-Arctic of particular relevance to the rest of the world;
Comparative studies of sustainability between Arctic and other regions;
Studies from various geographic contexts, which provide valuable insights into Arctic sustainability; and
Studies that analyze the role of outside actors in arctic sustainable development.

The main focus question of the conference is "What Can Arctic Sustainability Research Learn from or Teach the Rest of the World?"

To be Eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be an early career scholar (5 years since PhD) or current graduate student;
- Be an Arctic-FROST network member. You can register online.
-Be prepared to make an oral presentation on the subject related to sustainability and/or sustainable development in the Arctic or Sub-Arctic regions at the meeting; and
- Be available to participate in all conference and workshop activities.

Applications are being accepted from eligible applicants in all countries, disciplines and institution types. Applications from Indigenous scholars and Arctic residents are especially encouraged.

To apply please send an extended abstract of your paper (500-700 words) a short biosketch (1 page), and a statement of interest for
participating in the workshop (1 page) to Ann Crawford (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Andrey Petrov (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Arctic-FROST will cover full cost of attendance including travel and accommodations. The participants will be expected to comply with NSF travel requirements.

For more information, go to: http://uni.edu/arctic/frost/

apecs logo web Antarctic Science Logo copy Thanks to support that APECS received from Antarctic Science Ltd., APECS is happy to announce the availability of travel funding for early career Antarctic researchers.

We will offer a limited number of partial awards to present Antarctic research at conferences through October 15, 2016, including the SCAR Open Science Conference in Kuala Lumpur in August 2016.

To apply, please fill out this online application form. Application deadline is on 6 May 2016 at 23:59 GMT. Late applications cannot be considered this time.

If you have questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . A word version of the form is available upon request if you have problems accessing the online form.

Are you attending the SCAR Open Science Conference 2016? The APECS workshop on 21 August is now open for registration. You can find more information on the workshop website.

APECS was invited to attend the European Polar Board’s (EPB) spring meeting in Stockholm, Sweden April 11-12, 2016. The EPB is an independent organization that coordinates European Arctic and Antarctic strategic science policy. It’s focus areas are launching joint research programs, coordination of Polar research infrastructures, and advising on relevant policy issues.

Much of the first day's discussions were on the internal activities and management of the EPB. On the second day, discussions focused on EPB partnerships to leverage its activities. Discussions centered on strengthening current EPB partnerships. Heather Mariash represented APECS, highlighting the Call for Bids, the Strategic Plan, the online conference, and specific ways the EPB and APECS can work together on creating opportunities for early career researchers. Since the EPB works on integrating research into science policy at both poles, it will be an important partner organization for APECS. Both organizations see a benefit of working together, and we hope to have an official MoU signed soon. APECS will continue to collaborate with the EPB through joint activates and communications.

Other EPB partner organizations present were: Anton Van de Putte representing data management from the Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management(SCADM), the European Climate Research Alliance (ENCRA) presented by Tina Swierczynski, and Ulf Jonsell presented activities from Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks(SAON).

SCAR logo white background

COMNAP2016

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes (COMNAP) have launched their 2016 Fellowship Programme for early-career researchers. The fellowships are worth up to USD $15,000 each and up to six fellowships in total are on offer for 2016. They enable early-career researchers to join a project team from another country for a short time, opening up new opportunities and often creating research partnerships that last for many years and over many Antarctic research seasons. The deadline for applications is 1 June 2016. Full details of the scheme, including the application process, are on the SCAR website at http://www.scar.org/fellowship/information.

The SCAR and COMNAP Fellowships are launched in conjunction with the CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) Scientific Scholarship Scheme. For more information, visit http://www.ccamlr.org/en/science/ccamlr-scientific-scholarship-scheme.

ipa logo

The International Permafrost Association (IPA) is pleased to introduce a call for funded Action Groups. Action Groups are meant to fund targeted groups working towards the production of well-defined products. Action Groups will be funded on a competitive basis at up to 2500 € per year (maximum of 5000 € over the life of an Action Group). Up to 10 000 € per year of the IPA total budget will be devoted to Action Groups. These groups will have limited terms and will need to focus on clearly defined research outputs, such as maps, science plans, or databases, that can be supported through the organization of workshops, management support, technical support, etc.

The application form is available online.

The application process requires the demonstration of a clear timeline and clear deliverables for the Action Group. It also calls for the involvement of young researchers and a commitment to disseminate results.

Do not hesitate toThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. the Secretariat of the IPA for more information. Proposals must be submitted electronically to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., IPA Executive Director, by April 30, 2016. Please also send the proposals in cc to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

TinkerFoundationLogo

SCAR logo white background

Nominations are now open for the 2016 Tinker Muse Prize. Nominations are open until Wednesday 11 May 2016.

The “Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica” is a US$ 100,000 unrestricted award presented to an individual in the fields of Antarctic science and/or policy who has demonstrated potential for sustained and significant contributions that will enhance the understanding and/or preservation of Antarctica. The Tinker Foundation’s goal is to establish a prestigious award that recognizes excellence in Antarctic research by honouring someone in the early to mid-stages of his or her career. The Prize is inspired by Martha T. Muse’s passion for Antarctica and is a legacy of the International Polar Year 2007-2008.

The prize-winner can be from any country and work in any field of Antarctic science or policy. The goal is to provide recognition of the important work being done by the individual and to call attention to the significance of understanding Antarctica in a time of change.
The Prize is awarded by the Tinker Foundation and administered by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

Quantarctica User Survey (5 minutes): http://www.quantarctica.org/user-survey.html

The Norwegian Polar Institute has developed the free, standalone open GIS package Quantarctica [quantarctica.org] for Antarctic science and mapping. This geospatial data package is built on the open-source, cross-platform QGIS software, and includes a wide range of cartographic basemap layers, geophysical and glaciological datasets, and satellite imagery. The next version of Quantarctica, releasing in 2017, will focus on increasing the breadth and depth of the included open data from an expanded array of international partners and investigators. Priorities for this new version include Antarctic climatology, biology, oceanography, and atmospheric sciences. The Quantarctica project is also expanding its educational outreach through online and video user tutorials and user workshops.

As part of this enhanced outreach effort, the buildup to the 2016 SCAR Open Science Conference in Kuala Lumpur, and the upcoming release of Quantarctica v3, the Quantarctica project team has assembled a User Survey, with three main goals:

Collecting basic demographic information about Quantarctica's diverse user community
Soliciting and identifying new datasets for inclusion in future versions of Quantarctica
Identifying user priorities for new features and technical improvements

The User Survey is meant for everyone in the Antarctic community, including those who have never used Quantarctica or GIS software. Feedback from this survey will be used to prioritize improvements and additions to Quantarctica v3. The survey will close on May 31st.

Access the User Survey here: http://www.quantarctica.org/user-survey.html

Watch a quick tour of Quantarctica v1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HV_VbxKKDM

Registration for the (free!) Quantarctica User Workshop at the SCAR OSC in Kuala Lumpur, Saturday 27 August:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RR7G3PF

From all of us on the Quantarctica project team, we appreciate your feedback, and look forward to bringing the next version of Quantarctica to you, the Antarctic community!

George Roth, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Kenny Matsuoka, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
on behalf of the Quantarctica project team at the Norwegian Polar Institute

The IUCN Global Marine and Polar Programme invites you to submit up to 3 photographs per category: (A) Marine Life (B) The Poles (C) Destinations (D) Human impact (E) Marine Conservation (F) Open Choice.

Please send your photos and any questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For rules and more information visit: www.tinyurl.com/2016GMPPphotocompetition. Open for entries until the 25th of May 2016

APECS sweden

Congratulations to Denis Migulin, for his winning logo desgin of the APECS Swden logo contest. Denis is from the International Relations Office of the Russian State Hydrometeorological University.

Sweden's national committee received 16 excellent contributions. You can have a look at the close runners-up on their web page. Thank you to all the contributors. We appreciate the time and effort dedicated to creating the APECS logo designs. And of course, congratulations to the winner!

NSF Arctic-FROST ANNUAL NETWORK MEETING AND EARLY CAREER SCHOLARS WORKSHOP: Arctic Sustainability in the Global Context: What can we learn from or teach the rest of the world?

VIENNA, AUSTRIA, SEPTEMBER 9-12, 2016

The Arctic-FROST research coordination network is pleased to announce the availability of travel awards for Early Career Researchers to attend The Third Arctic-FROST network meeting and Early Career Scholars Workshop on Arctic Sustainability in the Global Context in Vienna, Austria (September 9-12, 2016).

Arctic-FROST: Arctic FRontiers Of SusTainability: Resources, Societies, Environments and Development in the Changing North is a new NSF-funded international interdisciplinary collaborative network that teams together environmental and social scientists, local educators and community members from all circumpolar countries to enable and mobilize research on sustainable Arctic development, specifically aimed at improving health, human development and well-being of Arctic communities while conserving ecosystem structures, functions and resources under changing climate conditions

The theme of the Annual Meeting and Early Career Scholars Workshop is on Arctic Sustainability in the Global Context. Papers could deal with (1) sustainability and sustainable development in the Arctic or Sub-Arctic of particular relevance to the rest of the world, (2) comparative studies of sustainability between Arctic and other regions, (3) studies from various geographic contexts, which provide valuable insights into Arctic sustainability, (4) studies that analyze the role of outside actors in arctic sustainable development are welcome.

The main focus question of the conference is “What can Arctic sustainability research learn from or teach the rest of the world?”

At this first meeting the Arctic-FROST casts a wide net and welcomes papers that address one of the following broad categories:

Sustainable environments
Sustainable economies
Sustainable cultures
Sustainable regions/communities

All participants:

Will present their work at the Annual Meeting (all papers/presentations will be published online and considered for inclusion in the Arctic-FROST edited volume and/or in Polar Geography)
Will participate in discussions and round tables with leading sustainability science researchers
Will participate in the Workshop activities immediately following the Annual Meeting

Eligibility: an applicant shall be

early career scholar (5 years since PhD) or current graduate student;
Arctic-FROST network member by registering at www.uni.edu/arctic/frost
prepared make an oral presentation on the subject related to sustainability and/or sustainable development in the Arctic or Sub-Arctic regions at the meeting and
available to participate in all conference and workshop activities.

We accept applications from eligible applicants from all countries, disciplines and institution types. Applications from Indigenous scholars and Arctic residents are especially encouraged.

Application Deadline: April 30th, 2016

Send your applications and inquiries to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (copy to both emails).

Call for abstracts: APECS International Online Conference

Conference Date: 18 May 2016, 08:00-23:00 GMT

Event Format: Online conference (webinar)

Abstract Submission Deadline: NOW April 25 2016

View schedule and sign up to join the audience HERE

Abstracts are now being accepted for the APECS International Online Conference, “Polar Sciences: Through New Eyes” which is scheduled to take place on 18 May 2016. Talks are maximum 12 minutes long, with 3 minutes for questions. This conference will encourage scientific dialogues between early career scientists from multiple disciplines and backgrounds, with presentations on new research perspectives from a range of research fields. With increased attention on the changing polar environment and the future challenges this will bring, this conference aims to convey the broad range of new research currently being conducted internationally.

Early career researchers are well placed to present new developments in their own fields through “new eyes,” while the conference provides an opportunity for those in the audience to gain exposure to a range of new techniques, methods, questions and themes. All polar researchers are invited to share their current research findings, but we particularly encourage the submission of abstracts by early career scientists, so they can gain invaluable experience presenting their research projects to the public. There will be a $300 prize given for best presentation at this conference which has been donated by APECS.

Session Themes

Biological – marine/freshwater/terrestrial
Geological/Environmental/terrestrial cryospheric environments
Atmospherics/Climatology
Oceanography/Sea-ice
Cultural/Historical/Policy/Education

To submit an abstract, fill in the form

Abstract submission guidelines:

All abstracts will be written in English.
State which session you want your abstract to be submitted to (refer to sessions available above)
Include a short title which summarises your presentation
Abstract must be limited to 300 words
Include your name and any other authors involved in this presentation
Include your institution and your additional author institutions
State which country and time zone you will be presenting from, so that we can find a sensible time slot for your presentation

Abstract must be lodged online or emailed to Rachel Downey (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by 25 April 2016.

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APECS members and young scientists from Russia in collaboration with the Arctic.ru website are launching a new outreach project. The project has been developed by Katya Uryupova (APECS Council) and Yulia Zaika (APECS ExCom). We aim to create a series of webinars about life and science in the Russian Arctic. What it's like to live and carry out investigations on ice? What kind of indicators of environmental changes can be detected on the remote Arctic islands of Russia?How the lifeunderneathsea ice of the White Sea looks like? And many more interesting questions and discussions. Webinars will be held in Russian, recordings will be translated into English, and then shared online.

Arctic.ru covers issues on the Arctic areas of Russia and other circumpolar states. The website provides up-to-date information, news, and analysis, as well as interviews and other multimedia content.

A very special THANKS to APECS for providing the teleconferencing platform for this amazing project.

The first webinar will be dedicated to the unique ice camp Barneo. Annually the camp opens in April and for a month it becomes the main scientific and touristic center in the Arctic. The webinar will be hosted by Kirill Kivva, a participant of the Barneo-2014 camp, researcher of the laboratory of climatic basis of bioproductivity of the All-russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO).

The live webinar will be held on April 23 2016, at 5 p.m. Moscow time(UTC+3). To attend the webinar, pre-registration is required:https://goo.gl/spKRgl.

You have an Arctic story about your life and research to share with us? Let us know and we will invite you for one of our webinars! You can reach us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. andThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

ASSW2016 biggroup APECS hosted an Early Career Arctic Policy Workshop on Monday, March 14 during Arctic Science Summit Week in Fairbanks, Alaska. This half-day workshop began with a keynote presentation from Bradley Moran, dean of the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. Following, participants heard five short presentations addressing the global effort to use best-available science in the development of Arctic policy from our workshop’s mentors: Carolina Behe, Terry Chapin, Henry Huntington, Amy Lovecraft, and Peter Winsor. Following the talks, participants broke into smaller, mentor-led groups to discuss strategies for incorporating scientific knowledge into impactful Arctic policy. The workshop had great attendance, with 34 participants from a range of countries and different career stages.

ASSW2016 behegroup Bradley Moran spoke to the group about some of his experiences working in the policy world, including an opportunity to share Fukushima radiation data with the White House during his time serving as the assistant director of ocean sciences in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Carolina Behe’s small group discussion focused on understanding indigenous knowledge, and the importance of creating policies and management plans that incorporate both indigenous knowledge and scientific data. Peter Winsor and Henry Huntington led a joint small group discussion. Their group talked about relevant community based science, the importance of communicating science, and how to get into private consulting work. Terry Chapin’s small group discussed the value of interdisciplinary work, and the difference between working as a specialist in an interdisciplinary group versus being a solo interdisciplinary researcher. Amy Lovecraft’s group discussed ways to translate our work and research into practice, and the value of personal marketing.

Presentation Titles:

Keynote: Bradley Moran, Perspectives on ocean science, policy and lesson learned
Henry Huntington, Research, observations and outreach, or the production of science vs. the consumption of science
Amy Lovecraft, Scenarios as social learning: Community-scale anticipation of healthy sustainable communities in Arctic Alaska
Carolina Behe, Indigenous knowledge and monitoring: Applying a food security lens and co-production of knowledge approach
Peter Winsor, Managing science projects across the world with a keen eye to industry and the private sector
Terry Chapin, Interdisciplinarity: When, if ever, is the right time to embrace it?

ASSW2017 Organizers of the Arctic Science Summit Week 2017 in Prague (Czech Republic) on 31 March – 7 April 2017 are now accepting session proposals for the ASSW 2017 Science Symposium, entitled „A Dynamic Arctic in Global Change“. The Science Symposium will be on 4-7 April 2017 and address the three sub-themes: (a) Changes in the Arctic, (b) Global Implications of Arctic Changes and (c) Impacts of Global Change on the Arctic. More information is available on the conference website: www.assw2017.eu.

An online form to submit session proposals, including a brief session description, the contact information of the proposed session conveners and other session details and suggestions for the meeting, is available here.

To facilitate the participation of early career scientists and indigenous peoples, the organizers recommend that each session proposal includes one early career scientist co-convener and/or one indigenous co-convener, if applicable. Session proposals should also consider the overall geographic and gender balance of the proposed co-conveners.

The tasks of the conveners include:

- soliciting submissions for their session;
- reviewing the abstracts submitted for the session;
- working with the Scientific Steering Committee to arrange the program of their session, including oral and poster presentations and chairing the session.

Depending on the session proposals received, the Scientific Steering Committee will possibly have to merge similar sessions.

Session proposal can be submitted until 30th June 2016. Lead conveners will be notified in July and the final list of sessions will be announced September 2016. Abstract submission will open on 1st October 2016 with a submission deadline not earlier than 30th November 2016 and notification of acceptance after 15th January 2017.

Any question should be directed to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The International Congress A European Arctic Policy: the role of non- Arctic Member States (June 10, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain) will discuss the role played by non- Arctic European Member States in designing a regional Arctic policy. The conference will be developed on the basis of the papers received through the call issued in April 2015.

The call for papers is open to all early careers, researchers and senior scientists whose contributions can enrich the reflection on the topic.

SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS - DEADLINE 30 APRIL 2016

More information here.

The latest edition of the IASC Newsletter has just been published and it focuses on events at ASSW 2016 which was held in Fairbanks, Alaska. IASC april2016

The U.S. Permafrost Association will provide travel grants for U.S.-based students and post-graduate researchers (within six years of their terminal degree) to attend the 2016 International Conference on Permafrost in Potsdam, Germany. Successful applicants will receive $2,000. Travel grants will be awarded based on the merit of applications and their application to permafrost science and engineering. The applicant must be first author on a permafrost-related research presentation. Preference will be given to applicants who are current members of both USPA and the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN). Undergraduate students are encouraged to apply. Apply at http://www.uspermafrost.org/ by 24 April, 2016.

To view previous USPA travel grant award winners, see http://uspermafrost.org/education/UPEF/.

To renew your membership, please visit http://www.uspermafrost.org/.

EGU logo

There are a number of exciting events for early career scientists at EGU!

The EGU defines an Early Career Scientists (ECS) as an undergraduate or postgraduate (Masters/PhD) student or a scientist who has received his or her highest degree (BSc, MSc, or PhD) within the past seven years [excluding parental leave]

Social event for Early Career Cryosphere Scientists!

If there is one thing you need to attend it is the social event we are organising together with APECS. After the short course on Wednesday evening (see below) we will head to the Wieden Brau) for some food, drinks and networking. We will be there at approximately 20.30. You do not have to sign up in advance, but if you know that you are coming it would be very helpful if you could let us know filling in this doodle. (There is also a facebook event)
Meeting about the Cryosphere Blog

Have you heard about the EGU Cryosphere blog? If you like this blog and would like to contribute to it — directly and/or indirectly — please come and meet us on Tuesday the 19th of April at 12.15. (practical details will be updated in the e-agenda soon)
Short courses

Short courses give an insight into a certain area and/or the applications/uses/pitfalls in and around the topic. There are a lot of very interesting courses at this year’s meeting and below we have highlighted a few of them.

Cryospheric short courses:

Using Ice core chronologies: Dos and don'ts :for researchers who do not work directly in the ice-core community, but who find themselves using ice core data for comparison with other climate data and time-series.
Time and date: Wednesday the 20th of April, 19:00–20:00 (Room 0.31)

Meet the editor: The Cryosphere || Climate of the past will both discuss the publication process. How it works, what is needed, what should be avoided etc.
Time and date: Friday the 22nd of April, 13:30–14:30 (Room -2.85) || Wednesday the 20th Apr, 17:30–19:00 (Room 0.31)

Introduction to climate modelling about how the climate models are developed and applied at different spatial and temporal scales.
Time and date: Thursday the 21st of April, 19:00–20:00 (Room 0.31)

Broader Early-career short courses:

Of course there also many short courses of general interest for young researchers. Below, we highlighted a few of them but you can find more on this geolog blog post or in the ECS-program:

The communicating geoscientist will focus on how scientists can communicate science and do public engagement (outreach to schools, videos, blogs, etc)
Time and date: Tuesday, the 19th of April, 15:30–17:00 (Room -2.85)

Working at the science policy interface will present how science becomes policies at European and global scales. (with speaker from the IPCC, the European Environment Agency and European Commission’s Joint Research Centre)
Time and date : Thursday, the 21st of April, 12:15–13:15 (Room -2.85)
ECS Forum

The EGU gives the opportunity to early career scientist to meet their representatives, find out what the EGU does for them and take the chance to become more involved in the Union. This forum is a great opportunity to let us know what you would like from the EGU, find out how you can get involved in the Assembly and meet other scientists in the EGU early career scientist community.
Time and date: Wednesday the 20th of April, 12:15–13:15 (Room L7)
More information can be found on the EGU cryosphere blog post.

Meeting your Outreach Goals with Strategic Science Communication
with Kristin Timm*

*Kristin Timm is the Science Communications Lead at the Scenarios Network for Alaska and Arctic Planning (SNAP) at the International Arctic Research Center (IARC) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

April 22

17:00 GMT
Register Here

Organizer | Bernabé Moreno

Description | George Bernard Shaw once said that, “the single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” As science communicators, how can we tell if we have effectively communicated or whether our communication efforts have met our intended goals? The strategic science communication process is a more deliberate approach to communicating science, and this webinar will discuss how to identify your communication goals and purpose, potential audiences, available tools, and mechanisms for evaluation and assessment. Rather than taking an ad hoc approach to communicating science (and hoping for an intended outcome), the strategic communication process begins by reflecting on the value of the research and identifying who will be interested in or impacted by the results. This webinar is ideal for early career scientists who would like to see specific outcomes from their science communication activities, are interested in taking their science communication skills to the next level, or who are working closely with and sharing research results with specific stakeholder groups

Join us for a webinar on our fellowships and tips for successful applications on
April 18th at 1900 UTC.

To register:
URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2658660171491906562
Webinar ID: 100-249-219

Participants will receive an email with the log-in link for the session once they have registered.

Webinar Agenda:

Introduction to the SCAR/COMNAP Fellowships programme
Personal reflection by past Fellow on experience and impact of programme
Growth of programmes and current expectations
Assessment criteria for the programmes
What makes a successful application
Things to avoid
Q&A to panel for advice on proposal writing

Provisional speakers and panel members:

Prof Karin Lochte, Director, Alfred Wegener Institute, SCAR Vice President for CBET
Dr Michelle Rogan-Finnemore, Executive Secretary, COMNAP
Dr Mahlon (Chuck) Kennicutt II, ex-President of SCAR
Dr Kelly Kenison Falkner, Director, Division of Polar Programs, NSF
Prof Jane Francis, Director, British Antarctic Survey
Dr Renuka Badhe, Executive Secretary, European Polar Board, ex-SCAR Executive Officer
Dr Gerlis Fugmann, Executive Director, APECS
Dr David Walton, Editor, Antarctic Science
Prof Anna Wahlin, co-Chair SOOS
Dr Jenny Baeseman, SCAR Executive Director
Dr Eoghan Griffin, SCAR Executive Officer

For more details go to www.scar.org/2016 or read this detailed announcement text.

We look forward to hearing from you on the webinar!

Eoghan Griffin, SCAR Executive Officer / Fellowship administrator

-on behalf of
Karin Lochte, SCAR Vice-President for Capacity Building
Michelle Rogan-Finnemore, COMNAP Executive Secretary
Jenny Baeseman, SCAR Executive Director
Gerlis Fugmann, APECS Executive Director

Data Visualization
with Rob Simmon
Data Visualization Engineer at Planet Labs
April 6th*
12:30pm Alaska / 1:30pm Pacific / 4:30 Eastern
Register here

Organizer: Allen Pope
Description: Creating scientific graphics can be difficult, so come learn some simple tips and tricks from a dataviz expert on composition, color, and design to transform your figures into effective, informative, and beautiful scientific visualizations with your own data! Rob will also focus on the importance of using and choosing the right colors in your figures.

From the archives:
Graphic Design 101 for Scientists: Tips for Improving Talks, Reports, Posters, and Figures. APECS webinar with Kristin Timm
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Tips for Successful Photography in the Polar Regions. APECS webinar with Chris Linder

*Note: The webinar time changed from 11:00AM Pacific to 1:30PM Pacific due to an unforeseen conflict for the speaker. If you already registered for the webinar, you should have received a notification of this change.

Also check out the APECS Past Webinar Database for more webinars.

This webinar is part of the USAPECS webinar series on Science Communication.

APECS Netherlands 2016 On the 12th of March, 2016, APECS Netherlands joined the ‘Pool tot Pool’ day in the museum of Peoples in Leiden. This yearly event about mainly scientific research in the Arctic and Antarctic focuses on a general public. In total there were four lectures by speakers from the Netherlands and Belgium, with topics such as invertebrates on Antarctica and climate change effects on Svalbard. At the same time there was a group of high school students, which presented posters on their school projects about Svalbard. APECS Netherlands was represented by Ariadna Szczybelski and Douwe Maat, who gave ‘pitch presentations’ about APECS and their own research, and presented accompanying posters during the day. The event was joined by approximately 150 people and therefore a great success. For APECS Netherlands this was a great opportunity to explain people about APECS in general and about the work that is done by early career scientists in the polar regions. The event also led to making new contacts (high school teacher and students and indirectly to APECS Belgium members) which will be useful for APECS NL to expand its network and develop teaching and outreach activities.

AOS2016

The Arctic Observing Summit 2016, which was held in Fairbanks in March, has just released their conference statement which identifies the need for a united circum-polar monitoring network. Specifically seven major recommendations were elucidated:

1. Develop international principles and protocols that establish ethical guidelines for research, for the involvement of Arctic Indigenous Knowledge holders, for the use of Indigenous Knowledge and the co production of knowledge. Develop mechanisms to enable collaborative approaches and building of trust among partners, such as researchers, Indigenous Peoples, private sector entities and others, to define observational needs, and to plan, prioritize, implement, and use sustained observations.

2. Propose to the highest levels of government, the business case for a comprehensive pan-Arctic observing system. This proposal should assess the costs and demonstrate the benefits for society at various levels, including an Implementation Plan that builds upon the present system and past planning, and that identifies needed resources including infrastructure, instrumentation, human capacity, the pathways to financing, and a strategy for sustained financing.

3. Create opportunities for stakeholder engagement as a critical component of an effective pan-Arctic observing system that includes strategies for improved communication, takes advantage of existing natural capital, creates avenues for research collaboration, identifies resources for capacity building and participation of local and Indigenous knowledge holders, and resolves jurisdictional, regulation and policy hindrances to active participation.

4. Coordinate the implementation of a pan-Arctic observing system with regional and global observing initiatives, and organize efforts in securing resources for its sustained operation through the leadership of the Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON) initiative.

5. Advance a strategy for international funding, ideally with a single application and review process and contributions of resources from all partner countries, along with established national support mechanisms. Full implementation of a pan-Arctic Observing System requires coordination of funding efforts to support a globally connected and internationally accessible network.

6. Prioritize, on an ongoing basis, observations that should be started and maintained over the long-term by operational and other relevant agencies. Collaborative, sustained observations need to be implemented through a combined research-operational system that extends across all scales relevant to those it serves, making use of both long-term national/institutional funding and of project based competitive funding.

7. Work, through the IASC-SAON Arctic Data Committee, to develop a broad, globally connected Arctic observing data and information system of systems that is based on open access data and standards, in addition to recognizing and addressing ethical use and proprietary rights of Indigenous Knowledge and that delivers value to Arctic and global communities.

Thank you for all the great submissions to the APECS International Polar Week Photo Contest 2016! After all the votes are in, we are happy to announce the three winners:

1st Prize: Adrian Dahood (George Mason University, United States)

Gentoo penguins porpoising, Antarctic Sound, Antarctica, January 14, 2013

Photo Contest 2016 Dahood Gentoos AntarcticSound January 14 2013

2nd Prize: Nathaniel B Dkhar (The Energy and Resources Institute, India)

Photo was take at East Rathong Glacier, West Sikkim District, Sikkim, India on 25th June 2013. We had gone to support a local government institution start their monitoring of the glacier. Unfortunately, the equipment required was not available with them and we got to know only once we reached the base camp. So the couple of us who had to climb up to 5100 masl had to use cotton rope for make shift "crampons". It helped to get some traction and the best part was we had to use our umbrellas as ice axes. It seems funny now but it wasn't then.

Photo Contest 2016 Nathaniel B Dkhar 1 small copy

3nd Prize: Francoise Amélineau (University of Montpellier, France)

October 2011, Dumont d'Urville Station, Antarctica
Curious Emperor penguins coming close to my robot fitted with acoustic devices to record their calls.

Photo Contest 2016 Francoise Amelineau photo1 small

Call for abstracts: APECS International Online Conference

Conference Date: 18 May 2016, 08:00-23:00 GMT
Event Format: Online conference (webinar)
Abstract Submission Deadline: 25 April 2016
Submit Abstracts HERE
View schedule and sign up to join the audience HERE

Abstracts are now being accepted for the APECS International Online Conference, “Polar Sciences: Through New Eyes” which is scheduled to take place on 18 May 2016. Talks are maximum 12 minutes long, with 3 minutes for questions. This conference will encourage scientific dialogues between early career scientist from multiple disciplines and backgrounds, with presentations on new research perspectives from a range of research fields. With increased attention on the changing polar environment and the future challenges this will bring, this conference aims to convey the broad range of new research currently being conducted internationally.

Session Themes

Biological – marine/freshwater/terrestrial
Geological/Environmental/terrestrial cryospheric environments
Atmospherics/Climatology
Oceanography/Sea-ice
Cultural/Historical/Policy/Education

To submit an abstract, fill in the form at this link

Abstract submission guidelines:

All abstracts will be written in English.
State which session you want your abstract to be submitted to (refer to sessions available above)
Include a short title which summarises your presentation
Abstract must be limited to 300 words
Include your name and any other authors involved in this presentation
Include your institution and your additional author institutions
State which country and time zone you will be presenting from, so that we can find a sensible time slot for your presentation

Abstract must be lodged online or emailed to Rachel Downey (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by 25 April 2016.

Selected speakers will be notified by email at the latest on 25 April 2016.

The APECS International Online Conference will be using GoToWebinar platform (so you can enjoy the conference behind your desk or from your couch!).

Call for abstracts: APECS International Online Conference

Conference Date: 18 May 2016, 08:00-23:00 GMT
Event Format: Online conference (webinar)
Abstract Submission Deadline: 25 April 2016
Submit Abstracts HERE
View schedule and sign up to join the audience HERE

Abstracts are now being accepted for the APECS International Online Conference, “Polar Sciences: Through New Eyes” which is scheduled to take place on 18 May 2016. Talks are maximum 12 minutes long, with 3 minutes for questions. This conference will encourage scientific dialogues between early career scientist from multiple disciplines and backgrounds, with presentations on new research perspectives from a range of research fields. With increased attention on the changing polar environment and the future challenges this will bring, this conference aims to convey the broad range of new research currently being conducted internationally.

Session Themes

Biological – marine/freshwater/terrestrial
Geological/Environmental/terrestrial cryospheric environments
Atmospherics/Climatology
Oceanography/Sea-ice
Cultural/Historical/Policy/Education

To submit an abstract, fill in the form at this link

Abstract submission guidelines:

All abstracts will be written in English.
State which session you want your abstract to be submitted to (refer to sessions available above)
Include a short title which summarises your presentation
Abstract must be limited to 300 words
Include your name and any other authors involved in this presentation
Include your institution and your additional author institutions
State which country and time zone you will be presenting from, so that we can find a sensible time slot for your presentation

Abstract must be lodged online or emailed to Rachel Downey (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by 25 April 2016.

Selected speakers will be notified by email at the latest on 25 April 2016.

The APECS International Online Conference will be using GoToWebinar platform (so you can enjoy the conference behind your desk or from your couch!).

Call for Sessions
The International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA) announces the 9th International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS IX) to be held at the campus of Umeå University, in Umeå, Sweden, from 8-12 June 2017.

ICASS is held every three years, bringing together people from all over the world to share ideas about social science and humanities research in the Arctic. ICASS VIII, held in May 2014, attracted 470 participants from 27 different countries.

IASSA is now seeking proposals for sessions. Please submit them by 23 September 2016 to Gabriella Nordin (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Please include session title, name of session, organizer and complete contact information, and a brief description of the session. General ideas on sessions will also be gratefully accepted.

The Call for Papers will be distributed in Autumn 2016, with a preliminary list of sessions.

The University of Vienna, in cooperation with the European University in St. Petersburg is pleased to announce the call for a Ph.D. summer school that will take place from 08.28. to 09.09.2016 in Vienna, Austria.

VASS is an intensive mix of lectures, workshops and a field trip for Ph. D. students and young researchers, focusing on topics including tourism, resource extraction and infrastructure. The excursion to the Alps showcases a region that has many similarities with the Arctic and has faced similar challenges in the past.

Ph.D. students and early career scholars from the Arctic social sciences are encouraged to apply no later than April 04, 2016 under ilja.steffelbauer(at)univie.ac.at.

For further information see the attached long call or visit our website at:
https://ksa.univie.ac.at/forschung/projekte/enmote-research-group/univie-vass-vienna-arctic-summer-school/

APECS Oceania, the national committee for members in Australia and New Zealand, recently voted on a brand new logo:

apecs oc

The penguin represents the Antarctic research done by members in both countries - Hobart (Australia) and Christchurch (New Zealand) are both known as "Gateways" to the Antarctic. The stars - created out of stylised snowflakes as a nod to the APECS international logo - form the shape of the Southern Cross, a symbol that appears on the flags of both NZ and Australia, and one that situates the committee in the southern hemisphere. Our antipodean members are proud to have a new logo, and look forward to showcasing the work of APECS under this local branding for years to come.

The penguin and Southern Cross symbol features on the APECS Oceania Facebook Page, twitter account, and on ther website.

For more on the activities of APECS Oceania, see http://apecsoceania.com/

apecs brasil logo

The Brazilian national council of APECS is now renewed and gives welcome to the new Council members! The new members will develop their activities between 2016 and 2018 aiming to motivate young polar scientists to study several aspects related to the polar environments, to promote international networks, and to develop polar research, education and outreach activities – which are the APECS-Brazil trademarks!

Welcome:

President: Dr. Juliana Assunção Ivar do Sul
Vice President: Biol. Juliana Silva Souza
1. Secretariat: Adriana R. de Lira Pessoa
2. Secretariat: Ana Olivia de A. Reis
1. Treasurer: Claudineia Lizieri
2. Treasurer: Douglas Lindemann
1. Scientific Coord.: Fernanda Quaglio
2. Scientific Coord.: Adriano Lemos
1. E&O Coord.: Sandra Freiberger Affonso
2. E&O Coord.: Roberta Piuco

New functions in the APECS-Brazil council were created to this new stage. They aim to motivate and improve the talents we have within our members.

Welcome:

1. Project Development Coord.: Erli Schneider Costa
2. Project development Coord.: Gerusa Radichi
1. Postgraduate Actions Coord.: Silvia Dotta
2. Postgraduate Actions Coord.: Claudineia Lizieri
1. Fund-raising Coord.: Thiago Severo
2. Fund-raising Coord.: Sueli Mattos

Active member supporting:

Secretariat - Luiz Antonio da Costa
Scientific Coordination - Rodrigo Alves
E&O Coordination - Alessandra Zaini
Project Development Coordination - Hugo Mariz
Postgraduate Actions Coordination - Ailim Schwambach

We are with our eyes in the future but honoured with our past successes. We are preparing a special conference in 2016 in Brasília, the Brazilian capital. Several challenges certainly will be faced including the current economic crises and the Aedes aegypti epidemic but we are convinced that another successful event is coming!

The International Polar weeks will occur in May and September here in Brazil. Once more the Antarctic and the Arctic environments will go into our children’s classrooms!

Finally, we invited all the polar scientific community to submit their articles in the Journal of Integrated Coastal Zone Management, an international journal that will produce an especial number dedicated to the theme: “Coasts, Oceans and the Cryosphere: Polar Science and the 25-years of the Madrid Protocol”. Are you going to miss this opportunity?

APECS Mentor Award DAVE

APECS is proud to announce that the recipient of the inaugural APECS International Mentorship Award 2016 is David Carlson. The award was presented to him during the Arctic Observing Summit 2016 in Fairbanks, Alaska. The award was established to recognize and honor the efforts of our mentors within the international polar science community and acknowledge their time and energy in building a supportive community. There could not be a more deserving recipient of this award.

It was Dave’s support during the International Polar Year that was instrumental in the establishment of APECS and his mentorship over the years has helped APECS grow into the organization it is today.

We received an astounding number of letters nominating Dave for this award, describing Dave as a “mentor of historical proportions.” These letters also featured personal stories – how someone, after a chance meeting with Dave at a conference – gained a valuable and insightful mentor in research, outreach, and life.

Dave has again and again championed outreach and education as a critical part of scientific research. His dedication to making sure our work is shared with diverse audiences has certainly been a boon to the field as a whole. He inspired many polar researchers and generations to come to do education and outreach and to communicate their research about the Polar regions.

Dave also has a remarkable skill for bringing people together, and he has channeled that to creating opportunities around the world for early career scientists. His incredible dedication to mentoring both the APECS and individual early career researchers has opened an untold number of doors and shaped dozens of careers.

APECS would like to thank Dave for everything that he has done as a mentor for both our organization and for so many of us as individuals. The APECS International Mentorship Award is a small token of our enormous gratitude for Dave’s time, wisdom, and passion over the years.

David Carlson is currently the Director of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), where he facilitates analysis and prediction of Earth system variability and change with relevance, benefit and value to society. He is co-founder and co-Chief Editor, with H. Pfeiffenberger (Alfred Wegener Institute), of Earth System Science Data, an international data publication journal. Dave supported the establishment of APECS during his tenure as Director of the International Polar Year (IPY) International Programme Office, where he organised, managed, coordinated, represented and supported the international interdisciplinary science program. Previously he was the Director of the Atmospheric Technology Division at NCAR, Director of the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere (TOGA) Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) International Project Office, and Associate Professor in the College of Oceanography at Oregon State University.

To watch the presentation of the APECS International Mentorship Award to Dave Carlson at AOS 2016 click here and scroll down to AOS Plenary Session (E) - 18 March - 8:45 am to 10:45 am. The award is presented 56 minutes into the video.

Wanted: Autonomous vehicle for 2,000 kilometre mission under sea-ice
Reward: 500 000 Swiss francs

The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation have launched a new Polar Challenge to develop an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) capable of a 2,000 km mission under the sea-ice in the Arctic or Antarctic.

The aim is to stimulate innovation into new monitoring tools for the Polar oceans, to complement satellite observations and ultimately expand scientific research capabilities and climate services in both the Arctic and Antarctic.

The Polar Challenge – with a prize of 500 000 Swiss francs – is being announced during the Arctic Science Summit Week, 12-18 March in Fairbanks, USA.

“With the Polar Challenge, we hope to open new horizons in under-ice navigation, endurance and environmental monitoring,” said WCRP Director David Carlson. “This is vital to improve our understanding of the polar oceans which are key indicators of environmental change and which have major influences on global climate.”

“The reliability of long-term climate change outlooks in Polar regions is severely limited by the scarcity and cost of in-situ systematic observations of the sea-ice and below,” emphasized WCRP Senior Scientist Michel Rixen.

“New generation AUVs such as underwater gliders provide a potential cost-effective option for scaling up observing networks for the Polar regions. The Polar Challenge seeks to stimulate innovation in new technology to help scientists unravel some of the mysteries hidden under sea ice,” said Mr Rixen.

The WCRP and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation hope the competition will promote technological innovation towards a future cost-effective, autonomous and scalable observing network for ice-covered ocean regions based on a fleet of such platforms, similar to what ARGO, a global network of more than 3,500 free-drifting floats, has accomplished for the open ocean.

AUVs are already used in an operational context around the world in ice-free zones, and they surface on a regular basis to get a GPS fix and to transmit environmental data. They are able to collect crucial and high quality oceanographic observations (such as temperature, salinity, chlorophyll and acidity) at much lower cost compared to conventional observing systems.

But under the sea-ice, the operating range, positioning and data transmission represent major challenges for current underwater vehicles. The integration of recent progress regarding power systems, and navigation and communication techniques for example, would expand the scope of applications of such vehicles, currently mainly limited to the open ocean.

The Polar Challenge will be at least three-fold, in terms of under-ice navigation, endurance and environmental monitoring. It will include a set of specified and required scientific measurements. The challenge offers new potential to develop data sets of ice and under-ice properties in unexplored territories. Eventually these vehicles will help scientists monitor ocean heat, fresh water inputs and exchanges, and ocean acidification in those regions.

The WCRP is inviting contributions from all relevant stakeholders to this important and exciting initiative. This effort advances WCRP research priorities in polar oceans. It will also contribute to the World Meteorological Organization’s Polar initiatives and is expected to benefit the wider stakeholder community (weather, ocean, environment, safety, transport, energy, tourism, etc).

The World Climate Research Programme is sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO.

For further details, including competition rules and registration, see the Polar Challenge website.

For further information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

aprh

apecs logo web

The Journal of Integrated Coastal Management / Revista de Gestão Costeira Integrada (JICZM/RGCI) and the Association of Early Career Scientists for the Sea and the Poles (APECS-Brasil) are pleased to invite the Polar science community to publish their papers in a thematic special issue dedicated to “Coasts, Oceans and the Cryosphere: Polar Science and the 25-years of the Madrid Protocol”.

The Call for Papers regarding the Special issue we are coordinating in the Journal of Integrated Coastal Zone Management is now online!
It is available at http://www.aprh.pt/rgci/callforpapers_coc_eng.html

The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, the Madrid Protocol, was created with the objectives of preventing the contamination of the Antarctic environment and to guarantee its preservation. Each Antarctic Treaty Signatory Party which conducts activities in Antarctica must plan their actions with the aim of minimizing adverse impacts on the Antarctic environment, and its dependent and associated ecosystems. The Madrid Protocol will celebrate 25 years in 2016 which represents an excellent opportunity to the APECS members and all research groups with interests in the polar regions and the wider cryosphere to publish their results in this international and open access Journal.

One–page article proposals must be submitted until July 29th, 2016.

Our plan is to receive research articles, review articles and case studies following the Journal’s format until December 31st, 2016. Submission guidelines is available at http://www.aprh.pt/rgci/submartigos.html.

The Journal of Integrated Coastal Management and the Association of Early Career Scientists for the Sea and the Poles look forward to receiving your submission for this exciting thematic issue!

2015 16 Excom

This year the annual APECS Excom meeting was held in Fairbanks, Alaska, immediately prior to the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW). We had two very productive days of discussions and we were joined by Alex, one of the National Committee coordinators, for part of these.

The last few months have seen a number of changes as a result of the organizational review recommendations and the subsequent publication of our 5-year strategic plan. During the first part of the meeting we reviewed the changes to the council structure, which we implemented in autumn. Whilst we felt that the new project group structure was working well, we recognized the need for improved reporting so that experiences and advice can be passed on to future project group members. We also prioritized a number of documents, resources and pages on the website to be updated in the coming months.

The individual National Committees do a tremendous amount of work that is often not recognized outwith the local country. We discussed ways to improve the sharing of updates and experiences between NCs and develop ‘how to’ guides for organizing the most common types of NC events.

Other topics on the agenda included the budget and renewal of MoUs with a few of our partner organizations. As a final topic we noted that APECS will be 10 years old next year and so we discussed ways in which we could mark this momentous occasion. We plan to organize events at several conferences so keep an eye out for ways to get involved!

ASSW began straight after our meeting and this gave us an unrivalled opportunity to talk in-person to many of our Arctic-orientated partners, attend their meetings and spread the word about APECS.

Captura de tela 2016 03 17 08.10.39

During International Polar Week APECS-Brazil together State University of Rio Grande do Sul (UERGS) launched the 1st National Challenge for creation of Apps (http://www.uergs.edu.br/index.php?action=noticias&cod=3657, in Portugues only). The main objective of the competition is the generation of Apps for sustainable development actions. The 1st Contest will be addressed to high school students supervised by their teachers just to schools in Brazil. To the next year we intent to do it in an international level.

This year APECS-Brazil will hold its International Polar Week in May to allow wider dissemination and the integration of more schools, teachers and students. The 1st National Challenge for Apps Creation - that is supported by CNPq - will start during our Polar Week. More information will be released soon!

USAPECS (the United States branch of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists) is organizing a webinar series for Spring 2016 (April - June) focusing on how to best share your science, including sessions on:

Data Visualization (April 6)
Boiling Down Your Message (April 19)
Getting Into Schools
Working With Teachers
Writing for Media and the General Public
Blogging

Directed at early career researchers, webinars are open to those from any career stage.

Registration links are available on the US-APECS website, which will also be updated as details are finalized: http://usapecs.wix.com/usapecs#!webinars/cdv7

Updates will also be sent to the USAPECS email list. You can sign up for APECS here: http://www.apecs.is/get-involved/join-apecs

See you at the sessions this spring!
The USAPECS Board

Calling all polar scientists -

The EarthCube Polar High-Performance Distributed Computing Research Coordination Network (Polar HPDC RCN) is recruiting science proposals for a polar computing hackathon at XSEDE16 this July 17-21 in Miami. Polar science research questions from any domain(s) are welcome and experience in high performance computing is not required. The deadline for the *2-page* proposal submission has been extended to April 15, 2016. Winners will receive travel and expenses to attend the XSEDE ’16 conference and will have the opportunity to work with a team of computer scientists at no cost to make significant progress on their polar project over the course of a 2-day hackathon.

Please see the following link for submission information and help spread the word by forwarding along to others who may be interested.
More hackathon details can be found here: http://polar.crc.nd.edu/index.php/workshops/com-workshop-1
The 2-page proposal template is here: http://polar.crc.nd.edu/images/Documents/ProposalTemplate2016PlusSurvey.docx

Thank you,
The Polar HPDC RCN team
polar-computing.org

The APECS Polar Week Photo Contest 2016 has received 57 submissions! You can see them all on our photo contest page.

And now it's time for YOU to vote for the best! Look up the number of the photo and the name of the photographer for the photo you like best on our photo contest page. And then fill out the poll below.

Voting will be open until 20 March 2016. We will announce the winners in the following week!

iasc web The IASC Bulletin 2016 is now available online.

Each year the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) reports on its activities and highlights international Arctic science initiatives in its Bulletin. The 2016 Bulletin is now available for download on the IASC website. Those who prefer a printed version and plan to attend the ASSW 2016 in Fairbanks, we recommend to pick up a copy during the Summit. IASC partners, Council and Working Group members will receive their copies either by regular mail or at the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) meetings in Fairbanks.

For a digital copy, please use the following link: http://iasc.info/images/media/print/bulletin/2016Bulletin_IASC.pdf

uk polar network logo UKPN has recently published its 2015-2016 newsletter.

UKPN has been invovled in several activities over the last few months including Polar Week, Antarctica Day 2015 and the ASE conference workshop in Birmingham. We are busy making plans for events at the Leeds Science Festival, Challenger Society Conference and UK Antarctic Science Conference.

You can read it here.

On 1 December APECS held another very successful Antarctica Day including talks, school visits and flags. To find out more about the range of activities which our National Committees were involved in please click here!

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is launching an international call for bids to host the International Directorate Office for the organisation starting February 2017.

Expressions of interests from interested institutions/countries are being accepted until 30 April 2016. The deadline for full bids is 20 June 2016.

APECS is the preeminent international and interdisciplinary organization for early career researchers with interests in Polar and Alpine regions and the wider Cryosphere. With the current funding agreements for the APECS international directorate coming to a close on 31 January 2017, we are looking for a new host(s) and sponsor(s) starting February 2017.

The International Directorate is the secretariat of APECS serving as the main contact point for members and partners, coordinating the day-to-day management of the organisation, providing support for APECS activities, projects, and committees while also providing continuity and institutional memory. It currently includes one full-time position (Executive Director). Due to the enthusiasm of our growing community, and its accordant commitments, collaborations, number of projects, and organizational needs, additional funded positions (part-time or full-time) supporting the work of the secretariat are also sought located either at the main secretariat host or at other institutions.

Detailed information regarding the call for bids can be found at http://www.apecs.is/who-we-are/call-for-bids-2016.html. For questions please contact the APECS Executive Director Dr. Gerlis Fugmann at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the APECS Executive Committee at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Clic logo1 The 12th Session of the CliC Scientific Steering Group in Denmark was held 2-4 February, 2016, at University of Copenhagen, hosted by Center for Ice and Climate. More than 35 presentations were in the agenda, and participants were predominantly from Europe, but with contributions from the USA, Japan, Canada, China, New Zealand, Argentina and Australia (participating both at the location and remotely). The meeting was led by CliC SSG Chair Greg Fiato and hosted by the SSG member Dorthe-Dahl Jensen.

Dave Carlson, WCRP Director, opened the meeting and highlighted the topics of the meeting: among them were identification of gaps and duplications in work of CliC, research opportunities, future activities and projects, links to the other organizations/groups, etc.

CliC Meeting 2016 2 There were a number of oral sessions covering the Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) Scientific Steering Group (SSG) and the World Climate Research Programme (WCPR) activities, connections and linkages between CliC and other projects, sea ice, permafrost/hydrology, regional/transdisciplinary issues, prediction and predictability, and modelling. A focus of the meeting was also on the WCRP Grand Science Challenges: clouds, circulation and climate sensitivity; melting ice and global consequences; climate extremes; regional sea-level change and coastal impacts; water availability. The delegates also had the opportunity to join the CliC minisympopsium held at the Niels Bohr Institute on Februady 4th, 2016, to discuss the state of the Arctic Cryosphere. It was mentioned that with the current sources there are more opportunities for the participants from developing countries and young scientists (international funding). Also, there was a suggestion to establish a special fund (travel) to support young scientists to join the upcoming cryospheric meetings.

CliC Meeting 2016 3 As the APECS representative Ekaterina Uryupova updated information the SSG participants on the efforts of the Association of the Polar Career Scientists (APECS). She pointed out that young researchers are contributing a lot to the observations related to the Polar and Alpine Regions, and the wider cryosphere. The education and outreach is possible through research collaboration, training, and using digital platforms. Ekaterina provided the SSG participants with the APECS statistical data, and showed a range of outreach products that APECS is responsible for. She was also responsible for taking notes and compiling the meeting report. The detailed report of the 12th meeting of the WCRP's CliC project Scientific Steering Group is available at the CliC website now - http://www.climate-cryosphere.org/media-gallery/1580-2016-clicssg12-report. In addition, information about the upcoming projects/opportunities for early career researchers has been gathered at the meeting.

We are delighted to announce the publication of the APECS Strategic Plan for 2016-2020!

The plan sets out five key areas for APECS to concentrate on in the next five years in order to ensure that APECS continues to thrive and inspire:

Capacity Building
Cutting Edge of Information Assessment
Outreach
Establish a Structure to Grow Sustainably
Improve Internal Functions

The plan is a result of discussions and consultations arising from the APECS Organizational Review (2015), APECS World Summit (2015), and a survey sent to the APECS National Committees and Leadership and we thank everyone who provided feedback as part of these processes. We also thank your Advisory Committee for their continued advice and input to the strategic plan.

We look forward to working with our members, National Committees, partners and sponsors to help us implement the Strategic Plan recommendations, and to continue shaping the future of polar research.

In the context of the COP21 that occured in December 2015 and on the idea of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, the foundation Yves Rocher, under the aegis of the Foundation of France, created a special "Climate" award to its prize "Women of the Earth" 2016. On March 3rd 2016, the APECS-France association, led by a board of women, received in Paris this award for the organization of the French Polar Week, that sensitizes thousands of children about polar sciences.

This award is an amazing recognition for the energy and time given by all the young polar researchers, and a strong encouragement to pursue the educational initiatives : this endowment will allow APECS-France to organize its very first physical Polar Week event, in October 2016.

Congratulations to all !!

APECS France Yves Rocher Foundation Award

The Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) is an official network of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) that aims at investigating past, present and future changes in the Arctic marine ecosystem and their linkages to atmospheric, terrestrial and human components of the Arctic. ART was founded and remains steered by Early Career Scientists, with the support of an advisory board composed of leading Arctic scientists and previous ART Executive Committee members from different disciplines.

The ART network seeks new Executive Committee members in order to strengthen its interdisciplinarity, to develop the scientific vision of ART, and to implement new network activities. New ART EC members are expected to be in the beginning of their scientific career including late PhD students and postdoctoral researchers who are motivated by the scientific framework of ART and seek stimulating experience in network management and scientific leadership.
To apply, please complete the application form available here.

We are looking forward to your application!

Deadline: 1st April 2016.

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact:
Dr. Monika Kędra (ART co-chair)
Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dr. Nathalie Morata (ART co-chair)
Akvaplan-niva, Norway
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

IASC SCAR thinktank At the end of February I was invited to represent APECS at an ‘Arctic and Antarctic Think Tank’ in Potsdam, Germany. The event brought together the executive committees of the International Arctic Science Committee(IASC) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Over 1.5 days the two organizations updated each other on their current scientific and policy activities and discussed ways to strengthen their existing collaboration.

Both organizations have recently published summaries of important research questions at their respective poles (Horizon Scan and ICARP III) and a major goal of the meeting was how to combine these two documents in order to increase awareness of the importance of polar research amongst national funding agencies and the general public. It is all very well to outline research questions, but plans for how to implement them are also needed. COMNAP (Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs) is leading the Antarctic Roadmap Challenges (ARC) project which looks at how to implement the Horizon Scan research questions. An overarching theme is the development of technology e.g. remote sensing, memory capacity and durability. I really liked the way the ARC focused on common underlying needs rather than discipline specific issues, especially since it reminds researchers to look outside their discipline: the technology they are looking for may already be out there.

There was much interest in a new International Council for Science (ICSU) initiative called ‘Future Earth’. Future Earth aims to bring together diverse organizations with the common aim of promoting research for global sustainability. It currently does not have a strong polar or even climate focus and it was agreed that Future Earth should do more to engage with SCAR and IASC. What was interesting about this discussion was that it highlighted how important communication between organizations is in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts. This is particularly important since many of these organizations are primarily run by volunteers on a limited budget.

Further discussions centered around plans for the joint SCAR-IASC conference (Polar 2018), promoting and archiving documents from the International Polar Year and increasing opportunities for early career researchers to be involved in the various working groups of each organization.

Attending this meeting gave me a fantastic insight into how these organizations function and work to influence research policy at a national and international level. It is certainly not an easy task to capture funders and the general public’s attention but actively working together and having a united Polar voice will undoubtedly help.

Marine science experts from around the world gathered at UNESCO’s Headquarters in a two-day working meeting to explore possible new marine World Heritage sites in the Arctic. Experts discussed unique and exceptional Arctic features that could potentially merit inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list for their nature conservation values.

The Arctic is home to geological features and animals found nowhere else in the world. It is also ground zero for climate change, warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world. As sea ice retreats and the area becomes increasingly accessible to shipping and oil and gas development, the need for conservation of the area’s Outstanding Universal Values grows. At present, there are just two World Heritage sites in the region: Ilulissat Icefjord and Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve. Earlier work by the World Heritage Centre and International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) determined that the Arctic region is underrepresented on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Participants debated the Arctic regions’ most unique natural features that are currently underrepresented on the World Heritage List, including distinctive geological processes, iconic species and high densities of endemic biodiversity found nowhere else. They also studied potential new sites that could meet the World Heritage criteria and compared them with sites that are currently listed on the tentative World Heritage List.

A key conclusion of the meeting centered on the intimate interaction between local communities, traditional cultures and the Arctic’s natural environment and agreed that the Outstanding Universal Value of the Arctic region should be considered from both its cultural and natural perspectives.

This week’s scientific meeting was part of an innovative multi-year project led by IUCN in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the World Heritage Centre’s Marine Programme. It is made possible through the generous support of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The results are expected to be launched at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Hawaii, September 2016.

Links:

http://whc.unesco.org/en/marine-programme/

http://www.iucn.org/worldheritage

http://www.nrdc.org/

архангельск

The Federal Research Center for Integrated Studies of the Arctic – FRC ISArctic hereby announces the outset for registration to the Second international scientific conference «NATURAL RESOURCES and INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT of COASTAL AREAS in the ARCTIC ZONE» (Conference), which is to be held on 27–29 September, 2016 in Arkhangelsk, Russia.
The conference is arranged as a venue for collaboration and discussion between researchers, public authorities, businessman and stakeholders involved into implementation of tasks and objectives of the Russian Arctic policy. Conference is aimed at elaboration of research-based practical measures and instruments for realization of human, natural and transport-logistical potential of the Arctic zone, including development of the Northern Sea Route and implementation of models of integrated coastal areas management.
Conference organizers are: Federal Agency for Scientific Organizations, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Government of Arkhangelsk region, Ural branch of the RAS (UB RAS), FRC ISArctic and International Arctic Science Committee.

The Conference agenda in 2016 will cover the following issues:
- Northern Sea Route and development of economic potential of coastal areas in the
Arctic;
- Technologies and methods of the Arctic research;
- Eco-systems and infrastructures under industrial development and climate change
impacts;
- ethno-social and socio-cultural processes, indigenous population’ and international
cooperation in the Arctic;
- integrated management and governance in the Arctic.

The Conference will be followed by traditional Scientific school for young researchers for students, post-graduates and young researchers (up to 35 years old).

Registration is open until 31 May, 2016.

First Call letter.

Registration form.

The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat invites international Early Career Scientists to take part in a joint Swedish-Canadian research expedition on board icebreaker Oden in the High Arctic 2016. Preliminary dates for the expedition are 5 August–20 September 2016.

Submit your application before 7 March 2016.

More information: http://polar.se/en/utlysning-av-platser-pa-oden-yngre-forskare/

czech

Polar Ecology Conference is organised by the Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemiafrom September 19th to September 21st 2016 - see programfor more info. Main focus of the conference is the recent dynamics of Arctic ecosystems. Geographically the conference aims to the Arctic with special emphasis on Svalbard. However studies from Antarctica or high mountainous regions are highly appreciated as well.

During last decades the Czech Republic is slowly becoming an important member of the scientific community in the Arctic. We feel that the opportunity of meeting new people and creating new partnerships is especially appreciated by our young scientists and students. Therefore, the main goal of the conference is to welcome especially young researches from both fields of biological and Earth sciences. This conference is supposed to be an ideal place for exchanging knowledge and experiences.

Special attention will be paid to young scientists. The best poster and best oral presentation will be awarded a special prize by the scientific committee. Young scientist category is defined by being a student at the time of the conference or having the PhD finished less than 5 years ago.

APECS PANEL

In cooperation with Yulia Zaika(APECS) and Maja Lisowska (IASC) we will organize an APECS panel on "International scientific cooperation and fundraising". Practical tips from our experienced mentors would certainly help you to proceed in your future career, plan your research stays and prepare all whats necessary! The meeting is intended especially to young scientists but all the others are welcomed as well!

For more information please visit the conference website: http://polar.prf.jcu.cz/pec/pec2016/pec2016.html

At the upcoming Arctic Summit Science Week (ASSW) in Fairbanks, Alaska (12 - 18 March 2016), APECS is organizing an Early Career Arctic Policy Workshop on Monday, March 14 from 9:00 - 12:30.

This half-day workshop will begin with a keynote and five short presentations addressing the global effort to use best-available science in the development of Arctic policy. Participants will then break into smaller, mentor-led groups to discuss strategies for incorporating scientific knowledge into impactful Arctic policy.

Mentors guiding the APECS break-out groups include:

Carolina Behe, Inuit Circumpolar Council-Alaska
Terry Chapin, University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Arctic Biology
Henry Huntington, the PEW Charitable Trusts
Amy Lovecraft, University of Alaska Fairbanks Political Science Department
Peter Winsor, University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences

For information about the workshop, please visit ASSW’s website. To register for this workshop or ask a question, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

If you are not registered for Arctic Summit Science Week, you can volunteer for portions of ASSW in order to attend other portions. For more information, email ASSW volunteer coordinator Nate Bauer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the volunteer website.

pyrn small Now is YOUR opportunity to shape the future of the next generation of early career permafrost researchers!

The Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) seeks for a renewal of its current governing bodies - the Executive Committee (ExCom), Executive Council, and National Representatives. The terms for the new committee are for two years (2016-2018) and begin following the International Conference on Permafrost 2016 in June.

Apply by May 1, 2016!

Positions

PYRN is led by the Executive Committee (ExCom), supported by the Council, and several national representatives. The ExCom directs the activities of PYRN. It consists of 12 positions: president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, newsletter editor, web manager, representative for the next permafrost conference following ICOP2016, and the PYRN executive council. You may apply for particular position; however, you are not required to state the office you are applying for.

The council is an advisory panel responsible for providing feedback from PYRN members to the ExCom. No formal positions exist, however council members may support the ExCom by participating in ExCom task groups.

A national representative can be any regular PYRN member representing their country. A nation can be represented by several people. All national representatives are automatically part of the Council.

For more information regarding these positions, you can read the PYRN Constitution and Bylaws.

Application Procedure

Please send your application by May 1, 2016, in the form of a motivation letter (max. 300 words) to the current PYRN president George Tanski (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Your application should include the following points:

Motivation: Why are you interested in PYRN and being part of the ExCom, Council or National Representatives?
Responsibility: What is your major interest/responsibility (e.g. website, newsletter, social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), organizing workshops and meetings, outreach)?
Experience: Do you have any previous experience within PYRN or other networks?
Vision: Where do you see PYRN in the future and how would you like to contribute shaping the future of young permafrost researchers?

Selection Process and Announcement of new leadership

All applications will be received and reviewed by an application committee. Applicants will receive a notification acceptance by May 31, 2016. The new PYRN ExCom will be inaugurated during the PYRN general assembly on June 19, 2016, following the Young Researchers Workshop.

With best wishes,
Your current PYRN ExCom

The poster session for the Arctic Frontiers conference was held on Thursday afternoon. Posters were divided into three different themes: Arctic Stewardship, Environmental Footprints and Technology Needs. The poster hall was filled with lively discussions but some posters were getting more detailed attention and these were the 40 posters being presented by early career scientists. A team of judges evaluated the posters and then had a long discussion in order to decide the winners. It was not an easy decision due to the high quality of all the posters but in the end we decided on an overall winner and three runner-ups. The awards were presented at the Science Conference dinner at the Scandic Ishavshotel by Mar Fernández Méndez, Ruth Vingerhagen, Gerlis Fugmann and Jenny Baeseman.

AFposter1

Congratulations to:

Overall winner:

Daria Gritsenko – Ukraine and the Arctic – Apples and Oranges?.

Runner-up:

Melissa Brandner - Environmental Impact Assessment: It’s in the DNA!

Peter Leoplold - After 1000 years of absence... – The worlds northernmost blue mussels (Mytilus sp.) population is once again thriving during the time of a rapidly changing Arctic.

Ilya Stepanov - The Northern Sea Route Development: Economic and Political Implications

ScienceSchools 3

This year our Science for schools event was slightly different to previous editions. The Arctic Frontiers conference takes place every year in Tromsø, setting the perfect scene for polar outreach. During two days, 130 kids from the 10th class (13-14 years old) of four different local schools attended the Science for Schools event organized by UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Polaria, the Fram Centre, the Science Centre of Northern Norway and APECS. These kids live here, in the Arctic, in the main city of northern Norway, so they are familiar with snow and ice. However, most of them have never been out on a research vessel in the Arctic Ocean, on top of a glacier or diving below sea-ice. Therefore, listening to the first hand experiences of polar research scientists that have been there was extremely interesting for them.

Researchers from different nationalities living in Tromsø and abroad shared their experiences with the kids and were happy to answer all their curious questions. The kids were surprised to discover during Anja Rösel’s talk that the average thickness of current Arctic sea-ice is around 1-2 meters. You could see concern in their faces when Magnus Svendsen Nerheim talked about micro plastics pollution in the ocean. Their eyes opened very wide when Christine Dybwad showed them all the beautiful creatures that thrive in icy waters. Some of them were even brave enough to stand up and try the survival suits that polar researchers use when working on sea-ice and to help Anja and Polona Itkin drilling fake sea-ice. All in all the kids learned a lot of new things about polar science and their interest in pursuing a science related career hopefully increased.

Indeed, after the talks and hands-on experiences, it was the kids turn to impress us by presenting the posters, which they had been working on for the last month. In a way, it was their first mini-poster session at a scientific conference, and we have to say that the level of the posters was amazingly good. Not to mention their impressive level of English (not their native language). Some of us acted as judges, evaluating the posters and asking the kids questions about the topic they had chosen to present. While doing this we also learned a lot about topics such as ocean acidification, plastic pollution in the Arctic, the possibilities of nuclear energy as a carbon-free energy source, the problems of whaling and fish farming or the effects of climate change in the Tromsø area. The kids had done their research well and all together, they covered a wide variety of scientific issues.

Although it was a hard decision, we chose three second prizes and one overall winner. The winning poster (Lotion in the Arctic Ocean) could have perfectly been hanging at a regular scientific conference, but I have rarely seen professional scientists so enthusiastic and well-prepared as the six girls that presented this poster. There is definitely a lesson to be learned for all of us, researchers: We shouldn’t loose our childish curiosity and our teenager excitement when presenting our work to others.

We want to thank all the speakers: Magnus Svendsen Nerheim, Ruth Vingerhagen, Calvin Shackleton, Anja Rösel, Polona Itkin, Alexey Pavlov, Mar Fernández Méndez, Sara Aparicio and Christine Dybwad for contributing to a successful Science for Schools event.

ScienceSchools 2 ScienceSchools 1

APECS International Polar Week Spring 2016 is coming up soon (14 - 20 March 2016) and we have news on how to send us your polar week activties and how to participate in an exciting fieldwork photo competition.

Polar Week activties by you:

Are you planning an event for Polar Week? Please go to our Polar Week Activities table and add the information. All you have to do is click on the “add” button above the table, fill out the form and click “save”. After the event, please send us a 1 - 2 paragraph summary of the event and 1 - 2 pictures if you have any so we can show the rest of our members the amazing event you have organized! If you have any questions please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Polar Week Photo Competition:

Are you an amateur photographer or a photography enthusiast? Do you have nice photos from your fieldwork in the polar regions that you want to share with the community? If so, then this is the competition for you!

During the APECS International Polar Week Spring 2016, we will organise a fieldwork photo competition, where everyone will be able to vote for the prettiest, funniest, most interesting photo.

If you want to participate by sending a photo, send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will upload it for you on our website. Every person participating can send up to two photos.

What to submit for each picture?
Name and email address of the photographer
Where and when the photo was taken? (e.g. Tromsø, Norway, February 2016)
Permission for APECS to use the picture on its website.

The deadline for submitting a picture will be the 13th of March. You have to be an APECS member to participate. The vote will then take place during the polar week and the photo getting the most votes will be the winner!

And of course you can win something! 1st Prize (150 Euros); 2nd Prize (100 Euros) and 3rd Prize (50 Euros). The funds can be used towards the travel costs to a polar or cryosphere related conference of your choice.

We are looking forward admiring your pictures!

IGS logo The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the International Glaciological Society (IGS) have recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). Both APECS and IGS share the common goal of working internationally and have already been working together for quite some time.

The International Glaciological Society was founded in 1936 to provide a focus for individuals interested in practical and scientific aspects of snow and ice. The objects of the Society are enshrined in its Constitution and are: to stimulate interest in and encourage research into the scientific and technical problems of snow and ice in all countries; to facilitate and increase the flow of glaciological ideas and information; to publish the Journal of Glaciology, the Annals of Glaciology and ICE (the News Bulletin of the Society) and any other appropriate publications, such as books and monographs and finally to sponsor lectures, field meetings and symposia.

For more information please visit IGS website at http://www.igsoc.org/

We are looking forward to work closely together and continue our fruitful partnership!

icarp3 logo The official outcomes of the Third International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP III) were published online today. The report, entitled "Integrating Arctic Research – A Roadmap for the Future“ presents the key messages that emerged from the 2-year ICARP III process.

Initiated by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) with engagement from its partners, ICARP III provided a process for integrating priorities for forward-looking, collaborative, interdisciplinary Arctic research and observing, and for establishing an inventory of recent and current synthesis documents and major developments in Arctic research. The report identifies the most important Arctic research needs and provides a roadmap for research priorities and partnerships. The ICARP process points the way for scientists to take action, in cooperation with rights holders and stakeholders, to produce results that will have global impact. It concludes that the role of the Arctic in the global system, the prediction of future climate dynamics and ecosystem responses, and improved understanding of the vulnerability and resilience of Arctic environments and societies must be prioritized.

For more information please see the report and visit the ICARP III website: http://icarp.iasc.info.

YoungPoliticians2 The Arctic is changing rapidly due to human-induced global warming. While (us) researchers have known that for the last three decades, no significant progress has been made globally to prevent further warming of the climate in general and the Arctic, in particular. Partly, this is due to the lack of knowledge of decision makers and the public. Climate change misinformation is partially caused by a deficient information transfer from researchers to society, and especially to the younger generations who are still open-minded and eager to change the world.

To improve the situation, this year, a special event for young politicians was organized by APECS during the Arctic Frontiers Conference in Tromsø, Norway. This conference has been a top venue for Arctic politics in the past years and therefore provided the perfect framework for a science-politics exchange. The “Young Politicians” are a group of enthusiastic high school kids from Northern Norway, who are interested in improving the communities in which they live through politics. During this one-day event, they learned about climate change and its impacts from the global to the local scale.

Mar Fernández-Méndez and Alexey Pavlov from the Norwegian Polar Institute and active members of APECS, got a chance to take part in this side event to give two lectures to the young politicians about climate change in the Arctic. Alexey gave an overview of the latest scientific findings regarding global climate change and the rapidly changing Arctic region, thus, setting up the stage for Mar who led a discussion with the kids about possible solutions to mitigate the worse consequences of global warming in the Arctic. The kids were incredibly engaged and keen to discuss all options to prevent temperature rises in the Arctic. They understood quickly that whatever happens in the Arctic, does not stay in the Arctic and will affect northern Norway as well as other parts of the planet. The discussion was very interactive and covered possible solutions form the local to the global scale. Even some controversial topics such as oil production in Norway, reducing meat consumption, and the use of geoengineering approaches to sequester carbon were addressed. It was definitely a thought-provoking discussion that triggered some new thoughts in the young politicians’ minds.

The experience was nice both for us, the researchers and the kids. We improved our communication skills by explaining our science to a non-scientific audience. We were delighted to confirm that the new generations of politicians are willing to make their decisions based on available knowledge and they have learned some things that will be useful for their future careers as politicians dealing with the Arctic. This gives us hope for a future in which creative solutions and efficient political agreements will manage to reduce human-caused climate change. Doing science, investigating the causes of and effects of climate change is not enough if society does not understand the implications of the scientific conclusions. We therefore encourage every researcher to engage in this kind of outreach activities so that we (researchers) can, step by step, educate future generations and thus provide them with the necessary tools to change the world to a better place.

YoungPoliticians1

ipa logo The International Permafrost Association´s (IPA) annual publication, Frozen Ground, is now available. It describes a selection of the activities of the International Permafrost Association over the past year. The Country Reports give additional details concerning the great variety of permafrost science and engineering initiatives underway around the globe. We hope that you will enjoy reading about these activities.

IPA also asks you to update your IPA membership. If you are not already a member, consider joining the International Permafrost Association and to spread the word about this opportunity. Paid individual memberships constitute a small but growing source of revenue for the organization that can be used to enhance its activities.The funding received allows the International Permafrost Association to undertake numerous activities, including financing Action Groups and funding early career researchers to attend permafrost conferences. The reports from Global Terrestrial Network-Permafrost (GTN-P), Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) and Action Groups in Frozen Ground show the importance of these initiatives and we are grateful for your ongoing membership.

We look forward to seeing you all in June 2016 at the 11th International Conference on Permafrost.

Lawrence Hislop and Sara Aparcio and Magnus Nerheim and Guerlis Fungman and Alexey Pavlov Photo by Nikolaus Gkika copy On Wednesday 27 January 2016, APECS, in cooperation with the High North Academy (HNA), arranged a panel discussion dedicated to science communication during the Arctic Frontiers conference at the UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

The four speakers – all science communication advocates, shared their experiences and insights on communicating science from a broad and wide range of perspectives. Lawrence Hislop (CliC), having a large experience on image (video, photograph, etc) highlighted the importance of captivating the interest of the public through good and appealing aesthetics besides ensuring great content of information. The bits that he managed to show from his vast work proved his point of view. On the other hand, Magnus Svendsen Nerheim (University of Bergen), surely made it clear the importance of knowing your... “stuff”! – in an easy going and highly persuasive statement of the importance of having an “elevator pitch” clear and ready to be shared under ordinary life circumstances. Magnus emphasized by giving a fair example: himself!

The hot topic of the ongoing power of social media was brought into topic by Alexey Pavlov (Norwegian Polar Institute) who shared great tricks and tips to reach the general public through several types of social media and how to grow, ensure and enhance a well-established social account. He also surprised the participants with the brand new social media app Periscope, which has a promising future for sharing science online. Finally, Sara Aparício (APECS Portugal), shared her journey on communicating science to younger audiences: the challenges that come with early listeners and how to overcome them with methods and strategies to keep the audience engaged. She also reinforced her view of science communication as a duty towards future generations and how her method “PEA” (playing-engaging-adapting) actually helps on general public communication – regardless of age or backgrounds.

The session was followed with a very exciting discussion between the panel and the public regarding experiences in communicating science and new tools. One of the main topics focussed on the challenges faced by scientists on keeping up with their work and feeding the always-hungry social media along the way. A very tricky balance of time consumption and work productivity!

Science Communications Panel 1

February 11 is the “International Day of Women and Girls in Science” and we are using this occasion to remind you of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) event: “Celebrating Women in Antarctica” Wikibomb* held in conjunction with the SCAR Open Science Conference in Kuala Lumpur on 23 August.

This event will be a celebration of female Antarctic researchers and those involved in supporting science by raising their profile to help provide more visible female role models for early career scientists and girls around the world.

If you want to nominate influential female Antarctic researchers and those involved in supporting research, both past and present, to potentially be included in our Wikibomb* event you can find more instructions here: http://www.scar.org/women/nominate

We are looking for APECS members as volunteers to help us put together short biographies of nominated women and create their wikipages before the SCAR 2016 conference. The SCAR Community will help provide the content for the biographies. No previous experience with Wikipedia is necessary, SCAR will provide training, but it’s pretty straightforward.

If you are interested, please contact Rachel Downey at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (before 21 Feb) or Jenny Baeseman at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information on the Wikibomb event and to nominate an outstanding Antarctic Woman, visit http://www.scar.org/outreach/women.

We hope you will join us for this fun and important contribution to Antarctic science!

Rachel and the Antarctic Women Wikibomb Organizing Committee

* A wikibomb is an event where people work together to produce lots of papers of content for Wikipedia on one specific topic – in this case Women involved in Antarctic Research

Application deadline is 15 Febuary

Expedition Dates: June 05-24, 2016

Expedition Duration: 20 days

Expedition Organizers: Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M. V. Lomonosov, Roshydromet, Russian Geographical Society

Expedition Route: Arkhangelsk – Kolguev Island – Matveev Island – Dolgy Island – Belyi Nos Meteostation – Varnek Settlement (Vaygach Island) – Meteostation named after Fedorov (Vaygach Island) – Malye Karmakuly Settlement (Novaya Zemlya) – Russkaya Gavan’ Bay (Novaya Zemlya) – Mac Bay (Novaya Zemlya) – Inostrantsev Bay (Novaya Zemlya) – the Zhelaniya Cape (Novaya Zemlya) – Sosnovets Island – Arkhangelsk.

Expedition participants: 56 people (students, post-graduate students, research fellows of both Russian and foreign scientific and academic institutions)

RESEARCH PROGRAM:

- assessment of the conditions and degree of contamination of the local island territories of the former industrial activity zones in the areas of work for elimination of the accumulated environmental damage in Novaya Zemlya;

- study of the species diversity and populations at Novaya Zemlya archipelago and adjacent waters in the context of climate change;

- comprehensive monitoring of changes in the vegetation of the Arctic tundra transition zones in the context of climate change;

- study of the historical and cultural heritage of the Russian Arctic national park in order to develop tourism and educational activities;

- study of human body adaptation mechanisms to the conditions of high latitudes in the Arctic;

FINANCING

An organization of the expeditions is carried out by means of co-financing by the organizations participating in the project.

A participation fee per person is 280 thousand rubles. The fee covers: accommodation (the bed in the cabin, meal, and network connection), the transport expenditures and administrative costs during expedition.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION
February 15, 2016

Application should be send to e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CONTACT PERSON:

Elena Kalinova,

assistant of project leader, NARFU

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; +79116841331

Application form 1 and form 2

Travel Funds Anticipated for U.S. Participants in the SCAR Open Science Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - August 20th – 27th, 2016

It is expected that funds will be available to support participation of U.S. scientists in the 7th biennial SCAR Open Science Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (meeting website: http://scar2016.com). The theme is Antarctica in the Global Earth System: from the Poles to the Tropics. The Open Science Conference is an international and interdisciplinary meeting that brings together scientists of all ages from around the world with interests in Antarctica and the southern ocean. Funds are intended primarily to support early-career scientists , graduate students and individuals who would increase the diversity of the polar science community. Participation in the SCAR Open Science Conference and ancillary meetings of SCAR scientific groups provides individuals with the opportunity to contribute to international science initiatives. Individuals at all levels (students to senior researchers) interested in engaging in international collaborative activities and, potentially, assuming active leadership roles in SCAR groups, are particularly encouraged to participate. Those with meeting travel funds included in their Antarctic awards are not eligible for this travel support.

Eligibility and Application: Successful applicants must present a talk or poster at the symposium and must be enrolled at or employed by a U.S. institution. An application form will be posted on the U.S. SCAR web site: usscar.org. To apply for travel funds, download the application form and send it together with your submitted OSC abstract to Terry Wilson (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by March 15th, 2016. In order to maximize the number of participants supported, we anticipate that the funding per individual will be in the range of $1,000-2,250 USD, with lesser amounts awarded to more well established applicants. All associated air travel must be on US-flagged carriers.

If you plan to apply for a travel award, could you please send an email right away to Terry Wilson (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) to notify us of your interest?

The Abstract Deadline for the OSC is February 14th, 2016 – Submit soon!

SCAR and COMNAP Antarctic Research Fellowships 2016 and CCAMLR Scientific Scholarships 2016

Three leading Antarctic organisations today announce opportunities for early-career researchers. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes (COMNAP) and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) are working together to attract talented early-career researchers, scientists, engineers and other professionals to strengthen international capacity and cooperation in fields such as climate, biodiversity, conservation, humanities and astrophysics research.

SCAR and COMNAP have again joined forces to launch fellowships for early-career researchers. The SCAR and COMNAP fellowships are worth up to USD $15,000 each and up to six fellowships in total are on offer for 2016. The fellowships enable early-career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating research partnerships that last for many years and over many Antarctic research seasons. The deadline for SCAR and COMNAP applications is 1 June 2016.

The SCAR and COMNAP schemes are launched in conjunction with CCAMLR's Scientific Scholarship Scheme. The CCAMLR Scholarship provides funding of up to AUD $30,000 to assist early-career scientists to participate in the work of the CCAMLR Scientific Committee and its working groups over a period of two years. The objective of the scheme is to build capacity within the CCAMLR scientific community to help generate and sustain the scientific expertise needed to support the work of CCAMLR in the long-term. The deadline for CCAMLR applications is 1 October 2016.

All three schemes are being jointly promoted by the three organisations.

For more information on SCAR and COMNAP Fellowships, visit the SCAR website at: http://www.scar.org/awards/fellowships/information.html
or the COMNAP website at: www.comnap.aq/SitePages/fellowships.aspx

For information on CCAMLR Scholarships, visit the CCAMLR website at: http://www.ccamlr.org/en/science/ccamlr-scientific-scholarship-scheme

Background information:

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR)
www.scar.org
Contact: Eoghan Griffin, Executive Officer (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is an inter-disciplinary committee of the International Council for Science (ICSU). SCAR is charged with initiating, developing and coordinating high quality international scientific research in the Antarctic region, and on the role of the Antarctic region in the Earth system. The scientific business of SCAR is conducted by its Standing Scientific Groups which represent the scientific disciplines active in Antarctic research and report to SCAR. In addition to carrying out its primary scientific role, SCAR also provides objective and independent scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings and other organizations, on issues of science and conservation affecting the management of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

The Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP)
www.comnap.aq
Contact: Michelle Rogan-Finnemore, Executive Secretary (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
www.ccamlr.org
Contact: Andrew Wright, Executive Secretary (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Attend the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program’s Terrestrial Steering Group and Expert Networks’ Workshop: April 5-7, Uppsala, Sweden

Do you have Arctic terrestrial ecology and monitoring expertise? Do you live in or nearby Uppsala or would be able to fund a trip to Uppsala yourself? The Arctic Council’s Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna working group’s Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) is looking for one APECS member with Arctic terrestrial ecology and monitoring experience to join them at their annual meeting to discuss the implementation of the Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity Monitoring Plan, April 5-7, 2016 in Uppsala, Sweden.

This workshop will kick-start the process to develop the State of the Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity Report (START) and advance a work plan to further the coordination and delivery of Arctic terrestrial biodiversity monitoring.

The START report is a key deliverable from the implementation of the Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity Monitoring Plan, the third of four pan-Arctic biodiversity monitoring plans developed by the CBMP to improve the collective ability of national and sub-national research and monitoring networks, Arctic traditional knowledge holders, northern communities and scientists to detect, understand and report on long-term change in Arctic terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity.

If you are interested, please send a CV and a statement of interest letter including your research background and why you want to attend this meeting to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 15 February 2016. The successful candidate will be notified shortly after. Thank you!

JohnWalsh The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) is pleased to announce that the 2016 IASC Medal, which is awarded in recognition of exceptional and sustained contributions to the understanding of the Arctic, goes to

John E. Walsh

The IASC Medal Committee (David Hik (Chair), Yves Frenot, Jackie Grebmeier, Joan Nymand Larsen, Sivaramakrishnan Rajan) reviewed the nominations received and unanimously decided to honor Dr. John Walsh for exceptional contributions to modeling and evaluating climate change impacts in the Arctic, particularly with regard to his sustained and distinguished contributions to quantitatively improving our understanding of the Arctic, from climate and weather extremes to hydrology, sea ice variability and the human dimensions of climate change impacts; and for his outstanding record of service and leadership to the wider Arctic science, education and policy community.

Congratulations!

The 2016 IASC Medal will be awarded by the President of IASC during the Arctic Science Summit Week 2016 in Fairbanks. The award ceremony will include a short introduction by the IASC President and a 30 minutes lecture by the awardee.

Dr. John E. Walsh is the Chief Scientist of the International Research Center at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. His research has addressed Arctic climate and weather, with an emphasis on the variability of sea ice and snow; the drivers and of Arctic change; and the future evolution of the Arctic system. His work has bridged observational data and model simulations. Walsh was a Convening Lead Author for the Arctic Climate Assessment and the U.S. National Climate Assessment (2014), and a lead author of the Polar Regions chapter for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Before joining the University of Alaska in 2001, he was on the faculty of the University of Illinois, Urbana. He has co-authored a textbook, Severe and Hazardous Weather. He is an Editor of the Journal of Climate and a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and of the Association for the Advancement of Science. He received his B.A. in Mathematics from Dartmouth College in 1970 and a Ph.D. in Meteorology from M.I.T. in 1974.

The 2016 Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica

Open for nominations until 11 May 2016

The “Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica” is a US$ 100,000 unrestricted award presented to an individual in the fields of Antarctic science or policy who has demonstrated potential for sustained and significant contributions that will enhance the understanding and/or preservation of Antarctica. The Prize is inspired by Martha T. Muse’s passion for Antarctica and is a legacy of the International Polar Year 2007-2008.

The Prize is awarded by the Tinker Foundation and administered by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

During this year’s ASSW meeting in Fairbanks, Alaska, the air Pollution in the Arctic: Climate, Environment and Societies (PACES) project will hold a meeting entitled “Arctic air pollution: A collaborative framework for natural and social science” to which we would like to invite you.

The purpose is to draw together researchers active in the physical/chemical science of air pollution with those active in social science topics (e.g., development, sustainability, risk, adaptation, policy, health and more). We would like to explore common interests and begin to outline joint research objectives under PACES.

When: 14 March, 3-5h30 pm

Where: ASSW, Fairbanks, Alaska (room information will be circulated shortly before the meeting)

If you are unable to attend ASSW but would like to join remotely (please note the shift to Alaskan time), we would be happy to arrange this. Please let us know by 1 March if you plan to attend remotely.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us in case of questions (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

We are looking forward to seeing many of you.

The organizing committee
Sandy Starkweather, Kathy Law, Julia Schmale, Steve Arnold, Chuck Brock

We are pleased to invite you to submit your abstract to the session4.6Gaining a better understanding and awareness of the Arctic through education and outreach which will be held during the UArctic Congress 2016 in Saint-Petersburg, 12-16 September.

The session will discuss different methods, approaches and visions of education and outreach tools for Arctic research communication; their role in increasing the understanding and awareness of the Arctic and in building the human capacity of the region. The session not only invites speakers to participate on site, but will also be set up as an online session through a teleconferencing platform which will allow participants to connect with education and outreach experts from other countries, including those participating in Antarctica education and outreach activities to learn lessons from the South Pole.

Conveners of the session:

Yulia Zaika, Lomonosov Moscow State University

Gerlis Fugmann, APECS / UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Andrian Vlakhov, European University at Saint Petersburg

Julie Bull, University of Toronto

Abstract submission deadline is 31st March.

To submit your abstract please follow the link: http://www.uarctic.org/news/2016/1/uarctic-congress-call-for-abstracts/

If you have any questions, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The University of the Arctic welcomes scientific abstracts for the first ever UArctic Congress. The Call for Abstracts is open until March 31, 2016.

Hosted by Saint Petersburg State University, the Science Section of the UArctic Congress will take place in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in September 13-16.

We now invite abstracts for sessions under the following themes:

Vulnerability of Arctic Environments
Vulnerability of Arctic Societies
Local and Traditional Knowledge
Building Long-Term Human Capacity
New Markets for the Arctic, Including Trade, Tourism and Transportation

The first ever UArctic Congress will feature Science and Meeting Sections, including:

Acclaimed keynote speakers and scientific experts presenting their latest research
Parallel sessions on an array of Arctic science, policy and education topics
Formal meetings for representatives of the Board of UArctic, Council of UArctic, Rectors’ Forum, and UArctic Thematic Networks
Side-meetings to foster contacts and enhance networking
Opportunities for promoting and marketing your organization and activities
UArctic Student Forum with workshops
Cultural and Social program like no other

Congress information, full session descriptions, abstract submission details, and an online submission form are available at www.uarctic.org/congress2016

Abstract submission deadline: March 31, 2016

Acceptance of abstracts: End of April, 2016

Contact:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ASSW2016 logo APECS is organising an Early Career Arctic Policy Workshop during 2016 Arctic Summit Science Week (ASSW) in Fairbanks, Alaska. The half-day workshop will be held on Monday, March 14, 2016, and begin with a keynote addressing the 6 over-arching Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) themes. Participants will then break into mentored, smaller groups to discuss one of these themes in relation to real-world problems, learning how to incorporate scientific knowledge into impactful Arctic policy.

For more information see the APECS website and the website of the ASSW. To register for the workshop please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Concurrent bachelor courses are available in The Middle Polar Atmosphere, Polar Meteorology and Climate, and Polar Ocean Climate at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) in Autumn 2016 (August-December). Together, these courses provide students with a rigorous and hands-on introduction to geophysical processes and feedbacks between components of the Arctic atmosphere and ocean. The courses are available for any bachelor student enrolled in an accredited institution of higher education in Norway or internationally. Master's students can also be eligible for these courses. All instruction is in English.

The application deadline for these Autumn 2016 courses is February 15, 2016. More information on these courses, other course offerings, and UNIS in general can be found at www.unis.no

AGF-210, The Middle Polar Atmosphere
http://www.unis.no/course/agf-210-the-middle-polar-atmosphere/
This course will lead to basic understanding of key processes controlling the stratosphere and mesosphere in the polar regions. These include radiation, chemistry, dynamics and circulation, particle precipitation, aerosol physics and wave activity in the middle atmosphere. The formation and effect of planetary and gravity waves will be described. The importance of waves in connecting the middle atmosphere to the troposphere will be discussed. Special attention will be paid to how radar, lidar, optical and rocket instrumentation can be used to investigate the middle layers of the atmosphere.

The students will get an introduction to the physics of dust/aerosol particles and their role in formation of the noctilucent clouds, polar stratospheric clouds and mesospheric radar echoes. The fieldwork at the Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO) will be connected to airglow observations. Radar and lidar measurement techniques will be introduced during a trip to And?ya Space Center (ASC).

AGF-213, Polar Meteorology and Climate
http://www.unis.no/course/agf-213-polar-meteorology-and-climate/
The course covers a variety of themes important for the weather and climate in polar areas: small and local scale meteorology; boundary layer meteorology; turbulence; local wind phenomena such as katabatic and mountain winds; dynamic meteorology; radiation and remote sensing; atmospheric chemistry; numerical modelling and weather forecasting; climate processes and climate change. Emphasis will be on the differences between the polar atmosphere and the atmosphere at mid-latitudes and on understanding the physical processes involved.

The field component of the course provides an introduction to a number of meteorological observational techniques. Special attention will be paid to exchange processes between the atmosphere and diverse surfaces, local meteorological processes typical of polar regions and the challenges of weather forecasting in the Arctic.

AGF-214, Polar Ocean Climate
http://www.unis.no/course/agf-214-polar-ocean-climate/
The course gives an overview of the water masses and current systems in the Arctic Basin, the Greenland, Norwegian, and Barents Seas, and a comparison with the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. Convection associated with cooling and freezing of surface water influences the vertical structure of the water masses. The thermobaric effect on the compressibility of seawater has its relevance for determining the deep circulation in the world?s oceans. The small-scale double diffusion also has an impact on convection in regions where the conditions for this process are favourable.

The dynamic theory is associated with the circulation and current systems in the different Polar Regions, in particular the Arctic Basin, the Greenland Sea, and the circulation around Antarctica. Essential processes here are the wind-induced circulation, including rotational effects, upwelling and downwelling associated with wind-induced divergence and convergence, and also tidal currents. Frontal dynamics and the topographic impact on current systems are also covered.
Fieldwork will take place during a scientific cruise with a research vessel. Students make reports from selected field measurements.

The University Centre in Svalbard
The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) is the world's northernmost institution for higher education and research, located in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen at 78?N. UNIS offers high quality courses at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate level in Arctic Biology, Arctic Geology, Arctic Geophysics and Arctic Technology. There is no tuition fee at UNIS, but in order to do a course at UNIS all students need to pay a semester fee of NOK 500 (ca. EUR 58).

-- Marius O. Jonassen Associate Professor Department of Arctic Geophysics The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) +47 7902 3300

Is your research hindered by a technical or computational problem? Is
managing your data an overwhelming challenge? Are you spending your
research dollars on servers instead of science?

We're building EarthCube to help scientists like you do your work and make
discoveries. EarthCube's goal is to transform geosciences research by
developing and leveraging computer-based technologies (cyberinfrastructure)
to address the computational challenges that can tax even basic research.
We want to know what you need the EarthCube cyberinfrastructure to do for
you.

Adding your use case(s) to our library will ensure that your community's
requirements are considered by the EarthCube technical planning effort.
Please sign up here: https://goo.gl/M4tRoz for a 90-minute interview to
discuss what you need EarthCube to do.

Questions? Please contact us: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more information on the EarthCube Use Case Working Group effort,
including examples of completed use cases, please see
http://earthcube.org/group/use-cases-wg.
--
about.me/allenpope
twitter.com/PopePolar

Dear Colleagues,
We would like to draw to your attention and request that you consider submitting a manuscript to Journal Advances in Polar Science (APS) sponsored by Polar Research Institute of China and Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration.
We are now soliciting papers on relevant polar research topics for of APS Vol. 27 No. 1, No. 2 to be published towards the March, June of 2016 respectively. APS accepts four types of manuscripts:
(1) Reviews: Summarizing results and achievements in a particular topic or an area, commenting on the current situation, and advising on research directions.
(2) Articles: Reporting important original results in any area of polar science.
(3) Letters: Briefly presenting novel and innovative findings related to polar science.
(4) Trends: Reporting important scientific news, information, and academic affairs, as well as major international programs in all areas of polar science.
We hope that you might consider submitting a paper to this issue which will have a quick review and publication time.
Submission of new manuscripts can be made online at http://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/apsci and should follow the format given in the "Instructions" for authors at the journal website http://journal.polar.org.cn/EN/volumn/current.shtml.
We welcome your involvement in this and future editions of Advances in Polar Science. We look forward to the submission of new manuscripts and for any suggestions of future ?Special Issues? (which can be made via email to the editorial office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). We encourage you to share this announcement broadly with interested colleagues.

Mr. Xiaoliang Ling

Associate Editor
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://journal.polar.org.cn/EN/volumn/current.shtml
Submission Online: https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/apsci
Tel 86-21-58713642
Editorial Office of Advances in Polar Science
Polar Research Institute of China
451 Jinqiao Road, Pudong New Area
Shanghai 20136
China

SCAR 2016 LOGO NEW The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the SCAR 2016 Open Science Conferenceto be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 22-26 August 2016. This conference will focus on Antarctica in the Global Earth System: From the Poles to the Tropics and how the changes that we are currently seeing in Antarctica will affect the rest of the world.

Early bird registration is available at a reduced rate until 5 May. http://scar2016.com/registration.php

This is also a reminder that abstracts are due on 14 February and early submission is encouraged. The conference programme, including sessions and descriptions, is available on the conference website: http://scar2016.com/

We are also happy to announce the availaiblity of exhibitor space. If you are intersted, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We would also like to encourage you to nominate outstanding women working in Antarctic research, support and coordination for the Wikibomb that will be held as part of the conference. For more information, please visit http://www.scar.org/outreach/women.

We would also like you to note that many of the SCAR groups will be meeting the Sunday before the conference (21 August) and that the SCAR Delegates meeting will be held after the Open Science Conference from 28-30 August, and that the COMNAP XXVIII General Assembly will be held ‘near-by’ in Goa India, from 16-18 August 2016. So please plan accordingly.

The SCAR Conference is sponsored by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia together with the Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation and the National Antarctic Research Centre, together with SCAR.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) in cooperation with the High North Academy (HNA) at the UiT The Arctic Universtiy of Norway are organizing a panel discussion on science communication as part of the Arctic Frontiers 2016 conference on Wednesday 27 January 2016 from 13:00 - 14:00 in room TEO 1.425. Four experts will join us to discuss the importance of science communication especially to non-scientific audiences, what tools can be used (e.g. social media, blogs, websites, reports) and what type of activities can be organized (e.g. public lectures, media interviews, educational activities with schools). The panelists will share some of their experiences as well as provide advice for effective science communication. Our panelists are:

Lawrence Hislop - Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) Project of the World Climate Research Programme
Magnus Svendsen Nerheim - University of Bergen
Alexey Pavlov - Norwegian Polar Institute
Sara Aparicio - APECS Portugal

The panel discussion is open to all participants from Arctic Frontiers 2016. Any UiT students or employees that are interested in attending but are not registered for Arctic Frontiers should contact Gerlis Fugmann This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. about attending.

Dear colleagues,

the "Cryospheric Sciences" section of "Frontiers in Earth Sciences" was launched in June 2015, and the first papers have been published.
http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/earth-science/section/cryospheric-sciences

"Cryospheric Sciences" aims for rapid publication of original, innovative, high-quality research on all aspects of the cryosphere. So far a total of 10 papers including topics on glaciers, ice sheets, sea-ice and permafrost have been published with an average of 3.5 months between first submission and acceptance (when the paper instantaneously is available online).
http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/earth-science/section/cryospheric-sciences#archive.
Around a dozen papers are currently in review.

Selected features of the journal include:
- a wide range of article types
http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/earth-science#article-types
- Submitted or rejected papers are not online at any time.
- an innovative online review system enabling direct discussions between authors, editors and reviewers
- innovative system of impact metrics
- Special issues (so-called 'Research Topics') can be initiated by anybody (Special issues have 25% lower fees).
- FEES are independent of number of pages or use of color, depending only on the article type. Rejected articles are not charged any fees.
Original research papers: $1900; Mini Reviews, Perspectives... : $875; Opinion...: $250; Book Review, Commentary...): free
- COPYRIGHT is retained with the authors.
- Currently there are 17 Associate Editors covering the breadth of cryospheric sciences, and >100 so-called 'Review Editors' who constitute a pool of primary 'go-to reviewers'.
http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/earth-science/section/cryospheric-sciences#editorial-board

We hope this new journal complements the existing ones in our field. Looking forward to your submissions.

New grid of terrestrial gravity anomalies in Antarctica released
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Announcing the release of a gridded dataset of terrestrial
(free-air and Bouguer) gravity anomalies in Antarctica. It is for the
first time that a gravity anomaly dataset comprises almost the entire
Antarctic continent. It is based on 13 million data points and covers an
area of 10 million km**2 corresponding to 73% of the Antarctic continent.

The new dataset is given as grid with a resolution of 10 km and
comprises free-air gravity anomaly, Bouguer anomaly as well as an
accuracy measure. The data are available at:
https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.848168.

The derivation of the data grid is described by an article entitled "New
Antarctic Gravity Anomaly Grid for Enhanced Geodetic and Geophysical
Studies in Antarctica" by M. Scheinert et al., published in "Geophysical
Research Letters" (accepted article online at
https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL067439 since 8 January 2016, proofreading
still in progress).
Please cite this paper whenever you publish results of your work using
these data.

I would also like to acknowledge the huge efforts by numerous colleagues
at many different institutions worldwide, who managed to accomplish
gravity measurements in Antarctica and contributed data. This fruitful
international cooperation is coordinated in the framework of IAG
(International Association of Geodesy) Subcommission 2.4f ?Gravity and
Geoid in Antarctica? (AntGG) and SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic
Research) ?Expert Group on Geodetic Infrastructure in Antarctica?
(GIANT), which I?m delighted to chair. With more data to be compiled,
updates of the Antarctic gravity grid are planned to be released in the
near future.

Mirko Scheinert

illustratorswanted

ipa logo with white frame

«A Frozen Ground Cartoon» is a scientific outreach project that aims at presenting and promoting international permafrost research via a series of comic strips and illustrated media products. The project is officially supported by the International Permafrost Association as a targeted ‘Action Group’ and will run from February 2016 to January 2018.

The final outcome of the project will be a series of comic strips, each ranging from 5 to 10 pages (letter/A4 format). These strips will show the diversity of permafrost research activities at the international level, with a special emphasis on fieldwork. The target audience is the general public, focusing more specifically on teenagers and young students who have to choose career paths at high school or college levels.

Interested? Please send a one page letter of motivation (A4 or letter format) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 31 January, presenting your past experience and own vision for this particular project. Also, a few portfolio samples or link(s) to online material must be provided.

Full details of the project and a timetable of deadlines can be accessed here.

SCAR logo white background

We are pleased to announce that three new APECS representatives have been selected to sit on the SCAR Standing Science Group on Life Sciences (SSG-LS) for a two year period: Fernanda Quaglio (Lead, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Brazil), Jeff Bowman (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, USA) and Henrik Christiansen (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium). Congratulations!

The SCAR SSG-LS coordinates research on understanding the impact of past, current and predicted environmental change on biodiversity and the consequences for adaptation and function; determining the effects of cold, darkness, isolation and pathogens on the health and welfare of scientists and support staff in the Antarctic; and understanding the complexities of the Antarctic environment and predicting the consequences of change.

12279042 1013741738646776 8171818202453358889 n The International Youth Forum “Arctic – Made in Russia” will be held from February 29 to March 6, 2016.

Over 200 young professionals, scientists, graduate and postgraduate students from Russia and countries of the Arctic Council, whose sphere of scientific and creative interests relates to the development of the Arctic region, and in particular - the oil and gas industry, are expected to be among the participants.

The mission of the forum is to facilitate the exchange of ideas, skills and knowledge as well as to recruit personnel for existing Arctic projects. The forum especially welcomes young individuals with the following specializations and experience:

- Project Managers
- Petroleum Engineers
- Construction Designers
- Process Engineers for Hydrocarbon Resource Development
- Drilling Engineers
- Cryolithologists
- Shipbuilders
- Geologists
- Resource Economists
- Industrial Safety Engineers
- Oceanographers
- Ecologists

Participants will be divided into 15 teams of 14 individuals with 12 Russians and 2 foreigners per team. Each team will have opportunities to showcase their professional skills, work on cases, and engage in discussions about the Arctic with heads of Russian corporations, ministries, professors of the Russian Academy of Sciences and rectors of the leading Russian universities.

Subjects of roundtable discussions include: "Prospects for import substitution", " Search and exploration of hydrocarbons on the Arctic shelf", "Design and engineering ", "Feasibility of oil platforms", "Development and exploitation of oil fields on the Arctic shelf", and "Preservation technologies".

Participants from the most active and successful team will be rewarded with an internship opportunity in Russia’s leading oil and gas company.

It should be noted that the top management of Russia’s Public Joint Stock Company (PJSC) "Gazprom" already expressed interest in the forum. Artur Chilingarov, the First Vice President of the Russian Geographical Society also supported the involvement of "Gazprom" in the preparation and execution of this youth forum.

To get more information about further details and registration, please get in touch with Anna Aperyan by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dear colleagues - Some of you may be interested in the recent appearance of new
releases of GMBAL, a compilation of global data on the annual and multi-annual
mass balance of glaciers, obtained by direct (glaciological) and geodetic methods;
and GMBANAL, a continuation of GMBAL in which regional and global estimates are
provided by means of arithmetic averaging of the data and also by spatial
interpolation to unmeasured glaciers.

These new releases, each labelled as R1501, are now downloadable from
http://www.trentu.ca/geography/glaciology (click Global Glaciology, then Mass
Balance of Small Glaciers for GMBAL or Global Analysis of Mass Balance for
GMBANAL). They supersede the previous release R1301 of two years ago and feature
continued steady growth of in-situ glaciological measurements and continued rapid
growth of geodetic measurements, especially regional-scale geodetic measurements.

As before, most of the glaciological measurements are drawn from the Fluctuations
of Glaciers database of the World Glacier Monitoring Service, but GMBAL includes
some that are not (yet) in that database. However GMBAL is currently by far the
most complete source of geodetic measurements. GMBANAL relies on version 5.0 of
the Randolph Glacier Inventory for its description of global glacier geography.

iasc web The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), together with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), have the pleasure to announce the start of the third edition of the IASC Fellowship Program. During the selection process managed by the IASC in close cooperation with APECS, five successful early career scientists were chosen from over 77 applicants. The reviewers were impressed by the amount and extremely high quality of the applications.

The IASC Fellows 2016-2017 are:

Paul Zieger, Stockholm University, Sweden (Atmosphere WG)
Alek Petty, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / University of Maryland, USA (Cryosphere WG)
Allison Fong, Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany (Marine WG)
Justiina Dahl, European University Institute, Italy (Social and Human WG)
Scott Zolkos, University of Alberta, Canada (Terrestrial WG)

More information about the IASC Fellowship Program can be found under http://iasc.info/capacity-building/fellowship

The Asian Forum for Polar Sciences (AFoPS) Secretariat has published the third issue of AFoPS Newsletter. You can read it here.

The Canadian Northern Studies Trust (CNST) is the student awards program of the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS). It was established in 1982 to further the Association’s mandate to advance knowledge and understanding of Canada’s North by offering student awards for exceptional northern-based research. The purpose of the CNST is to foster scholars and scientists with northern experience and at the same time to enhance educational opportunities available for northern residents to obtain post-secondary education at Canadian colleges and universities.

The following awards are offered:

CNST Scholarship $10,000
Polar Knowledge Canada Scholarship $10,000
The W. Garfield Weston Award for Northern Studies (Doctoral) 10 x $50,000
The W. Garfield Weston Award for Northern Studies (Masters) 15 x $15,000
Northern Resident Scholarship (graduate) 4x $10,000
Northern Resident Award (undergraduate) 8x $5,000
Caribou Research and Management Award $1,500 - $5,000
Arctic Co-operatives Award $2,500
Research Support Opportunity in Arctic Environmental Studies
The W. Garfield Weston Postdoctoral Fellowship in Northern Research 4 x $50,000 + up to $10,000 in travel/conference expenses

To be eligible for a CNST award you must be:

Canadian citizen or permanent resident
Enrolled in full time post-secondary education at a recognized Canadian University or College
For the majority of the awards, you must have an aspect of northern or circumpolar fieldwork included as part of your research that is conducted within the term of your award. (ACUNS defines “northern” Canada as on or north of the line indicated on our Northern Boundary Map. To view the map, please consult our website.

Additional, award-specific requirements are included in award guidelines. The awards and amounts offered may change depending on availability.

Award deadline: January 29, 2016

For more information, applications and guidelines please visit: www.acuns.ca

imageыва Arctic.ru provides current information about the Arctic in English and Russian. The information is presented in an interesting, interactive format, including videos, photos, interactive maps and infographics.

The website features the following thematic sections: geography, climate change, infrastructure, population, natural resources, wildlife and environment, and economy, among others. It offers news, analysis, a calendar of events, photos and videos.

Arctic.ru publishes a large amount of exclusive material. Staff members attend Arctic-related events, go on trips, and obtain accurate and up-to-date information about the Russian Arctic while interacting with reputable organizations in the field: the Polar Explorers Association, the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East, the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, Northern (Arctic) Federal University, the Arctic Regional Public Foundation for the Support of Expeditionary Activity, and the Expedition Center of the Russian Geographical Society.

Check it here: http://arctic.ru/

The presence and impact of female Antarctic researchers has increased rapidly. In the 1950s most countries did not allow women to work in Antarctica and there were few female Antarctic scientists. Today females are playing leading and influential roles in Antarctic research.

To help acknowledge the many great leading Antarctic women researchers, SCAR is hosting a Wikibomb* event to promote and celebrate the achievements of female Antarctic scientists within the SCAR community at the next Open Science Conference, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (22-26 August 2016). The aim is to increase the visibility of these leading and influential role models for our younger female researchers and to stimulate girls around the world to pursue science careers.

We are seeking nominations from the community for outstanding women involved in Antarctic Research. Get involved and nominate a female Antarctic researcher here: http://www.scar.org/outreach/women

For more information, please contact the Wikibomb organizer, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

* A wikibomb is a coordinated effort to increase the number of wikipedia entries on a specific topic. This was successfully done in Australia in 2014, and SCAR is following a similar procedure to help increase the presence of Female Antarctic Researchers on Wikipedia.

Arctic Yearbook 2016
Call for Abstracts (deadline): 1 March 2016 (250-400 words)
Draft papers (deadline): 15 June 2016 (4000-6000 words)

The Arctic Yearbook (www.arcticyearbook.com) is calling for abstracts for the 2016 edition.

The Arctic Yearbook is an international and peer-reviewed volume which focuses on issues of regional governance, circumpolar relations, geopolitics and security, all broadly defined including global aspects. It is an open access, online publication. The Arctic Yearbook is an initiative of the Northern Research Forum (NRF) and University of the Arctic's joint Thematic Network on Geopolitics and Security.

This year's theme is "The Arctic Council: 20 Years of Regional Cooperation and Policy-Shaping". This theme is meant to evaluate the structure, impact and influence of the Arctic Council, within the context of the circumpolar region as well as a model of international organization. Many facets of the Arctic Council remain underexplored and scholars are invited to propose pieces that provide critical analysis and expand our knowledge and understanding of the organization and its role.

Topics may include, but are not limited to: analysis of the form and function of the Arctic Council, including the Ottawa Declaration in retrospect; a history of the Arctic Council including the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS) and different proposed models in retrospect; assessment and evaluation of the progress and impact of Arctic Council deliverables and agreements; the Senior Arctic Officials, Permanent Secretariat, Task Forces, Working Groups, Permanent Participants, Observers, chairmanships and/or funding structure; the role of non-Arctic Observer states and NGOs in relation to Permanent Participants and/or Working Groups; funding mechanisms and capacity-building efforts for the Permanent Participants; the Arctic Council's interaction with other international bodies and the international system (e.g. IMO, IHO, WMO, UN etc.); media perceptions/representations of the Arctic Council; the role and impact of the six Working Groups, either in combination or separately; the role and function of ancillary organizations such as the Arctic Economic Council and/or the Arctic Coast Guard Forum; the role (or lack of) of sub-national organizations in the Arctic Council; theoretical perspectives on the Arctic Council within an international relations context; the role and limitations of the Arctic Council in regional policy-shaping/policy-making; and future directions of the Arctic Council.

Other topics of contemporary significance to regional development, northern peoples, circumpolar relations, Arctic geopolitics and security will also be welcome.

We also welcome proposals for commentaries (1-3 page opinion pieces) and briefing notes (4-7 page analyses) from experts and policymakers on current issues and events.

EDITOR

Lassi Heininen (Professor of Arctic Politics at the University of Lapland, Finland & Chair of the Northern Research Forum (NRF) Steering Committee, Head of NRF/UArctic Thematic Network on Geopolitics & Security) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

MANAGING EDITORS
Heather Exner-Pirot (Strategist for Outreach and Indigenous Engagement, University of Saskatchewan, Canada) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Joël Plouffe (PhD Candidate, École nationale d'administration publique (ENAP), Montréal, Québec, & Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

EDITORIAL BOARD
Lawson Brigham, Chair (Distinguished Professor of Geography & Arctic Policy, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Senior Fellow, Institute of the North, United States)
Alyson Bailes (Visiting Professor, University of Iceland Faculty of Political Science, United Kingdom)
Gail Fondahl (Professor of Geography, University of Northern British Columbia, Canada)
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (President of Iceland)
Hannu Halinen (former Arctic Ambassador, Finland; Special Advisor to the IIASA Director General and Chief Executive Officer Exploratory and Special Projects)
Steven E. Miller (Director of the International Security Program; Editor-in-Chief of International Security, Harvard University, United States)
Alexander Pelyasov (Russian Academy of Sciences; Director of the Center of Northern and Arctic Economics; Ministry of Economic Development & Trade, Russia)

APECS AGU Careers Panel 91280x848 On Wednesday, December 16, APECS and the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Cryosphere Focus Group held the annual APECS-AGU Cryosphere Career Panel. Five representatives of the polar community participated in the panel, sharing their views on work, school, and polar lifestyles with the approximately three dozen people in attendance. The panelists were selected to represent a broad spectrum of potential career pathways in polar science and outreach and included:

Dr. Larry Hinzman: Professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Dr. Vena Chu: UC President's Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UC Berkeley
Dr. Gifford Wong: Congressional Science Fellow, American Geosiences Institute
Kathy Young: field logistics coordinator for Polar Field Services
Helen Wiggins: Director of Programs for the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS)

The five panelists provided brief introductions before panel moderators Sara Strey and Laura Levy initiated the panel discussion. The questions asked to the panelists included:

What does your typical day look like?
What are some skills that you’ve found are helpful in your job but that you didn’t learn in school?
How did you first become interested in polar science and/or outreach?
Do you have any tips for navigating the funding environment?
As an undergraduate student, how do you build connectors with potential employers and transition into graduate school?
Reflecting back, would you do anything differently to manage your career?
What would you say to people on the fence about pursuing a polar career?
Do you see any new research or job opportunities on the horizon?
Is undergraduate research valuable for graduate school?
How do you find a non-academic job?
Is it better to develop a broad set of skills or really hone-in and refine your specialized skills (i.e., shallow and broad or narrow and deep)?

An integrated summary of the panelists responses can be found below.

The winding path to the poles

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Interestingly, hardly any of the panelists had come to working or studying the Arctic or Antarctic via a straight and narrow path. Chu worked in accounting before deciding to pursue graduate studies on the hydrology of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Her first time camping was in Greenland – demonstrating that one doesn’t need to be a hardcore outdoor enthusiast before ending up in one of the world’s most extreme environments. Wong worked as a helicopter technician in Antarctica before pursuing graduate studies at Dartmouth. Participating in a 40 day unsupported ski trip across Baffin Island sparked Young’s passion for the polar regions, while Wiggins decided to leave a PhD program and head for Alaska. “I’m not advocating driving across the country without a job prospect – but that’s kind of what happened,” she laughed.

All of the panelists concluded that gaining prior experience in unrelated fields put them in a better position to succeed once they finally decided upon polar careers. For instance, learning how to manage a project, gaining accounting experience, working with deadlines, developing skills in outdoor education, and doing improv all made the panelists well-equipped for polar work, outreach, and study. Chu also emphasized the importance of taking classes in statistics and programming as an undergraduate, since these skills can be applied to a wide array of scientific research.

Yet regardless of one’s background, people in the poles will likely be welcoming. “I think because of the interest in it, the Arctic is very open,” Chu expressed. “As someone without lots of background – not just a science background, but also a field background – working in the Arctic and with all of the logistics people, I see that they’re very open to young researchers, particularly young women. Seeing lots of my cohort out there is kind of amazing compared to other fields I’ve seen.” Part of the openness and the eagerness amongst people to collaborate may be due to the fact that in the Arctic, as Dr. Hinzman asserted, “there’s so much work to be done.”

Of course, there are a few key things you can do to make yourself stand out, especially as the Arctic grows more crowded. “Say hi, get to know people, and make yourself noticeable,” Wong suggested. He also encouraged demonstrating your value in a variety of ways. “Maybe you like to cook – Lord knows that in the field camp setting, food is how you keep morale up. And on the intellectual side, keep asking questions.”

The interdisciplinary Arctic

One member of the audience inquired whether, given the popularity of interdisciplinary research, it is better to pursue broad skills or push deeper into a narrow field. Dr. Hinzman responded, “Most of the opportunities are at the interface of disciplines. If you go strictly with biology or geology, it’s really hard. The greatest opportunities and easiest projects to get funded now are interdisciplinary.” He mentioned village relocation in Alaska as an example of an interdisciplinary problem. “This is a social science issue, but also a marine, economic, and permafrost issue, so there’s an opportunity for integrating all these different sciences together.”

Chu, however, added, “You need a little bit of depth just to show that you can do something. It’s nice to have a broad theme – for instance, I do Greenland Ice Sheet hydrology – but show that you have a skill, or interface between different skillsets, too.”

Wiggins, who is Director of Programs at ARCUS and is able to speak with authority on matters of funding, research, and the future of the field, confirmed Dr. Hinzman’s claim that the most polar funding is now found in interdisciplinary research. “There are lots of opportunities in Arctic now,” she said. “If you are a broad thinker or are interested in lots of things, communication or outreach, the Arctic is an excellent place to do that.”

The non-academic Arctic and Antarctic

Young, Wiggins, and Wong exemplified the ability to lead exciting polar careers outside of academia. Young used to manage field camps in the Dry Valleys in Antarctica, while Wiggins had a stint directing oil company trucks in Alaska. Wiggins, who moved to the 49th State on a whim and came across her current job listed in the newspaper, said, “I have found that there’s no category that says, ‘people who love science but are not sure they want to be in academia.’” She admitted, “It’s more work to find those jobs,” and suggested doing keyword searches, looking on Monster, state and federal job listings, and listservs that might be advertising such positions. Even for people who have received their graduate degrees but now realize that academia isn’t for them, there are still plenty of positions in the poles. Dr. Hinzman chimed in, “There are a lot of jobs out there that require academic jobs that aren’t in academia... For any professional position, it just takes time to find them. Realize that when you’re looking for jobs, start early, don’t get too discouraged.”

Passion for the poles...
One other trait many of the panelists shared was a love of their job. Whether it’s waking up every morning to the stunning polar landscapes or getting ready to fact-check the latest statements on climate change, each panelist spoke passionately about for their work. Young effused, “I think when you find a passion in a career that you have, that keeps you going and keeps you excited. Waking up on Monday morning and being ready to go because you just don’t know what’s going to happen next. If you find passion in your field, it will keep you going.”

...and the pub!
Afterwards, some of the panelists and attendees headed to a pub meet-up at The Chieftain. A couple of photos are below.

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***

On Twitter, USAPECS co-chair Alice Bradley live-tweeted the event at her account, @acb___. Check out the tweets to see more quotes from the event and stay tuned for a longer reference document we are planning to publish online with more of the information and guidance offered by our panelists.

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Helen, Vena, Gifford, Kathy, and Larry – thank you!

This US National Science Foundation sponsored course will be held in Antarctica at Palmer Station (Antarctic Peninsula) in July 2016. The course is designed to train scientists who are interested in the study of extreme environments and the biology of Antarctic organisms. Applications are invited from graduate students currently enrolled in a PhD program and researchers who have an earned Ph.D. within the past five years. This is an international course, open to all nationalities. Partial scholarships are available to cover the cost of travel from home institution and full support is provided for room/board and science activities while in Antarctica. The emphasis of the Antarctic Biology Course is on integrative biology, with laboratory- and field-based projects focused on adaptations in an extreme polar environment. This program will also provide opportunities to understand and appreciate the complexities and logistical challenges of undertaking successful science in Antarctica. A diverse teaching faculty will offer students the opportunity to study a wide range of Antarctic organisms (bacteria, algae, invertebrates, and fish), using several different levels of biological analysis (molecular biology, physiological ecology, species diversity, and evolution). Deadline for receipt of completed applications is January 25, 2016. For more information and the on-line application see https://www.usfca.edu/arts-sciences/antarctic-biology-training-program and http://goo.gl/forms/aoNP63pRhF.

APECS had again a very successful year in 2015 and we wanted to thank all of our members, mentors, partners and sponsors for continuing to help us shape the future of polar research!

Enjoy some of our best moments of 2015 in our APECS Season's Greetings video.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all of you! We are looking forward to a fantastic 2016!

Best wishes,

Ruth Vingerhagen, APECS President 2015-2016
Gerlis Fugmann, APECS Executive Director
on behalf of the APECS Leadership

SCAR logo white background The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) was present in Paris meetings at COP21 this month by holding side events and press briefings. The impacts of climate change on the polar regions was highlighted. Although these issues are hugely complicated by multi-disciplinary environmental, physical and biological interactions – a major message has emerged – “there is a need to better implement results from climate impact projections into conservation strategies”.

SCAR reports that “Dr Julian Gutt, Chief Officer of the SCAR Science Research Programme Antarctic Thresholds - Ecosystem Resilience and Adaptation (AnT-ERA), has produced a report on the SCAR events at COP21 last week, which is available on the AnT-ERA website.”

“SCAR partnered with the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI) to host a press briefing on the impact of climate change on the cryosphere which was webcast live. A recording of the webcast is available on the UNFCCC media website.”

“A side event was also held in the COP21 Nordic Pavilion in the afternoon entitled “View from Two Poles: Climate Lessons from the Arctic and Antarctica”. It was opened by Dr Valérie Masson-Delmotte, winner of the 2015 Muse Prize and Co-Chair of the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) Working Group 1.”

Applications are now being accepted for the 71st annual Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP). The 2016 field season will take place June 24 - August 19.

Please submit applications by February 15 for priority consideration. Applicants will be notified by March 1.

APPLY HERE: http://juneauicefield.com/apply/

The Juneau Icefield Research Program's mission is to provide an unrivaled educational and expeditionary experience in the stunning Coast Mountains of Alaska and British Columbia. We give students a wide range of training in Earth sciences, wilderness survival, and mountaineering skills, and provide unique opportunities for team building and personal growth.

The Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) is an eight-week immersion in the wilderness of the Juneau Icefield, during which participants (undergraduate, graduate, and high school juniors and seniors) traverse from Juneau, Alaska to Atlin, British Columbia.

Please explore the JIRP website for more information: http://juneauicefield.com/

apecs logo web

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic (INTERACT) have recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

Both APECS and INTERACT share the common goal of working internationally and across disciplines to increase our understanding of cold regions and their connections to global systems. Both parties also recognize the importance of fostering the next generation of researchers that will be faced with increasingly critical challenges due to the impacts of climate change on these regions and their global significance.

Many APECS members have already benefited from INTERACT's Transnational Access program and the successful Arctic Snapshots program organized by APECS in summer 2015 allowed different INTERACT stations such as Abisko and Khibiny to share their research and experiences. Both parties very much look forward to working together to develop these and similar activities in the future, which will ensure that early career researchers have the opportunities available to them to research and network throughout the Arctic.

Dr. Chris Furgal, Associate Professor at Trent University (Peterborough, ON), won the APECS Canada-ArcticNet Student Association Mentor Award 2015.

The Mentor Award review committee received six nominations in September, which it assessed and ranked throughout the month of October. During two conference calls the committee reached a consensus-based decision.

Chris was nominated by his graduate students, while colleagues and community leaders provided a number of letters of support. His nomination stood out among the six excellent submissions, although the committee noted that all nominations were of excellent quality. You can learn more about Chris’s research here and about his Health Environment and Indigenous Communities Research Group here.

ChrisFurgalMentorAward2015

Dr. Chris Furgal won the ehPECS-ASA Mentor Award 2015. Photo by Trent University.

Chris accepted the award during the ArcticNet ASM 2015 meeting banquet on Thursday, December 10th, 2015. Award Committee Chair Dr. Nikolaus Gantner (APECS Canada) and Rudy Riedlsperger (ArcticNet SA) introduced the awardee to the 700+ delegates.

During the ceremony, the inaugural winner of the award, Eric Loring (Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami) was spontaneously invited on stage to hand over the prize, a photo book filled with pictures and messages from the supporters of his nomination, on behalf of those closely working with Chris (see below).

Mentor Award 2 small

Rudy Riedlsperger (ASA) and Dr. Nikolaus Gantner (ehPECS) introduce the Mentor Award at the ArcticNet ASM 2015 in Vancouver, BC. Photo: Maéva Gauthier/ArcticNet.

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Dr. Chris Furgal (third from the right) and his team of nominators celebrate the 2015 APECS Canada-ASA Mentor Award on stage. Photo by Maéva Gauthier/ArcticNet.

We would like to thank all individuals and organizations who contributed to the six nominations for this 2015 award competition.

A new Call for Nominations for the 2016 Mentor Award will be circulated in early 2016. We are currently looking for 2-3 Award Committee members. Please visit here to find out more about the award and contact ehPECS or ArcticNet SA for more information.

For the 2015 Awards Committee,
Dr. Nikolaus Gantner
Chair, 2015 APECS Canada-ASA Awards Committee

Moscow State Institute for International Relations (MGIMO) cordially invites you to the Moscow Youth International Model Arctic Council (MAC-2016).
MAC-2016 is to take place in Moscow, February 17-19, 2016. MAC-2016 is a simulative “business game”, which involves modelling the work of:

Arctic Contaminants Action Program (ACAP) Working Group;
Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) Working Group;
Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group;
Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR) Working Group;
Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) Working Group;
Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG);
Arctic Economic Council;
Senior Arctic Officials’ Meeting;
Ministerial Meeting.

The event will also have a varied educational program, which includes lectures, seminars and workshops led by distinguished experts from Russia, as well as other Arctic States. At MAC-2016 you will also be able to meet Vladimir Barbin, Ambassador at Large, Senior Arctic Official of the Russian Federation, members of the Arctic Council Secretariat, representatives of businesses, members of Russian polar expeditions.

For more information, please read the information letter.

APECSAGUFlyer3

(Wednesday, Dec. 16, 6:00 - 7:00 pm | Marriott Marquis, Golden Gate C3)

Join us for a panel discussion by cryosphere experts! Our five panelists are at various stages of their careers both within and
outside of academia. Conversation will cover the opportunities and challenges faced by scientists and public and private sector employees who have made careers out of studying or working in the world's poles.

The floor will be open for the audience to engage in a moderated discussion on any and all aspects of careers in polar science and outreach, and it will also be live-tweeted. This event is sponsored by the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the AGU Cryosphere Focus Group.

Our confirmed panelists are:

Dr. Larry Hinzman, Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and Prof. of
Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Dr. Vena Chu, UC President's Postdoctoral Scholar, Dept. of Geography,
UC Berkeley
Dr. Gifford Wong, AAAS/AGI Congressional Science Fellow, American
Geosciences Institute
Helen Wiggins, Director of Programs, Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S.
Kathy Young, Greenland Field Equipment Manager, Polar Field Services

After the panel, we’ll head to The Chieftain Irish Pub and Restaurant (198 Fifth Street) for more discussion, networking, and *free
appetizers* from 7:30-9:00. Join us there even if you can’t make the panel.

We welcome attendees at *all career stages*!

SCAR logo white background The Standing Scientific Group on Life Sciences (SSG-LS) for SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) is looking for an APECS representative!

Your role would be to participate in the activities of the SSG-LS for two years. This will include promoting and communicating the work of the group and the associated research programmes (ANT-ERA and ANT-ECO) to APECS and other early career researchers. In addition you will be able to attend the SSG-LS meetings at the 2016 SCAR OSC (Kuala Lumpur, 20-30 August 2016), the 2017 SCAR Biology Symposium (Brussels, 3-9 July 2017) and the 2018 SCAR/IASC Conference (Davos, 15-27 June 2018). In return you would gain a valuable insight into coordinating research at an international level. This APECS representative position is a volunteer position without any funding attached to it.

If you are interested in this position please send the following to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 13 December:

CV
Statement of interest including:
- How your research aligns with the foci of the SSG-LS
- Clear statement that you can commit to this position for two years, including attending the SCAR OSC in 2016 (have your own funding to do so) and plan to attend the other two mentioned conferences.

The new wgms Glacier App has been launched! This new information system for mobile
devices is jointly launched with UNESCO in the forefront of the UN Climate
Conference in Paris and aims at bringing glacier fluctuation data to
decision makers at governmental and intergovernmental levels as well as
reaching out to the interested public. With the glacier change data, the
app provides information on the latest observers for all glaciers with
available information. In this way, we want to increase the visibility of
the hundreds of investigators sharing their data with the international
community. For more details see the media release.

You can download the wgms Glacier App for:
iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wgms-glacier/id1055588979?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.wgms.glacierapp

This month APECS brings a new research feature Figure Friday with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.aim to promote scientific communication between its members. This event provides the participants the ability to reach out to the thousands of APECS's followers and showcase their research. Every alternate Friday a scientific figure will be featured on APECS website and its social media channels, with a short text explaining the science behind and its significance. Most researchers are working on figures for their work, thus this event does not demand much extra effort from the participant as figures are already there. The event went live on the third Friday this month with our first figure.

Interested in participating?
Here are some guidelines.
Send us your entries at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In consideration of the 20th birthday of the Arctic Council next year, the WWF Canada aims at creating Scorecards, to monitor to what degree recommendations of the Arctic Council have or have not been implemented by the Arctic Council member states and to also see whether or not other international fora have drawn upon the recommendations of the Arctic Council.

Please contact Marc-André Dubois (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) – who is working for the WWF Canada if you would like to help to collect and analyze the data on which these Scorecards shall be based.

U.S. Ice Drilling Program Ice Bits Newsletter: Fall 2015
Ice Drilling Program Office - Ice Drilling Design and Operations

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program Office announces that the Fall 2015 Ice Bits newsletter of U.S. Ice Drilling Program activities is now available at:

http://www.icedrill.org/icebits/

Topics include:
- Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions AGU Town Hall Meeting
- Subglacial Access Drilling: IDPO Science Planning Workshop
- Applications Sought for IDPO's School of Ice 2016
- Field Support to Antarctic Projects
- 2015 Technical Advisory Board Meeting

A “Young Researchers Workshop” will take place at the XI. International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP 2016) on 18 - 19 June 2016. This workshop is organized as a joint effort of PYRN (Permafrost Young Researchers Network), APECS (Association of Polar Early Career Scientists), the young researcher representatives of the USPA (United States Permafrost Association), and ADAPT (Arctic Development and Adaptation to Permafrost in Transition).

Details are available on:

The workshop aims at providing opportunities to young researchers to learn and build interdisciplinary knowledge:

• how to get published in scientific journals (professional trainer)

• practical methods and

• essential soft skills.

For detailed information on the Young Researchers Workshop program, please download the program on the conference and workshop website http://icop2016.org/index.php/young-researcher-activities/young-researchers-workshop).

The soft skills portion, presenting and sharing knowledge about the Arctic and Antarctic permafrost regions, will be a focus. To achieve this, the participants will enter into dialogue and exchange in thematic break-out sessions.

The application deadline for abstract submission as well as the application for the workshop: December 1, 2015.

The maximum number of participants is 150. If more applications are submitted, an evaluation of the applications will be done. To apply for the workshop, please use the suitable category in the conference registration system and please be prepared to provide the following there:

• A letter of motivation stating why you are interested in participating in the ICOP and the workshop (500 words)

• If you are part of a network (PYRN, IPA, APECS, USPA...), how are you involved? If you are not part of a network, are you interested to increase your activity e.g. for the future PYRN or APECS executive committee, council and/or national representation? (300 words)

For the first time since 1997, the 12th Northern Forum General Assembly was held in Yakutsk (November 4-6, 2015) .

This General Assembly’s agenda focused on environmental impact on Northern regions’ sustainable development. Whereas the main panel discussion has reviewed Adaptation of regional administrations to climate change, discussion sections were dedicated to Biodiversity and environmental protection in the regions, development of business cooperation in the North, development of infrastructure in the North and the most attended section – Positive Life strategy. The latter section has indicated both high level of awareness of social and physical health issues common with the Northern regions and interest of moderating bodies – Sakha Strategic Research Center and Russian Ministry for Economic development.

One of the most important propositions of this General Assembly was creation of working groups on entire directions of project work, according to Resolution 177. This measure must link work of project participants to local and interregional authorities, what increases its effect on actual, visible results. Previous system of projects united into programs was not enough efficient, due to its distance from the actual decision-makers; this time, this gap gets smaller.

Therefore, in administrative terms – the main expectation now rests with future of membership in the Northern Forum, as more regions are actively observing decisions taken on the General Assembly and are considering to join. Such signals are coming from the State of Alaska, Northern provinces of Canada, Finnish Lapland, Chinese Heilongjiang and several Russian Arctic regions. The issue of last two resolutions may indicate a path of future development of the Northern Forum that was discussed during the General Assembly agenda.

You can check out the working documents and resolution of the Assembly here.

Last week in Seattle, the Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting (AOOSM) convened for the first time in seven years. The meeting was organized by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS), with meeting funded awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s Arctic Observing Network program. Approximately 200 scientists gathered to discuss research advances made by Arctic observing projects primarily funded by U.S. local, state, and federal agencies.

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Panel Discussion: “Achieving an Interagency Arctic Observing System.” Photo: Mia Bennett

The agencies themselves were well represented, too. A panel discussion on the first day brought together representatives from seven government agencies with Arctic science objectives including the Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and NSF, who all expressed a variety of motivations in studying the region. William Ambrose of NSF explained that his agency’s goal is to “understand the Arctic on a regional scale and its relationship to the global system during a period of rapid environmental change,” while Martin Jeffries of the Office of Naval Research stated, “Where the Navy sees open water, it sees a responsibility to operate.” The link between the two, as AOOSM demonstrated, is that operations in the Arctic need robust networks of observations in order to proceed in a well-informed manner.

The meeting’s many parallel sessions covered a wide range of topics including the terrestrial Arctic, maritime ecosystems, the fate of sea ice, community-based monitoring, and human dimensions. As two examples of the interdisciplinary nature of the talks as a whole, Ben Fitzhugh (University of Washington) examined how archaeological sites can serve as “distributed observation networks” of past Arctic and subarctic ecological conditions, while Alek Petty (NASA Goddard), an Early Career Travel Award Winner (see below), discussed how NASA Operation IceBridge data can be used to estimate sea ice topography.

One of the key features of AOOSM were the robust, hour-long discussions that followed each parallel session, centering on three key questions about the past and future of Arctic observing networks. Discussants reflected on the advances that have been already been made by these networks and on the future opportunities for enhanced collaboration and interagency observing system. The AOOSM Organizing Committee (full disclosure, of which I am a member) is considering publishing a special issue with articles reviewing these advances and opportunities in Arctic observing science so that they can reach a wider community.

A number of early career scientists participated in AOOSM, with six receiving Early Career Travel Awards. Applications were evaluated by the US Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (USAPECS) and sponsored by NSF and NASA. During the closing plenary, Hajo Eicken, Chair of the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH, which also helped sponsor the meeting), stressed the importance of early career scientists’ participation in AOOSM, as it offers them an opportunity to extend their research networks and connect with some of the chief Arctic science funding agencies at a formative stage in their career.

The award winners were:

Jennifer Watts, Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group, University of Montana.“Integrating Tower Eddy Covariance, Satellite Remote Sensing and Ecosystem Modeling to Identify Changes in Hydrology and Carbon Fluxes Across the Alaskan Arctic”
Elchin Jafarov, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado.“Sustainable Permafrost Observing in Support of a Permafrost Forecasting System”
Anne Gaedeke, Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks.“What Role do Glaciers Play in Subarctic Hydrology?”
Alice Bradley, University of Colorado.“Near-surface Temperature Gradients Detected by Microbuoys in the Arctic Ocean”
Victoria Herrmann, Scott Polar Research Center, University of Cambridge/The Arctic Institute, Washington D.C. “Frozen Assets: On the Evolution of Risk in Arctic Oil & Gas Development”*
Alek Petty, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland.“Characterizing Arctic Sea Ice Topography Using High-resolution IceBridge Data”
Matthew Druckenmiller, Rutgers University and the National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado Boulder.“Sea Ice Matters: Science Communication through the SEARCH Sea Ice Action Team”

Congratulations!

The sun rises in Seattle with Mt. Rainier in the background the day after AOOSM wrapped up. Photo: Mia Bennett

COP21, the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, will soon begin in Paris. The challenge is enormous: reach a universal climate agreement to limit human-induced climate change.

In this context, and despite the tragic recent attacks, many events are planned in Paris and everywhere in France to inform and increase awareness among citizens about climate issues. APECS-France will be in Paris to carry out its mandate of educating about polar research.

APECS-France will participate in the 11th Conference of Youth (COY11), three days of conferences and workshops dedicated to young people from November 26th to 28th. Activities organized and facilitated by APECS-France will include scientific talks, quizzes, and workshops to help people discover all the research led by young polar researchers and better understand the vital role of Polar Regions in the global climate system.

APECS-France will also participate to four round-table discussions about Arctic research during a 2-days event co-organized with Tara. Tara Expeditions is famous for the Tara schooner drift in the Arctic sea ice.

APECS-France will work with SCAR at the booth of the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI) at the Nordic Pavilion of COP21 to represent APECS, to communicate about Polar Research and Polar Research Outreach.

If you are a freshwater scientist or have been involved in freshwater research you are invited to participate in a survey to help shape the science priorities for Arctic freshwater science over the next decade.

Dr. Philip Blaen, of University of Birmingham, UK, and Paschale Bégin at Universite Laval, are conducting an online survey to identify future priorities for Arctic freshwater science from an early-career researcher perspective. This follows an interactive discussion, held during the latest Arctic Science Summit Week (Toyama, Japan; May 2015), in which delegates were invited to suggest important topics in Arctic freshwater science.

This survey is designed to understand which of these topics are considered most important by the next generation of Arctic researchers. We expect to submit the results for publication in the new open-access journal Arctic Science in early 2016.

Please click on the following link: http://goo.gl/forms/MkG3crza6E

For more information please feel free to contact Dr. Blaen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

“GAME OF FUNDINGS: A TALE OF SEEK AND F(O)UND” was the theme of the VI Workshop of Career Development of APECS Portugal. This year’s event took place at the very old and beautiful University of Évora, Portugal, and it was devoted to what is one of the main tasks in the life of many scientists: the search for funding!!

The morning was dedicated to traditional ways of get funding, and well as the national and international polar Institutions providing such kind of opportunities. Teresa Cabrita (Portuguese Polar Programme) and Huw Griffiths (British Antarctic Survey – attending by skype) lead us throught to the tricks and tips of funding opportunities, also providing valuable hints about the impact of human relations and career.

The afternoon focused on the less conventional but trendy methods of financing. Maria João Leão (Health Marathons/Maratonas da Saúde) and Pedro Pina (IST), introduced the participants to the exponential growth and success of fundraising and crowdfunding. Maria Leão, disclosed how involvement of society in science is currently booming, and Pedro Pina unveiled the “behind of scenes” of the great success on the 3D Antarctica project – a crowdfunding campaign to get a drone to study Antarctica.

APECS Portugal Workshop 2 2015

Polar Data Forum II Workshop The Canadian Polar Data Catalogue recently hosted a data management workshop for early career researchers on October 27, 2015, as part of the International Polar Data Forum II held in Waterloo, Canada. The workshop was co-organized by APECS and the Canadian ArcticNet Students’ Association, with additional support from the University of Waterloo. Gabrielle Alix, the data manager for the Polar Data Catalogue, led participants through a 3-hour crash course in sound principals of organizing data, creating metadata, and ensuring long-term preservation through careful documentation. After explaining the principles, participants were able to practice their new skills in a computer lab using their own datasets (or, for those who didn’t have data, on pre-arranged datasets that the Polar Data Catalogue provided). Gabrielle had given a shorter version of the workshop at the APECS World Summit in Bulgaria earlier this year, at which APECS members provided very useful feedback that was implemented for the recent longer workshop. The Polar Data Catalogue will also be sharing their knowledge regarding sound data management at a similar workshop during Student Day at the ArcticNet Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada this December.

Many of the students and early career researchers who participated in the workshop also had the chance to network with each other and mentors from the Polar sciences and data management fields the night before at an early career social night. The social was a great kick-off to the week, sparking many interesting conversations and creating a comfortable working environment that lasted for the remainder of the Polar Data Forum II. The Polar Data Forum II itself brought together more than one hundred researchers, northerners, policy makers, and data managers from around the world to discuss strategies for developing effective interdisciplinary stewardship of and access to Arctic and Antarctic data. There was a terrific showcase of current data management and open-access initiatives for the polar sciences, including those being created by and for various Inuit organizations. Major issues of discussion included long-term preservation, the development of international standards for sharing data between systems, and finding long-term funding for open-access databases and data rescue projects.

The Google Earth Engine Scholars program is a new travel scholarship program to support 15 students in the geoscientific fields who would like to attend AGU's Fall meeting, December 14-18, 2015, in San Francisco, CA.

Benefits:

Transportation, housing, and registration to the conference
Access to groundbreaking research presented at AGU
Networking opportunities
Opportunity to attend Earth Engine training

If you are an undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited college, university or community college in the US and at least 18 years old, we encourage you to apply.

Please read carefully through the information on the FAQ page before applying, then complete the application form. The application deadline is midnight PST November 24, 2015.

NRM641 Remote Sensing Applications Using ArcGIS

Spring 2016 3 credits

Dave Verbyla will be teaching s a distance-delivery class, primarily via taped video sessions and weekly ArcGIS assignments.

https://elearning.uaf.edu/course-details-2/?crn=37176

COURSE GOALS:

1) To explore changes in Alaska associated with climate warming in Alaska including greening of the arctic, browning of the boreal forest, mapping wildfire severity and hotspots, mapping shrinking lakes and coastal erosion, etc

2) To learn basic image processing methods using ArcGIS including panchromatic and color image display, image fusion, image georeferencing, change detection methods, supervised and unsupervised classification, and accuracy assessment methods.

3) To learn about sensors especially applicable to vegetation applications in Alaska including color infrared aerial photography, LIDAR, IFSAR,Landsat, MODIS, and AVHRR sensors and data products..

If you are interested please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This US National Science Foundation sponsored course will be held in Antarctica at Palmer Station (Antarctic Peninsula) in July 2016. The course is designed to train scientists who are interested in the study of extreme environments and the biology of Antarctic organisms. Applications are invited from graduate students currently enrolled in a PhD program and researchers who have an earned Ph.D. within the past five years. This is an international course, open to all nationalities. Partial scholarships are available to cover the cost of travel from home institution and full support is provided for room/board and science activities while in Antarctica. The emphasis of the Antarctic Biology Course is on integrative biology, with laboratory- and field-based projects focused on adaptations in an extreme polar environment. This program will also provide opportunities to understand and appreciate the complexities and logistical challenges of undertaking successful science in Antarctica. A diverse teaching faculty will offer students the opportunity to study a wide range of Antarctic organisms (bacteria, algae, invertebrates, and fish), using several different levels of biological analysis (molecular biology, physiological ecology, species diversity, and evolution). Deadline for receipt of completed applications is January 25, 2016. For more information and the on-line application see https://www.usfca.edu/arts-sciences/antarctic-biology-training-program and http://goo.gl/forms/aoNP63pRhF.

ICOP2016 workshop logo A “Young Researchers Workshop” will take place at the XI. International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP 2016). This workshop is organized as a joint effort of PYRN (Permafrost Young Researchers Network), APECS (Association of Polar Early Career Scientists), the young researcher representatives of the USPA (United States Permafrost Association), and ADAPT (Arctic Development and Adaptation to Permafrost in Transition).

The workshop aims at providing opportunities to young researchers to learn and build interdisciplinary knowledge:

how to get published in scientific journals (professional trainer)
practical methods and
essential soft skills.

For detailed information on the Young Researchers Workshop program, please download the program here.

The application deadline for abstract submission as well as the application for the workshop: December 1, 2015.

A letter of motivation stating why you are interested in participating in the ICOP and the workshop (500 words)
If you are part of a network (PYRN, IPA, APECS, USPA...), how are you involved? If you are not part of a network, are you interested to increase your activity e.g. for the future PYRN or APECS executive committee, council and/or national representation? (300 words)

Approval will be sent out until February 11, 2016 to successful applicants.

Link to the workshop page: http://icop2016.org/index.php/young-researcher-activities/young-researchers-workshop

Link to the workshop program: http://icop2016.org/images/pyrn/_Website_ICOP_2016_Young_Researcher_Workshop_Program.pdf

Mentorshipaward2016 As early career scientists, we all benefit from the continuous support, encouragement and experience from senior researchers. Now it’s time to give something back and publicly honor their mentoring and guidance: we are launching the APECS International Mentorship Award!

APECS would like to recognize and honor the efforts of their mentors within the international polar science community. This award has been created to acknowledge the time and energy that mentors dedicate to early career researchers each year, and their efforts in building a supportive community.

Would you like to acknowledge the help of your mentor? Do you know a researcher who has significantly contributed to shaping the futures of early career scientists? Do you know a mentor that has helped with APECS activities? Nominate them for the APECS International Mentorship Award and make our community aware of the outstanding scientists that support the next generation of Polar researchers.

For more details please visit the APECS International Mentorship Award page on the APECS website or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Nomination deadline is on 31 January 2016!

AntarcticaDayLogo The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), together with the Our Spaces - Foundation for the Good Governance of International Spaces, Polar Educators International, PolarTREC , the International Polar Foundation, Gateway Antarctica, the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operations, the UK Polar Network and the British Antarctic Survey are once again proud to support Antarctica Day commemorations. This event was created to celebrate the spirit of international peace and scientific cooperation that signified the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959.

Antarctica Day 2015 is an international effort to share knowledge about Antarctica. APECS is proud to take part, helping to inspire a new generation of polar researchers. The day is for everyone, so take some time to celebrate with your co-workers, family and friends!

This year will see many events and classroom activities take place, centered around Antarctic science and exploration. Who goes there? What happens in Antarctica? And why is Antarctica important to the planet as whole? We look forward to having these discussions all over the globe.

Are you planning to organise something for Antarctica Day? Send your activities to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so we can include them in our growing list of activities for Antarctica Day 2015

To include your support for Antarctica Day 2015 you can also insert your information in our map.

See all of what is happening on Antarctica Day 2015 on the APECS website.

Join Antarctica Day on Facebook

Happy Antarctica Day 2015 from APECS!

IACS

The International Association for Cryospheric Sciences (IACS) is proud to announce its 2016 Early Career Scientist Prize.

The IACS Early Career Scientist Prize is an annual cash prize of € 1000 awarded to a nominated early career scientist who is assessed as having published the best scientific paper on a cryospheric subject during the previous calendar year. The objective of the prize is to recognize excellence in cryospheric science by honouring and promoting someone in the early-stages of her or his career, and to draw attention to the work of IACS.

IACS now welcomes nominations of scientific papers satisfying the eligibility criteria (see guidelines on-line at http://www.cryosphericsciences.org/iacsECSP.html).

Please submit nomination packages until 12 February 2016 the latest to ecsprize (at) cryosphericsciences.org with the subject line labeled as "IACS: 2016 ECS Prize". All submissions will be acknowledged. If in doubt, please contact the Chair of the Selection Committee (rehock (at) alaska (dot) edu).

The Selection Committee will announce the winner late-March 2016 and the 2016 Prize will be formally presented an IACS affiliated conference in 2016.

This paper is a community paper contributed by 20 authors from multiple disciplines, including glaciology, geology, oceanography, atmospheric sciences, and climate. It reviews the current status of our knowledge, and highlights the knowledge gap, and discusses key directions of the future research. The inventorying work presented in the paper found 170 ice rises and 510 ice rumples, which is available at:
https://data.npolar.no/dataset/9174e644-3540-44e8-b00b-c629acbf1339

This is a direct output of an International Workshop on Antarctic Ice Rises in 2013, sponsered by SCAR's Standing Scientific Group of Physical Sciences, CliC, APECS, Research Council of Norway, British Antarctic Survey and Center for Ice, Climate and Echosystems of the Norwegian Polar Institute. We thank all of the workshop participants and the sponsers.

These paper/dataset as well as workshop presentation materials are downloadable from the workshop web site hosted by CliC.
http://www.climate-cryosphere.org/meetings/past/2013/ice-rises-2013/downloads

The 2015 edition of the Arctic Yearbook is now online at www.arcticyearbook.com . The theme of this year's edition is "Governing and Governance", including a comprehensive collection of peer-reviewed articles under the following sections: local, sub-national and national governance; Arctic regional governance; and international and global governance. Topics include issues such as energy resources, sustainable development, maritime affairs, foreign policy making, identities and indigenous self-determination, environmental regimes, Arctic Council politics, multi-level institutions, state and non-state cooperation, and security and defense policy.

The 2015 Arctic Yearbook includes 19 scholarly articles, 16 expert commentaries, and 7 briefing notes, from 68 authors from 18 countries. It is open access.

You can access AY2015 in various ways:

1. AY2015 Flip Book (ideal for tablets and smart phones). You can read the yearbook and share it via: https://www.joomag.com/magazine/arctic-yearbook-2015/0555303001444902597
2. At that same web address, you also have the option to download the full 455 page PDF.

3. Access individual PDFs of the articles, commentaries or briefing notes directly on our website at www.arcticyearbook.com.

uk polar network logo UKAAP logo2 On behalf of the UK Polar Network and the UK Arctic and Antarctic Partnership, we are looking into trying to improve support and address current issues for postdocs through this year within the UK research framework, and we'd like to see what the community thinks are the most pertinent questions and issues that are worth tackling.

If you have worked in the UK, plan to in the future, or work there now, please fill in a short questionnaire about how organisations like UKPN can better support postdocs in their research and life. Truly, this questionnaire is short! 5 questions are simply clicking boxes, and 2 questions needs a short paragraph--5 minutes max. You can answer this form anonymously, so please be as critical as need be!

The survey is open to anyone in the polar sciences community regardless of current stage of career: It's quite important that we get a variety of responses from as many people as possible. This will feed in to discussions in both UKPN and UKAAP, in which committee members are made up of early careers, senior lecturers and scientists, administrators, and funding agency (e.g. NERC, UKRC) representatives. So what you say will actually be heard by the relevant people that can actually make these changes.

We will keep this form open until the 18th November 2015, giving just under a month for you to fill in your responses.

Lastly, the link to the questionnaire: goo.gl/frJQ2D

The first ever UArctic Congress will take place in Saint Petersburg, Russia from September 12-16, 2016. Hosted by Saint Petersburg State University, the inaugural UArctic Congress 2016 will feature Science and Meeting sections.

We invite proposals for organizing scientific sessions for the UArctic Congress 2016. Proposals are encouraged to address one of the selected themes identified in the ICARP III (International Congress on Arctic Research Planning) statement.

Session proposals that explore interdisciplinarity or relate to education at any level are also welcome. A session runs for 1.5 hours, and can consist of oral or poster presentations, a panel discussion, or a combination of these.

For more information please visit the website.

The U.S. Embassy in Oslo, together with the Arctic Frontiers Secretariat, is excited to announce an opportunity for young U.S. citizens with a professional interest in the Arctic to learn more about the region. Deadline for Applications: November 5, 2015.

For more information see http://norway.usembassy.gov/emergingleaders2016.html

The enclosed Fall 2015 edition of the IASC Progress provides an overview of ongoing activities and initiatives of the five IASC Working Groups (WGs): Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social & Human and Terrestrial. IASC is engaged in all fields of Arctic research and the WGs are the main scientific working bodies. Their primary function is to encourage and support science-led circumarctic international programs by offering opportunities for planning and coordination, and by facilitating communication and access to facilities. Each WG is composed of up to two scientists from each IASC member country, appointed by the national adhering bodies, and engages Early Career Scientists through the IASC Fellowship Program.

Opportunity from Ice Core Young Scientists:

There will be a joint special issue of Climate of the Past and The Cryosphere in honor of the upcoming International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS) meeting in March 2015. The volume will be titled "International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences Second Open Science Conference (CP/TC Inter-Journal SI)". The special issue is already open to submissions, and the submission closing date is 20 May, 2016.

We are seeking several ECRs to be involved in the editorial process of this issue, each shadowing one of the main editors. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the editorial and publication process. If you are interested please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please provide a short (100 word) expression of interest and indicate which of the following editors/topics you would be most interested in shadowing.

List of editors/topics:
Eric Wolff (Chief editor, can cover most topics)
Michiel van den Broeke (meteorology, snow)
Barbara Stenni (isotopes)
Ed Brook (gases and much else)
Kumiko Goto-Azuma (chemistry)
Hou Shugui (non-polar cores and other topics)
Tas van Ommen (climate statistics and most topics)
Catherine Ritz (ice dynamics)

uk polar network logo arctic circle 2015

Are you going to Arctic Circle 2015 and want to meet other APECS members? Dwayne (UKPN committee member) has reserved the Sisimiut meeting space at the Harpa Conference Centre from 17:00 to 19:00 on Sunday, 18 October. Please come and join him to find out more about UKPN (and APECS).

SCAR 2016 LOGO NEW The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) would like to announce the Call for Abstracts for the SCAR 2016 Open Science Conference to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 22-26 August 2016. This conference will focus on Antarctica in the Global Earth System: From the Poles to the Tropics and how the changes that we are currently seeing in Antarctica will affect the rest of the world. It is sponsored by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia together with the Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation and the National Antarctic Research Centre, together with SCAR.

The conference programme, including sessions and descriptions, is now available on the conference website: http://scar2016.com/?page_id=3681.

The submission of abstracts is open until 14 February. We encourage those participating in Antarctic expeditions to submit abstracts early. Early bird registration ends on 5 May.

As the only international Antarctic research conference of its kind, this meeting brings together people and groups with various interests - and thus we are happy to provide the opportunity to hold side meetings together with this conference. If you would like to hold a side meeting, please fill out the form as soon as possible. Space is limited and allotted on a first come, first served basis: http://scar2016.com/?page_id=3355.

We would also like you to note that the SCAR Delegates meeting will be held after the Open Science Conference from 28-30 August, and the COMNAP XXVIII General Assembly will be held ‘near-by’ in Goa India, from 16-18 August 2016. More information can be found at https://www.comnap.aq/. So please plan accordingly.

We hope to see many of you in Kuala Lumpur!
http://www.scar.org/contacts/

The 11th International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP 2016) will be held in Potsdam, Germany, 20-24 June 2016. The conference aims at covering all relevant aspects of permafrost research, engineering and outreach on a global and regional level. Check out the conference trailer here: http://www.icop2016.org/index.php/medias/videos.

We hereby open the call for abstracts. Abstracts should be submitted online until 1 December 2015 via the external conference registration system ConfTool (https://www.conftool.pro/icop2016/). For this system you have to register (as user) to be able to start with the registration for the conference (as participant), to upload abstracts, register for local excursions and field trips and other events and meetings. Payments can be carried out by bank transfer, credit card (MasterCard and VISA) and via Paypal.

A list of sessions and their descriptions are available at http://www.icop2016.org/index.php/program/overview. Please note that a maximum of two abstracts can be submitted per first author, out of which only one can be a submission for oral presentation. Particularly, early-career researchers are encouraged to submit abstracts.

By 1 February 2016, authors will be informed about the decision on submitted abstracts. Depending on the number of accepted abstracts, sessions may be subject to cancellation or combination with other sessions. The final conference program will be released 15 April 2016.

Please note that the hotel registration is NOT included in the conference fee and needs to be done following the instructions on the website or via https://www.cbooking.de/v4/Login.aspx?id=hukg&allotmentcode=ICOP2016&lang=en

We look forward to receiving your submissions and registrations and to seeing you in Potsdam next June!

The ICOP 2016 Local Organizing Committee

On Oct 6th and 7th, 2015 I attended the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP)fall Management Committee meeting representing APECS and to present the APECS Canada application for increasedpartnership with NCP. The purpose of the fall meeting each year is for the management committee to review the mid-year reports, identify any challenges or problem areas, and make an action plan to address an issues that arise. The NCP management committee is made up of representatives from northern territorial and regional governments, indigenous people’s organizations, partners from other federal departments with interests in northern contaminant research and the chairs of the regional contaminants committees (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut).

One of the recurring themes throughout the meeting was the desire for projects to develop communication plans and to increase the inclusion of traditional knowledge in research plans. The management committee also went through mid-year reviews of the projects and identified several that needed assistance in meeting their annual goals in these regards.

The NCP annual results workshop this year will be held in conjunction with the ArcticNet Annual Science Meeting in Vancouver, BC. The goal of this annual workshop is to have researchers, community members, and the wider NCP community to get together and discuss updates, results and future plans. The management committee discussed what the theme will be for the annual results workshop, how to better engage northern participants in the workshop, and tried to maximize the funds that will be available for travel for partners to attend the conference.

Lastly, I presented the NCP management committee with the proposal developed by a working group from the APECS Canada board in increase involvement of APECS members. Due to multiple applicants applying for a seat on the management committee it was determined that a more in-depth discussion beyond the meeting was needed to properly evaluate the applications. We hope to hear back from NCP in late November regarding APECS involvement.

apecs brasil logo APECS-Brazil published its newsletter from January to June, that is available on www.apecsbrasil.com/informativo. Read the news and know how to take part in the contest for the logo of the "IV Symposium APECS-Brazil: legacy and perspectives of the Madrid Protocol" that will occur in 2016 at the University of Brasilia. The winner will be invited to attend the event, with the costs paid by APECS-Brazil.

CBMP wksp The Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring steering committee held a 3-day workshop in Sonnerupgaard, Denmark October 5-8^th, 2015. This workshop provided the opportunity for the freshwater expert network to coordinate their efforts on an international level to ensure consistency in assessment and reporting efforts during the creation of the first national State of Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity Reports (SAFBR), due to be completed in 2017. The freshwater expert network consists of nearly 30 scientists from 8 countries representing most the circumpolar member states. The group has a large breadth of expertise, covering both river and lake ecology, from plankton, macrophysics, to invertebrates, through to fish.

Screen shot 2015 10 14 at 10.26.39 AM

The large scope of expertise contributed to interesting discussions on topics such as: key environmental stressors, assessment questions, analytical approaches, incoporating Taditional Knowledge, and country- or regional- specific strengths in data collection.

It was a productive meeting, and provided good insight into the complexities of building international monitoring programs. By the end of the workshop, we had a plan and timeline for moving forward with the freshwater State of the Arctic Report. Thank you to CAFF and the Freshwater Steering Committee for including an APECS member to the workshop.

The Arctic Observing Summit 2016 is calling for White Papers and Brief Statements to identify to help guide discussions during the AOS Thematic Working Group sessions. White paper authors may be invited to give presentations during AOS 2016, and a synthesis of white paper issues will inform recommendations and action items adopted at the Summit and conveyed to Arctic Council Working Groups and other local, national and international bodies overseeing, supporting or carrying out sustained Arctic observations.

Community input was invited during the inaugural AOS in 2013 and Thematic Working Groups prepared synthesis documents and recommendations for the design and implementation of a system of Arctic observing systems, and to guide future Summits. Please visit our AOS 2013 link for examples of input submitted previously.

Deadline for White Paper submission and submission of abstracts for poster presentations is October 18, 2015 at the AOS 2016 website: www.arcticobservingsummit.org

Call for Organizing Committee Nominations by November 6, 2015
Advancing Integrated, Cross-cutting Practices for Arctic Flux Observations in Terrestrial Environments

Please submit nominations to: Eugenie Euskirchen This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Additional questions may also be directed to: Sandy Starkweather, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Luca Belelli Marchesini, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

An international workshop is being proposed to bring together the expertise and resources of the Atmospheric, Cryospheric and Terrestrial communities that conduct energy, moisture and carbon flux observations in Arctic terrestrial environments. A series of formal and informal discussions and previous terrestrial flux workshops have identified the following topics where progress could be made:

Frame pan-Arctic synthesis science questions to address as an interdisciplinary community considering in particular what can be done with the existing set of Arctic flux observations.
Identify inter-operable data products (and the collaboration infrastructure that will support their development) that could address these questions; focusing across the current pan-Arctic infrastructure of Arctic flux observations; considering Arctic-specific constraints; involving the relevant range of disciplines as well as the modeling and satellite community in data product design. Develop strategies for data product design that promotes data sharing, but also facilitates spatial-temporal scaling. Address how data will be documented and accessed.
Develop consistent practices for site (land surface and subsurface) characterization across the current locations where flux measurements are made; consider consistent practices for up-scaling.
Identify and champion expansion of observational capacity of terrestrial cryosphere, ecosystems and atmosphere in under-sampled processes and regions.

For further background on the initiative, see: http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/iasoa/sites/default/files/IASOA%20Surface%20Flux%20WG%20Prospectus%20v.05.07.2014.pdf

A starting point for developing collaborative research objectives and refining community interest would be an open workshop in 2016. Given the complexity and interdisciplinarity of this challenge, the initiating group would like to solicit nominations from the international science community for organizing committee members for this workshop. Relevant expertise for this committee would include:

A background in acquiring, processes or applying “flux” observations
Experience with characterizing Arctic landscapes and addressing up-scaling issues
A background in cryospheric observations of the surface and sub-surface, including a background in permafrost physics
An interest in using terrestrial flux observations to validate model outputs
Experience with the following projects: PAGE21, ICOS, Ameriflux, Fluxnet, GTN-P
A background in data management related to flux or permafrost observations
Early career nominations welcome

Time line:
November 2015 – February 2016: Teleconferences (3) to broadly establish workshop objectives
March 2016: Half day in-person organizing committee meeting in conjunction with Fairbanks-2016, Arctic Summit Science Week/Arctic Observing Summit meetings
April – October 2016: Workshop development & logistics
November 2016: Workshop

Registration Available

2016 Arctic Science Summit Week & Arctic Observing Summit
March 12-20, 2016
Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

Register online: https://assw2016.org/register
Early-Bird Deadline: 20 December 2015
Final Deadline: 12 February 2016

Meeting Description:
Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) is the annual gathering of international organizations involved in Arctic research. The Summit provides opportunities for coordination, collaboration and cooperation in all areas of Arctic science, and to combine science and management meetings to save on travel and time. The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) chairs the Arctic Science Summit Week, and meetings include IASC Working Groups and several additional open and closed meetings. More information: https://assw2016.org

The Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) is a high-level, biennial summit that aims to build a common vision for sustained, long-term observations of the Arctic and serve as a forum for the planning and coordination of such measurements. Organized by the International Study of Arctic Change (ISAC), the Summit brings together researchers, stakeholders and funding agency representatives to facilitate the design, implementation, coordination and sustained long-term (decades) operation of an international network of Arctic observing systems. More information: http://www.arcticobservingsummit.org

For questions or more information:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For the first time in its history, the APECS Executive Committee decided that a critical review of the organization should be undertaken in order to develop a strategy for the development of the organization in the coming years. The ExCom appointed a committee to conduct this review, consisting of 8 people, both members and mentors of APECS.

The review consisted of informal interviews as well as a comprehensive survey of APECS members, mentors, and the wider polar community. The survey received over 200 responses from 29 different countries. After multiple virtual meetings, on the committee met in person alongside ASSW2015 in Toyama, Japan to discuss major results and outcomes of the survey and agree on recommendations for future strategic actions listed below.

Recommendations for APECS included:

Moving to a more project-based operational strategy
Consider new avenues of funding
Continuing to stimulate the interdisciplinary
Maintaining high standards of communication
Expanding the APECS membership
Focusing on core skill development and resource offerings
Making the APECS leadership more open and transparent
And considering future trends in polar research

To see more in-depth data from the survey, as well as the text of the survey itself, and more about the organization review process, please read the committee’s full report. APECS has already begun to implement recommendations from the committee (for example, in restructuring its Council). Continue to keep an eye out for more changes as APECS continues to innovate into the future. As always, if you have feedback for APECS, don’t hesitate to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.!

Polar Data Forum II: International Collaboration for Advancing Polar Data Access and Preservation
27-29 October 2015 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

The Polar Data Forum II (PDF II) provides an opportunity for collaboration to organizations and individuals preserving, providing access to, and using valuable Arctic and Antarctic data and information. We welcome data managers, Arctic and Antarctic scientists, students, Aboriginal and northern residents, funding agency representatives, and others interested in improving management of polar and other data. The Forum will be held in conjunction with meetings of the Arctic Data Committee (ADC) of the International Arctic Science Committee and Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (IASC/SAON), the Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management (SC-ADM) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), and a variety of other organizations and groups.

For further information, including the Provisional Agenda, please see: http://www.polar-data-forum.org

The FINAL Registration deadline is this Friday, 9 October 2015
To register online, go to: http://www.polar-data-forum.org/registration

Please forward this message to interested colleagues.

Thank you, and we hope to see you in Waterloo!

—Polar Data Forum II Advisory and Organizing Committees and many generous partner and sponsor organizations

On the occasion of the International Polar Week observed the world over by Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), WII-ENVIS centre in collaboration with Indian Polar Research Network (APECSIndia) and Dolphin Institute of Biomedical and Natural Sciences organized a one-day event at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) on 24 September 2015. The event featured talks from scientists and researchers working in the Himalayan landscape and Antarctica. A photography workshop and bird and plant identification nature walk was also held as the side-events. The event was attended by around 80 graduate and post-graduate students from the Dolphin Institute, several researchers, faculty members and staff of the Wildlife Institute of India.

The event was initiated with a brief introduction of the organizers by IPRN members, Rupa and Gitanjali. Dr. Vinod B Mathur (Director, WII) inaugurated the event by providing a background on the research in the Polar Regions by WII and significance of these studies for the youth. The first presentation of the event was on Conservation Strategies for Himalayan Biodiversity by eminent botanist and alpine ecologist Dr. Gopal S Rawat (Senior Professor, WII). Dr Rawat introduced the diverse faunal and floral forms found in the Himalayas to the audience and issues affecting their conservation. He talked in depth about the ecosystem services provided by these species in the greater Himalayan region
stressing on the areas where research in needed. He extolled the youth to come forward as professional in the field to address issues such as alien invasive species and illegal trade.

The second talk of the day was by IPRN Vice-president Anant Pande (Senior Research Fellow, WII) titled Life in the Freezer on the varied life forms found in Antarctica including the humans. Anant explained about the challenges faced by scientists and support staff in Antarctica while working in extreme conditions. He talked about the variety of species diversity in the cold desert of Antarctica many of which are relatively unknown to the general public.

The last presentation of the day was an interactive workshop on Basics of Photography by Mr. Sougata Sadhukhan. Sougata introduced the basic concepts of capturing the best photographs using simple examples from daily life. He explained in detail the usage of aperture, framing and rules for making the best use of one’s equipment.

The participants of the event were taken on a nature walk in the serene campus of Wildlife Institute of India. The walk was led by Monika Kaushik (Ornithologist) and Amit Kumar (IPRN member, UGC Senior Research Fellow) for identification of birds and plants found in the Himalayan foothills respectively. Monika showed several species of birds to the participants while creating a checklist for future reference and explaining the importance of common species in our life. The participants were also exposed to developing skills and right equipment needed to identify birds. Amit displayed the common but relatively lesser known species of plants found in the region. He elucidated the distinguishing characters of medicinal herbs and grasses to the forestry students of the Dolphin Institute. The trail walk was enjoyed by all the participating students and researchers while also learning new skills in the field.

See some pictures from the event here.

Polar Educators International (PEI), a vibrant network promoting polar education and research to a global community, is pleased to announce the fourth in the Master Class Series targeting a dual audience:

Educators seeking cutting-edge professional development on the latest science discoveries
Researchers interested in learning proven strategies for communicating scientific concepts in a clear and meaningful way to non-technical audiences

What will happen to penguins and other Antarctic animals: Evidence of climate change in Antarctica from a marine perspective, features leading researcher, Dr. Jose Xavier, and polar educator, Patricia Azinhaga.

Webinar date/time: Monday, 26 October, 2015 at 2100 GMT/UTC

Registrations are due by 21 October 2015

NOTE: if you are unable to take part in the live webinar, you can still take part in the Master Class by watching the archived version which will be posted on the PEI website discussion group after 27, October 2015—registration is required.

Online discussion forum will follow the web seminar: 28 October-4 November, 2015

Cost: Free to all participants. (Membership in PEI is required for participation in Master Class activities.)

Further information on how to participate is available at: http://www.polareducator.org/activities/master-class

The European Polar Board Strategy Action Group would like to solicit input from all EPB stakeholders regarding future strategic direction of the European Polar Board. Your views will help the Action Group to develop a clear vision of the objectives and expectations for EPB. Your feedback will form an important input for creating the next EPB Strategic Plan. Please help us by filling out a short form (5 questions only!):

The last date for providing your input is Friday, 30th of October.

In case of any queries, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The IASC Fellowship Program is meant to engage ECS in the work of the IASC Working Groups (WGs): Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social & Human and Terrestrial. Each year, one Fellow per WG is chosen. IASC Fellows are doctoral or postdoctoral researchers who actively participate in selected activities of the IASC WGs. They are expected to scientifically contribute but also to help organizing specific activities and to coordinate the reporting to the IASC Secretariat. Thus, the Fellowship Program provides the opportunity for ECSs to become involved in leading-edge scientific activities at a circumarctic and international level, to build an international network of contacts and also to develop management skills.

The total duration of the IASC Fellowship Program is 1+2 years. In their first year, selected Fellows will receive travel support to attend two consecutive Arctic Science Summit Weeks (ASSWs) where the annual WG meetings are held. After the first year, Fellows have the opportunity to stay involved for up to 2 more years without dedicated funding support from IASC and the further involvement is individually decided by the WG Steering Group and the Fellow. Note: The travel support during the first fellowship year is the only financial remuneration for the fellows. Salary is not included during the fellowship.

For more information please see http://iasc.info/home/iasc/iasc-fellowship-program or contact the IASC Fellowship Coordinator Maja Lisowska: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For this round of applications, interested ECSs have to fulfill the following criteria:

PhD student/candidate or postdoctoral researcher (up to 5 years past the PhD)
able to commit to participating in the activities of one of the IASC WGs for at least 12 months from March 2016 to April 2017.
able to attend the two upcoming ASSWs: 12–18 March 2016 in Fairbanks (Alaska, USA) and 31 March -7 April 2017 in Prague (Czech Republic)
located in an IASC member country (Austria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark / Greenland, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA)
have a very good command of English

How to apply:

If you are interested in this amazing opportunity then please send us:

A full CV
A statement of interest including:
- your research background
- why you are interested in becoming an IASC Fellow
- which IASC WG you would like to join and why you are interested in that particular WG

Please send your application to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than 12 GMT on 15 November 2015. Successful applicants will be notified before the end of the year.

FRAM Science Days, 10-11th November 2015, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway

“Multi-stressors in the Arctic Marine Ecosystem”

Deadlines: Registration, poster abstract, and applications for Young Scientist FRAM travel grant is the 10th of October in 2015 on this link

Present a poster! Apply for Young Scientist Travel Awards. See updates.

Confirmed speakers and titles:

Jackie Grebmeier, University of Maryland Centre for Environmental Science, USA “Multi-stressors in a changing Arctic Ocean”
Helen Johnson, University of Bergen and University of Oxford , UK. “Changes in ocean –glacier dynamics affecting the Arctic system”
Howard Browman, Institute of Marine Research, Norway. “Applying organized skepticism to ocean acidification research, or some marine organisms will do just fine in a high CO2 world”
Angela Wulff, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. “Primary producers in a changing Arctic - some do not care”
Catriona Clemmesen-Bockelmann, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR), Germany. “Effect on recruitment on Atlantic cod under end-of-century ocean acidification”
Mats Granskog, Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway. “Changes in sunlight exposure in the Arctic Ocean – potential effects on biogeochemistry”
Hallvard Strøm, Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway. “The importance of tidewater glaciers for marine mammals and seabirds”
Sissel Andersen, Institute of Marine Research, Norway. “Can carbon captured in primary production be a way to counteract anthropogenic CO2-emission?”
Martin Biuw, Akvaplan-niva, Norway. ”Herring and whale superabundance in North Norway fjords: Opportunities and challenges for local fisheries, tourism and aquaculture”
Hartvig Christie, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Norway.
Randi Ingvaldsen, Institute of Marine Research, Norway. “Future fisheries in a changing Arctic Ocean?”

Theme:
The Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas and coasts are currently undergoing unprecedented changes reflected in summer sea ice decline, warming, increased Atlantic water heat transport, freshening, retreat of glaciers, and ocean acidification. These changes are affecting the chemical and physical environment such as stratification, nutrient availability, air-sea gas exchange and light conditions. Consequently, these changes will impact the primary and secondary production and subsequently the whole marine ecosystem.

The 1st FRAM Science Days, taking place the 10-11th November 2015 in Tromsø, northern Norway, focus on the theme “Multi-stressors in the Arctic Marine Ecosystem”, and presents some of the research that have been performed during the first four years in the Fram Centre flagships programs.
Invited keynote speakers will introduce and describe several aspects of the occurring changes in the biogeochemical processes and the marine ecosystems in the Arctic Ocean, and in the transition zones such as the Barents Sea and high north coastal systems.
The conference includes sessions to encourage and stimulate discussions. Topics will include effect and trends in ocean acidification, potential changes in the advection of water masses, increased freshening and glacial melt water input, air-sea CO2 interaction, warming, changing sea ice, land- ocean interaction and impacts on the marine ecosystems in a changing climate.

Some research questions to be addressed in the talks and posters:

What are the major changes in the Arctic Ocean with consequence for the marine ecosystem?
Is the Arctic freshening? And what are the consequences of a fresher Arctic Ocean on the ecosystem?
Will the vanishing summer sea ice cover have consequences for the ecosystem?
Are there likely changes on the primary and secondary production?
How will fish and higher trophic levels respond to multiple environmental stressors?
Adaptation?
Do we have evidence for northward mass migration of benthos, fish, mammals, birds?

Registration: There is no registration fee for this event. All meals and social events are sponsored by the Fram Centre. The conference is limited to 200 participants and registration is necessary.

Deadlines: Registration, abstract deadline and applications for Young Scientist FRAM travel grant is the 10th of October in 2015 on this link.

Conference chairs and organizers:

Melissa Chierici (IMR and Fram Centre, Flagship leader “Ocean Acidification”)
Lis Jørgensen (IMR and Fram Centre, Flagship leader “Coast and Fjord”)
Laura de Steur (NPI and Fram Centre, “The Arctic Ocean”)
Jo Aarseth (Fram Centre, Flagship coordinator)
Helge Markusson (Fram Centre, outreach coordinator)

The U.S. Permafrost Association will be awarding up to eight travel grants between $500-$1000 for U.S. based students and post-graduate researchers (within six years of their terminal degree) to attend the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2015. The applicant must be first author on a permafrost-related research presentation at AGU. Preference will be given to an applicant who possesses both USPA and PYRN memberships. Two of the grants are reserved for engineering disciplines. Undergraduate students are encouraged to apply.

The application can be found at www.uspermafrost.org or by emailing Jennifer Frederick at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The application is due October 30th 2015 at midnight Pacific Standard Time.

Learn how to manage your data! The Polar Data Catalogue is hosting a FREE 3-hour data management workshop on Tuesday, October 27th at the University of Waterloo, Canada, in conjunction with APECS and the ArcticNet Students' Association. The workshop is geared specifically towards early career researchers and graduate students. Bring your own data if you have it, and learn hands-on lessons about: the principles of sound data management; how to access, use and contribute to free open-source databases; how to store your data for long-term preservation; open discussion about ethical data sharing practices. Participation in the workshop includes access to a pre-workshop social the night before, where participants will have the chance to network with each other and with internationally-recognized data managers and researchers in the polar sciences fields. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and capped at 30 people. If interested, please contact Ashley Stasko (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) before October 9th.

ARCUS would like to encourage your participation in the 2015 Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting, Nov 17-19, Seattle, WA.

Travel awards are available to support early-career scientist participation. Limited funding is available for airfare, lodging, and per diem. An early career scientist is defined as one who is either a current student or within the first five years of completing their most recent degree (graduate or undergraduate) in study of the Arctic region.

Travel award applications, due 9 October 2015, are available here: http://www.arcus.org/search-program/meetings/2015/aoosm/travel-support

USAPECS and the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) will review applications. Award announcements will be made by Thursday, 15 October 2015. The number of awards is dependent upon funding. Please contact Judy Fahnestock, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., with any questions.

A complete announcement for the meeting is below:

——————————————————

Organizers of the 2015 Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting announce a call for abstract submissions and registration.

The meeting will be held 17-19 November 2015 in Seattle, Washington.

The Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting will bring together individuals and teams involved in the collection, processing, analysis, and use of observations in the Arctic from academia, agencies, industry, and other organizations.

The goals of the Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting are to:

- Present and discuss scientific findings and advances resulting from Arctic observing projects;

- Discuss operational and technological achievements of observing programs funded through local, state, and federal agencies and private and non-profit organizations;

- Explore how well new observational achievements meet major science goals;

- Identify opportunities for collaboration to develop high-impact data synthesis products and papers; and

- Strengthen the goals, identity, and activities of an integrated Arctic Observing System.

APECS has released its annual report for the period of October 2014 to September 2015! It includes:

report about the APECS leadership and National Committees in 2014-2015
APECS event highlights
reports about APECS projects, webinars and other online activities and publications
and news from some of the APECS Sponsors and Partners

The full report can be accessed here or in our APECS publications database. We hope you enjoy reading it!

Thank you also to the many dedicated members and mentors who volunteered their time over the past year to help us achieve continued success in shaping the future of polar research!

Our Spaces logo

Antarctica Day is rapidly approaching! It is held on 1 December as this was the day in 1959 when the Antarctic Treaty was ratified.

Continuing in this spirit of international cooperation, APECS in conjunction with, UK Polar Network and Our Spaces, once again invites educators and their students from around the world to express their own knowledge, curiosity and amazement about this incredible frozen continent in the form of Antarctica Flags and Books and to offer the chance for students to see their flags displayed at research camps in Antarctica!

For more details and ideas for classroom activities please click here.

We would like to emphasise that submissions to us can only be up to 5 flags per school or classroom and need to be submitted by early November – if you would like to submit your flags to us, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. where she will provide you a Google Drive link on reply.

ELOKA2015 GroupPic The ELOKA Workshop Sharing Knowledge: Traditions, Technologies and Taking Control of Our Future took place from September 22-24th 2015 in sunny Boulder, Colorado (USA). ELOKA is an US National Science Foundation funded project initiated during the IPY (2007/08), based at the National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado at Boulder. This project has hosted a variety of workshops across North America since its inception, as it is in its Phase III and currently aiming for renewal (Phase IV) to continue to implement its objectives;

In Boulder, the Sharing Knowledge workshop organizers aimed to bring together project members and partners to discuss the status and progress of ELOKA initiatives, particularly to discuss challenges related to Indigenous Knowledge and Data Management. APECS was invited to participate at this ELOKA workshop and I was able to attend the meeting as a representative. My first impressions of the three day workshop were positive through and through, as attendees were highly diverse in their personal and professional backgrounds. The ~30 attendees (see group foto) of the workshop travelled to Boulder from as far as Finland, Nunavut (Canada), and as near as from local Native American tribal lands.

ELOKA NeverAlone 2015 The workshop started with a Welcome Ceremony and prayer by Jerry Fillspipe of the Oglala Lakota tribe. The following three workshop days featured several short panel presentations, media demos, and workshop activities that facilitated cross-cultural exchange and conversation. Thanks to the small group of participants and the open format of the sessions, much discussion was possible on all topics presented. Focal points of the discussions were the use of various information and communications technologies (ICTs) and social media to document, preserve, share, and exchange Indigenous Knowledge (IK) in their communities and beyond. The first day crystalized challenges related to web-based data and how to make these accessible to a diversity of users (e.g., Elders, youth, public and/or scientists). The second day highlighted the pros and cons of new multimedia applications, such as short films, video games, and social media; the presentation of the video game ‘Never Alone’ (see demo scene below), which is design around Iñupiat culture, was a personal workshop highlight for me – who gets to play video games as part of an Arctic workshop? The diverse scales of issues were at the centre of the third day of the workshop – with presentations on exemplary local research projects on Indigenous Knowledge, to national programs and initiatives, to international efforts and challenges in data management. Of particular interest to APECS was a presentation by the Youth Arctic Coalition (YAC), as this coalition brings together the perspectives of Arctic Youth on issues relevant to the Arctic. I felt that APECS and YAC could work well together, as joint initiatives would include and reach both southern and northern youth’s perspectives. Near the end of the meeting, I was able to give a brief presentation on behalf of APECS membership (of ~5100) on related APECS working groups and activities and highlight recent publications by APECS Canada members (Tondu et al. 2014). At the end of the workshop, a summary document was created during a brain storming and reflection session highlighting the main topics and themes that were discussed during the workshop and can build a basis for future discussions. The workshop ended with Closing Ceremony and prayer by Jerry Fillspipe.

Looking ahead, the Second Polar Data Forum (PDF II, 27-29 October 2015) will be held in Waterloo, Ontario (Canada) and provides the next opportunity to present ideas from this workshop and ELOKA initiatives to an international audience. Moreover, there might be exciting opportunities for APECS members to further partner with ELOKA activities. The University of Colorado at Boulder was an excellent location for this workshop, and welcomed the international delegates who all seemed to be enjoying themselves in the vibrant college town (see below)!

ELOKA Boulder 2015 NGantner

apecs logo web APECS is excited to announce that another leadership term has begun on 1 October 2015!

APECS Executive Committee 2015-2016:

APECS’ nineth Executive Committee (ExCom) is now in place and ready to continue to shape the polar world.

Alice Bradley (University of Colorado Boulder, United States)
Ruth Vingerhagen (Hindshaw) (University of St. Andrews, United Kingdom)
Heather Mariash (National Wildlife Research Centre, Canada)
Hanne Nielsen (University of Tasmania, Australia)
Tristy Vick-Majors (Montana State University, United States)

have been elected to form the ExCom, the main leadership body of APECS. Jean-Sébastien Moore (Canada) and Yulia Zaika (Russia) will serve as ex-officios and support the new ExCom over the coming year. And of course, Gerlis Fugmann, the APECS Executive Director will continue to support and foster the group from the Directorate office in Tromsø, Norway.

More information on the APECS 2015-2016 Executive Committee can be found here.

APECS President 2015-2016:

With a new term, comes a new president, and this year Ruth Vingerhagen (Hindshaw) will be taking on this role. Ruth is currently a Marie Curie Fellow at the University of St. Andrews but will soon be moving to the University of Cambridge. She uses metal isotope tracers (Ca, Sr, Li) in stream water, together with the analysis of rock/sediment samples and laboratory experiments to understand biogeochemical processes in polar environments, in particular how chemical weathering is affected by glaciation. She has been involved in APECS leadership for the past two years and is a member of the UK Polar Network committee.

APECS Council 2015-2016:

In 2015-2016 the APECS Council is made up of 32 very enthusiastic members from 17 countries: Adam Campbell(New Zealand), Jennifer Cooper (USA), Kristina Creek (USA), Archana Dayal (India), Alena Dekhtyareva (Norway), Rachel Downey (Germany), Ivan Dubinenkov (Germany / Russia), Friederike Gehrmann (Finland), Vikram Goel (Norway), Gunnar Mar Gunnarsson (Iceland / UK), Svenja Halfter (Germany), Lara Hughes-Allen (USA), Ming Jing (China), Alia Khan (USA), Nikita Kuprikov (Russia), Elena Kuznetsova (Norway), Béatrice Laudet (France), Lydie Lescarmontier (France / Australia), Juliana Marson (Canada), Claudia Maturana (Chile), Ellorie McKnight (Canada), Mar Fernandez Mendez (Norway), Bernabé Moreno (Peru), Karolina Paquin (Norway), Sara Strey (USA), Paul Suprenand (USA), Zuzanna Swirad (UK), Alex Thornton (USA), Laura Thurston (USA), Anna Varfolomeeva (Russia/Hungary), Matthias Wietz (Germany), Scott Zolkos (Canada). Additionally, Allen Pope (USA), and Mariette Wheeler (South Africa) remain on the Council in ex-officio roles.

More information on the APECS 2015-2016 Council can be found here.

"Arctic Snapshots connects researchers from different northern research stations so they can network, share ideas, and learn about each other’s research.” (E. McKnight, U. Alberta)

This summer, APECS launched a new initiative: Arctic Snapshots. Arctic Snapshots is a series of online webinars between researchers in Arctic earth, biological, and social sciences at different field stations. The main objectives of Arctic Snapshots are: (i) for scientists to share the excitement of their research; (ii) to promote networking between researchers; (iii) for participants - particularly young scientists - to gain experience presenting their research.

In its first year, Arctic Snapshots engaged more than 30 participants from seven field stations across four countries. Participants had a diversity of scientific experience, ranging from graduate students to field assistants to professors. Despite various backgrounds and research foci, a common thread was participants’ enthusiasm for their research and for sharing it. This enthusiasm sparked questions, sharing of knowledge and ideas, and informal invitations to continue conversations and perhaps even visit other stations. This year, participating stations included (Fig. 1):

1. Abisko Scientific Research Station (Abisko, Sweden)
2. Arctic Station (Disko Island, Greenland/Denmark)
3. Churchill Northern Studies Centre (Churchill, Canada)
4. Khibiny Educational and Scientific Station (Murmansk Region, Russia)
5. Kluane Lake Research Station (Yukon Territory, Canada)
6. McGill Arctic Research Station (Axel Hieberg Island, Canada)
7. Western Arctic Research Centre (Inuvik, Canada)

A list of all the presentations is available here. The recordings will be made available in the APECS Webinar Database.

What’s next for Arctic Snapshots? Plans are underway for Arctic Snapshots 2016. The format will remain the same: participants deliver a 5-minute presentation, aimed at facilitating critical thought and communication about the relevance of the their research. Presentations can include research methods, findings, or an introduction to the research. Arctic Snapshots 2016 will hopefully include more field stations across the Arctic, so stay tuned. If you are interested in participating, or would like your field station to be involved, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.!

Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Ellorie McKnight, Yulia Zaika, Erika Hille, Dr. Chris Omelon, Dr. Kirsten Christofferson, Keith Larson, and Sian Williams. Arctic Snapshots would not have been possible without their generosity in helping with logistics.

The Northern Forum is a non-profit, international organization composed of sub-national or regional governments from eight northern countries.

Northern regions share characteristics that set them apart from other areas of the world. These include:

Economies based upon the extraction of natural resources.
Lack of internal capital resources.
Limited infrastructural development.
Harsh climates and vulnerable ecosystems.
Diverse and relatively strong indigenous cultures.
Sparse populations.

Such complex factors create unique challenges for regional Governors and other executives.

From throughout the North, the Northern Forum brings these leaders together to address common political, environmental and economic issues.

The Northern Forum developed from a Northern Regions Conference held in 1990 in Anchorage, Alaska, attended by more than 600 delegates from 10 countries.

The Forum was formally established in November 1991.

For more information please check the Northern Forum's website or visit its Facebook page.

This year Northern Forum will host its 12th General Assembly in Yakutsk, November 4-6. The main goal of the meeting is to discuss and outline main perspectives and challenges for interregional cooperation in the changing World realities, all aimed to a same goal - to maintain and achieve new heights in making the North a convenient, friendly and safe place to live.

The General Assembly is attended by Governors and representatives of the Northern Forum member regions from State of Alaska (USA), Sakha Republic, Khanty-Mansiyskiy AO, Yamalo-Nenetskiy AO, Chukotskiy AO (Russia), Kamchatskiy Kray; Town of Akureyri (Iceland), Gangwon Province (Republic of Korea), Lapland (Finland); business partners, project coordinators and participants. Representatives from other regions, the Arctic Council observer organizations, other international organizations and Arctic business circles are also invited to the event.

For more information on Assembly please check this page.

The following early career researchers served on the 2014-2015 Council. In addition, the members of the APECS Executive Committee 2014-2015 are also part of the Council: Jean-Sébastien Moore, Ivan Dubinenkov, Ruth Hindshaw, Heather Mariash, Trista Vick-Majors as well as Jennifer Provencher (ex-offio), and Yulia Zaika (ex-officio).

We would also like to recognize our past leaders as they continue to serve our organization as Ex-Officio members of the Council: Russell Fielding (USA), Christie Logvinova (USA / Russia), Allen Pope (USA), Kim Jochum (USA), Tosca Ballerini (France), Alexey Pavlov (Norway) and Mariette Wheeler (South Africa).

Hanne Nielsen - Australia – Council Co-Chair 2014-2015

University of Tasmania
Hanne Nielsen is a PhD student at the University of Tasmania, working on a project entitled 'Not for sale? Symbolic representations of Antarctica for commercial purposes.' This project involves examining adverts that use Antarctica to sell products and experiences, and looking at the different ways Antarctica has been used as a symbol for a range of ideas. She has also worked as a guide on Antarctic tour ships, lecturing on human interactions with the southern continent. As an active member of the New Zealand Antarctic Society, Hanne enjoys sharing her passion for the Southern Continent with all those who will listen. Hanne speaks English and German and graduated from the University of Auckland with a BA (Hons) in English and German literature in 2011. In her spare time she enjoys travelling, writing and exploring the outdoors.
Michael Laiho - United Kingdom - Council Co-Chair 2014-2015

Durham University
I am a half British, half Finnish, with an interest in cosmopolitanism, equality and global environmental and social justice. Between 2009-10 I studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), London, and obtained an MSc. in European Studies: Ideas and Identities at the European Institute. After graduating in London I moved to Turku, Finland, to complete my military conscription service and in 2012 started a Doctoral programme in International Relations at the University of Lapland's Arctic Centre, Rovaniemi. The primary focus of my Doctoral thesis was the relevance of Arctic governance for the European Union's energy policy. However, I did not stay in Finland to complete this thesis: during 2013 I took part in an Erasmus student exchange for four months, where I studied and gave lectures at the Metropolitan University of Prague (MUP), Czech Republic, on European Security and Defence and Energy Policy-Making; next I took part in a North2North student exchange for four months, where I studied Polar Law at the University of Akureyri, Iceland, and worked as an intern at the Stefansson Arctic Institute, assisting Dr. Joan Nymand Larsen with editing the Arctic Social Indicators (ASI) and Arctic Human Development Report (AHDR); and finally, in 2014, I left the Arctic Centre to begin a new, exciting Doctoral programme at Durham University's Department of Geography, in the UK. Nowadays, my postgraduate research still involves a critique of EU policy-making, although it does so against the grain of International Relations scholarship, thematically deconstructing discourse on 'Arctic space' from a post-structural lens. Both critical geopolitics and political ecology contribute the most to my theoretical approach. In my spare time I enjoy marathon running and swimming but would like to take up cycling, diving and learn to play the violin again. This year I will be organising the Durham Marxist Society and taking part in other exciting social events. I also enjoy micro-blogging about Arctic Space @https://twitter.com/arcticspace and life in general @https://twitter.com/LaihoMika.
Jennifer Balmer - United States

Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme
Jennifer Balmer is an environmental toxicologist with strong interest in the understanding the routes of exposure and sublethal health effects of legacy and emerging anthropogenic contaminants on marine wildlife and how environmental factors, such as global climate change and ocean acidification, may serve as cumulative impacts affecting chemical toxicity. After receiving her PhD in Marine Biomedicine and Environmental Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, she completed a National Research Council postdoctoral fellowship with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and served as a staff scientist in the Marine Immunology Program at Mote Marine Laboratory. She currently serves as a scientific secretary for the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, helping to compile the next assessment report for emerging contaminants in the Arctic. Her research has focuses on human-related impacts on the health and immune function of protected marine species and validating non-invasive methods for assessing wildlife health. Previous and current research topics include contaminant exposure and health assessments of small cetaceans, immunotoxicity of harmful algal blooms in marine mammals and sea turtles, health monitoring of offshore shark and fish species following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and cumulative effects of contaminants and ocean acidification on corals. She is also active in environmental education and wildlife rehabilitation. Several recent trips to the Alaskan Arctic and Antarctic regions have prompted her to finally pursue her longstanding interest in polar biology research and conservation.
Erik Behrens - New Zealand

NIWA
Grew up in Germany and started to study physical oceanography in Kiel (Germany) in 2003. Finished in 2008 with a Diploma and a thesis about the variability of the Indonesian Throughflow in numerical simulations. After that warm water science, I continued in Kiel as a PhD student but switched to a more exciting region, The High Latitudes. The focus of my PhD was to investigate the oceanic response to Greenland Melting in high resolution ocean simulations. Apart from the theoretical work, I embarked on some research voyages, one which brought me to Greenland. During my PhD, I was involved in exciting science in the North Atlantic and met a lot of great polar researchers. After my PhD (2013), I moved to Wellington (New Zealand) for a PostDoc and have since worked on climate change impacts on the Southern Ocean, New Zealand and Antarctica, using coupled climate models. (www.erik-behrens.de)
Roxanne Beltran - United States

University of Alaska Anchorage
I am particularly interested in the influences of dynamic environments on the behavior, demographics, physiology and foraging ecology of high trophic level marine mammals. I obtained my bachelors degree from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2013, where I worked with a variety of captive and non-captive pinnipeds. My current Masters thesis research is focused on Weddell seals in Antarctica. Specifically, I am working construct a standardized bioenergetics model to estimate baseline and reproductive energy requirements for Weddell seals, and subsequently evaluate the impacts of fishing and climate change on those requirements. When I moved North to begin my graduate work at the University of Alaska Anchorage, I was astonished by the sense of community among polar researchers. I look forward to joining the polar research community and to bringing awareness about the activities and resources offered by APECS.
Alice Bradley - United States – Co-Chair Research Activities Committee

University of Colorado Boulder
I am a Ph.D. student at the University of Colorado Boulder. I am working in the Aerospace Engineering department, in the Remote Sensing, Earth and Space Sciences focus area. My research focuses in sea ice - ocean - atmosphere interactions in environments with partial sea ice cover using unmanned aircraft as a sensing platform. My research includes both the marginal ice zone in the Arctic and polynyas in the Antarctic, looking how sea ice floes respond to wind forcing (among other things) in both regions. I grew up in Chugiak, Alaska with a family of geoscientists. I attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where I studied electrical engineering. After a year at MIT's Lincoln Lab working on border surveillance systems, I moved to the University of Colorado for graduate school. I received my M.S. in aerospace engineering in spring 2014, with a focus in remote sensing technology.
Archana Dayal - India

National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR)< /p>
My name is Arcchana Dayal. I am a woman scientist-in-the-making (!), aged 23 and a citizen of India. I have a Master's in 'Climate Science & Policy' from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) University, New Delhi and Bachelors in 'Biological Sciences' from the University of Delhi. During my third semester at TERI, I joined an expedition to Kolahoi glacier in the Western Himalayas (in Kashmir) to study the geomorphological features of glaciers during my course work on 'Glacier Hydrology'.
I worked on my Master's thesis and summer internship at the Ice Core Laboratory of the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa, (which is India's nodal centre for polar research). I was selected as a student researcher for the 33rd Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (December 2013 to April 2014) where I carried out my research project on the biogeochemistry of blue ice and cryoconite holes. I am currently awaiting the results of my Junior Research Fellow (JRF) interview at NCAOR. In the future, I wish to pursue a PhD in the field of biogeochemistry of snow and ice.
I was elected as the Vice-President of the Research, Education and Outreach (REO) working group of the Indian Polar Research Network (IPRN) in August 2014.
Alena Dekhtyareva - Norway

UiT The Arctic University of Norway
I have grown up in Murmansk, the largest city north of the Arctic Circle. Since upper secondary school, I became interested in environmental protection issues and technologies. I graduated with honours in 2010 from the Murmansk State Technical University with the specialist degree (5 years education) in environmental engineering. Since 2011, I have been studying in Norway, at the University of Tromsø (UiT). During my Master studies I spent one semester at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) studying polar meteorology in order to improve my understanding of physical processes of cold climates and gain an experience in the meteorological field work and advanced data processing. I have been awarded a diploma for the degree of Master of Science in Physics at the UiT within the specialization in energy and climate in 2014. I have started my 4-years PhD in Environmental surveillance technology at the Department of Engineering and Safety of the UiT The Arctic University of Norway in 2015. My research fields are polar meteorology and atmospheric chemistry in the Arctic. The work is dedicated to modelling and monitoring of pollution transport and dispersion processes from regional emission sources in the Arctic such as ships and power plants.
Rachel Downey – Germany – Co-Chair Research Activities Committee

Naturmuseum Senckenberg
I am a PhD student researching the ecological impacts of environmental change on sponge communities, specifically the biological impacts of the Larsen AB ice-shelf collapse in Antarctica. I have broad skills in Southern Ocean marine taxonomy and have managed and contributed to large-scale data collaborations, such as the SCAR-MarBIN/TOTAL Foundation Bioconstructors project, which compiled, and made freely available, over 30,000 records of corals, bryozoans, and sponges in the Southern Ocean for scientists, policy makers and conservation managers. I am by discipline, a physical geographer, having specialised in environmental change research in the cryosphere regions (University of Bristol). I gained experience of the environmental impacts on biological communities during my post at ZSL (Zoological Society London), working on reports, posters and organising conferences on the impact of climate change on corals and migratory species. This was furthered within my post as a marine biologist at (BAS) British Antarctic Survey, in which I worked on a broad range of Antarctic marine invertebrate taxonomy, biogeography, and marine geology projects. I gained experience of fieldwork in the Southern Ocean, during a 2-month marine biology and geology expedition to the Weddell Sea in 2012.
Francyne Elias - Piera – Spain / Brazil - Co-Chair Education and Outreach Committee

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Spain / Brazil
I have a degree in Biological Sciences from University Mackenzie (Brazil-2000) and have worked in the Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR) with Antarctic Macro fauna since that year. I have taken courses in Molecular Biology and Taxonomy of peracarids and developed a Masters in Biological Oceanography in the University of São Paulo (Brazil-2005). In 2003, I participated in a campaign to Antarctica and in 2014 I participated in two campaigns with a project of bethos and trophic relationships of various coastal organisms. During eight years I taught in Elementary and Secondary Schools (Science, Biology and Chemistry), always exploring Antarctica and environmental education topics, giving talks at public and private schools. Now, I am on the last year of the PhD at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain-since 2010) working with trophic relationships using different biomarkers (Stable isotope, biochemical balance and fatty acids) and interested in how climate change affects this interaction. My PhD fellowship is of Ciência sem Fronteiras - CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development / Brazil). I am a participating member of APECS-Brazil leading numerous educational activities at APECS Brazil, including POLAR WEEKS and the first Polar meeting in the Amazon.
Ellyn Enderlin - United States

University of Maine
I received by B.S. in Environmental Science from Lehigh University in 2008, my M.S. in Geological Science from Ohio State University in 2010, and my PhD from Ohio State University in summer 2013. For the past year I have been working as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Maine Climate Change Institute. My research aims to develop a better understanding of marine-terminating outlet glacier dynamics and ice-ocean interactions using a combination of remote sensing and in situ data and numerical modeling techniques. As a glaciologist, my work primarily focuses on changes in glacier behavior and potential triggering mechanisms responsible for the recent dynamic acceleration and thinning observed at outlet glaciers in western and southeastern Greenland. My work on ice-ocean interactions is inherently collaborative in nature: in order to develop a better understanding of ocean forcing at glacier termini, my ongoing analysis of iceberg submarine melting is performed in collaboration with several oceanographer colleagues. In the future, I hope to expand upon my current collaborative efforts and develop effective methods to communicate my research findings to the general public.
Laura Ferguson - United Kingdom

Hariot-Watt University, Scotland
With a career beginning in media and communication, Laura studied at the University of Paisley (now UWS), specialising in documentary filmmaking. During these years she also studied with the Open University for a humanities degree in philosophy and literature. Following two media jobs, in journalism and in publishing, she completed a PhD in media, as well as a postgraduate certificate in film journalism, at the University of Glasgow.
She began studying for a BSc with the Open University during her PhD, selecting a range of modules in physics, ecology and biology, before completing a module in collaboration across organisational and cultural boundaries to finish the degree. When the recession forced her out of her original industry, she enrolled on an MSc Water Resources course on a part-time basis with the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society at Heriot-Watt University.
Laura has a specific interest in Arctic hydrology and Arctic water engineering, particularly with regards to hydropower development. In 2013 she successfully completed the ARTEK/DTU Arctic Engineering Field Course in Greenland, and followed this in 2014 with the Cold Regions Field Investigations Course at UNIS on Svalbard in 2014. In 2014 she also co-authored a paper that was published in the Journal of Coastal Life Medicine.! ! She also continues to research in the field of science communication, presenting a paper at the Fifth International Science in Society Conference (Warsaw, November 2013). She was also an Associate Editor for two issues of the Science in Society Journal.
Her LinkedIn profile can be found at: uk.linkedin.com/pub/laura-ferguson/95/2b9/b74/
Dave Grant - United States

Representing American Littoral Society,

Polar Educators International (PEI) on the APECS Council
I am fortunate to share science with students in the best of both worlds - as a formal educator in a traditional teaching role and as an informal educator in non-traditional field environments. Although I have taught extensively in biological and marine sciences, my preferred topics are Human Geography and Earth Science because they offer a wide variety of relevant and current topics to students of different ages and skill levels. Significantly, they allow me to introduce climate issues and applied technology to their interdisciplinary studies.
As an educator, experience has demonstrated that the most valuable and enduring lessons for students are those that include relevant experiential, hands-on activities; and this has benefitted my students through STEM lessons and applied technology.
As a member of the Earth Science panel developing statewide science proficiencies for high school students, I championed the inclusion of satellite imaging and remote sensing in our state standards. In practice, I immerse students in those same technologies and apply them to many courses as a connection to geography and climate.
As a curriculum developer I employ state and national standards for guidance and continuity, and have received a number of accolades for programs we have developed and present. This includes the USEPA Environmental Quality Award.
Laura Kelvin – Canada – Co-Chair Education and Outreach Committee

University of Western Ontario
I am a PhD candidate at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. My research uses an archaeological ethnographic approach to explore how perceptions of the past and archaeological research vary within the Inuvialuit community of Sachs Harbour, NWT, to determine how archaeology can best complement Inuvialuit understandings of the past. This research is part of Dr. Lisa Hodgetts' Ikaahuk Archaeology Project on Banks Island. I completed my BA in Anthropology, minor First Nations Studies at Western University in 2009 and my MA in Archaeology at Memorial University in Newfoundland in 2011. My MA research combined oral history and archaeological evidence to compose an ethnohistory of the Inuit-Metis in Sandwich Bay, Labrador. My research interests include Indigenous knowledge, researcher-community relationships, archaeology, the history of archaeological research in the North, and intellectual property rights. When I am not studying I enjoy amateur astronomy, beading, hiking, and drawing. I am also a program coordinator for the Public Humanities@Western, an active member of the Committee for Women in Anthropology, and a volunteer at the McIntosh Art Gallery.
Alia Khan - United States

University of Colorado – Boulder
A native of the Tarheel state, I completed my BS in Public Health in the US at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, School of Public Health. My research interests began in detecting fecal contamination in rural drinking water in developing countries. After travelling in the high mountains in the Himalayas between research field stays in South Asia, I discovered a love and passion for cold environment field work. In May 2010 I began my MS at the University of Colorado – Boulder, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Studies. During that time I completed a UNIS field course on 'Fate and Modeling of Pollutants in the Arctic, and was also a member of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, Long Term Ecological Research Site (LTER), 'Stream Team'. The Stream Team is tasked with measuring discharge of ephemeral glacier fed streams in the Dry Valleys which flow 6-10 weeks per year, as well as collect water samples for chemical and biological analysis. We spent almost four months camping in the dry valleys and hiking to and from the stream sites. I then stayed on at CU-Boulder for a PhD in Environmental Engineering, and am now in my third year. My dissertation specific research interests are in local and long range transport of contaminants and pollutants to the cryosphere, and their resulting impacts on albedo reduction, the hydrological cycle and water quality. I am also very interested in the social and human impacts of climate change and have worked with the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo. Like many researchers in the polar sciences, I love the great outdoors! I'm an avid backcountry splitboarder and also enjoy rock and ice climbing.
Elena Kuznetsova - Norway – Co-Chair Membership and Involvement Committee

Representing the Permafrost Young Researcher Network (PYRN) on the APECS Council

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Road group of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway. I had the privilege to complete my bachelor/master studies and PhD research at the Department of Geocryology (Faculty of Geology) of the Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia). My PhD dissertation was focused on thermal properties and phase composition of water in the frozen volcanic ash and scoria (region – Kamchatka, Far-East of Russia). Since 2012, I have been living and working in Norway, 2012-2013 I was working as a research scientist at SINTEF - the largest independent research organization in Scandinavia, and from 2014 I started my 3-years postdoc in NTNU. My research interests focus on frost heaving with special application to roads in cold climate regions. Currently I am IASC (International Arctic Science Committee) fellow in Cryosphere Working Group (CWG) and a member of PYRN ExCom.

My main hobbies are practicing yoga, skiing (both cross-country and downhill), drawing, and photography.
Silvia Lourenco – Portugal – Co-Chair Membership and Involvement Committee

Universidade de Lisboa
I am a Marine Biologist with a MSc in ecology, management and modeling of marine resources by the University Nova de Lisboa. I am a PhD Student in the Oceanography Centre of the University of Lisbon, Portugal, where I'm studying the effect of environmental factors in the life cycle of octopus. My research interests are mainly fish and cephalopods marine ecology studies, particularly the ones dedicated to growth, trophic ecology and population dynamics.Since 2009 I've been working in the Polar Project under José Xavier coordination (IMAR University of Coimbra) in collaboration with Martin Collins, John Watkins (British Antarctic Survey), Carlos Assis (University of Lisbon) and Yves Cherel (CEBC-CNRS, France). My work field is mainly dedicated to fish and cephalopods ecology, growth and population dynamics studies.I am a member of the APECS Portugal executive committee and member of the APECS council since October 2010. Under APECS I also collaborate in the Funding Resources working group.
Minkyoung Kim - South Korea

POSTECH
I have my BSc in the Earth ScMinkyoung Kimience Education from Chonnam National University in Korea. During my undergraduate days, I experienced various works. I worked as a student-teacher at middle school in Korea and did an internship as a teacher at Kingston Heath Primary School, in Melbourne, Australia. Also, I joined in field trips with professors of my department, for 3 years, two times of geology and one oceanography field.
I was interested in paleoclimatology, geology and oceanography. At the end, I decided to study oceanography. I am now studying ocean chemistry in Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea. It is my 5th semester as an integrated course student. My target area is the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica and East/Japan Sea. I am also interested in Canada Basin, too. My main technique is a radiocarbon analysis from a bulk size samples. I am focusing on the different sources of sinking Particulate Organic Carbon. To start the experiment my adviser and I made two vacuum manifolds. Additionally I learned how to use gas chromatography to analyze alkenone. I participated in several cruises. Especially, I joined in the Amundsen Cruise two years ago. This winter, I will go to the Amundsen Sea again.
Lydie Lescarmontier - France

2007-2008: Master sciences in oceanography and meteorology
2008-2012: PhD in glaciology studying the Mertz Glacier in Antarctica (Adelie Land), and in particular the mechanical interaction between the ice-shelf and the ocean leading to its calving. During my PhD I had the opportunity to participate to 4 field work seasons in Antarctica, setting up GPS beacons on the Mertz glacier. I did my PhD in cotutell between the LEGOS in Toulouse-France (Laboratoire d'Étude en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiale) and the University of Tasmania in Australia, Hobart-Tasmania.
2012-2015: PostDoctorate in geophysics at the Australian National University in Canberra-Australia. My work focused on integrating satellite data (Gravity, Global Positioning System and Altimetry) to calculate the mass balance of Antarctica (e.g. The accumulation of snow and/or the ice loss). A part of my project was to organise two field work season in Antarctica, in order to set up GPS stations in Enderby Land and in the Amery region to measure the post-glacial rebound, signal then removed from the gravity data used.
Since 2014 I participate to guided cruises in the Arctic, where I share my knowledge of glaciers through conferences.
Claudia Marturana - Chile

I have always lived in the north part of Chile, where the desert becomes dominant. From this point of view, Antarctica always seems very far away and unknown for me; eventually this place becomes very intriguing and fascinating. At school I was interested in biology and evolutionary trends in organisms, especially in extreme environments. It was only until many years later that I found my place at the Molecular Ecology Laboratory, where I could combine this childhood motivation with scientific knowledge. During my master study, I developed laboratory skills using molecular tools in marine invertebrates focus on the genetic consequences of a particular mode of development in Antarctica. Now, I am on the first year of my PhD, when I am going to test two biogeography hypotheses regarding of the evolutionary history of this group in Antarctica using a phylogeographic approach. Through all this years I traveled and met a lot of interesting people all over the world because of the network that I was able to make thanks to APECS. Now I am very excited and I want to make more things with you.
Adam Naito - United States

Texas A&M University
I am a Visiting Assistant Professor in Geography at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, United States, having completed my PhD there in August 2014. I have been a member of APECS since 2010, and I served on the APECS Council for the 2013-2014 term. Since January of 2014, I have been the sole editor and developer of the APECS Quarterly Newsletter.
Broadly, my research interests are in the domains of biogeography, landscape ecology, ecological modeling, and environmental science applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing. My dissertation work focused on furthering scientific understanding of the historic dynamics of Alaskan Arctic shrub expansion and its landscape-scale processes through: 1) quantifying the historic spatial patterns of shrub expansion using historical aerial photography and current satellite imagery; 2) developing a simulation model to understand how landscape-scale environmental characteristics influence shrub development; and 3) conducting scientific outreach via public presentations to primarily Alaskan Native communities in northern Alaska. I also received a National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant to expand this work to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in cooperation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Prior to my doctoral work, I pursued BS and MS degrees in Geography at the Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, United States. I also interned in the Maps Division of the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC.
I currently teach two sections of introductory physical geography, each with more than 100 students. I have also taught introductory GIS courses, as well as laboratory courses in physical geography and cartography at Texas A&M University and Penn State University.
In my spare time, I enjoy running, hiking, cycling, and playing the guitar.
Daria Shapovalova - United Kingdom

University of Aberdeen
I was born and raised in Yalta, the southernmost city of Ukraine. In my school years, I have founded and headed the school parliament and decided that extra-curriculum activities are the best way to enhance and complement the studies. I graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree summa cum laude from the National Law Academy of Ukraine in Kharkiv. During my undergraduate studies I was an active member of the European Law Students Association, to which I served as a VP for Seminars and Conferences at the Ukrainian national board. I was also a performing actress at the university drama theatre. I focused on Public International Law and Energy Law and Policy during my LLM studies at the University of Groningen. That is when my interest for the Arctic region sparked and I have applied for a PhD position at the University of Aberdeen with a research proposal on the effectiveness of the current legal framework for the environmental protection in the Arctic Ocean with regards to oil and gas development. I am currently in the 1st year of my research programme and am doing my best to be an active participant of the academic events on the Arctic.
Laura Sharp - United States

Arctic Studies Center, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Originally from Ontario, Canada, I am now living in Washington, DC, where I am the Research/Program Assistant at the Arctic Studies Center, Anthropology Department at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Prior to moving to the United States, I completed my B.A in International Development Studies and Geography (2005) and my M.A. in Geography (2009) both at the University of Guelph, Ontario. My graduate research focused on adaptation and the role of formal and informal institutions (local norms, customs, traditional knowledge) in facilitating adaptation to climate and other changes in the Inuit community of Hopedale, Nunatsiavut in Northern Labrador, Canada. My research contributed to the 2007-2009 International Polar Year Community Adaptation and Vulnerability in the Arctic Regions (CAVIAR) project, and was part of the ArcticNet Phase I Project 4.2, and Phase II Project 1.1. Following my graduate program, I held the position of Research Associate at the Global Environmental Change Group in the Geography Department at the University of Guelph where I provided support to the IPY CAVIAR and ArcticNet programs. In 2011 I joined the Arctic Studies Center and in 2012 was the 18th Inuit Studies Conference Coordinator and later transitioned to Research/Program Assistant where I now support the Arctic Studies Center and staff. Currently, I am the Main Project Coordinator for the APECS Norden research project "Bridging Early Career Researchers and Indigenous Peoples in Nordic Countries".
Astrid Surmatz - Netherlands

University of Amsterdam
Since some years, I do research on how the arctic, subarctic and Antarctic is depicted and described, for instance how expeditions are expressed in travel literature and expedition accounts, but also in images, photography, opera, music and film. I am also interested in institutional representations and how they interact with the public, e.g. the stories museums and libraries tell of the North. I have researched on early arctic and subarctic descriptions and manuscripts like the Linnaeus Lapland journey. More recently, I have looked into the depiction of the arctic and Antarctic in children´s literature, picture books, diaries and illustrations. Also I am interested in the role of climate change in discourse, text and image, and on digital emotions about the arctic and arctic as expressed in blogs and online diaries. I give lectures, teach Scandinavian literature and culture, am a member of several research groups on the high north and Nordic Colonialism. Research affiliations to Linnaeus university in Sweden, Umeå in Sweden, Tromsø in Norway, Cambridge in England, Edmonton and Winnipeg in Canada. Enjoy organizing and co-organizing workshops. Have participated in several excursions in Lapland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and on Spitsbergen. Likes to be out in the Scandinavian nature with family, loves cross-country skiing, skating on lakes and the Sea.
Zuzanna Swirad - United Kingdom

Durham University
I got hooked on the Arctic when, as an undergraduate student, I took part in the 32nd Polish Polar Expedition to Hornsund, S Svalbard. I am originally from Wroclaw, Poland, where I completed my BSc and MSc in Georgraphy. My major field of study was Geomorphology and in my thesis I focused on morphology, evolution and controls of High-Arctic coastline of Hornsund. In 2012, I served an internship in polar remote sensing at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, UK and in 2013 I took part in Permafrost and Periglacial Landforms course at the University Centre in Svalbard. After graduating from Wroclaw University I returned to Cambridge to get more experience in the use of GIS and remote sensing techniques in polar studies. I worked on creating global cryosphere maps and studies tundra-taiga interface dynamics. I was a fieldwork assistant on an expedition to the Khibiny Mountains, Kola Peninsula, Russia. In 2013 I got involved in a project whose aim was to map ice-related landforms on Mars, as well as in IAG Rocky Coast WG and APECS Council. I have shared knowledge about the Arctic through volunteering for Polar Museum in Cambridge and giving physical geography classes in secondary schools. Currently, I am starting a PhD at Durham University, UK. My research focuses on evolution of post-glacial rocky coasts.
Anna Varfolomeeva - Hungary

Central European University
My name is Anna Varfolomeeva, I am an environmental anthropologist from Russia, currently starting my PhD at Central European University (CEU) in Budapest. I received my Master's Degree (2012) from CEU as well, and my thesis was devoted to the evolution of the concept of indigenous people in the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation with the case study of Vepses, a small ethnic minority residing in the North-West of Russia.
In 2013/14 I was conducting research at Uppsala Centre for Russian and Eurasian Studies in Sweden; my research focused on the state policies of Sweden towards its indigenous population in comparison with Russia. I am specifically focused on the topics of indigenous land and natural resources rights in the Northern Europe and Russia as well as indigenous youth organizations and their activities. I took part in several European conferences on minority rights and youth policies and had an internship in event organization at a youth NGO in Slovenia in 2012/13. Now I am at the next step of my career and will study the complex relations of indigenous communities to mining in the North-West of Russia.
Amanda Winegardner - Canada

McGill University
While I grew up in Southern Ontario, Canada, I have always had a deep interest in diverse places in Canada and as a result have lived and worked in many different Canadian provinces and territories. My first real introduction to the North started in the provincial norths; in Churchill, Manitoba and the boreal regions of northern Saskatchewan. I was drawn to both the history and resourcefulness of these places, key factors that continue to draw me towards northern research and lifestyles. I completed a BSc in environmental biology at the University of Guelph in 2005. It was during this degree this degree that I first travelled to Churchill, for a field course in subarctic ecology. Since that two week course in 2007, I have returned to Churchill nearly 20 times, for MSc fieldwork (also completed at the University of Guelph), as well as work with citizen science groups and PhD research. I also lived in Churchill for a year between my MSc and PhD, working as a research assistant and technician at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre (CNSC). I continue to work actively in Churchill, through collaborations with scientists at the CNSC as well as the EarthWatch Institute. In 2012, I started a PhD at McGill University (Montréal). A large part of my research involves research in Subarctic Canada. Northern freshwater systems face significant stressors, with the potential to impact biodiversity, water quality and even human health. With climate change a serious challenge in many of these systems, it is all the more important to understand the interaction of multiple stressors. I am using a combination of paleoecology (lake sediment records) and molecular approaches to ask questions about recovery of plankton communities in the North from regimes of multiple stressors, specifically in areas of intense mining. The plankton are a key group in these systems, acting as indicators of water quality. For this work, I am working and studying lakes in two areas of Northern Québec (Schefferville and Fermont) with similar histories of anthropogenic disturbance, as well as field sites in Churchill, Manitoba, an area undergoing significant and rapid climatic change.
Scott Zolkos - Canada

University of Alberta
I am a MSc. Student in the biological sciences program at the University of Alberta. My graduate focus in ecology stems from my longstanding fascination with the impact of climate change on earth systems. After completing my B.A. in environmental science at Middleburgy College (2011), I joined the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) as a Research Assistant. For 2.5 years at WHRC, I was part of research teams investigating the impacts of climate change and land disturbance on river chemistry and land-ocean linkages (Global Rivers Observatory), with much focus on the Arctic. My participation as a team member on the international Polaris Project expedition (2012) to the Siberian Arctic inspired me to pursue graduate studies in arctic science. As a graduate student in Dr. Suzanne Tank's lab, I am studying the influence of massive permafrost degradation on carbon cycle dynamics and aquatic ecosystems in the Peel River watershed (Northwest Territories, Canada). I find this area of research both rewarding and fascinating because it draws upon an international group of fantastic researchers while engaging local communities to tackle critical questions about the impact of climate change on arctic ecosystems.

Antarctic Organisations Announce 2015 Fellowship Recipients

SCAR Antarctic Science Fellowships
COMNAP Antarctic Research Fellowships

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) are pleased to announce this year’s Fellowship awardees.

The Fellowships are worth up to $US15,000 each and six Fellowships (four SCAR, one COMNAP and one joint SCAR/COMNAP) will be awarded in this round. The SCAR Fellowships are awarded to: Jennifer Newall, Sebastian Rosier, Rowan Trebilco and Christine Dow. Rowan Trebilco becomes the first Prince Albert II of Monaco Fellow, funded from the Prix Biodiversité awarded to SCAR in 2013. The COMNAP Fellowship is awarded to: Alejandro Velasco Castrillón. A co-funded SCAR/COMNAP Fellowship was awarded to: Inka Koch.

This year, 37 applications were received. The winners of the Fellowships will carry out a range of scientific research in areas including ice sheet modelling and grounding zones, Southern Ocean ecosystems, terrestrial ecology and subglacial hydrology. Candidates come from a wide geographic spread of countries, including Argentina, Australia, France, India, Italy, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

In 2011, COMNAP launched the Antarctic Research Fellowship Scheme, offering one fellowship for an early career person in order to carry out research within a COMNAP National Antarctic Program. With this year’s awards, there have been nine COMNAP Fellowships or joint Fellowships awarded.

The Fellowships supports the scientific goals of SCAR and the international cooperation goal of COMNAP to develop and promote best practice in managing the support to Antarctic science. The Fellowships enable the early career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating research partnerships that last many years and over many Antarctic research seasons.

Background information:

The Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR)
www.scar.org
Contact: Eoghan Griffin, Executive Officer
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+44 1223 336556

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is an inter-disciplinary committee of the International Council for Science (ICSU). SCAR is charged with initiating, developing and coordinating high quality international scientific research in the Antarctic region, and on the role of the Antarctic region in the Earth system. The scientific business of SCAR is conducted by its Standing Scientific Groups which represent the scientific disciplines active in Antarctic research and report to SCAR. In addition to carrying out its primary scientific role, SCAR also provides objective and independent scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings and other organizations on issues of science and conservation affecting the management of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

COMNAP brings together the National Antarctic Programs of 30 Antarctic Treaty countries. Formed in 1988, the purpose of COMNAP is to develop and promote best practice in managing the support of scientific research in Antarctica. It does this by: Serving as a forum to develop practices that improve effectiveness of activities in an environmentally responsible manner; Facilitating and promoting international partnerships; Providing opportunities and systems for information exchange; and Providing the Antarctic Treaty System with objective and practical, technical and non-political advice drawn from the National Antarctic Programs' pool of expertise.

Polar Week logo2 01 Join APECS this week in celebrating International Polar Week September 2015!

See what is happening during Polar Week September 2015 around the world! Are you looking for activities and ways to join us in this celebration? Visit our Polar Week website for some suggestions, events and information for Polar Week. We encourage all of our members and National Committees to participate!

Are you planning an event? Please send us an email with a short description of your event or activity to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so that we can list it on our Polar Week website! After the event, please send us a short article and some pictures about how it went, so we can include it with all the other reports about Polar Week activities on our website and let our members worldwide know about the amazing activities you are doing.

Share your research this week by getting involved in our Social Media Campaign!

Check out and contribute to the APECS Polar Outreach Blog.

Happy Polar Week!

A new six-week online course 'Antarctica Online', hosted by Victoria University of Wellington, is available to enrol with now.

The fully online course is offered by the Science in Society group. The course starts on Monday 28th September and finishes on Friday 6th November. Fee is $120.

Featuring lectures that were filmed on the ice over 10 days around Scott Base, this course examines contemporary Antarctic scientific research, placing it in a wider scientific, historical, social and cultural context and includes three two-week modules, on Antarctic Science History, Geology and Palaeoclimate and Constructing Antarctica.

To enrol go to http://cce.victoria.ac.nz/courses/352-antarctica-online. Or to enrol by phone: +64-4-463 6556

FS Research ARC PMS343C

ANZ logo colour A4 JPEG

Polar Data Forum II: International Collaboration for Advancing Polar Data Access and Preservation
October 27 - 29, 2015 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

For further information, including the Provisional Agenda and Excursions to Toronto and Niagara Falls, please see: http://www.polar-data-forum.org

The hotel Room Block reservation deadline is coming up: 21 September 2015
To book a room online, go to: https://www.deltahotels.com/Groups/Delta-Waterloo-Groups/Polar-Data-Forum

The FINAL Registration deadline is 30 September 2015
To register online, go to: http://www.polar-data-forum.org/registration

Tuesday, 27 October: We will provide a Data Management Workshop: Learn how to manage your data! This 3-hour hands-on Workshop is directed at graduate students and early career researchers interested in preserving their research data for the future. All are welcome to register for the Workshop. Attendance is first-come, first-served.

Please forward this message to interested colleagues.

Thank you, and we hope to see you in Waterloo in October!

—Polar Data Forum II Advisory and Organizing Committees and many generous partner and sponsor organizations

Dear all,

We are happy to announce that the registration for the 2nd Snow Science Winter School is opened.

The 2nd Snow Science Winter School will take place on 14-20 February 2016, at Preda and Davos, Switzerland. It aims to teach advanced techniques for snow characterization, such as micro-tomography, measurements of specific surface area by reflection and spectroscopy, high-resolution penetrometer... The school is organized in field and laboratory training courses, combined with theoretical lessons in the classroom.

Any graduate student or post-doc working on snow or in some snow related field is welcome to participate. The course corresponds to 3 ETCS-Points.

Registration and detailed information on the 2nd SSWS are available on the website:
http://www.slf.ch/dienstleistungen/events/snowschool/index_DE
Special funding is available for students form member states of the Arctic Council.
Applications will close on November 10, 2015.

For further questions, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Martin Schneebeli and Neige Calonne
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF

We are pleased to announce that the latest SCAR Bulletin (number 191) is now published on the website.

It contains the SCAR Annual Report for 2014-15 and is available to view and download at: http://www.scar.org/outreach/scar-bulletin

A training school focused on exploring glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) modeling will be held from 13-19 September 2015. The school entails training on GIA modeling and relevant processes, including ice mass change, solid-earth deformation, and sea-level and geoid variations. Virtual participation in the lecture segments of the course has been organized. As a virtual participant, you will have the option of attending 11 lecture sessions beginning on 14 September and concluding on 18 September 2015. At the website address below you will find links for each lecture as well as important instructions for using the webinar software interface.

http://polenet.org/?page_id=2261

APECS-WWRP-Polar Prediction Project Webinar Series - Part 3: The Antarctic Automatic Weather Station Network: The Challenges and Rewards of Polar In Situ Surface Observations
Speaker: Matthew A. Lazzara (Antarctic Meteorological Research Centre, Space Science and Engineering Centre, University of Wisconsin-Madison / Department of Physical Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Madison Area Technical College, United States)
22 September 2015. 10:00 am Central Daylight Time (US)
Webinar ID: 117-740-363

Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6742084723877846785

Capturing continuous observations of weather and climate of the surface of the Antarctic continent has been a holy grail since the International Geophysical Year. The advent of a successful Automatic Weather Station (AWS) in the late 1970s and the establishment of the Antarctic Automatic Weather Station network have led to over 35 years of observing the Antarctic surface weather and climate. Advances in our understanding of polar meteorological processes are due to the observations made from the AWS network. Today, the network contributes to research activities across a wide variety of disciplines, and is used in weather forecasting as well as in the educational arena. In an era of limited funding, constrained logistics and the ever-constant challenges posed by a brief field season with, at times, impeding bad weather, the operations and maintenance of the AWS network is a significant effort. This presentation will outline the challenges and rewards of running a modern day polar in situ surface observation network. Topics outlined will include funding, logistics, operations, science research and educational outreach. Questions from the audience are encouraged.

The webinar will be recorded and archived afterwards in the APECS Past Webinar list http://www.apecs.is/career-resources/apecs-webinars/past-webinars.html

For more information about this Webinar, contact Jonny Day at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. On behalf of APECS, let me thank you for attending this Webinar.

Attached you will find an invitation to send participants to Arctic Frontiers Emerging Leaders 2016, as well as information regarding potential funding for young scientists provided by the Research Council of Norway (special criteria). Since the details for Emerging Leaders 2016 is being finalized within the next weeks, we invite you to take a look at enclosed program from 2015.

You also find information regarding the scholarships for young scientists here: http://www.arcticfrontiers.com/arena/emerging-leaders

We are looking forward to your response.

Best regards,
Kriss Rokkan Iversen,
Project manager Arctic Frontiers Emerging Leaders

Emerging Leaders Program 2015

Funding young scientists_Arctic Frontiers Emerging Leaders

Invitation Emerging Leaders 2016

SCAR 2016 LOGO NEW SCAR logo white background The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and APECS are looking for early career researchers to co-convene sessions at the SCAR Open Science Conference (OSC) 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!! This conference is scheduled for 23rd - 26th August 2016, with the theme of the conference being “Antarctica in the Global Earth System: From the Poles to the Tropics”.

Co-convener positions for early career researchers are available for all sessions at this conference. To view the sessions available at this conference, please click this link http://scar2016.com/?page_id=2848. As an early career co-convener, you would work together with the other conveners of your session to shape its program, review abstracts, select presentations and convene the session on site. You will gain excellent skills and experience in how to convene a successful international conference session.

To apply for an early career scientist co-convener position, please fill out no later than 5 September this form https://docs.google.com/a/apecs.is/forms/d/1Ks1YPXhN-bZq9iTMAXT3g8dIrTtWCQmP_xyqOulO9Qo/viewform .

If you have questions, please contact APECS at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We hope to see many of you at the SCAR OSC 2016!

The Federation of Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Raskin Scholarship (due 10/1) and ESIP Student Fellows (due 10/9).

ESIP Student Fellows are graduate students interested in bridging the gap between informatics and Earth Science. This fellowship provides students a chance to work closely with professionals in an interdisciplinary, cross-sector group (ESIP collaboration area) on current Earth Science problems. Student fellows become engaged in ESIP collaboration areas as rapporteurs, documenting group activities on monthly telecons and at ESIP’s semi-annual meetings (Summer/Winter). As fellows become more familiar with collaboration-area activities they may choose to integrate their own research, which can result in publication and additional funding opportunities. Student Fellows will receive a stipend of $2000 plus travel expenses to the summer and winter ESIP meetings.

The Raskin Scholarship is in memory of Rob Raskin, a long-time ESIP community member and major contributor to Earth science informatics field. The scholarship is awarded to a current graduate student studying an Earth science, computer science or closely related discipline and have an interest in fields related to current technical, scientific or applied activities of the ESIP Federation. In addition to a cash prize, the awarded scholar will give a keynote talk at the 2015 ESIP Summer Meeting.

Please feel free to forward these opportunities along to other networks of interest. For full details on the either of these opportunities see the ESIPFed website. For questions, please e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

CAFF green The Freshwater Steering Group of the CAFF (Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna) - Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) and are looking for one early career researcher to attend their Inter-Freshwater Expert Network Workshop which will take place in Sonnerupgaard, Denmark, 5 - 8 October 2015.

Just over 30 freshwater experts from around the Arctic will meet to discuss the State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity Report. The APECS representative will be most welcomed to share in the workshop discussions and shape the direction of the report and influence the work necessary to deliver the report. Furthermore, they will have excellent opportunity to network with some of the Arctic’s leading researchers in this field and meaningfully engage in the work of the CBMP.

Early career researchers interested in applying for this opportunity should have preferably expertise in freshwater algae (lake or river, benthic, or pelagic). But anyone with freshwater biodiversity monitoring expertise will also be considered.

While CAFF will pay for lunches, there is no travel support available unfortunately, so this opportunity is open to either someone locally, or someone who would have their own travel support to attend the meeting.

Applications should include your CV and a statement of interest with your research background and reason why you would like to attend this workshop. Please send your application as a PDF by no later than 11 September 2015 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you have questions please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Annual International Forum “The Arctic: today and the Future” will take place in St-Petersburg on December. The Forum summarizes public agenda in sphere of the Arctic zone development, gather topical issues, initiatives and propositions in annual Resolution which reflect all-Russian, regional and sectoral agendas.

Forum “The Arctic: today and the Future” is held under the aegis of the IRPO “Association of Polar Explorers”. Association of Polar Explorers is a public leader and participates in north regions development through joint efforts of all public parties interested in Russian Arctic development.

The Forum is an effective instrument for direct interaction of business and society representatives concerning ecological management of natural resources, transport and transit potential and energy complex, education and science, national safety and international cooperation.

More than 1000 delegates of the International Forum “The Arctic: today and the Future” from Russia and foreign countries are expected to participate. Representatives of federal and regional authorities, state corporations, scientific and educational organizations, civil society, foreign participants of the international cooperation will be among them. There will be an exhibition covering more than 1500 sq.m in the specialized area.

For more information please visit - http://forumarctic.com/eng/conf2015/

The Russian National Committee of APECS - The Polar Initiative - is invited to participate in this forum and take part in some of the panels and discussions.

Federal Arctic Forum «ARCTIC DAYS in MOSCOW» organized by Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation will take place November 19 – 21, 2015, in Moscow.

This year's forum promises a lot of interesting activities. Last year The ARCTIC DAYS, November 2014, was attended by over 3500 people. More than 2000 scientists and specialists from Moscow, Russian Arctic Regions, Great Britain, Germany, Norway, Island, Chech took part in discussion of topical issues of the Arctic region at the scientific conference "The Arctic Open", which has become a key event of ARCTIC DAYS in MOSCOW. The Federal Arctic Forum «ARCTIC DAYS in MOSCOW» is held from 2010 and traditionally causes the huge public & media interest. This event is very popular in scientific and political circles. In 2015 ARCTIC DAYS in MOSCOW includes next events: Panel Dicussion «THE BUSINESS CLIMATE IN THE ARCTIC», II International Scientific Conference «OPEN ARCTIC», Folk Festival «HELLO! IT'S ARCTIC!», Multimedia Exhibition «THE ARCTIC».

The main goals of the forum: drawing attention to the natural, historical and cultural sites in the Arctic, increasing of the tourism attractiveness of the Far North of Russia, showing Great North and dialogue about environmental problems in the Arctic.

For more information please visit the conference's website - http://arctic-days.ru/en/

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Organizers of the Polar Data Forum II: International Collaboration for Advancing Polar Data Access and Preservation announce a call for early bird registration. The forum will convene 27-29 October 2015 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Early bird registration deadline: 31 August 2015

The Polar Data Forum II (PDF II) will build on successes of the first Polar Data Forum, which convened during October 2013 in Tokyo, Japan, and a series of other international and national meetings that have identified priority themes and key challenges in the domain of polar data management. PDF II will further refine these themes and priorities and will accelerate progress by establishing clear actions to address the target issues, including meeting the needs of society and science through promotion of open data and effective data stewardship, establishing sharing and interoperability of data at a variety of levels, developing trusted data management systems, and ensuring long-term data preservation. The forum will be held in conjunction with the scheduled annual meetings of the Arctic Data Committee (ADC) of the International Arctic Science Committee and Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (IASC/SAON) and the Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management (SC-ADM) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

Organizers welcome data managers, Arctic and Antarctic scientists, students, aboriginal and northern residents, funding agency representatives, and others interested in improving management of polar and other data.

A data management workshop directed at graduate students and early career researchers interested in preserving research data will be held on Tuesday, 27 October 2015. The workshop is open to anyone interested in data management. Attendance will be first come, first served.

A room block has been arranged for reduced accommodation rates. Block reservation deadline: 21 September 2015.

For more information about block reservations, go to: https://www.deltahotels.com/Groups/Delta-Waterloo-Groups/Polar-Data-Forum.

Limited travel funding support for students, early career researchers, and indigenous participants is available. For more information about travel funding please contact the Local Organizing Committee online: http://www.polar-data-forum.org/contact-form.

Travel funding application deadline: Monday, 31 August 2015.

Early bird registration deadline: 31 August 2015

For more information, and to register online, go to: http://www.polar-data-forum.org/registration.

For further information, including excursions to Toronto and Niagara Falls, please see: http://www.polar-data-forum.org.

APECS members are invited to participate in an IARPC (Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee) webinar to learn about the benefits of being a part of the IARPC Collaborations website. This special website tutorial will focus on effective use of the IARPC Collaborations website for early career scientists.

During the webinar you will learn how to:

· Join one or more of the 12 thematic research teams led by federal program managers
· Attend collaboration team meetings with informational research webinars
· Effectively post on the IARPC Collaborations website to contribute your research to reporting on the Arctic Research Plan
· Form interdisciplinary collaborations with Arctic scientists and stakeholders from Federal, State, academic, NGO, and industry organizations

Date: August 26, 2015 (through WebEx)
Time: 3 to 4 pm EDT

Attendance is limited and registration is required. Email IARPC Collaborations Web Manager Jessica Rohde to request attendance (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

What is IARPC Collaborations?
IARPC Collaborations is the structure created by the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) to implement its 5-Year Research Plan. The structure is organized around 12 topical Collaboration Teams. The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC), which consists of principals from 16 agencies, departments, and offices across the Federal government, is charged with enhancing both the scientific monitoring of and research on local, regional, and global environmental issues in the Arctic. In order to meet the Nation's economic, scientific, and environmental needs, IARPC envisions a prosperous, sustainable and healthy Arctic understood through research coordinated among Federal agencies and domestic and international collaborators. More information about IARPC and its charter can be found on IARPC page at the National Science and Technology Council website.

The OntoSoft project is offering training sessions for geoscientists to learn best practices in software and data sharing, provenance documentation, and scholarly publication. These training sessions will be offered in different modalities throughout 2015. Training materials will be freely available on line.

Upcoming trainings:
August 17, 2015 at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA
September 28, 2015 at NCAR, Boulder, CO
September 28, 2015 at USGS, Golden, CO
October 9, 2015 at LDEO, New York, NY
October 30, 2015 at UT Austin, Austin, TX
November 2, 2015 at GSA, Baltimore, MD
December 2015 at the AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA

Webinars will be held:
Wednesday September 16, 2015 at 10am PDT
Monday November 9, 2015 at 10am PDT

For more information, please visit http://www.ontosoft.org/gpf/training-sessions

Dear APECS members,

The Early Bird registration to our forthcoming conference ”In the Spirit of the Rovaniemi Process – Local and Global Arctic” is open until 31 August.

Please note also the discount prices for PhD and MA students!

With the theme “Local and Global Arctic” the conference will discuss global, regional and local views on the ongoing developments in the Arctic. In addition to discussing the local impacts of global projects and processes in the Arctic, also the roles of organizations such as the Arctic Council and the European Union in bridging Arctic stakeholders will be highlighted. More information: www.rovaniemiprocess.fi

The conference will take place in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland on 24-26 November 2015. The conference is organized by the City of Rovaniemi, the University of Lapland and its Arctic Centre and the Arctic Society of Finland.

The program will consist of keynote speeches in two Plenary Sessions as well as scientific presentations in Parallel Thematic Sessions. Moreover, a variety of social program is organized, such as a Pre-Conference excursion on 24 November. More information at the Conference website: www.rovaniemiprocess.fi/en/programme andwww.rovaniemiprocess.fi/en/socialprogramme.

Thematic sessions and chairs:

A The European Union and the Arctic – Paula Kankaanpää, Marine Research Centre of the Finnish Environment Institute, and Malgorzata Smieszek and Markku Heikkilä, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland

B Arctic Transportation Infrastructure and Services: Regulation, Public-private Partnerships, Weather and Climate Information – Tero Vauraste, Arctia Shipping and Petteri Taalas, Finnish Meteorological Institute

C Natural Resources in the Arctic – Jukka Similä, University of Lapland, Virpi Alenius, Natural Resources Institute Finland and Vesa Nykänen, Geological Survey of Finland

D Geopolitics of the Global Arctic by the Thematic Network on Geopolitics and Security – Lassi Heininen, University of Lapland and Matthias Finger, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

E Arctic Urbanization, Urban Politics and Sustainable Development – Monica Tennberg, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland and Aileen Espiritu, the Barents Institute, University of Tromso

F Arctic Cities and Design – Päivi Tahkokallio, Tahkokallio Design+ Ltd. and Timo Jokela, University of Lapland

G Contemporary Art and Northern Heritage - Art as Innovation – Timo Jokela and Glen Coutts, University of Lapland

H Arctic Indigenous Peoples Livelihoods and Languages – Liisa Holmberg, Sámi Education Institute

I Work and Well-Being in the Arctic – Hannu Rintamäki, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health

J Indigenous Tourism in the Arctic Region – Opportunities and Challenges – Johan Edelheim and Daniela Tommasini, Multidimensional Tourism Institute

Keynote speakers in Plenaries and Thematic Sessions include:

Tara Sweeney, Arctic Economic Council

Johnny Edmonds, World Indigenous Tourism Alliance WINTA

Petteri Taalas, Finnish Meteorological Institute

Tero Vauraste, Arctia Shipping

Timo Koivurova, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland

Link to the online registration form:

www.rovaniemiprocess.fi/en/registration

More information about the conference:

www.rovaniemiprocess.fi

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rovaniemiprocess

Twitter: #rovaniemiprocess

Contacts:

Conference manager: researcher Ilona Mettiäinen, Arctic Centre, University of This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rovaniemi-Lapland Congresses: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We hope to see you in Rovaniemi in November!

The Organizing Committee

Polar Weeks International Polar Week is an opportunity for APECS and its members to promote Polar science. APECS uses this opportunity to plan and develop Polar science related activities alongside teachers, educators and those interested in polar education for the equinoxes of each year. The equinoxes in March and September are the only time when everywhere on earth the day length is 12 hours, a perfect opportunity to celebrate the poles on a global scale!

The International Polar Week Fall 2015 will be from 19 - 26 September 2015! We want to celebrate by focusing on the science being conducted in the Arctic and Antarctic. Please send us your planned activities so they can be added to the Polar Week Website. Please send the name of your event, the date and time, the location and a link to any relevant webpage to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. And don’t forget to send us a short article about your activities afterwards (with some pictures)!

More information on International Polar Week Fall 2015 and how to participate can be found here http://www.apecs.is/outreach/international-polar-week/upcoming-polar-week.html

We look forward to celebrating Polar Week with you!

We would like to introduce to you "Celebrating Antarctica," a book aimed at young audiences which introduces the Antarctica treaty using simple text, beautiful imagery, and illustrations from children themselves!

The book is available for free download at: http://celebratingantarctica.tumblr.com/

We are trying to make it available in as many languages as possible. There are versions in English, simplified Chinese, French, Polish, Portuguese (Portugal & Brazil), and Spanish available, and we are working on Arabic, Bulgarian, traditional Chinese, German, Italian, Hebrew, Japanese, Russian, and Vietnamese.

We encourage scientists and educators to use this as a tool to spread awareness of the Antarctic Treaty, polar science, and international cooperation using science as a common language.

Sincerely,
Julie Hambrook Berkman & Allen Pope

Please feel free to share as widely as possible. More information on OurSpaces & Antarctica Day also available at www.ourspaces.org.uk/

PolarTrec

PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is currently accepting applications from researchers for teacher research experiences. Researchers are invited to submit an application to host a PolarTREC teacher during the 2016 (usually Arctic) or 2016-2017 (usually Antarctic) field seasons.

More information and application forms are available at: http://www.polartrec.com/researchers/application

Application Deadline: Tuesday, 8 September 2015, 5 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time

ABOUT PolarTREC:

PolarTREC—a program of the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS)—is a professional development program for educators, which pairs teachers with researchers to improve science education through authentic polar research experiences. The program integrates research and education to produce a legacy of long-term teacher-researcher collaborations, improved teacher content knowledge and instructional practices, and broad public interest and engagement in polar science.

PolarTREC teachers will spend three to eight weeks in the Arctic or Antarctic, working closely with researchers in the field as an integral part of the science team. PolarTREC teachers and researchers will be matched based on similar goals and interests, and teachers will be trained to meet the program requirements prior to the field season. While in the field, teachers and researchers will communicate extensively with their colleagues, communities, and students of all ages across the globe, using a variety of tools including online journals, photos, other multimedia, and web-based seminars.

Teachers and research projects will be selected and matched to fill the approximately 12 openings available. All major expenses associated with teacher participation in PolarTREC field experiences are covered by the program and program partners, including transportation to and from the field site, food, lodging, and substitute teacher costs.

PolarTREC researchers must be at U.S. Institutions. Applications from researchers on NSF-funded projects will receive priority in the selection process. Researchers should have secured funding for their research project prior to applying; if funding is pending and you would still like to host a teacher, please contact PolarTREC at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss your situation.

PolarTREC is funded by the National Science Foundation and administered by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Further information about PolarTREC, including program goals, requirements, and frequently asked questions, is available at: http://www.polartrec.com/researchers

Or contact PolarTREC:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 907-474-1600

A special meeting of the Asian forum for Polar Sciences (AFoPS-XV) was held on 23 April 2015, during the ASSW at Toyama International Conference Center, Japan. The meeting, attended by 15 delegates from 5 Members and an observer (Thailand) was presided by Dr. Kazuyuki Shiraishi of NIPR, the designated acting Chair for the Toyama gathering.

The AFoPS Committee discussed a range of issues on research/logistics cooperation and AFoPS operation, aided by 9 working and 6 information papers. The following highlights the key decisions made by the Members:
- The Committee endorsed and encouraged all 5 proposed AFoPS cooperative projects. The project proponents will be asked to report its progress to the Committee regularly.
- The Members commonly recognized a need for a well-functioning, strong secretariat and agreed to carry on with a discussion on how to en- sure the stability. The draft Terms of Reference for the secretariat submitted by Malaysia was accepted with minor changes. Proposed standard procedures for the meeting management have been agreed by the Committee.
- The Members welcomed interorganizational cooperation with
IASC and SCAR. Accordingly, this will be communicated to the IASC-SCAR representatives for their internal considerations.

This new initiative of AFoPS was introduced to the ATCM XXXVIII in Sofia Bulgaria as an information paper which was welcome by the Parties and the SCAR President.

Newsletter available here.

AOS2016 Invitation for community white papers and short statements for Arctic Observing Summit (AOS 2016)
http://www.arcticobservingsummit.org/community-white-papers-and-short-statements-submission-form

The Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) is a high-level, biennial summit that aims to provide community-driven, science-based guidance for the design, implementation, coordination and sustained long-term (decades) operation of an international network of Arctic observing systems. The AOS provides a platform to address urgent and broadly recognized needs of Arctic observing across all components of the Arctic system. The upcoming AOS 2016 will be held 15-18 March in Fairbanks, Alaska, in conjunction with the Arctic Science Summit Week 2016.

The design, development, implementation and sustained operation of an adaptive, relevant and responsive Arctic observing system requires the expertise and input from everyone affected by, or interested in, observing activities, applications and derived products. Community input and perspectives are invited in the form of white papers and short statements for AOS 2016. Community input can serve to highlight important data, management, or logistical needs or gaps, explore emerging opportunities, address a current challenge, present new initiatives or technology that can contribute to Arctic observing (including global programs), or review on-going observing activities or issues that are relevant for the development, application, operation, or support of a sustained Arctic observing network. Community white papers and short statements should link to the six themes for AOS 2016 below:

International and national strategies for sustained support of long-term Arctic observing
Technology and innovation for sustained Arctic observations
Contributions of the Private Sector and Industry to sustained Arctic observations
Actor and Stakeholder engagement and needs in sustained Arctic observations
Arctic Observations in the context of Global Observing initiatives
Interfacing Traditional Knowledge, Community-based Monitoring and Scientific Methods for sustained Arctic observations

Deadline for submissions is October 18th, 2015. For more information visit the AOS 2016 website : http://www.arcticobservingsummit.org/aos-2016-themes-and-important-announcements

iasc

APECS and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) are pleased to be able to announce a fantastic opportunity for an APECS member to be part of the Scientific Steering Committee for the Science Symposium held during the 2017 Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) in Prague (1 – 7 April, 2017). The work of the committee will start in autumn 2015 so you will need to be able to commit to this position for at least the next 18 months. This is a volunteer position representing APECS on the committee without funding associated with it.

If you are interested then please send the following as a single pdf file to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 28 August 2015.

1) CV (max 2 pages)

2) Statement of interest including why you wish to be involved in this committee and a clear statement of commitment to the work of the committee over the next 18 months and attendance at ASSW 2017.

An APECS panel discussion had been successfully organized (Saturday, 27.6.2015) at the IUGG held in Prague (CZ). Dr. Charles Fierz, Dr. Eleanor Frajka-Williams and Dr. Daniel Farinotti, as speaker provided, interested young scientist (~80 participants), exciting insights in their professional life as scientist. The speakers with different scientific background (glaciology and oceanography) described their experiences during their career within detail and a lot of excitement. An active discussion with the audience developed and covered a broad range of challenging questions, where speakers not always found a consensus, but described their opinions. Most questions touched on the scientific career and the personal development of young scientist to become an independent researcher. (How important are publications? How to apply for a positions? How to change the scientific field? How to raise funding?) Questions also covered topics about work-life balance and how to bring family and scientific career together. After 90 minutes of active discussions and interesting side stories this event came to an end, but discussion and networking continued in a pub close to venue until late. All attendees provided a general positive feedback and agreed that this was a great opportunity to discuss, network and a successful event in general.

Organizer: Martin Proksch, Saskia Gindraux, Erik Behrens and Gerlis Fugmann

IUGG 2015 audience

Since the creation of APECS during the last International Polar Year, more than 5100 people from 75 countries have registered as APECS members on our website. Until now, it was not easy to update profile details or cancel APECS membership using the website. To make managing the membership database more efficient, we are migrating to a new service. The old APECS mailing list will stop being used on 30 November 2015. We need you, as current or past APECS members, to choose one of the following options:

To remain an APECS member and continue to be subscribed to our mailing list, please update your profile on our new member registration system (it only takes 2 minutes!). Note: You MUST fill in this form to remain an APECS member. We will NOT automatically move our members over to this new system.
To cancel your APECS membership and unsubscribe from our mailing list, please go to our unsubscribe form

You do not consider yourself “early career” anymore and / or are a mentor or partner of APECS and want to remain updated on APECS activities? You can choose to either register for full APECS membership or you can register as a mentor or partnerand select which types of announcements you wish to receive from APECS.

Many thanks for your collaboration in this process !

APECS Executive Committee and Council 2014-2015

Are you looking for a way to get active in APECS and the APECS leadership? How about you apply to the APECS Council!

The new Council term for 2015-2016 is starting on 1 October 2015 and we encourage YOU to consider applying for it and help us shape our organization and the future of polar research!

Do you want to find out more about what the APECS Council does? Check out http://www.apecs.is/who-we-are/leadership/council/about-the-council.html or go to http://www.apecs.is/who-we-are/leadership/council.html to find out more about our current Council members!

How do you apply for the APECS Council?
It’s easy! You only have to provide the following in one PDF:

current contact information and career level
brief bio (200 words)
present picture of yourself
name and email address of two references
Expression of Interest Letter (around 500 words) explaining the following:
- why you are interested in APECS and sitting on the Council? This includes any ideas you have for projects or activities the organization could undertake, a desire to become more connected to the larger polar community, ways to improve APECS and the role of young researchers in polar research, general interest in the process of the organization, and many others.
- Any major periods of extended absence, such as field work, long vacations, intense exam periods or any other long period of absence.
- it is also quite helpful to know a little about your experiences (including previous APECS involvement - if any) and why you are interested in the Polar Regions.

A detailed description of the application procedure for the APECS Council can be found here http://www.apecs.is/who-we-are/leadership/council/about-the-council/132-how-to-join-the-apecs-council.html

Applications to the APECS Council can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you want to start right away for the new term starting October 1, please make sure to send in your application before 7 September. Due to the transition period to the new 2015-2016 Executive Committee at the end of September and beginning of October, Council applications received after September 7th will not be processed until later in October.

If you think the Council sounds good but would like to be even more involved, Executive Committee nominations are also open until 7 September, 2015! More information on how to apply to the ExCom can be found here http://www.apecs.is/who-we-are/leadership/executive-committee/executive-committee-elections-2015-2016.html

If you have any questions about what it means to be a member of the APECS Council, the application process or any other queries, please send an email to the Council Chair Hanne Nielsen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We would like to call your attention to the WWRP/WCRP/Bolin Centre Polar Prediction School that will be held at the Abisko Field Station in Arctic Sweden from 5-15 April 2016 (next year) sponsored by WWRP, WCRP, and the Bolin Center. The school is part of the WWRP Polar Prediction Project and the WCRP Polar Climate Predictability Initiative.

This course on Polar Prediction will provide training for 30 PhD and early career post-doctoral polar scientists, focusing on topics such as: polar mesoscale atmospheric processes; sea ice prediction, near term ensemble prediction, and seasonal-to-decadal climate variability and prediction in the polar regions. The program will combine lectures on key areas relevant for polar prediction and a number of field observation and modelling exercises to foster an interactive learning environment.

If you would like to apply for a place on the school, but did not fill out the Expression of Interest (EOI) after the 1st call in May, then please do so. Candidates for a full application will be selected from these EOI's. We are asking for people wishing to apply to this school to fill out the Expression of Interest form by 20th July. You can find the form here: http://www.climate-cryosphere.org/wcrp/pcpi/meetings/abisko-pp-2016/expression-of-interest

Limited travel support may be available, particularly for participants from developing countries.

For more information on the school, visit http://www.climate-cryosphere.org/wcrp/pcpi/meetings/abisko-pp-2016. For any questions, contact Jonny Day <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>.

On behalf of the organizing committee,
Jonny

APECS ExCom 2014 2015 We will have elections again in September for a new APECS Executive Committee for the 2015-2016 term!

This is to encourage YOU to consider applying for the new APECS Executive Committee or nominating someone you think would do a great job of shaping our organization.

APECS is an internationally respected association and is recognized as one of the major legacies of the 4th International Polar Year. Our great members, particularly those of our past APECS Executive Committees and Councils have largely contributed to this through their excellent and hard work. To maintain this high level of success, and bring new vision and ideas to APECS, it is truly important for you to be active in this election.

Now YOU get the chance to influence the future of polar research!

What does the APECS Executive Committee do? Check out the APECS website at http://www.apecs.is/about-apecs/leadership/executive-commitee and http://www.apecs.is/who-we-are/leadership/executive-committee/about-the-executive-committee.html

Who can apply to the APECS Executive Committee?

Applicants must be members of APECS (http://www.apecs.is/get-involved/join-apecs.html) and should have a minimum of 4 months experience on the Council (current and/or past) or prior active involvement in one of the APECS National Committee leaderships. Other members interested in applying should talk to the Election Coordinators and Executive Director before applying, and can run with special permission of the Election Coordinators and Executive Director. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to contact them.

You have not been previously involved with APECS and want to gain some experience but don’t want to start at the Executive Committee level? We also encourage applications to the APECS Council, a great first step to get active and gain experience in the APECS leadership. An announcement about how to apply to the Council will follow next week and can also be found on our “Volunteers Needed“ page (http://www.apecs.is/get-involved/volunteers-needed.html)

What is the timeline for the election?

The 2015-2016 APECS Executive Committee elections is as follows:

27 July – 7 September 2015: Accepting nominations

8 – 9 September 2015: Preparation of the review and voting period

10 – 19 September 2015: Review of applications by APECS Council: current APECS Council members have the chance for a Question & Answer session both via email and during a conference call with the ExCom applicants. Important: Applicants have to be available for questions and the conference call during this time.

20 – 25 September 2015: Voting by the APECS Council members on the ExCom applicants

26 – 30 September 2015: Final vote count and review of votes, transition process

1 October 2015: official announcement of the 2015-2016 APECS Executive Committee and the 2015 – 2016 APECS President

How do you apply?

It’s easy!

Submit your application containing:

basic biographical information (name, institution, contact details, country of residence and origin),
a brief biosketch that gives us a better picture of who you are (e.g. research theme and interests, your hobbies, etc.),
a photo of yourself that we can use for the APECS website,
the names and contact details of two referees, and
a statement of interest detailing why you are interested in serving on the APECS Executive Committee and how you would like to contribute to APECS as a member of the APECS Executive Committee. Please also include any past involvement in organizing APECS activities, involvement in the APECS leadership or National Committee leadership, or other experiences that would make you a good candidate. An outline of what we are specifically hoping you address in your statement of interest and general information about the election procedure is available on the APECS website at http://www.apecs.is/who-we-are/leadership/executive-committee/about-the-executive-committee.html

Applications for the APECS Executive Committee will be accepted starting 27 July 2015 (if you are on fieldwork you can already send in your application earlier). Please email your application as one PDF to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Application deadline is 7 September 2015!

All information about the 2015-2016 Executive Committee elections are available here http://www.apecs.is/who-we-are/leadership/executive-committee/executive-committee-elections-2015-2016.html

If you have any questions about what it means to be a member of the APECS Executive Committee, the application process or any other queries, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Best wishes,

Jenn Provencher, Yulia Zaika, Jean-Sebastien Moore, Ivan Dubinenkov, Gerlis Fugmann
Executive Committee Elections Coordinators

The Association of Early Polar Career Scientists (APECS) held its first world summit in Sofia, Bulgaria, from June 6-8, 2015.

Participants from around the world Sixty-six early career scientists and APECS members, representing 25 countries and 20 APECS National Committees (NCs) participated in the event. In addition, 12 senior scientists and professionals attended the summit (2 of them remotely), supporting APECS as mentors. The diversity of the summit participants was not only characterised by their origin but also academic field and profession. Yet, all participants had a sincere interest in the Polar Regions in common. The APECS World Summit was considered a bi-Polar event, equally committed to the Arctic and the Antarctic.

The programme of the summit constituted three full days and was structured into 4 workshops:

Training workshop on Data Sharing and Open Science in Polar Research
Workshop on The Future of Polar Research
Workshop on Science Communication
Workshop on The APECS Network and Future Directions

Workshops included presentations by invited mentors as well as the APECS leadership and NC representatives, breakout sessions, a panel discussion, and consultations and discussions within the plenary. The full program, including list of mentors, participants, and sponsors is at: http://www.apecs.is/events/upcoming-event-highlights/apecs-world-summit-2015.html.

In the evenings during the summit, several social events took place; an icebreaker reception on the night before the opening of the summit, an informal dinner with traditional Bulgarian dance performances, and the conference dinner. These events fostered interactions between participants. Mentors were also invited and joined the social events.

The summit was generally perceived as a great success. APECS is planning to continue convening world summits on a regular basis, every 2 to 5 years.

APECS President signing the Letter of Agreement with APECS India

Major outcomes of the Summit included: an understanding of the importance of open data, and how open science can be accomplished through the use of databases, data standardization, and data publications, a vision of the future directions of polar research, which includes increased understanding of the global impacts of what happens at both poles, and a focus on human interactions and warming in the Arctic and changes in the Southern Ocean and to ice in the Antarctic. In addition, Letters of Agreement were signed between APECS and National Committees from Canada, India, Switzerland, the United States, and Russia. Welcome to our new National Committees!

APECS World Summit Group Picture

Dr Valérie Masson-Delmotte has been awarded the 2015 Martha T. Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica for her work on the characterization, quantification and understanding of past changes in climate and water cycle, translating the isotopic data to paleo-temperature records.

Dr Masson has used combinations of the water isotope data to interpret the transport route for the moisture reaching Antarctica and elevation changes of the deep drill sites in Antarctica. She has an interdisciplinary profile in isotopic geochemistry, glaciology, climate modelling and paleoclimatology. She has also contributed to the paleoclimate chapters of two IPCC reports: as Lead Author of IPCC AR4 and as Coordinating Lead Author of IPCC AR5. Her leadership roles in major international Antarctic collaborations include the IGBP-PAGES International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS)Ice Core Sciences (IPICS) and with the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS). Her research prizes include the prestigious 2013 Prix Irène Joliot Curie for “Scientific woman of the year” and she was recognised as “Highly cited scientist” by Thomson Reuters (2014). She is currently head of the scientific and technical council of LSCE (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement) at CEA (Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives). Dr Masson would like to acknowledge her research on Antarctic ice cores could not have been possible without the support of the French Polar Institute (IPEV).

The Prize Ceremony will be held at the PAGES Antarctica2K meeting in September.

Background information: The Martha T. Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica is a US$ 100,000 unrestricted award presented to an individual in the fields of Antarctic science or policy that has demonstrated potential for sustained and significant contributions that will enhance the understanding and/or preservation of Antarctica. The prize is funded by the Tinker Foundation, whose goal is to recognize excellence in Antarctic research by honouring someone in the early to mid-stages of his or her career. The Prize is inspired by Martha T. Muse’s passion for Antarctica and is a legacy of the International Polar Year. For further details, please visit the Muse Prize website.

ICCH2015 copy The16th International Congress on Circumpolar Health arranged a pre-congress Summer School for advanced Masters and PhD students from the various Arctic countries.
The School took place from June 6 to June 8, 2015 in Finnish Oulu, and was designed to provide students with the tools to effectively work with northern communities within their research and also gain a greater understanding of current issues in the North. It included two courses, “Community Based Participatory Research Principles and Practices in the North”, and “Healthy populations in the Arctic” that used case studies, individual and group work, lectures, breakout sessions, and moderated panel discussion as teaching methods.

Ideas were exchanged not only during the intensive scientific sessions, but also at the vibrant social program. APECS Social Event was considered a success, where students enjoyed traditional Finnish sauna, the cost for which had been covered, courtesy of APECS. In connection to this, Julie Bull (Executive Director, Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council) made the general Introduction of APECS and invited early-career researchers to take advantage of becoming APECS members.

ICCH2015 group copy

German SCAR IASC Meeting The German National Committee (GNC) SCAR / IASC (www.scar-iasc.de) serves as a national correspondent for the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). Further, the GNC SCAR / IASC plans and coordinates the activities of German university research in the field of polar sciences together with the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) and relevant federal institutions, which additionally provide the necessary logistics for university research.

This year’s annual meeting of the GNC SCAR / IASC was hosted by the the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg from the 28-29 May 2015. Both the location itself (Schloss Erlangen) as well as its surroundings provided perfect circumstances for this event.

More than 30 established researchers and attended the meeting, all occupying leading roles in the German polar research community. Representatives from the German Research Foundation (“Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – DFG”), the Federal Environment Agency (“Umweltbundesamt – UBA”) and two Federal Ministries (“Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung - BMBF” and “Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, Bau und Reaktorsicherheit - BMU”) complemented the group of participants. The meeting was led by GNC SCAR/IASC’s chair, Prof. Dr. Günther Heinemann (Environmental Meteorology, University of Trier). Prof. Dr. Matthias Braun (GNC SCAR/IASC Secretary, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg) and Dr. Sascha Willmes (GNC SCAR/IASC Executive Assistant) carried out all organizational matters.

It was the first time in the history of the GNC SCAR/IASC that a representative of APECS was invited to attend the annual meeting. Therefore, I had the opportunity to give a brief overview on past, current and planned (international) APECS activities and projects as well as possibilities to promote and establish APECS on a national level in Germany. Many attendees were quite open towards that topic and provided me with helpful comments and suggestions. A huge step forward will be the organization of an APECS events at the “International Polartagung 2015” in Munich (www.glaziologie.de/Polartagung/) which will take place in September 2015. Further future improvements to connect and inform young polar researchers in Germany include an enhanced cooperation with the German Society for Polar Research (“Deutsche Gesellschaft für Polarfoschung e.V. – DGP”) and the priority program for Antarctic Research (“SPP-1158 Antarktisforschung”).

Extensive reports on SCAR and IASC activities over the past year (including the SCAR delegates meeting in Auckland, meetings of the IASC working groups at the ASSW 2015 in Toyama and the ICARP III process) and reports on the German polar research infrastructure (RV Polarstern; POLAR 5 and 6 research aircrafts; Neumayer-, AWIPEV-, Gondwana- and Gars O’Higgins stations) were other main topics at the meeting.

Overall, the opportunity to attend this annual meeting gave me a good insight into planning and coordinating national science activities and the translation of international science-agreements and guidelines to a national level. At the same time, it also proved to be an excellent networking opportunity with senior scientists and staff from the German funding agencies. I am very grateful for the travel support provided by the German Research Foundation and I would also like to thank Gerlis Fugmann and Hueges Lantuit for the fantastic support to prepare for the meeting.

In order to address growing disparities in Polar remote sensing, and in particular to articulate the satellite needs specific to the Southern Ocean, last year SOOS (The Southern Ocean Observing System) and CliC (Climate and the Cryosphere Project) coordinated a community survey to canvas uses of remote sensing and define limitations and recommendations for improvement of Southern Ocean remote sensing.

These survey responses have been brought together into a summary report, which we are now circulating again around the entire Southern Ocean community (both operational and research). Sections of the report include sea ice variables, atmospheric parameters, SST, SSH, SSS, terrestrial cryospheric connections, marine microbes / ocean color, marine biology, surface winds, and more.

We encourage all interested members of the Southern Ocean community to review relevant sections and submit any comments edits by the end of July. We want you, the community, to ensure that the content is complete and that the report’s recommendations are detailed, innovative, and accurate. The aim is that this review will represent the Southern Ocean community’s satellite data needs for the coming decade. It is designed to stand as an important strategy paper that provides the rationale and information required for future strategic planning and investment.

We ask that you use a Google Doc to provide feedback, so that it can be a more collaborative effort (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oCXwPU8ykGYv9h4W0i5lzIqWpcpF0m4JX6MRP6BjEJs/edit?usp=sharing; there is a linked table of contents to make it easier to access your section of interest). However, if you are unable to access the Doc for some reason, please contact us (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; subj: Southern Ocean Satellite Report) and we will be able to provide you with a PDF or Word version.

Thank you for taking the time to contribute to this valuable community effort!

Sincerely,

Allen Pope, NSIDC/UW; Penelope Wagner, MetNo; Rob Johnson, UTAS; Jenny Baeseman, CliC; Louise Newman, SOOS

“Multi-stressors in the Arctic Marine Ecosystem”

The Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas and coasts are currently undergoing unprecedented changes reflected in summer sea icedecline, warming, increased Atlantic water heat transport, freshening, retreat of glaciers, and ocean acidification. These changesare affecting the chemical and physical environment such as stratification, nutrient availability, air-sea gas exchange and lightconditions. Consequently, these changes will impact the primary and secondary production and subsequently the whole marineecosystem.

The 1st FRAM Science Days, taking place the 10-11th November 2015 in Tromsø, northern Norway, focus on the theme “Multi-stressors in the Arctic Marine Ecosystem”, and presents some of the research that have been performed during the first fouryears in the Fram Centre flagships programs.
Invited keynote speakers will introduce and describe several aspects of the occurring changes in the biogeochemical processesand the marine ecosystems in the Arctic Ocean, and in the transition zones such as the Barents Sea and high north coastalsystems.
The conference includes sessions to encourage and stimulate discussions. Topics will include effect and trends in oceanacidification, potential changes in the advection of water masses, increased freshening and glacial melt water input, air-sea CO2interaction, warming, changing sea ice, land- ocean interaction and impacts on the marine ecosystems in a changing climate.

Some research questions to be addressed in the talks and posters:

· What are the major changes in the Arctic Ocean with consequence for the marine ecosystem?
· Is the Arctic freshening? And what are the consequences of a fresher Arctic Ocean on the ecosystem?
· Will the vanishing summer sea ice cover have consequences for the ecosystem?
· Are there likely changes on the primary and secondary production?
· How will fish and higher trophic levels respond to multiple environmental stressors?
Adaptation?
· Do we have evidence for northward mass migration of benthos, fish, mammals, birds?

Registration: There is no registration fee for this event. All meals and social events are sponsored by the Fram Centre. Theconference is limited to 200 participants and registration is necessary.

Deadlines: Registration, abstract deadline and applications for Young Scientist FRAM travel grant is the 10th of October in 2015 onthe following link: http://mform.imr.no/view.php?id=42242

Conference chairs and organizers:

Melissa Chierici (IMR and Fram Centre, Flagship leader “Ocean Acidification”)
Lis Jørgensen (IMR and Fram Centre, Flagship leader “Coast and Fjord”)
Laura de Steur (NPI and Fram Centre, “The Arctic Ocean”)
Jo Aarseth (Fram Centre, Flagship coordinator)
Helge Markusson (Fram Centre, outreach coordinator)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Melissa Chierici, Ph.D
Seniorforsker/Sr. Scientist
Havsforskningsinstituttet/ Institute of Marine Research
Postboks 6404
9294 Tromsø
Norway

Phone: +47 900 54 479
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

iasc web IASC Medals are awarded in recognition of exceptional and sustained contributions to the understanding of the Arctic. A maximum of one award is made each year, assuming that there is a nominee of appropriate quality. The award of medals is normally by the President of IASC during the Arctic Science Summit Week (or exceptionally at another major international meeting) following the ratification of the award.

Nominations for the IASC Medal 2016 can be submitted to the IASC Secretariat until 31 December 2015. The Medal Awards Committee, composed of Rajan Sivaramakrishnan,Yves Frenot and David Hik, will consider the nominations received and the Medal will be awarded at the Arctic Science Summit Week in Fairbanks (USA) on 12-18 March 2016.

More information on the IASC Medal, including a compilation of previous medalists, is available on the IASC website at http://www.iasc.info/home/iasc/iasc-medal where you can also download the nomination form. Nominations for the IASC Medal 2016 can be submitted to the IASC Secretariat until 31 December 2015. The Medal Awards Committee, composed of Rajan Sivaramakrishnan,Yves Frenot and David Hik, will consider the nominations received and the Medal will be awarded at the Arctic Science Summit Week in Fairbanks (USA) on 12-18 March 2016.

For more information please contact the IASC Secretariat.

Dr. Volker Rachold
Executive Secretary
International Arctic Science Committee (IASC)
Telegrafenberg A43, 14473 Potsdam, Germany

Secretariat +49-331-2882214
Direct +49-331-2882212
Mobile +49-160-90664174
Fax +49-331-2882215
www.iasc.info

The SOOS/WCRP/ESA Workshop on Southern Ocean air-sea fluxes will be held in Frascati, Italy on 21-23 September 2015.

The workshop is motivated by a goal to improve air-sea flux estimates in the Southern Ocean and Antarctic marginal seas, though the issues addressed in the workshop will also have a global reach. We anticipate a 5-part agenda, with your presentation fitting into topic 3:
1. Science applications for air-sea flux estimates;
2. A brief review of challenges associated with existing flux products;
3. New opportunities that will enable forward progress (including in-situ observations, remote sensing, assimilation/modeling);
4. Workshop outcome #1: Defining requirements for essential climate variables and essential ocean variables for air-sea exchange;
5. Workshop outcome #2: Planning for a pilot observing system.

Details about the workshop, including a registration form, are posted on the SOOS website: http://soos.aq/calendar?view=event&cid=82

The abstract submission form will be available in the next day or so, and we ask (if possible) to have abstracts before June 30th. There is no registration fee for the workshop, but note that lunches and the conference dinner will be organized on a "no-host" basis. Participants are responsible for their own travel and hotel arrangements; please see the website for a hotel and taxi booking form.

We have a limited amount of travel funding available, intended primarily for early career scientists or investigators from developing countries. We encourage participants if possible to seek other sources of funding to support their participation. Travel grants can be requested as part of the abstract submission form. Abstracts received before June 30th will be considered for oral presentation, and travel grant requests also need to be submitted within this time frame.

The SOOS/WCRP/ESA Workshop on Southern Ocean air-sea fluxes will be held in Frascati, Italy on 21-23 September 2015.

Details about the workshop, including a registration form, are posted on the SOOS website: http://soos.aq/calendar?view=event&cid=82

iasc web

The June 2015 edition of the IASC newsletter is now available here. This edition provides a summary of Arctic Science Summit Week 2015 in Toyama, Japan. On page 3 there is an article about the IASC Fellowship program which APECS is closely involved with.

The 10th Arctic Frontiers conference will be arranged in Tromsø, Norway from Sunday 24 January to Friday 29 January 2016. The title for the 2016 conference is Industry and Environment.

The Arctic is a global crossroad between commercial and environmental interests. The region holds substantial natural resources and many actors are investigating ways to utilise these for economic gain. Others view the Arctic as a particularly pristine and vulnerable environment and highlight the need to limit industrial development.

Arctic Frontiers 2016 will discuss the balance between resource utilisation and preservation, and between industrial and environmental interests in the Arctic. Envisioning a well-planned, well-governed, and sustainable development in the Arctic, how can improved Arctic stewardship help balance environmental concerns with industrial expansion? How can the environmental footprints from future business activities be minimised? And last but not least what role will existing and emerging technologies play in making industrial development profitable and environmentally friendly, securing a sustainable growth scenario for Arctic communities?

The Arctic Frontiers conference is a central arena for discussions of Arctic issues. The conference brings together representatives from science, politics, and NGOs to share perspectives on how upcoming challenges in the Arctic may be addressed to ensure sustainable development. Arctic Frontiers is composed of three sections: Arctic Frontiers Policy, Arctic Frontiers Science and Arctic Frontiers Business.

Arctic Frontiers Science 2016 will address three main themes:

This call for papers addresses only the science section that takes place from 27-29 January 2016.

On behalf of the scientific program committees, we have great pleasure in inviting you to submit one or more abstracts, for oral or poster presentation, to any of the three parts. We ask you to do so in accordance with the instructions provided on the Call for Papers page at www.arcticfrontiers.com.

All abstracts will be reviewed by members of the three scientific committees for rating of abstract quality and presentation content.

Call for Papers closes on 21 September 2015

EUPolarNet logo2 EU-PolarNet is the world’s largest consortium of expertise and infrastructure for polar research. Seventeen countries are represented by 22 of Europe’s internationally-respected multi-disciplinary research institutions. From 2015-2020, EU-PolarNet will develop and deliver a strategic framework and mechanisms to prioritise science, optimise the use of polar infrastructure, and broker new partnerships that will lead to the co-design of polar research projects that deliver tangible benefits for society. By adopting a higher degree of coordination of polar research and operations than has existed previously the consortium engages in closer cooperation with all relevant actors on an international level.

For more information go to http://www.eu-polarnet.eu/ or find them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442027029433733/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/EUPolarNet

SCAR is pleased to announce that Dr. Jenny Baeseman has just been hired as
the new SCAR Executive Director. Jenny has been the Executive Director of
the WCRP Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) project since 2012 and previous to
that was the Founding Director of the Association of Polar Early Career
Scientists (APECS). She has a strong history working with SCAR in these
capacities and in addition has spent 3 field seasons in the McMurdo Dry
Valleys and participated in a Students On Ice Antarctic University
Expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula. She will begin to transition into
the role starting 1 July and be full time starting 1 September. We look
forward to Jenny continuing the excellent trajectory marked by our
previous executive directors, Colin Summerhayes and Mike Sparrow.

We also want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Mike Sparrow for
his efficient work and important contribution to SCAR during the last
years as Executive Director, and wish him all the best in his new job. We
also thank Rosemary Nash and Eoghan Griffin for their continued excellent
work and commitment to SCAR, especially in these particularly busy times.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Baeseman as the new SCAR Executive
Director.

http://www.scar.org/contacts/

Traditional Knowledge has been formally recognized by the Arctic Council as important to understanding the Arctic in numerous Ministerial Declarations, including the 1996 Ottawa Declaration on the establishment of the Arctic Council.

The Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples Secretariat (IPS), in partnership with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (ANNDC), led two workshops in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 with the objective of developing recommendations for consistent and practical use of traditional knowledge in the work of the Arctic Council. At these workshops, IPS facilitated discussions and debate amongst experts nominated by the six Indigenous Peoples Organizations being Permanent Participants (PP) to the Arctic Council, who collectively developed a set of 13 fundamental principles on Traditional Knowledge for the use in the Arctic Council.

The principles are known as the" Ottawa Traditional Knowledge Principles“ and can be found here:

http://www.arcticpeoples.org/images/2015/ottradknowlprinc.pdf

The ArcticNet Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada and its partners are pleased to welcome the Arctic research community to Vancouver for the 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM2015) to be held from 7 to 11 December 2015 at The Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, British Columbia.

As the largest annual Arctic research gathering held in Canada, the ASM welcomes over 500 participants annually and is the ideal venue to present results from all fields of Arctic research and stimulate national and international networking and partnership activities. Scientists, policy and decision makers, representatives of government and non-government organizations, the private-sector, northern stakeholders and media are invited to join us for the ASM2015 to address the global challenges and opportunities brought by climate change and modernization in the Arctic.

We are pleased that the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) will be joining us at The Westin Bayshore for the 2015 NCP Results Workshop from 7 to 8 December. Please contact the NCP Secretariat for further information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Call for Abstracts

Abstracts for oral and poster presentations addressing all fields of Arctic research are now being accepted by filling out the online abstract submission form available on the ASM2015 website.

Anyone interested in organizing specific topical sessions should contact me as soon as possible at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Posters presented by graduate students are eligible for the Graduate Student Poster Awards.

The deadline for abstract submission is Friday, 2 October 2015.

Program

The ASM2015 is a 5-day conference beginning with Student Day at 8:30 on Monday, 7 December and ending on Friday, 11 December. Exceptionally this year, the official opening session of the conference will be at 13:30 on Tuesday, 8 December and the conference will finish at 12:00 on Friday, 11 December.

Registration

On-line registration for the conference is now available on the ASM2015 website. Register before the early registration deadline of Monday, 2 November 2015 to save on your registration fee.

Hotel

Our host hotel for the ASM2015 is The Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, ideally situated on the waterfront, next to beautiful Stanley Park. Our block of rooms is guaranteed only until 6 November 2015. Please book your rooms as early as possible by using the hotel reservation information and code provided on the ASM2015 website.

Be sure to quote ASM2015/ArcticNet when making your reservation in order to take advantage of the conference rates.

Visit the ASM2015 website:

Additional information on the conference, hotel & venue, and sponsor/exhibitor opportunities is available on the ASM2015 website.

Please post and circulate this announcement among your national and international Arctic networks.

We hope to see you in Vancouver for what promises to be another exceptional Arctic research and networking meeting.

Best regards,

Martin Fortier, for the ASM2015 Organizing Committee

If you're interested in incorporating ice core analysis into ongoing or future research projects, then join our upcoming APECS ice core webinar series (details and webinar registration links below). The webinars will include the following topics: working the the US ice drilling program, using ice cores archived at NICL, and ice core processing techniques. Each webinar presentation will be ~30 minutes in length followed by a live question and answer period with the webinar presenter.

The webinars will be archived online on the APECS website later this summer under the Glaciology Research Area and in the past APECS Webinar list. Please email the webinar series organizer, Ellyn Enderlin (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), with any questions.

Thursday June 18th @ 12:00 EDT
Ice Core Webinar #1: Working with the US Ice Drilling Program
Presented by Dr. Mary Albert (Executive Director for IDPO)
Webinar ID: 114-406-971
Webinar Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/608954986533373954

The Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) and Ice Drilling Design and Operations (IDDO) coordinate planning and provide ice drilling and ice coring support for NSF-funded ice core research. The webinar will include a quick overview of the IDPO-IDDO, including how IDPO-IDDO works with the science community for short and long-range (decadal) planning of science involving ice coring or drilling, and how IDPO-IDDO retrieves cores or create access holes in ice for U.S. scientists. Webinar participants will learn how they can tap into these resources if conducting ice core analyses on the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, glaciers, and/or seasonal ice in temperate regions. Information on IDPO-IDDO and their services can be found at: http://icedrill.org/.

Tuesday June 23rd @ 12:00 EDT
Ice Core Webinar #2: Using Ice Cores Archived at the US National Ice Core Laboratory (NICL)
Presented by Mark Twickler (Science Director for NICL)
Webinar ID: 145-067-619
Webinar Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1507385728798496258

The U.S. National Ice Core Laboratory (NICL) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) facility for storing, curating, and studying meteoric ice cores recovered from the glaciated regions of the world. NICL is managed by the U.S. Geological Survey through an Inter-Agency Agreement. NICL provides scientists with the capability to conduct examinations and measurements on ice cores, and it preserves the integrity of these ice cores in a long-term repository for future investigations. This webinar will discuss the policies for accessing archived ice cores and use of the facility. To familiarize yourself with the facility, please visit: http://icecores.org.

Thursday June 25th @ 12:00 EDT
Ice Core Webinar #3: Overview of Laser Ablation and Traditional Ice Core Processing Techniques
Presented by Dr. Nicole Spaulding (University of Maine)
Webinar ID: 151-706-531
Webinar Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5381167503592883458

This webinar will provide participants with an overview of traditional and emerging methods for the analysis of ice core chemistry. Traditional systems rely upon a heated metal disk or plate to melt the ice prior to analysis by ion chromatography or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Emerging instrumentation, such as that utilized by the University of Maine Climate Change Institute’s W. M. Keck Laser Ice Facility, combines state of the art laser ablation sample introduction with ICP-MS analysis. The latter method offers greatly enhanced sample resolution thereby allowing the recovery of sub-annual signals from regions with very low accumulation rates, in highly compressed ice at great depths, and in regions of ascending flow (blue-ice exposures). We will also discuss the types of research questions each method is best suited to answer.

Last month in the building of the Murmansk Marine Biological Institute the 15th International Scientific Conference of students and graduate students "Problems of the Arctic region" was held.

The welcoming words were addressed by Professor Dr.Vladimir K. Zhirov from Russian Academy of Sciences, who told that this conference is organized every year and it became a tradition for the young scientists of Murmansk region and beyond such as Siberia, the Urals, Central Russia and the Far East.

The range of issues covered in the course of the scientific sections was wide from "Biology and Medicine", "Geology and Geophysics of the Arctic region", "Humanities and social challenges", "Information Technology and Mathematical Methods" "Marine biology" to "Problems of education in the Arctic region", "physical problems", "Chemical and technological problems", "Ecology of the North", "Economic Problems of development of the Arctic."

This year the number of reports submitted to the conference was quite large, and therefore conference "Problems of the Arctic Region" is a great place for young researchers to try their hand at public speaking, to be able to competently write and arrange their thesis work and receive important and sensible comments on their research by the colleagues.

ECC 2015 The conference for early career scientists: "The 6th Early Career Scientists conference – Looking ahead: Oceans, Earth and Human Impact".
When: October 5th to 7th, 2015
Where: Wissenschaftszentrum, Kiel, Germany
The conference is organised mainly by and for PhD students and PostDocs and continues the Early Career Scientists Conference series initiated by the three German Marine and Climate Science Clusters of Excellence in Bremen (MARUM), Hamburg (CliSAP) and Kiel (Future Ocean).
More information at: https://conferences.geomar.de/event/ecc2015

Abstract submission and iregistration is now open and ends July 31.
There is no conference fee!

Ecologic Institute and its partners are pleased to announce the 2015 Arctic Summer College and are seeking applications from emerging leaders working to improve Arctic governance from around the world. The Arctic Summer College creates a network of emerging leaders and experts that will be brought together for 8 weeks in a series of web-based seminars (webinars) Thursdays from 18:00-20:00 Central European Time from June 25 to August 13. The program aims to build a lasting, policy-oriented network of Arctic professionals to strengthen communication between peoples and nations, scientific disciplines, policy areas, and across the science-policy interface to improve governance and sustainable development in the Arctic. Fellows may earn spots to travel and present their work at this year's Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik. Participation in the Arctic Summer College is open to applicants with a minimum of two years of experience in a related field, and a desire to share perspectives and seek professional collaboration with a network of peers. The course will be conducted in English. Applicants will be accepted until June 11.

More information here or go to the Arctic Summer College 2015 website http://arcticsummercollege.org/

APECS will be organizing a panel discussion and social event on 27 June 2015 during the IUGG 2015 General Assembly in Prague.
„How to become a successful scientist“ is the topic of the APECS panel session. Well established researchers, in their scientific field, will provide insights about their scientific career and talk about their experiences on that path to become an independent scientist and being able to do the science they are passionate about. With this event, and speakers from different disciplines, we aim to provide early career scientists broad and valuable information about possible career paths, funding opportunities and the chance for discussion, to improve and develop their own scientific career. This event is open to every interest scientist and offers the possibility for networking, meeting new colleagues and discussing ideas and problems. After the panel discussion, we will have refreshments and time for discussion. Those of you interested in more networking and discussion can join us afterwards in a bar close to the convention centre.

On June 1 2015, Canadian Minister Valcourt Announces Establishment of New Federal Organization - Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR):

Polar Knowledge Canada merges the mandate and functions of the Canadian Polar Commission with those of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station initiative at Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada to form one organization.

You can find the full text of the news release by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada here.

icarp3 logo International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP) is a commitment that International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) made as a part of founding articles to periodically to identify the important Arctic scientific questions and issues and how they could be addressed through various implementation regimes in the future.

ICARP III is currently underway and this is process has been ongoing for the last 12 months. Between the formal launch of the ICARP III at the ASSW 2014 in Helsinki, Finland and the final conference at ASSW 2015 / ISAR-4 / ICARP III conference in Toyama, Japan, at the end of April 2015, there have been many, almost hundred meetings and side events led by the IASC working groups, IASC networks and action groups and ICARP III partner organizations and all of these are contributions to the ICARP III. There have been various types of events e.g. workshops, townhall meetings, writing team meetings, surveys and outreach and capacity building event, but all aiming to identify Arctic research priorities for the next decade, improve coordination of various Arctic research agendas, inform policy makers, people who live in or near the Arctic and the global community and build constructive relationships between producers and users of knowledge. All these activity summaries and reports can be found from the ICARP III webpage (icarp.iasc.info).

APECS has two projects that will contribute to the ICARP III process. To aid in assessing how past support has influenced early career Arctic researchers and potentially enhanced future opportunities, APECS, the Climate and Cryosphere Project (CliC) and IASC are working together to use IASC funding of early career researchers as a case study to assess the value of travel support for early career researchers. Results from this Where are they now? –project will give suggestions on how funds could be better used in the future and this will help form new standards for supporting the next generation of Arctic researchers. The APECS – ICARP III Survey: Arctic Early Career Researchers Support and Training Assessment assessed whether current funding, support, and training for early career researchers involved in Arctic research have helped foster their careers, in order to provide recommendations on how to better support them in the future. As ICARP III is very open process and it still welcomes contributions, this survey is still open and can be found http://www.apecs.is/research/apecs-projects/apecs-icarp-iii-survey-2015.html

ICARP III is currently in a process of synthesizing the outcomes of all these various activities. A snapshot of these outcomes as well as overarching themes of the discussions that took place in final conference at ASSW 2015 / ISAR-4 / ICARP III in Toyama at the end of April can be found from the conference statement. The statement can be found from conference webpage assw2015.org. During the next few months there will have open public process of determining the outcomes of the ICARP III and communicating these outcomes to the larger audience.

As the APECS representative to the Canadian High Arctic Reserach Station (CHARS) management committee I attendeed the most recent meeting in May 2015. At the meeting an update of staffing and projects run by CHARS was given. Although CHARS supports numerous projects throughout the Canadian north, the main part of the program will run out of the reserach station in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. Construction on the buiding is now underway, with the triplexes that will house staff and visiting researchers the first phase. Once this phase is complete, the construction of the main resrach buildings will begin.

Also in the works is the change from CHARS being a program within Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development of Canada (AANDC) to joining with the Canadian Polar Commisssion (CPC) and becoming a crown corporation. This transition has taken up much of the man-power of the CHARS/CPC staff, but is slated to be finalized in the coming months. You can read more about CHARS here.

The management committee also discussed how future calls for proposals will function, and how the priorities will be determined. Working groups will be formed from the management committee and invited experts to determine scientific priorities and needs CHARS will focus on under the Canada's Northern Strategy.

Lastly, the proposals submitted for this years funding were reviewed. A selection committee made up of ten members from the manangement committee reviewed each proposal in detail and made recommendations to the larger management committee on what projects were to be funded this round. A large emphasis on placed on assessing how projects involved northerns. The management committee accepted the recommendations of the selection committee, and those recommendations will now be presented to the AANDC minister for final approval (since CHARS is still technically under AANDC).

The management committee is slated to meet next via a conference call in the fall to discuss the next call for proposals.

ISMASS (Ice sheet mass balance and sea level) is a joint expert group of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the WCRP Climate and Cryosphere Project (CliC) and have contacted APECS regarding two exciting opportunities for early career researchers.

1. Opportunity for one early career researcher to sit on the ISMASS Steering Committee for a period of 2-3 years. (Note: the successful candidate is supposed to attend the ISMASS workshop mentioned below).

2. Several travel fellowships for early career researchers to attend the ISMASS Workshop (16 August 2015) on the Marine Ice Sheet and Ice Shelf‐Ocean Model Intercomparison Projects (MISMIP+, ISOMIP+, MISOMIP1) and the subsequent International Glaciology Society (IGS) 2015 Meeting on Ice Sheet Dynamics in Cambridge, UK (16-21 August 2015). More information on the workshop can be found here: http://www.climate-cryosphere.org/activities/groups/ismass/meetings/mismips-cambridge#faqnoanchor

To apply please send the following to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 14 June 2015 as a single pdf file:

CV
Statement of interest including
- if you are applying for a) only a travel fellowship, or b) for both, the ISMASS Steering Committee and a travel fellowship
- Information about your current research and why you would want to attend the workshop and meeting.
A budget of expected costs for you to attend the workshop and meeting (including registration fees). Note: Funding amounts will be limited to 1000 Euros for Europeans and 1500 Euros for those from other continents.
If you are applying also for the ISMASS Steering Committee, you should also include a statement of interest including your motivation for sitting on this committee and a clear commitment to be involved in this committee for at least the coming 2 years.

Ships plying Arctic and Antarctic waters face specific environmental regulations for the first time, after the International Maritime Organization agreed rules to combat polar pollution on 15 May. The environmental provisions are designed to prevent pollution from oil, sewage and rubbish from vessels, and will begin coming into force in 2017. The rules are an addition to the ‘Polar Code’, which was adopted in 2014 as the first set of standards specifically regulating polar shipping (see go.nature.com/xhsanz).

APECS Workshop ASSW 2015 It’s always a great pleasure to work in person with amazing people who share the same interest to the Polar Regions. In conjunction with the ASSW 2015 / ISAR-4 / ICARP III conference in Toyama, Japan, at the end of April 2015, APECS organized a workshop on "Goals of ICARP III – the future of Arctic research from the perspective of early career researchers". ICARP III aims to identify and coordinate the future direction of Arctic research. And as the early career researchers will be the ones shaping Arctic research in the future, it is important to invest in their training and provide providing opportunities and training and funding to prepare them for a successful career in Arctic research.

The beginning of the day with a talk on introduction to the ICARP III process by David Hik, former president of International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the chair of ICARP III, and talks on the results of the some of the ICARP III projects conducted by the Arctic in Rapid Transition initiative (ART) and the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) as well as APECS was full of new information for most participants and gave the day a great start. Group discussion on goals for Arctic research and ICARP III from the perspective of early career researchers was interesting and inspirational, and opened up new ideas for recommendations on how to better support ECRs in the future. Early career scientists were particularly happy with the afternoon panel discussion: International Collaboration in Arctic Research. The major topics covered during the mentor panel were: How to initiate international collaborations? What are the main advantages of involving international collaborations? What are the main challenges when working in international collaborations especially for early career researchers? And what values are seen in international ECR networks, such as APECS and how to encourage graduate students to get involved in the activities of APECS or similar networks/initiatives? APECS has actively worked on career development internationally throughout its history, and it was great to see that also early career scientists in the panel were working with very strong international collaborations. Many thanks to the fantastic mentors and early career scientists who shared their experience and wisdom with us: Volker Rachold (International Arctic Science Committee, Germany), Gunhild (Ninis) Rosqvist (Stockholm University, Sweden), Yulia Zaika (Khibiny educational and scientific base of the Faculty of Geography M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia), David Scott (Canadian Polar Commission, Canada), Atsuko Sugimoto (Hokkaido University, Japan) and Sandra Juutilainen (University of Oulu, Finland).

The workshop was a great success with the auditorium full of young scientists as well as interested senior researchers. It was especially great to see so many Japanese early career scientists in the workshop and to discuss about starting up a APECS Japan national committee. Thank you for all the speakers and panelists as well as for the organizing committee for their great support. The day was a big success! We look forward in working with you again in future.

There are just two weeks remaining to the deadline for applications for the 2015 SCAR and COMNAP Fellowship Schemes.

SCAR and COMNAP fellowships are worth up to US$15,000 each and up to six fellowships in total are on offer for 2015. The fellowships enable early career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating research partnerships that last many years and over many Antarctic research seasons. The deadline for applications is 3 June 2015.

For more information on SCAR and COMNAP Fellowships, visit the SCAR website at: www.scar.org/fellowship/information or the COMNAP website at: www.comnap.aq/SitePages/fellowships.aspx.

The SCAR and COMNAP schemes have again been launched in conjunction with CCAMLR's Scientific Scholarship Scheme, which provides funding of up to AU$ 30,000 to assist early career scientists to participate in the work of the CCAMLR Scientific Committee and its working groups over a period of two years. The scheme was established in 2010 and a maximum of three awards will be made in 2015. The objective of the scheme is to build capacity within the CCAMLR scientific community to help generate and sustain the scientific expertise needed to support the work of CCAMLR in the long-term. The deadline for CCAMLR applications is 1 October 2015. For more information, visit the CCAMLR website.

The APECS Canada – ASA Mentor Award is seeking nominations for 2015!

APECS Canada and the ArcticNet Student Association (ASA) recognize and honor the efforts of their mentors within the polar science community of Canada. This award has been created to acknowledge the time and energy that mentors dedicate to early career researchers each year, and their efforts in building a supportive community.

Do you know of a worthy mentor and wish to complete a nomination? The application procedure, guidelines, past recipients, media coverage, and all other relevant information is available here.

Nominations are due September 18th 2015 (Midnight PDT).

This year’s third recipient of the award will be announced at the banquet of the ArcticNet ASM 2015 meeting in Vancouver, BC in December (http://www.arcticnet.ulaval.ca/).

Contact Nikolaus Gantner (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for more information.

For the awards committee,

Dr. Nikolaus Gantner

APECS Canada-ASA Mentor Award Chair (2013-2015)

Second Polar Data Forum
27-29 October 2015
University of Waterloo, Canada

On behalf of the International Advisory Committee and the Local Organizing Committee, we are pleased to announce the Second Polar Data Forum (PDF II) which will be held 27-29 October 2015, at the University of Waterloo, Canada.

PDF II will build on successes of the first Polar Data Forum (PDF I) held in Tokyo, Japan, October 2013. PDF I and a series of other international and national meetings have identified priority themes and key challenges in the domain of polar data management . PDF II will further refine these themes and priorities and will accelerate progress by establishing clear actions to address the target issues, including meeting the needs of society and science through promotion of open data and effective data stewardship, establishing sharing and interoperability of data at a variety of levels, developing trusted data management systems, and ensuring long-term data preservation. The Forum will be held in conjunction with the scheduled annual meetings of the Arctic Data Committee (ADC) of the International Arctic Science Committee and Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (IASC/SAON) and the Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management (SC-ADM) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

The abstract submission and registration system will open on 15 May 2015 and abstracts are due 1 July 2015. Limited travel funds are available.
Please see our website at http://www.polar-data-forum.org/ for more details.

Kind regards,

Peter Pulsifer, Ellsworth LeDrew, Co-Chairs of the PDF II International Advisory Commitee
Julie Friddell, Chair of the PDF II Local Organizing Commitee

APECS PYRN EGU2015 The Permafrost Young Research Network (PYRN) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) organized a short course entitled "The future of permafrost in a climatechanging world" on the 15th April in Vienna (Austria) during the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2015. The course was hosted by the Soil System Sciences (SSS) division of the EGU and was open for Bachelor, Master, PhD students and postdocs. The purpose was to revise recent research that concerns permafrost in a changing climate: a) Equipping young researchers with a multidisciplinary understanding of the role of permafrost in the climate system; b) Strengthening international collaboration of early career researchers, and c) Enabling the participants to put their research into a larger context.

APECS PYRN EGU2015 2 Approximately 100 young researchers attended the short course, showing an increase of attendance compared to the previous year, when 60 - 70 participants joined the event. It should be mentioned that the organizers Marc Oliva and Alexandre Trindade were awarded as the best organizers of a workshop organized within the SSS division in 2014. These goals were fulfilled through a series of presentations and discussions, interactions with peers and top level permafrost researchers, and reference materials prepared for the workshop.

10h30 Workshop introduction PYRN presentation (Elin Högström, Vienna University of Technology / PYRN / APECS Austria / PAGE21 Young Researcher)

10h37 APECS presentation (Elena Kuznetsova, Norwegian University of Science and Technology / PYRN / APECS)

10h45 Elements of polar climate and changes in the cryosphere (Neven Fuckar, Institut Català de Ciències del Clima, Barcelona, Senior Scientist)

11h00 Permafrost modelling during future scenarios (Sarah Chadburn, University of Exeter / PAGE21 Young Researcher)

11h15 Landscape dynamics in paraglacial environments (Marc Oliva, University of Lisbon / PYRN)

11h22 Postglacial landscape changes and cryogenic processes (Alexander Nieuwendam, University of Lisbon / PYRN)

11h30 Hazards and infrastructure (Ingo Hartmeyer, University of Innsbruck / PYRN)

APECS PYRN EGU2015 3 APECS PYRN EGU2015 4

APECS PYRN EGU2015 5

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of PYRN and the 1st year anniversary of APECS Austria, a Social Event was held in the evening in a traditional Austrian tavern, next to
the vineyards in the outskirts of Vienna. All workshop participants were invited for a traditional buffet.

The financial support was kindly provided by the International Permafrost Association (IPA) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS).

CUIERIP Postcard
This June, Carleton University will offer Canada's first program dealing with the ethics of engaging in Aboriginal research - a five-day course for a diverse audience of researchers, government representatives and non-governmental organizations, as well as First Nations, Inuit and Métis community members.

The intensive course on the Ethics of Research with Indigenous Peoples takes place on campus from June 8 to 12. It will equip researchers of all kinds with tools to implement ethical practices when working with Aboriginal communities or conducting research on their traditional territory.
''We want to explore the life cycle and best practices of research with Indigenous people and communities so that people can conduct effective, ethical studies to support policy change and positive action,'' said Katherine Graham, professor emerita at Carleton's School of Public Policy and Administration.

Featured speakers will have expertise in community engagement and research ethics, design and review. Participants will work together in small groups using case studies. Elders and experts will be on hand for consultations, while a model ethics review body will provide feedback.

Building on the advances of Aboriginal communities in governing their own research, Carleton has the expertise and capacity to deliver a curriculum that will provide a solid grounding in community-based research principles and academic research standards and processes. The curriculum is also intended engage Aboriginal communities and organizations to build bridges on ethical research.

The importance of the program has been widely recognized and it has received support from all faculties at Carleton, as well as the Government of Canada's Secretariat for Responsible Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

The university's goal is to share knowledge and build cultural awareness as it seeks to expand its base to community and government researchers who engage in projects that directly affect Aboriginal peoples in Canada.

Supporting Aboriginal communities, promoting cultural awareness and positioning Carleton as a university of choice for Aboriginal students and faculty is a key goal of Carleton's Strategic Integrated Plan.

To register, and for more information, please go to: https://carleton.ca/indigenousresearchethics/registration/.

For more information:
Christopher Cline
Media Relations Officer
Carleton University
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(613) 520-2600, ext. 1391
(613) 355-0336 (cell)

assw banner

Arctic Science Summit Week 2015 in Toyama, Japan (23–30 April) brought together nearly 700 international scientists, students, policy makers, research managers, Indigenous Peoples and others interested in developing, prioritizing and coordinating plans for future Arctic research. The Conference was organized by the International Arctic Science Committee and the Science Council of Japan, with the support of many other international partners (www.assw2015.org).

The full conference statement is available as a pdf here.

APECS-WWRP-Polar Prediction Project Webinar Series - Part 2: Progress and Challenges in Predicting Arctic Sea Ice
Speakers: Cecilia Bitz (University of Washington, USA) and Julienne Stroeve (National Snow and Ice Data Centre/University of Colorado)
May 11, 18:00 CET
Webinar ID: 134-834-387

Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/174329034268135426

This seminar is the second in the APECS-WWRP-Polar Prediction Project Webinar Series. The rapid reduction in Arctic sea ice has lead to increased human activity in the Arctic and a demand for forecasts of sea ice cover on seasonal timescales. Many APECS members will be keenly interested in recent developments and future directions of this important area of research, so Professors Cecilia Bitz and Julienne Stroeve have accepted an invitation to speak on this topic.

The webinar will be recorded and archived afterwards in the APECS Past Webinar list http://www.apecs.is/career-resources/apecs-webinars/past-webinars.html

APECS Webinar: "Tell me more!": Connecting with Lay Readers through Plain Language

May 6, 3:00pm GMT
Webinar ID: 120-287-379

Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2236803940579207681

APECS online webinar is pleased to introduce the last webinar of the 2014-2015 series:"Tell me more!": Connecting with Lay Readers through Plain Language (Webinar on plain language).

Would you like to share your research with popular audiences?
Do you find it challenging to write lay summaries for grant applications?

This webinar should help you better respond to both of these situations: in it I outline the basic principles of plain language—simplicity, brevity, and clarity—and show you how to achieve them in writing. We will work with examples from your areas of expertise to illustrate how to apply these principles to scientific discourse. You should leave this webinar with a clear understanding of how to apply these principles to your own writing to communicate effectively with non-specialist readers.

If you would like to see worked examples from your own writing, please email a manuscript draft or publication to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and I will use some of your text in my illustrations.

Heather Graves is a professor at the university of Alberta working in the following areas: Rhetoric, writing studies, technical communication, business and professional communication. Her specialties are the rhetoric of science, writing studies in Canada, writing theory and pedagogy.

Webinars are interactive presentations and workshops, for which APECS uses the online conferencing program "GoToMeeting". This live presentation platform allows participants to hear the presentation, see the power points slides and interact via chat box with the presenter the entire time. Webinars allow people to connect and participant in high quality research and skill training discussions from the comfort of their desk!

How to participate? Register and reserve your spot: here https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2236803940579207681

For more information about this Webinar, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. On behalf of APECS, let me thank-you for attending this Webinar.

We are happy to announce that the Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) network developed seven priority sheets of future Arctic marine and coastal research from an international early and mid career scientists' perspective. They are now ready for download from the ART (http://www.iarc.uaf.edu/art/background/publications/art-priority-sheets) and ISTAS (http://istas.sciencesconf.org/resource/page/id/11) websites. For those of you attending the upcoming ASSW (http://www.assw2015.org/) and ICARP III (http://icarp.iasc.info/) meetings in Toyama, Japan, the sheets will also be distributed as printouts, in particular during the ART session (session C2 on April 30), the APECS workshop (April 26), the poster session (April 29-30) as well as in the exhibition area.

The seven ART priority sheets comprise perspectives on 'Arctic Biodiversity', 'Arctic Oceanography', 'Physical Processes in Sea Ice, 'Arctic Land-Ocean Interactions, 'Paleoceanographic Time Series from the Arctic, 'Proxy Calibration and Verification', and 'Law in the Arctic'.

Background information:
The seven ART priority sheets are the product of the second international science workshop ISTAS (Integrating spatial and temporal scales in the changing Arctic System: towards future research priorities, http://istas.sciencesconf.org/) that was jointly organized in October 2014 by the Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) network, the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS and APECS France), and the European Institute for Marine Studies (IUEM, Brest, France). During this workshop, future Arctic research priorities were discussed with regard to the natural variability of the Arctic marine and coastal systems over various spatial and temporal scales. One of the main priorities for future Arctic research includes the need to further interdisciplinary studies of the Arctic marine system in order to improve the knowledge on the modern and past Arctic Ocean's physical dynamics, biogeochemical cycles and ecosystems, and thus to help predicting future scenarios in the high northern latitudes.
The priority sheets are one of the ART network's contributions to the ICARP III conference in Toyama, Japan in April 2015, fostering an improved understanding of the presently changing Arctic system as a whole in future Arctic research.

Dear APECS Colleagues,

Wanted! Case Studies for Environmental Science research in the Yukon!

The Yukon College is currently developing an Environmental Science online course and is seeking input from researchers working in the Yukon on topics related to Environmental Science! This is an opportunity to highlight your Yukon-based research in a Yukon College online class room by either providing content for the course or through participation in an online-webinar during the course.

Background: The ENVS100 online course, a 100-level Environmental Science course, with a focus on community impacts will be offered online through Yukon College. Every second week of the course, a Case Study related to the weekly course theme will be presented to the students. This Case Study would be based in the North (ideally in the Yukon), can be conducted by communities, academics, government agencies, or private entities. Themes/topics of environmental science research can be focused on terrestrial, water (freshwater and marine), wildlife, contaminants or integrate one or more of these topics. Case studies should focus on ‘western science’ but can include traditional knowledge methods. Students enrolled in this course are not pursuing a science program but wish to learn more about the physical and biological processes that shape our environment. Students will thus appreciate high-level overviews of your important work, which introduce your subject of expertise and highlight the relevance of your research to them and their communities in an accessible way!

Ways you can contribute:

1. Provide content (to be readied by mid-June 2015)

a. You provide raw materials (and work with the instructor and YC staff on creating content)

b. You provide online content (with the aid from YC staff and instructor)

2. Participate in a webinar (dates TBD)

Length: the final content of each Case Study should be a maximum of 20 minutes in duration.

Types of material sought:

1. Voice over power point slides (or alike presentation platform)

2. Video explaining theory being applied in research (during field work / lab work / etc)

3. Online short-courses or virtual labs or demonstrations etc

4. Interactive online teaching tools or Social Media interactions

Themes / topics: Water, Terrestrial, Wildlife, and Contaminants

If you are interested in contributing to ENVS100 or wish to receive more detailed information on how, please respond to this email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or contact Dr. Nikolaus Gantner at (250) 532 9780 by April 30^th 2015.

All contributions must be confirmed by May 15^th 2015 to allow for timely inclusion in the course curriculum.

Note: You received this email as you have been identified as a leader or member of a relevant organization or research project. Should you or a member of your organization or project team not be able to contribute, we would appreciate if you could suggest colleagues that might be interested in contributing to us or pass this invitation on to a colleague on our behalf. Apologies for cross postings.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Regards,

Nikolaus Gantner

Dr. Nikolaus Gantner
Curriculum Developer
Yukon College
500 College Drive, PO Box 2799
Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 5K4 Canada

Phone: (250) 532 9780 (off campus)
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

start here. go anywhere.
www.yukoncollege.yk.ca

The 9th Graduate Climate Conference will assemble a broad range of talks and posters featuring high-quality student research focused on past, present, and future climate, its changes, and their impacts. Students at all stages of their graduate career are encouraged to apply. Abstracts are sought on climate research from a variety of disciplines from the sciences, engineering, and humanities, including: oceanography, atmospheric sciences, biology, geosciences, environmental science and engineering, geography, public policy, economics, law, ethics, and anthropology.

The conference will be held November 6th-8th in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The abstract submission period opens April 15th and closes June 1st. Lodging and meals are provided for all participants, and limited travel funds are also available. Please see the conference website for more information and to submit an abstract: www.graduateclimateconference.com

SAVE THE DATE
Sea Ice Prediction Network Webinar
Observations of Arctic Snow and Sea Ice Thickness
from Satellite and Airborne Surveys

Speaker: Nathan Kurtz, NASA

Tuesday, 5 May 2015
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. AKDT

For further information about the Sea Ice Prediction
Network, please go to: http://www.arcus.org/sipn

Or contact:
Betsy Turner-Bogren
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

--------------------
The Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN) announces an open webinar entitled "Observations of Arctic Snow and Sea Ice Thickness from Satellite and Airborne Surveys" presented by Nathan Kurtz of NASA's Cryospheric Sciences Lab at Goddard. This one-hour webinar is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. AKDT (11:00 a.m. PDT, 12:00 p.m. MDT, 1:00 p.m. CDT, and 2:00 EDT) on Tuesday, 5 May 2015.

This webinar is designed for the sea ice research community and others interested in learning about the current state and availability of snow and sea ice thickness data. While this is an open event, attendees should be aware that the discussions will be largely of a technical nature.

The decline of Arctic sea ice thickness has been well documented using multi-decadal surveys from submarine sonar data, however such data are limited in temporal and spatial coverage. Recent technological advances in radar and laser altimetry are now providing a means to determine the thickness of sea ice and its snow cover over much broader scales opening new avenues for improving seasonal sea ice predictions and enabling studies of long-term climatological change.

This talk will focus on the current state and availability of snow and sea ice thickness data from two operational data sets: NASA's Operation IceBridge airborne surveys and the European Space Agency's CryoSat-2 satellite mission. The accuracy and limitations of the data sets will also be discussed to place the utility of the data in context for use in a variety of study areas.

More details including registration instructions will be announced closer to the event. The webinar will be archived and available online after the event.

For further information about the Sea Ice Prediction
Network, please go to: http://www.arcus.org/sipn.

For questions, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren at ARCUS
(This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

10YEARS PYRN logo Welcome to the Spring newsletter from the PYRN executive committee!

The information about it is placed in the Publications -> Newsletter part of pyrn.arcticportal.org site.

You can also read the newsletter online.

LenaD Workshop

The workshop "The Lena Delta region from different points of view" will take place 26-30 June 2015 in Tomsk, Russia. The workshop will be a part of the conference on Computational Information Technologies for Environmental Sciences CITES-2015 (26-30 June, 2015, Tomsk, Russia), which is already announced here http://www.scert.ru/en/conferences/cites2015/ . Workshop section is 'Complex study of the state and climate variability of the East Siberian sector of the Arctic.

This workshop is the first one in a series of four workshops in frame of BMBF Russian-German project 'Die Entwicklung von numerischen Modulen für die Lena Delta Region' (The development of Numerical Modules for the Lena Delta region). Particular focus of the workshop is the analysis and simulation dynamics in the Lena Delta region. Accordingly, the round table 'Development of numerical modules for the Lena Delta Region, theoretical and data gaps, possible solutions' will be organized.

The main purpose of the workshop is engaging of all available information about morphology, hydrodynamics features, temperature regime, permafrost conditions, chemical composition of water, concentration of organic material in different freshwater channels in the Lena Delta and etc. Early career researchers are especially encouraged to participate. The travelling and other grants for young scientists are possible.

For details and more information on how to apply please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The winner of the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS) 2015 Early Career Scientist Prize, the inaugural award, is Dr Mathieu Morlighem, Assistant Professor at University of California Irvine, USA. The IACS Early Career Scientist Prize is an annual cash prize of €1000 plus a certificate awarded to a nominated early career scientist who is assessed as having published the best scientific paper on a cryospheric subject during the previous calendar year (2014). The objective of the prize is to recognize excellence in cryospheric science by honouring and promoting someone in the early-stages of her or his career, and to draw attention to the work of IACS. For more details see the IACS awards website. The 2015 Prize will be formally "presented" during the IACS Plenary Administrative Session on 26 June 2015 during the XXVI IUGG General Assembly in Prague.

The 2015 Prize was awarded to Dr Morlighem for his paper "Deeply incised submarine glacial valleys beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet" (M. Morlighem, E. Rignot, J Mouginot, H. Seroussi, and E. Larour. Nature Geoscience, 7(6):418–422, June 2014). In this paper, Dr Morlighem and his colleagues use high resolution satellite measurements of surface elevation and surface ice velocity, plus an ice-mass conservation optimization scheme, to infer ice thickness and bed topography along the periphery of the Greenland ice sheet where the ice is sliding on its base. Their results, which are at a much higher level of spatial detail than previous airborne radar measurements, reveal widespread ice-covered valleys that extend significantly deeper below sea level and farther inland than previously thought. These findings imply that the outlet glaciers of Greenland, and the ice sheet as a whole, are potentially more vulnerable to ocean thermal forcing and peripheral thinning than previously inferred.

Dr Morlighem's paper was awarded the Prize against very strong competition from nominated papers by other Early Career Scientists. The Selection Panel for the Prize expressed their pleasure at the very high standard of the nominated entries. The Prize will be awarded again in 2016.

In an attempt to better represent the Glaciers that make up the Fluctuations of Glaciers database in the Glacier Photograph Collection (GPC) we are looking for photos (including aerial pictures) of the following glaciers in particular (see list below), but will welcome any photo of FoG glaciers.

If you are willing to share photos that you took, please send your best high-resolution photos to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and include your name, the date the photo was taken, glacier name and coordinates if possible. Your name will appear as the photographer along with other metadata, if the photo is added to the GPC. Photos can be sent until April 17th, 2015. Some of the best high-resolution photos will be displayed in a UNESCO COP21 poster exhibit. It might turn out to be one of yours - so send us your photos now!

CANADA (CA):

Melville South Ice Cap Devon Ice Cap

NORWAY (NO):

Grasubreen

RUSSIA (RU):

Leviy Aktru Vodopadniy (No. 125)
No. 31
No. 104
Praviy Aktru
Tseya
Marukhskiy
Koryto

KAZAKHSTAN (KZ):

Shumskiy
Molodezhniy
Manshuk Mametova
Igli Tuyuksu
Mayakovskiy
Ordzhonikidze
Partizan
Visyachiy-1-2
Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya
Muravlev

KYRGYZSTAN (KG):

Abramov
Suek/Suyok Zapadniy
Khakel

NEPAL:

MeraPokalde
Rikha Samba
DX080
Kongma Tikpe
Kongma
EB050
AX030
Gyajo
Thulagi
Amphu Laptse
Lhotse
Lhotse Nup
Rolwaling
Kyimoshung

CHINA:

Xiao Dongkzmadi
Meikuang
Qiyi

INDIA:

Shaune Garang
Chhota Shigri
Gara
Gor Garang
Neh Nar
Changmekhangpu
Chorabari
Tipra Bank

GEORGIA:

Tbilisa
Koiavgan
Viatau
Visyachiy

apecs logo web pyrn small Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) together with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) will be organizing a short course about "The future of permafrost in a climate-changing world" during the EGU 2015.

Wednesday, 15 Apr, 10:30–12:15 / Room B7
Conveners: Marc Oliva, Alexandre Nieuwendam , Elin Högström

The course is open for Bachelor, Master, PhD students and post-docs and the goals are: 1) to equip young researchers with a multidisciplinary understanding of the role of permafrost in the climate system; 2) to strengthen international collaboration of early career researchers; and 3) to enable the participants to put their research into a larger context.

The objective of the course is to revise recent research that concerns permafrost in a changing climate. Participants will learn about the effect of permafrost development and degradation in polar and mountain regions, and its impact on infrastructures and ecosystems under climate warming scenarios.

10h30: Introduction
10h45: Climate scenarios
11h00: Permafrost modelling during future scenarios
11h30: Landscape dynamics
11h45: Hazards and infrastructure
12h00: Discussion and closing remarks

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of PYRN and the 1st year anniversary of APECS Austria, a Social Event will be held in the evening in a Heuriger - a traditional Austrian tavern.
All workshop participants are invited for a traditional buffet. Beverages are self-payed.
Time: 20h00.
Location: "Zum Berger", Himmelstraße 19, A-1190 Wien. http://www.zumberger.at/

Getting there from the city center:

alternative 1) tram nr 38 from "Schottentour" to the end station "Grinzing"
alternative 2) subway U4 from "Schwedenplatz" to "Heiligenstadt", change to bus 38A and get of at "Grinzing".

We hope to see many of you there!

Two Canadian and two U.S. partners in the International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic (INTERACT) announce a call for transnational access for European-based research groups.

The access is available to the following research stations: The CEN Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik Research Station and the Kluane Lake Research Station in Canada, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Toolik Field Station and the Barrow Environmental Observatory in Alaska, U.S. The access to the Canadian stations is supported by CEN and AINA, and the access to the Alaskan stations is supported by the U.S. NSF.

The support includes access to station facilities and support for travel and freight costs. The research should be conducted in 2015. Research groups where the group leader and majority of the group members are from EU Member State or Associated State are eligible to apply for access.
Proposal submission deadline: Tuesday, 31 March 2015
For further information and application instructions, go to:
http://www.eu-interact.org/transnational-access/grants-to-north-american-sites/

For questions, please contact:
Hannele Savela
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

conference poster On March 16th 2015, APECS held its first online international conference: New Perspectives in the Polar Sciences. This conference was attended by nearly 200 early career scientists and researchers, representing every continent. Excellent presentations were given by 18 researchers, ranging in topics from marine biology, and environmental pollution, to the education, culture and history of the polar latitudes. Guest speakers included Prof. Pete Convey from the British Antarctic Survey, UK, discussed new research on the evolution and adaptation of Antarctic terrestrial biota and the implications of this for future management and conservation; and Prof. John Smellie from the University of Leicester, UK, discussed new methodological applications of glaciovolcanism to reconstruct Antarctic Ice Sheet evolution.

Prizes were awarded for the three best presentations, with first prize awarded to Hanne Nielsen, University of Tasmania for her presentation on: Antarctica in Advertising: Media Representations of the South. Second prize was awarded to Jesica Goldsmit, Université du Québec à Rimouski for her presentation on: Forecasting the habitat suitability of high risk invasive species in the Canadian Arctic. Third prize was awarded to François Massonnet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium and Catalan Institute for Climate Sciences, Spain, for his presentation on: The Polar Regions: Ideal Test Beds for Data Assimilation.

In the coming weeks, recordings of all the presentations will be available on the APECS website for those who were unable to listen to the conference live. Click on this hyperlink: Book of Abstracts to download the Conference book of abstracts. Special thanks to conference organisers Louise Chavarie, Rachel Downey and Scott Zolkos; Gerlis Fugmann for supporting and promoting the conference worldwide; and amazing APECS Members for judging and co-ordinating presenters on the day.

10YEARS PYRN logo icarpiii

As a result of an online survey and a meeting attended by 88 early career researchers prior to EUCOP 2014 in Portugal, PYRN (with help from APECS members) has released a paper in Cryospheric discussions outlining the top five questions for future permafrost research as part of ICARP III. The five questions are:

1) How does permafrost degradation affect landscape dynamics at different spatial and temporal scales?
2) How can ground temperature models be improved to better reflect permafrost dynamics at high spatial resolution?
3) How can traditional environmental knowledge be integrated in permafrost research?
4) What is the spatial distribution of different ground ice types and how susceptible is ice-rich permafrost to future environmental change?
5) What is the influence of infrastructures on the thermal regime and stability of permafrost in different environmental settings?

You can read the full paper here.

Special Issue focused on “Limnological processes in permafrost environments” will published in the journal Sedimentary Geology (IF: 2.134).

Given that permafrost lakes and ponds have effects that extend far beyond the Cryosphere, such as the implications of their greenhouse gas emissions on the global carbon cycle, and that these lakes and ponds, in turn, affect landscape evolution in permafrost regions, we seek to include papers touching on diverse topics in permafrost environments to underline the importance of these regions in global change studies. We welcome manuscripts that encompass temporal scales ranging from hours to millennia, focus on highly variable physical, biological and geochemical conditions, and consider the importance of the sedimentary records of permafrost lakes as archives of past climate and environmental conditions.

The aim of the special issue is to highlight the state of the art in understanding limnological and paleolimnological processes in permafrost areas.

Papers can be submitted from now until 30th June 2015.

The Elsevier Editorial System is currently open for article submission. Instructions for submission:

The submission website for this journal is located at: http://ees.elsevier.com/sedgeo/default.asp
When submitting your paper you have to select as an Article Type of the SI: Limnology&permafrost.

IPY OSC Francisco Fernandoy 46 APECS is organizing the APECS World Summit 2015 in Sofia, Bulgaria from 6 - 8 June 2015. Since its beginning during the International Polar Year (IPY), APECS has been growing significantly. Today, APECS's membership counts about 5000 early career scientists, mentor, early career professionals and educators with interest in the Polar Regions in over 80 countries. But APECS has also evolved institutionally with currently 26 National Committees across around the world. The APECS World Summit 2015 "The Future of Polar Research" is an initiative to bring representatives of the APECS National Committees and the APECS leadership together to discuss the future of polar research, APECS's experience in communicating science and new challenges APECS wants to tackle in the near future. Integrated in the summit are workshops covering three key topic:

polar data sharing and open science
scienc communication and education & outreach initiatives
the APECS network and its future directions

The venue for the APECS World Summit 2015 will be Sofia University.

We have a few spots left in the World Summit, so if you are interested in attending the event, please register as soon as possible http://www.apecs.is/events/upcoming-event-highlights/apecs-world-summit-2015/world-summit-registration.html. There is no registration fee for the summit. Unfortunately, all available travel funds have been already passed out to the already registered paricipants and so we can at this time only accept further applications from APECS member that have their own funding to attend the summit.

More information on the workshop program and everything else you need to know about the APECS World Summit can be found here http://www.apecs.is/events/upcoming-event-highlights/apecs-world-summit-2015.html

If you have questions please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We hope to see some of you in Sofia!

SCAR logo white background

Dear APECS Members,

Currently, SCAR is undertaking an important structural review, which is part of the preparations for the next SCAR Strategic Plan. SCAR are asking for all Antarctic-focused researchers to give their opinion on this in a short questionnaire (click link below). Note that you only need answer questions that you feel are relevant to you and your organisation. Questionnaire feedback deadline is Wednesday 8th April 2015. All comments and views are very much appreciated!

SCAR Structure Survey:

http://goo.gl/forms/hJFhQEyigk

WE NEED YOUR INPUT...please!

In 2014, the first SCAR Antarctic and Southern Ocean Science Horizon Scan assembled Antarctic scientists, policy makers, leaders, and visionaries to identify the most important research questions that will likely be addressed by research in and from the Antarctic over the next two decades. The result was the publication of a list of 80 of the most important Antarctic research questions identified by the community. The list was published in Antarctic Science (Kennicutt et al, 2014) as "A roadmap for Antarctic and Southern Ocean science for the next two decades and beyond".

Many of the national Antarctic programs are now developing their own strategies on how they will deliver their science programmes in the future. Delivery of such a "roadmap" is not without its challenges.

Therefore COMNAP is leading the second stage in the process within the ARC Project in order to assist national Antarctic programs to understand the challenges and develop ways to address the challenges, and share any innovation or access to such technology. The ARC project focuses on answering the question: "How will national Antarctic programs meet the challenges of delivery of their Antarctic science in the next 20 to 30 years?"

Using the SCAR Horizon Scan roadmap as an indication of future Antarctic science, a review of the 80 questions proposed reveals a number of challenges for national Antarctic programs of a practical and technical nature. The COMNAP ARC Project will focus on three of the challenges identified: Technology, access and extraordinary logistics requirements.

HOW YOU CAN PROVIDE YOUR INPUT...is by way of two community surveys.

The first survey is ready for your input. It is focused on understanding critical technology challenges. We invite wide input from a range of disciplines (science and non-science) and backgrounds.

To take the survey, go to: https://www.comnap.aq/Projects/SitePages/ARC.aspx

Enter your responses by the deadline of 15 April 2015.

A second survey will be launched in May 2015 which will focus on the remaining challenges.
You can participate in both surveys, or only one, but please participate.

Any questions?

Email one of the COMNAP ARC Project co-conveners:

Chuck Kennicutt This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Yeadong Kim This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ipa logo The Executive Committee of the International Permafrost Association (IPA) is pleased to release the yearly newsletter (Frozen Ground Bulletin, Nr. 38) which reports on the major activities and highlights over the past year.

The Bulletin is now available for download on the IPA website:
http://ipa.arcticportal.org/publications/frozen-ground.html

           Content:
        * Message from the President
        * EUCOP4 Wrap-Up
        * IPA Action Group Reports
        * New IPA Action Groups
        * Obituary J. Ross Mackay
        * XII. Congress of the International Association of Engineering Geologists (IAEG)
        * The Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost: News about the GTN-P Database
        * Workshop report: Impacts of permafrost thaw in mountainous areas of Canada and beyond
        * E&O Report
        * PYRN Report
        * Upcoming Events & Contacts

Moscow, 10 March 2015

APECS Russia national committee has been established in 2008, and currently consists of members from different regions of Russia. This week, APECS Russia, officially named as Russian Youth Polar Initiative (RYPI), held a round table at the Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University bringing together APECS Russia members and mentors, students, early career and senior researchers interested and working in Polar regions. The greeting and endorsement letters to participants of the meeting and APECS Russia activities were sent from APECS International Directorate, International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), the International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic (INTERACT) and number of existing APECS National Committees in other countries. Russian Youth Polar Initiative (RYPI) will further consolidate a community of polar researchers in Russia with a suit of activities aimed at a popularization of polar sciences among general public and at a career development of polar early career researchers. While many great examples of activities led by APECS International and various APECS National Committees exist, a special focus of Russian members will be made on adopting internationally successful projects taking into consideration rich traditions in polar research and exploration in Russia. Representatives from the Permafrost Young Researcher Network (PYRN) and European Geography Association for Students and Young Geographers (EGEA) also shared their experience with activities and projects on a national level in Russia. Concluding open discussion created a platform for developing new joint ideas on future activities. At the end of the meeting, a Letter of Agreement between APECS International and Russian Youth Polar Initiative (RYPI) was signed, thus recognizing and endorsing Russian Youth Polar Initiative (RYPI) as a self-maintaining committee at the national level functioning within APECS.

APECS Rus APECS Rus2

UKOA-NERC are hosting an international workshop:

"THE RESPONSE OF PTEROPODS TO OCEAN ACIDIFICATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE"

http://www.oceanacidification.org/Events/pteropod_workshop

Deadline for contribution: 30 April 2015

A limited number of travelling fellowship will be offered to support the participation of PhD students and junior researchers who otherwise in raising funds (deadline for application 15 April 2015).

The international pteropod workshop will take place at the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge between 1st and 3rd of June 2015, prior to the open meeting "Ocean acidification: what's it all about?" that will be held at the Royal Society, London on 4 and 5 June, providing outcomes of the UKOA and BIOACID research programmes.

To advance the presence of polar science within the broader scientific community and society at large, the APECS social media committee would like to invite you to participate in the first ever Polar Week Tweet Storm from March 21st -29th.

Starting on March 21st and continuing throughout the week, we are asking you to tweet polar-related posts and include the hashtag #PolarWeek.

Our APECS Twitter account has over 3000 followers. Imagine if for 1 week, half the people on that list tweeted 3 new posts and retweeted 5 others, all in one day. That's 12,000 tweets per day; over 100,000 for the week. It will cause people to notice.

The goal of our Tweet Storm is to share the importance of polar ecosystems with the world. By tweeting and retweeting together, we can reach a broader audience. It will also strengthen our own community and potentially open the door to new connections and collaborations. If you haven't joined Twitter yet, now is the perfect time to do so and get involved!

Some general guidelines about what we are trying to do:

- Starting March 21st, tweet polar related posts using the #PolarWeek hashtag.

- Aim to post a minimum of 3 tweets (or more) per day, so 27 for the week.

- Variety is the spice of life. You can post anything polar-related: thoughts, facts, ideas, pictures, quotes, links, you name it. Even promote your blog or research program. Just be sure to include #PolarWeek in somewhere in your post.

- You can repost the same tweet more than once. The audience at 1pm Tuesday is not the same as the audience at 3am Friday.

- Try to retweet at least 5 #PolarWeek tweets by other people per day. More or fewer is just fine too; the goal is to spread the polar week message.

We are stronger as a community than alone. Let's storm Twitter together and bring the poles to centre stage!

Remember to follow APECS and the social media team!
◦ @Polar_Research – APECS
◦ @jennifer_balmer– Jennifer Balmer
◦ @WideWhiteStage – Hanne Nielsen

And watch the #PolarWeek hashtag!

APECS and the manufacturer of extreme-weather outerwear, Canada Goose®, teamed up to highlight the work done by polar early career researchers and to keep them warm during the Where does your Goose take you? program.

A competition was organized in Spring 2014 where APECS and Canada Goose® were looking for APECS members doing field work in the Arctic or the Antarctic during 2014/15. In total APECS received 56 applicants for the 'Where does your goose take you' program. Each selected Where does your Goose take you? participant were given a Canada Goose® Expedition Jacket. The winners were:

Lydie Lescarmontie (Australia)
Marc Oliva (Spain)
Pierre Dutrieux (UK)
Pamela Wong (Canada)
Andrian Vlakhov (Russia)
Emily Stevenson (USA)

Their task was to write two blog entries throughout the year, highlighting their polar research (science program, field sites, travel, workshops, field courses etc.). Participants also worked with the project coordinators to select photos from all participants that will be used to highlight their research locations on an interactive map.

Join us in following these Arctic and Antarctic early career researchers!

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) started as part of the International Polar Year (IPY) efforts to involve early career researchers in international polar science. As we continue to grow, we want to make sure that we are meeting the needs of our members.

So it is time for APECS to do some self-reflection. We want to find out what the polar community values and how APECS can continue to be a positive and productive force. If you haven't been involved in APECS, we very much value your impartial opinion. If you have been involved in APECS, we want to understand what you use on our website, if you attend workshops, seminars and the other activities we organize together, and how these have benefited you.

For these purposes we kindly ask you to complete the survey – https://docs.google.com/a/apecs.is/forms/d/1a83gPkcBbvkM9Mie8xmyTEIv7GMSLx2248eFYeOb9vk/viewform . The survey will be open until 3 April 2015.

The survey should take ~15 minutes. Please be honest and complete with your answers as the APECS leadership will use these results to help shape how we can better address the needs of polar early career researchers. All survey results will remain anonymous and confidential, and they will only be used by APECS for this self-evaluation process.

If you are in a country in which you cannot access Google forms, you can request a Word document from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information about the review please visit the APECS website at http://www.apecs.is/who-we-are/organisational-review-2015.html.

Thank you for your time and help,

APECS Organizational Review Committee

We are asking for people interested in this school to fill out the Expression of Interest form by 15 May. You can find the form here: http://www.climate- cryosphere.org/wcrp/pcpi/ meetings/abisko-pp-2016/ expression-of-interest

Limited travel support may be available, particularly for participants from developing countries.

For more information on the school, visit http://www.climate- cryosphere.org/wcrp/pcpi/ meetings/abisko-pp-2016. For any questions, contact Jonny Day at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Climate and Cryosphere Project is pleased to release its 2014 Annual Report which summarizers the amazing number of activities that we sponsored, supported, and in many cases, initiated over the past few years. We hope you will take the time to read the achievements, as well as our plans for the coming year(s).

Citation: Baeseman, J. and G. Hamon. 2015. 2014 Climate and Cryosphere Project Annual Report. Zenodo. doi:10.5281/zenodo.15879

http://www.climate-cryosphere.org/media-gallery/1437-2014-clic-annual-report

Register now as an Audience Member to participate!

New perspectives in the Polar Sciences

APECS International Online Conference
Conference Date: 16 March 2015 (09:00 GMT to 22:05 GMT)
Event Format: Online conference (webinar)

APECS webinar organizers announce registration for audience members to participate in our International Online Conference, “New Perspectives in the Polar Sciences,” which is scheduled for 16 March 2015 (09:00 GMT to 22:05 GMT):

Please register for New Perspectives in the Polar Sciences on Mar 16, 2015 9:00 AM GMT at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9104074290012167682

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Brought to you by GoToWebinar®
Webinars Made Easy®

This conference will engage scientific dialogues between early career scientists from multiple disciplines and backgrounds on new research perspectives in their field of research. With increased attention on the changing polar environment and the future challenges this will bring, this conference aims to convey the broad range of new research currently being conducted internationally. Guest speakers include Prof. Pete Convey from the British Antarctic Survey, UK, who will be discussing new research on the evolution and adaptation of Antarctic terrestrial biota and the implications of this for future management and conservation; and Prof. John Smellie from the University of Leicester, UK, will be discussing new methodological applications of glaciovolcanism that are able to better reconstruct the evolution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, the largest ice mass in the world. The full conference programme is given below:

The detailed conference programme including all abstracts can be downloaded here.

APECS Online International Conference

New Perspectives in the Polar Sciences

SESSION ONE

09:00-09:05 GMT: Session One Conference Introduction

SESSION: CULTURAL, POLICY, EDUCATION & HISTORY

09:05-09:20 GMT:Antarctica in Advertising: Media Representations of the South

Presenter: Hanne Nielsen,Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania, Australia

SESSION: GEOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT & TERRESTRIAL CRYOSPHERE

09:20-09:35 GMT:Spatial and temporal variations of total mercury in Antarctic snow along the transect from Zhongshan Station to Dome A

Presenter: Chuanjin Li,State Key Lab of Cryospheric Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

09:35-09:50 GMT:GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) research on Livingston Island, Antarctica

Presenter: Asparuh Kamburov,University of Mining and Geology, Bulgaria

09:50-10:05 GMT:Persistent organic pollutants’ release from a glacier in the context of changing melt and snowfall

Presenter: Krystyna Koziol,Gdansk University of Technology, Poland

SESSION: OCEANOGRAPHY & SEA ICE

10:05-10:20 GMT:The Polar Regions: Ideal Test Beds for Data Assimilation

Presenter: François Massonnet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium and Catalan Institute for Climate Sciences, Spain

SESSION: TERRESTRIAL & MARINE BIOLOGY

10:20-10:35 GMT: Vegetation Extraction in Antarctica Using Remote Sensing

Presenter: Chayanika Devi,National Center For Antarctica And Ocean Research, Goa, India

10:35-10:50 GMT:Boreal Shrub Growth Response to Fertilization, Herbivory and Climate near Kluane Lake, Yukon

Presenter: Meagan Grabowski,University of British Columbia, Canada

10:50-11:05 GMT:Effects of iron and light co-limitation on Southern Ocean phytoplankton

Presenter: Raissa Philibert,Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

11:05-11:20 GMT:Insights into trophic ecology of the Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarctica) in Antarctic coastal ecosystems

Presenter: Erica Carlig,ISMAR-CNR U.O.S. Genoa and University of Siena, Italy

SESSION: CULTURAL, POLICY, EDUCATION & HISTORY

11:20-11:35 GMT: Web conferences: interaction with Antarctic researchers from anywhere

Presenter: Adriana Keiko Nishida,Universidade Federal do ABC, Brazil, and Universidade Aberta do Brasil, Brazil

SESSION: GUEST SPEAKER

11:35-12:15 GMT:How do you mix biology and ice ages in the Antarctic?

Presenter: Prof. Pete Convey,British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK

12:15-12:20 GMT: CONCLUDING SESSION ONE & THANKING PRESENTERS

SESSION TWO

18:55-19:00 GMT: Session Two Conference Introduction

SESSION: GUEST SPEAKER

19:00-19:45 GMT:Volcanoes and reconstructing the Antarctic Ice Sheet – the myth of an irreversible step-change in thermal regime

Presenter: Prof. John Smellie,University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

SESSION: TERRESTRIAL & MARINE BIOLOGY

19:45-20:00 GMT:Walrus and bearded seals go with the floe

Presenter: Olivia Lee,University of Alaska, Fairbanks, USA

20:00-20:15 GMT:Ecology of arrow worms in the Arctic – are they really the “tigers of the plankton”?

Presenter: Jordan Grigor,Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval (Canada) - CNRS (France) and Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, Canada

20:15-20:30 GMT:Spatial distribution of the macrobenthos at the Mackellar Inlet, King George Island: Explanations integrating the systematic and trophic grouping approaches

Presenter: Bernabé Moreno,Cientifica del Sur University, Lima, Peru

20:30-20:45 GMT:Automatic zooplankton species identification for the greater North Water Polynya region

Presenter: Moritz S. Schmid,Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval (Canada) - CNRS (France) and Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, Canada

20:45-21:00 GMT:Forecasting the habitat suitability of high risk invasive species in the Canadian Arctic

Presenter: Jesica Goldsmit,Université du Québec à Rimouski, Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (UQAR/ISMER), Quebec, Canada

SESSION: CULTURAL, POLICY, EDUCATION & HISTORY

21:00-21:15 GMT:From Winds to Sea Ice: A Historical Perspective on Global Climate

Presenter: Julianne Yip,McGill University, Quebec, Canada

21:15-21:30 GMT:Brazilian initiative to psychological interventions in Antarctica

Presenter: Paola Barros-Delben,Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil

21:30-21:45 GMT:Exploration of Utility and Expansion of Indigenous Knowledge within the Seasonal Ice Zone Observing Network (SIZONet) Local Observation Program Database: Pilot in Barrow, Alaska of the North Slope Borough

Presenter: Irene Holak,Antioch University New England, New Hampshire, USA

21:45-22:00 GMT:To the Extremes! A Teacher Research Experience Program in the Polar Regions

Presenter: Sarah Bartholow,Arctic Research Consortium of the US (ARCUS), Fairbanks,USA

22:00-22:05 GMT: CONCLUDING SESSION TWO & THANKING PRESENTERS

For more information and enquiries about the conference, please email Rachel Downey (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

arhsc 07en

The second decade of the 21st century is marked by transformation of the Arctic into the one of prioritized directions of the Russian Federation’ social-economic policy, spatial development and international cooperation. A primary provisions and practical activities of Russia, including those on account of the current international situation, suppose an intensive realization of human, natural and transport-logistical potential of the Arctic zone coastal areas’ for purposes of the long-term national progress. At that an actual activities held by other sub-Arctic states demonstrate a crucial significance of scientific research for national competitiveness and geopolitical positions.

Actualization of agenda and elaboration of practical measures for effective collaboration between public authorities, business, science and communities within economic projects and implementation of innovative macro-regional development models are stated as goals for the international scientific conference «NATURAL RESOURCES and INTEGRATED COASTAL AREAS DEVELOPMENT in the ARCTIC ZONE» (Conference), which is to be held on 29 September – 01 October, 2015 in Arkhangelsk.

More information could be found at conference's website.

apecs logo web icarp3 logo The Third International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP III) lead by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) is currently identifying the most important Arctic research needs for the next decade as well as providing a roadmap for Arctic research priorities and partnerships. As the next generation to shape the future of Arctic research, fostering and supporting early career researchers working on Arctic research issues and providing opportunities and training to prepare them for a successful career is of vital importance.

As part of ICARP III, the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) wants to assess whether current funding, support, and training for early career researchers involved in Arctic research have helped foster their careers, in order to provide recommendations on how to better support them in the future. Note: This project is looking at support and training opportunities offered in Arctic research in general and not particularly at those provided by APECS.

This survey asks you for your opinion on support and training opportunities available to you as an early career researcher and is looking for your input on how they could be enhanced in the future. Answers to these questions will be used for the purposes of this project and when published, no names will be used and your identity will be protected.

Results of the survey will be presented at the APECS Workshop on "Goals of the ICARP III – the future of Arctic research from the perspective of early career researchers", and to the ICARP III partners at the Arctic Science Summit Week 2015 in Toyama, Japan.

To access the survey visit the APECS website at: http://www.apecs.is/research/apecs-projects/apecs-icarp-iii-survey-2015.html

The survey will be open until 22 March 2015 and we encourage all of you involved in Arctic research to participate! If you have questions about the project, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A Quarter of a Century of International Arctic Research Cooperation

In the context of its 25th anniversary this year, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) presents a comprehensive publication on its history from the planning process in the late 1980s until today. The book compiles and analyzes the history and development of IASC and its initiatives and achievements. A PDF version is available at http://iasc25.iasc.info. Printed copies will be presented at the ASSW 2015 in Toyama (Japan).

The publication is complemented by a short film, including interviews with those who were involved in the development of IASC. The film „IASC After 25 Years" is now also available on the IASC History website: http://iasc25.iasc.info/film. If you are interested in receiving a high-resolution version please contact the IASC Secretariat.

caff biennial group photo Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) is a working group of the Arctic Council and the most recent board meeting was February 10-12^th, 2015 in Whitehorse. As an APECS Canada Board Member based in Whitehorse I was able to attend the meeting. APECS had been invited to send representatives to various meetings of CAFF since 2011 and was very welcomed at this meeting.

This meeting was a CAFF Board meeting whose main purpose was to update the status, discuss and approve several initiatives and plans, as well as prepare for upcoming SAO and Ministerial meetings. Main presentations given were by the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP), the Action for Biodiversity implementation plan (2013-2020), and the Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI). There was also an interesting presentation by a proposed project on Salmon Peoples of the Circumpolar that was very interesting.

The status of all the CBMP plans was very diverse in order to address marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. It was highlighted several times, especially by multiple PP’s, that it is important to connect these programs as these ecosystems are not isolated. Of special concern was linkages between freshwater and marine systems, especially migratory fish and birds.

Much of the meeting was spent approving the Actions for Arctic Biodiversity which stems from the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment Recommendations. At my request APECS is a partner in Action 15.2 “Increase engagement of early career scientists in the activities of CAFF to train the next generation of conservation leaders”. I think by being directly included as a partner in this item we will be able to integrate our existing resources towards CAFF’s goals.

The next CAFF event is the Terrestrial Working Group meeting in Ottawa where APECS will also be in attendance. I am thankful to APECS and CAFF for the opportunity to attend the meeting, I learned a great deal about circumpolar politics as well as some of the interesting projects such as the Circumboreal Vegetation Mapping. I was also lucky to host two of the delegates for a dog mushing tour the day after the meeting and share some Yukon sport and hospitality, so thanks to all those at the meeting for their interest!

APECS-WWRP-Polar Prediction Project Webinar Series - Part 1: Polar Weather Prediction
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Thomas Jung, AWI, Germany
2 March 2015 at 16 CET
Webinar ID: 120-183-315

The APECS webinar series is pleased to announce the new APECS-WWRP-Polar Prediction Project webinar series in Spring 2015.

The first webinar in this series on 2 March at 16 CET with the title "Polar Weather Prediction"will introduce Professor Dr. Thomas Jung, a polar meteorologist, who is leading international efforts to improve polar weather and climate prediction.

Increased economic, transportation and research activities in polar regions are leading to more demands for sustained and improved availability of predictive weather and climate information to support decision-making. It is argued, however, that partly as a result of a strong emphasis of previous international efforts on lower and middle latitudes, many gaps in weather, sub-seasonal and seasonal forecasting in polar regions hamper reliable decision making in the Arctic, Antarctic and beyond. Possible ways forward in advancing predictive capacity in polar regions will be outlined. Many APECS members will be keenly interested in recent developments and future directions of this important area of research, so Professor Thomas Jung accepted an invitation to speak on this topic.

Please note that we changed our procedures, we are not offering pre-registration anymore due to a new limit of 100 participants per webinar. Please connect with the webinar ID the day of the event at http://www.gotomeeting.com/online/webinar/join-webinar. The webinar ID will be 120-183-315

Polar Week logo2 01 APECS is excited to celebrate polar science and discovery during the International Polar Week March 2015 from 21 to 29 March 2015. Are you looking for activities and ways to join us in this celebration? Visit our Polar Week website for some suggestions, events and information for Polar Week. We encourage all of our members and National Committees to participate!

After the event, please send us a short article and some pictures about how it went, so we can include it with all the other reports about Polar Week activities on our website and let our members worldwide know about the amazing activities you are doing.

Happy Polar Week!!

Laura Kelvin and Francyne Elias Piera
On behalf of the APECS Education and Outreach committee

The 1st European Snow Science Winter School (ESSWS) took place in Sodankylä, Northern Finland, from 8. - 14. February 2015. Organized by Juha Lemmetyinen from the Finish Meteorological Institute FMI and Martin Schneebeli from the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF from Davos, Switzerland, the snow school aimed at teaching graduate students in modern snow measurement techniques. In addition to the lectures, different measuring instruments are available for the students to get hands-on experience in the field. The list of instruments was long, ranging from hand lenses and crystal plates for traditional snow pits up to high-resolution lasers and penetrometers.

The FMI facilities at Sodankylä were a perfect spot for this event and for hosting the 27 students. The FMI campus offers next to the main institute building with lecture rooms and offices, a canteen and guest houses for the students, and, most important, tons of undisturbed snow to measure! After the usual morning lectures, most of the time was spend outside. After the first day of introduction, the students were using the instruments on their own by groups of 3-4, and studied different kinds of snowpacks (forest, open area, tundra) with different instruments. The last day was then an excursion to Saariselkä, as Tundra site, with a highly wind-influenced snowpack. The task was to characterize the snowpack as detailed as possible using all the available instruments over a distance of 7 km starting from our hotel to a weather station in the middle of the tundra area. Skis, some pulkas and two skidoos for material transport and safety were provided, and the rest was left to the students. Thus the exercise was to plan a small "expedition", with everything which has to be considered: environmental conditions (cold temperatures and wind, time of daylight...), transport of equipment, where and what to measure, sampling design, but also non scientific issues such as group dynamics, personal wellness of group members, hypothermia and fatigue had to be considered. A really open exercise, which was well addressed by the students, but also lots was learned!

Overall, the 1st ESSWS was a big success, with highly motivated students which managed to infect also the lectures with their positive vibes. The throughout professional FMI organization, plenty of social events (Sauna!), the fantastic weather and of course the northern lights made this snow school a great event for all participants. A 2nd ESSWS is thought to take place in Davos next year, so stay tuned!

Did you know APECS has an active Twitter and Facebook following? As part of International Polar Week, taking place next month from 21 - 29 March 2015, the newly formed APECS Social Media committee is planning several activities to grow our online community of polar researchers. As part of these efforts, we are calling for early career scientists who would like to share their projects to get involved.

How can you get involved?

Follow APECS on Facebook and Twitter (@Polar_Research).
Share pictures of yourself or research team hard at work in the field or lab for us to post throughout during the week (via facebook, twitter, or direct to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for us to post).
Volunteer to write a short blog on your research and what it's like being a polar scientist for us to feature on the website.
Tweet about your polar week activities using hash tag #PolarWeek.

Sharing your research via Twitter and Facebook is a great way to expand the reach of your work and grow your connections with fellow researchers. By engaging in social media, not only will you expand your professional network, but you will help to promote (Ant)Arctic literacy in the general public and help to recruit the next generation of polar scientists.

We would love to feature early career scientists from a wide range of research disciplines throughout the week, so don't hesitate to get in touch and make the most of this opportunity!

If you are interested in contributing to the social media outreach efforts planned for International Polar Week, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before March 15, 2015.

The beginning of 2015 has been very busy in our APECS International Directorate in Tromsø, Norway. We finalized our brand new APECS website together with our partner the Arctic Portal in Iceland and released it last week. Hopefully this will make it easier for all of our members and partners to find all the great resources APECS has to offer and take advantage of them.

The Arctic Frontiers 2015 Conference was in January in Tromsø, and APECS contributed with a number of events and activities. We held a very successful three-day Science for Schools Event together in partnership with Arctic Frontiers and the Science Centre of Northern Norway (Nordnorsk Vitensenteret). In addition, APECS organised a Science Communication and Media Training Workshop in cooperation with the High North Academy in Tromsø. Last but certainly not least, APECS helped organize the Arctic Frontiers Early Career Poster Awards, to recognise and reward the great science presented by the early career researchers attending Arctic Frontiers. Thank you for all the mentors, presenters, poster judges and members that helped during these events.

For the Norwegian highlight of this newsletter, I want to draw your attention to the Norwegian Young sea ICE cruise (N-ICE2015), led by our partner and sponsor the Norwegian Polar Institute. The RV Lance headed North from Tromsø to Svalbard in early January to start its 6-month cruise in the drift ice North of Svalbard. The primary objective of the project is "to understand the effects of the new thin, first year, sea ice regime in the Arctic on energy flux, ice dynamics and the ice associated ecosystem, the local and global climate. Secondary objectives: Understand how available ocean heat is mixed upwards towards the sea ice and to what extent it influences the sea ice energy budget. Understand the fate of solar radiation incident on the first-year sea ice in the region and how its fate is affected by properties of the atmosphere, snow, ice, and ocean. Quantification of the changing mass balance of Arctic sea ice and its snow cover. Model the dynamics of the drifting ice. Understand the ice associated ecosystem and model future changes. Effects on local and global weather systems."

You can read more about the project here http://www.npolar.no/n-ice2015 and follow their weekly blog or follow them on Instagram and Twitter with #NICE2015Arctic.

APECS will be organizing a workshop on "Goals of ICARP III – the future of Arctic research from the perspective of early career researchers" in Toyama, Japan in conjunction with the ASSW 2015 / ISAR-4 / ICARP III conference. The workshop is scheduled for Sunday, 26 April 2015.

The workshop aims to help early career researchers develop skills necessary for work and collaboration in the international and interdisciplinary area of polar research. It will also aim to identify the state of current knowledge and challenges associated with integrating Arctic systems and, most importantly, presenting novel ideas for future priorities of Arctic Research beyond its regional variability and across different research fields. The workshop will also look at the results of the some of the ICARP III projects conducted by APECS, the Arctic in Rapid Transition initiative (ART, http://www.iarc.uaf.edu/ART) and the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN, www.pyrn.org/) ).

The APECS workshop is the perfect way to start your international conference experience, as you will

get to know early career scientists from all over the world,
make first contact with senior scientists before the busy main conference starts,
learn What's new, Who's who, and what do all those acronyms stand for, in polar science.

A preliminary workshop agenda is available on the APECS website at http://www.apecs.is/events/upcoming-event-highlights/assw-2015.html

We promise some cool guest speakers.

If you want to attend the workshop, please fill out the workshop registration form at on the workshop website before 1 April 2015. http://www.apecs.is/events/upcoming-event-highlights/assw-2015.html

APECS collaborated with Arctic Frontiers and the High North Academy to hold a Science Communication and Media Training Workshop on 20 January 2015 at the Arctic Frontiers conference 2015 held in Tromsø, Norway. The workshop was open to attendees from Tromsø (including the UiT The Arctic University of Norway and the Norwegian Polar Instiute) as well as participants of the Arctic Frontiers conference. The four-hour workshop included a series of presenters to discuss how scientists can communicate their work more effectively to journalists and non-scientific audiences, as well as using the tools available in social media. This included the use of blogs, twitter and podcasts. It also introduced them to the work of journalists, how they find a good scientific story and how they condense the complicated scientific research into a language that is understandable to the general public.

APECS would like to thank all the workshop mentors for their participation and great advice: Katrin Leinweber (University of Konstanz, Germany), Tom Fries (Arctic Council Secretariat, Norway), Karoline Bælum (Svalbard Science Forum), Malin Avenius (Freelance Science Journalist, Sweden), Tom Yulsman (University of Colorado, USA) and Susan Moran (freelance print journalist and a host/producer of KGNU radio's science show, How On Earth , USA). We would also like to thank the participants for the excellent discussion that followed the presentations.

Arctic Frontiers APECS Workshop 2015

New APECS Website 2015 APECS is proud to announce the launch of its new website! Thank you to our partner the Arctic Portal for working with us to develop and set up this new website and for continuing to host it. A special thank you also to the team from the APECS leadership and the APECS Canada Board that worked many, many hours over the last few weeks and months to help update and post our website content to the new website!

We have streamlined and updated the layout so that you can quickly find the information you are looking for. New features include:

• Searchable database of APECS webinars
• Searchable database of virtual posters by APECS members
• Volunteers needed page
• Searchable events listings
• Social media feed

Please note that your login details remain unchanged and that login (top right corner) is now required to post new jobs, events and articles to the website. Make sure to let us know if you find any bugs or if you have suggestions on how to make it even better.

We hope that you enjoy exploring the new website!

Science for Schools2015 1 Between January 20th and 22nd APECS, in cooperation with the Nordnorsk Vitensenter Tromsø and Arctic Frontiers promoted for the second time the Science for Schools event at Nordnorsk Vitensenter Tromsø, as a side event of the Arctic Frontiers 2015 conference. The goal? To instill the fascination towards science in high school students! Invited young scientists gave lectures to students from schools in Tromsø, sharing their experience and personal insight as scientists in polar fields. Coming from different countries, they explained the work they conduct and its relevance on a global scale. The students went on a journey through the reality of thawing permafrost, the mysterious northern lights, the cute algae growing under sea ice and the tiniest creatures habiting the oceans upon which every marine creature depends on (yes, you got it right... phytoplankton!).

Science for Schools 2015 2 The students also held their very first scientific poster session. And like as in a real conference, the posters were assessed by (although not so scary) judges: the scientists themselves! The poster session impressed everyone, we must admit! Students surprised with their creative titles and an early awareness on environmental issues and climate related themes. They also delighted everyone with engaging communications on broad topics such as the iconic endangered polar bear; the always invasive salmon from fish farms or even sea pollution from the annoyingly persistent plastic... The winning posters stood out by scientific rigor, design and communication of it.

We hope the students got the perks of doing science in cool places and got enthusiastic on a future scientific career. Because they surely showed the potential of pursuing one.

poster awards for Mar small This year at the Arctic Frontiers Conference, APECS organized once more the Poster awards for early career scientists. However, this time there was something different.

The poster session took place on Thursday after lunch and both the early career scientists and the experienced scientists were shinning next to their posters willing to tell everyone about their research. The secret poster evaluation committee (SPEC), consisting of members of the Arctic Frontiers Scientific Committees and some early career researchers, infiltrated themselves in between them and started asking questions and looking with critical eyes towards the content, colors, the pictures, the graphs and everything else on the poster. Some of us were not so discrete and had our evaluation sheet on our hand and were giving grades as the presenter was speaking. Others discussed the content of the poster and spent quite a long time discussing with the poster presenter all the details of their work. All in all, we had 2-3 intense hours of judging the content, structure and performance of the more than 50 posters from all early career scientists attending the meeting.

Once the poster session was over and everyone returned to the Auditorium for the next session it was time for final decision making. And we can tell you, the posters were so good in general that it was really difficult to make a final decision. Based on the points given by the secret reviewers and the performance of the person presenting the poster, we picked a winner per science part and an overall winner.

Since we were in Tromsø and science is not less than cinema, we decided to give a significant name to the awards this year: The Nansen Awards!

The ceremony took place during the conference dinner on Thursday night at the Scandic Hotel. All scientists arrived, well dressed and also well wrapped up for the cold since we were at -10°C! The buffet offered several Norwegian specialties and our toastmaster, Lars Smedsrud, made us enjoy the exquisite wine and the food very much.

The Nansen Awards ceremony started during the dessert and it was a sweet end for the great dinner. Inga Beck and Mar Fernandez Mendez, in representation of APECS, conducted the ceremony. In addition, exactly like at the Oscars, we had a celebrity to hand in the awards to the lucky winners: Prof. Paul Wassmann from the UiT The Arctic University of Norway, a member of the Arctic Frontiers scientific committees and a long-term APECS mentor. The four, very surprised, winners received from his hands a wonderful book with a compilation of outreach activities for Polar Science and a voucher for free registration (overall winner) or one-day registrations (for winners of the 3 science parts) to attend one of the next editions of the Arctic Frontiers conference. And without further delay, the winners are..

Overall Winner: Andrian Vlakhov (European University at St. Petersburg) for “How to survive if you are outdated, environmentally unfriendly and unprofitable? Sustainability paths for Barentsburg”
Part I: Pär Jansson (UiT) for „Ocean floor methane seeps in the north western Svalbard“
Part II: Christian Katlein (AWI) for “Distribution of algal aggregates under summer sea ice in the Central Arctic”
Part III: Alia L. Khan (University of Colorado) for “Assessing mining impacts from dust and black carbon on Arctic snow in Svalbard, Norway”

From APECS we would like to congratulate again the four winners for their excellent work and we encourage early career scientists to participate in upcoming conferences showing what they are capable of. A special thank you especially to the members of the Arctic Frontiers Science Committees for helping to evaluate the posters and for the rest of the secret poster evaluation committee members for coordinating and presenting the awards!

Best wishes,
Mar, Inga and Gerlis

SCAR logo white background Three leading Antarctic organisations today announce opportunities for early career researchers. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes (COMNAP) and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) are working together to attract talented early career researchers, scientists, engineers and other professionals to strengthen international capacity and cooperation in fields such as climate, biodiversity, conservation, humanities and astrophysics research.

COMNAP Web banner V2d SCAR and COMNAP have again joined forces to launch fellowships for early career researchers. The SCAR and COMNAP fellowships are worth up to USD $15,000 each and up to six fellowships in total are on offer for 2015. The fellowships enable early career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating research partnerships that last many years and over many Antarctic research seasons. The deadline for SCAR and COMNAP applications is 3 June 2015.

The SCAR and COMNAP schemes are launched in conjunction with CCAMLR's Scientific Scholarship Scheme. The CCAMLR Scholarship provides funding of up to AUD $30,000 to assist early career scientists to participate in the work of the CCAMLR Scientific Committee and its working groups over a period of two years. The scheme was established in 2010 and a maximum of three awards will be made in 2015. The objective of the scheme is to build capacity within the CCAMLR scientific community to help generate and sustain the scientific expertise needed to support the work of CCAMLR in the long-term. The deadline for CCAMLR applications is 1 October 2015.

All three schemes are being jointly promoted by the three organisations.

For more information on SCAR and COMNAP Fellowships, visit the SCAR website at: http://www.scar.org/awards/fellowships/information.html or the COMNAP website at:www.comnap.aq/SitePages/fellowships.aspx

For information on CCAMLR Scholarships, visit the CCAMLR website at: http://www.ccamlr.org/en/science/ccamlr-scientific-scholarship-scheme

iasc web The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), together with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), have the pleasure to announce the start of the second edition of the IASC Fellowship Program. Early 2015, during the selection process managed by the IASC in close cooperation with APECS, five successful early career scientists were chosen from over 96 applicants. The reviewers were impressed by the amount and extremely high quality of the applications.

The IASC Fellows 2015-2016 are:

- Jo Browse, University of Leeds, UK (Atmosphere WG)
- Robert Way, University of Ottawa, Canada (Cryosphere WG)
- Kristina Brown, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA (Marine WG)
- Adrian Vlakhov, European University at St. Petersburg, Russia (Social and Human WG)
- Josefine Lenz, University of Potsdam and Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany (Terrestrial WG)

The Fellows will actively participate in the activities of the WGs both scientifically and organizationally. They will have the opportunity to gain valuable insights into the workings of IASC and further develop their own skills and scientific network. The Fellows will receive travel support to attend the ASSW 2015 and 2016, and also travel funding to participate in selected workshops or other meetings of the WG they belong to.

More information about the IASC Fellowship Program can be found under http://iasc.info/home/iasc/iasc-fellowship-program

IASC is pleased to announce that the 2015 IASC Medal, which is awarded in recognition of exceptional and sustained contributions to the understanding of the Arctic, goes to

Jacqueline Grebmeier

The IASC Medal Committee reviewed the nominations received and unanimously decided to honor Jacqueline Grebmeier for her exceptional contributions to the understanding of Arctic benthic ecology and marine ecosystem dynamics; her pioneering work interpreting geochemical and stable isotope measurements in sediments; her commitment to the establishment of long-term observatories through international collaboration; and her outstanding leadership and mentorship within the Arctic science community. Jaqueline Grebmeier 2014

Congratulations!

The 2015 IASC Medal will be awarded by the President of IASC during the Arctic Science Summit Week 2015 in Toyama (Japan). The award ceremony will include a short introduction by the President and a 30 minutes lecture by the awardee.

Jacqueline Grebmeier is Research Professor and a biological oceanographer at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Dr. Grebmeier earned a Bachelor of Arts in Zoology from the University of California, Davis in 1977 and went on to receive Masters Degrees in Biology from Stanford University in 1979, and in Marine Affairs from the University of Washington in 1983, specializing in applications of Arctic science to Arctic policy. Dr. Grebmeier earned a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1987. She has played a leadership role in coordinating and promoting national and international arctic research. She recently completed her service as the U.S. delegate to, and a vice-president of the International Arctic Science Committee, and as a member of the U.S. Polar Research Board of the National Academies, and she also served formerly as a Commissioner of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission following appointment by President Clinton. She has contributed to other coordinated international and national science planning efforts including service on the steering committee for U.S. efforts during the International Polar Year. Over the last thirty years she has participated in over 45 oceanographic expeditions on both US and foreign vessels, many as Chief Scientist, and she was the overall project lead scientist for the U.S. Western Arctic Shelf-Basin Interactions project, which was one of the largest U.S. funded global change studies undertaken in the Arctic. Her research includes studies of pelagic-benthic coupling in marine systems, benthic carbon cycling, benthic faunal population structure, and polar ecosystem health, and she has published approximately 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and she has also served as editor of several books and journal special issues. Her research is focused on understanding how arctic marine ecosystems respond to environmental change, particularly efforts to illuminate the importance of benthic biological systems.

ExCom 1415inperson Recently the APECS Executive Committee (ExCom) had an in person meeting of the 2014/2015 committee members. The meeting took place in Trondheim, Norway (29th of November - 1st of December). This was a great opportunity for five ExCom members, the APECS Director and one ex-officio member to finally meet together and discuss face-to-face the most relevant organizational questions and needs of APECS.

All current executive members were able to participate in this important meeting. Members found the time in their tight schedules to come to Trondheim from Norway, Russia, Germany, Canada, Scotland and United States. The seven young enthusiasts worked hard for three days and created a basis for the future of the APECS, including organization priorities, strategy, partnerships, current and prospective projects, future plans and budget.

The agenda of the meeting was intense and numerous topics were discussed: mainly it was devoted to the future of the organization, but the current issues were not left out as well.
We prioritized activities of APECS, ExCom, council and national committees for 2014/15 term based on the needs of early career polar scientists. The key points for this year included conducting an organizational review of APECS with a subsequent 5 year strategic plan for the organization, APECS presence and role in international science and policy bodies and educational, career development, research and networking initiatives for early career scientists. In particular, we discussed ways of improving interaction between APECS and the National Committees including formalizing the relationships in Memorandums of Understanding (MoU). We aim to support, assist, advise and encourage our national committees in context of their successful activity and development. This point is of great relevance due to the "APECS world summit" which will take place in June 2015 in Bulgaria. The majority of the APECS projects are carried out in cooperation with other organizations and we recognise that strong partnerships lead to a healthy and prosperous organization, therefore we continue to look for ways to strengthen existing relationships and foster new ones.
The strategic plan was drafted but it will take its final form only after the organizational review. In the organizational review people with different background and level of expertise from inside and outside APECS will evaluate and consult the organization. The structure, effectiveness, goals and objectives, mechanisms and methods of organization will be evaluated.
Also, we carefully evaluated various ongoing APECS activities: what is good and effective and what requires support, adjustment or rethinking. Activities and priorities for the Council, sub-committees and our working groups were an important part of the discussion during the in person meeting.

As a result we enjoyed our meeting and had a good and productive time. Some of the ExCom members stayed in the Trondheim longer and joined the Arctic Biodiversity congress. We would like to thank the work of the previous ExCom and financial support from the APECS directorate. We highly appreciate the assistance of the Norwegian Environmental Agency and organizers of the Arctic Biodiversity Congress who helped us in the organization of in person meeting.

The late Dr. Éric Dewailly posthumously received the APECS Canada-ArcticNet Student Association Award 2014. The review committee (see members on this site) received six nominations in September, which it assessed and ranked throughout the month of October. During a conference call the committee reached a consensus-based decision.

Dr. Éric Dewailly, a professor at Laval University, was tragically killed in a rock slide on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean in the summer of 2014. His nomination stood out from all six excellent submissions.

Three former trainees of Éric, Drs. Melanie Lemire, Mylene Riva and Michel Lucas accepted the award on his behalf during the ArcticChange2014 meeting banquet on Thursday, December 11th, 2014. Award Committee Chair Dr. Nikolaus Gantner (APECS Canada) and Rudy Riedlsperger (ArcticNet SA) introduced the awardee to the 1,000+ delegates.

During the moving ceremony, Melanie, Mylene, and Michel spontaneously invited all those on stage that were closely working with Éric, resulting in a full centre stage, further highlighting Éric’smentorship and contribution over several decades of Arctic research.

You can learn more about Éric’s life and accomplishments here.

We would like to thank all individuals and organizations who contributed to the six nominations for this 2014 award.

Nominations are now open for the 2015 mentor award. Please visit here to find out more.

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Media Coverage of the 2014 Award:

CBC News: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/dr-%C3%A9ric-dewailly-arctic-expert-honoured-at-conference-in-ottawa-1.2872751

Arctic Change 2014 (VIDEO): http://player.vimeo.com/video/114562701

Finding True North blog: http://findingtruenorth.ca/arctic-change-2014/

Note: we are happy to add links to stories about the 2014 Award here.

USAPESC new

The USAPECS national committee formed following an informal meeting of several APECS members and representatives held during the 2014 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. The national committee serves as the uniting organization for several regional committees (i.e. Northeast, Northwest, Southwest, Mountain West) and was formed in order to better serve the members of APECS located in the United States. Outreach and in person events will still be organized at the local level, and the national committee will be better able to organize events at conferences nation-wide.

Although in its infancy, US APECS has already developed several goals to address member needs. In addition to developing an organizational framework and seeking out mentors, in the next year, US APECS would like to (1) organize an annual field safety school open to polar early career scientists that are unable to receive sufficient field safety training by other means and (2) host several webinars designed as introductory lectures for researchers outside the field so that science is more effectively communicated across disciplines. We look forward to growing over the course of 2015, and any ideas for projects or events are always welcome.

If you're interested in getting involved, please get in touch with us atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
More information is available at our website, http://usapecs.wix.com/usapecs

The 2015 Martha T. Muse Prize
for Science and Policy in Antarctica

Nominations close on 13 May 2015

The "Martha T. Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica" is a US$ 100,000 unrestricted award presented to an individual in the fields of Antarctic science or policy who has demonstrated potential for sustained and significant contributions that will enhance the understanding and/or preservation of Antarctica. The Prize is inspired by Martha T. Muse's passion for Antarctica and is intended to be a legacy of the International Polar Year 2007-2008.

The prize-winner can be from any country and work in any field of Antarctic science or policy. The goal is to provide recognition of the important work being done by the individual and to call attention to the significance of understanding Antarctica in a time of change. A website with further details, including the process of nomination, closing date and criteria for selecting the Prize recipients is available at www.museprize.org.

The Prize is awarded by the Tinker Foundation and administered by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

The World Climate Research Program (WCRP) is launching a Polar Challenge to reward the first team able to send an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) for a 2000km mission under the sea-ice in the Arctic or Antarctic.

The ultimate aim is to demonstrate a sorely-needed monitoring tool for the Polar regions to expand scientific research capabilities and climate services in both the Arctic and Antarctic.

"The cryosphere is a major indicator of global climate change and plays a fundamental role in our climate system," said WCRP Director David Carlson.

"Despite numerous model improvements, the reliability of long-term climate change outlooks in Polar regions is severely limited by the scarcity and cost of in situ systematic observations of the sea-ice and underneath to complement satellite observations," emphasized Dr Carlson.

The Polar Challenge is being announced on the sidelines of the Arctic Frontiers conference, 18-23 January in Tromsø, Norway.

New generation AUVs such as underwater gliders provide a potential low-risk, cost-effective option to scaling up observing networks for the Polar regions.

The WCRP hopes the competition will promote technological innovation towards a future cost-effective, autonomous and scalable observing network for ice-covered ocean regions based on a fleet of such platforms, similar to what ARGO, a global network of more than 3,500 free-drifting floats has accomplished for the open ocean.

AUVs are already used in an operational context around the world in ice-free zones, and they surface on a regular basis to get a GPS fix and to transmit environmental data. They are able to collect crucial and high quality oceanographic observations (such as temperature, salinity, chlorophyll and acidity) at lower cost compared to conventional observing systems.

But under the sea-ice, the operating range, positioning and data transmission represent major challenges for current underwater vehicles. The integration of recent progress regarding power systems and navigation techniques for example would expand the scope of applications of such vehicles, currently mainly limited to the open ocean.

The challenge will be at least three-fold, in terms of under-ice navigation, endurance and environmental monitoring.

The WCRP welcomes the involvement and contribution of all relevant stakeholders in this important and exciting initiative.

More information at http://www.wcrp-climate.org/index.php/polarchallenge

Dear colleagues,

It is our pleasure to invite you to the 11^th International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP 2016) to be held in Potsdam, Germany, 20-24 June, 2016.

The Alfred Wegener Institute has teamed up with UP Transfer GmbH and the University of Potsdam to organize a great conference for you, permafrost researchers. The conference aims at covering all relevant aspects of permafrost research, engineering and outreach on a global and regional level.

The conference website, containing all relevant information, is now online: www.icop2016.org and will be updated on a regular basis.

If you wish to get all conference updates, please subscribe to our newsletteron the website. The newsletter will replace circulars.

We hereby open the call for session proposals that should be submitted online until 1 April 2015:

http://icop2016.org/index.php/program/call-for-session

If you intend to submit a session proposal, the following items will be requested in the online form:

1.) Title of session;

2.) Conveners (name, affiliation, and e-mail), including the indication of PYRN convener(s);

3.) Session description (max. 300 words).

Each session will be organized by up to three conveners (i.e. those that submit the session proposal).We encourage a high degree of internationality for the convener boards. At least one convener should be a member of the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN). PYRN conveners are students or young researchers within six years after completion of their doctoral thesis, however, they must not be students or formally under the supervision of the senior conveners of the according session. PYRN will find a suitable candidate, if a session was proposed without involvement of PYRN conveners. The conveners will be responsible for the selection of abstracts and for the organization of oral or poster presentations.

The following themes denote the diversity of research to be presented at the conference, but are by no means restrictive:

1. Lowland permafrost

2. Mountain permafrost

3. Planetary permafrost

4. Subsea permafrost and gas hydrates

5. Periglacial geomorphology

6. Periglacial paleoenvironments

7. Permafrost and climate change

8. Permafrost in the water cycle

9. Ecology, microbiology, biogeochemistry, and gas fluxes

10. Natural hazards: assessment, adaptation, and mitigation

11. Foundation engineering and architecture

12. Infrastructure on permafrost

13. In-situ and remote observation techniques and programs

14. Modeling

15. Socioeconomic and cultural dynamics

16. History of permafrost engineering and research

17. Education and outreach

If key fields are not represented in the submitted list of session proposals, the ICOP Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and the International Scientific Committee (ISC) will suggest special sessions to cover all relevant topics.

By 30 May 2015, a decision will be presented on the acceptance of submitted sessions. The decision will be based on the inherent scientific interest and quality of the session proposal, the potential to attract participants, the thematic overlap and number of available slots at the conference.

The call for abstracts for the accepted sessions will open 1 August 2015 until 15 December 2015. After that date, depending on number of abstracts being submitted to each session, the LOC and the ISC may propose session joining or cancelling.

We are very much looking to receiving your contribution and to seeing you in Potsdam to ICOP 2016!

Best wishes,

Karina Schollaen

On behalf of the ICOP 2016 International Scientific and Local Organizing Committees

New perspectives in the Polar Sciences

Call for abstracts

APECS International Online Conference
Conference Date: 16 March 2015
Event Format: Online conference (webinar)

Abstract Submission Deadline: 16 February 2015

APECS webinar organizers announce a call for abstracts for our International Online Conference, “New Perspectives in the Polar Sciences,” which is scheduled for 16 March 2015. This conference will engage scientific dialogues between early career scientist from multiple disciplines and backgrounds on new research perspectives in their field of research. With increased attention on the changing polar environment and the future challenges this will bring, this conference aims to convey the broad range of new research currently being conducted internationally. Therefore, we would like to draw attention to polar researchers of this opportunity to share their current research findings. We would particularly like abstracts submitted by early career scientists, in order that they gain invaluable experience presenting their research projects to the public. There will be a $300 prize given for best presentation at this conference which has been donated by APECS.

Session Themes

Biological – marine/freshwater/terrestrial
Geological/Environmental/terrestrial cryospheric environments
Atmospherics/Climatology
Oceanography/Sea-ice
Cultural/Historical/Policy/Education

Abstract submission guidelines:

All abstracts will be written in English.

State which session you want your abstract to be submitted to (refer to sessions available above)

Include a short title which summarises your presentation

Abstract must be limited to 300 words

Include your name and any other authors involved in this presentation

Include your institution and your additional author institutions

State which country and time zone you will be presenting from, so that we can find a sensible time slot for your presentation

Abstract must be emailed to Rachel Downey (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by 16 February 2015.

Selected speakers will be notified by email at the latest on 23 February 2015.

The APECS International Online Conference will be using GoToWebinar platform (so you can enjoy the conference behind your desk or from your couch!).

Event E-mail contacts: Rachel Downey: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Scott Zolkos: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and Louise Chavarie: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

AGU APECS panel 2014

There are many exciting career opportunities and challenges faced by the next generation of early career polar scientists as they transition from their graduate studies to academic, government, or consulting jobs. This event was geared to provide professional career development advice and guidance for attendees at all stages of their career. A set of questions and answers were directed towards four panelists at various stages of their careers both inside and out of academia.

The panelists included (from left to right in the photo) Dr. Hedy Edmonds (NSF Arctic Natural Sciences Program Director), Dr. Lora Koenig (National Snow and Ice Data Center), Dr. Lonnie Thompson (Distinguished Professor at Ohio State University), and Dr. Christopher Polanshenski (Research Geophysicist at CRREL and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth College).

This event couldn't have been made possible without the generosity and partnership from the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the AGU Cryosphere Focus Group.

Post-panel discussion, the attendees had the opportunity to mingle, network, and ask follow-up questions at John Colins pub. We thank the AGU Cryosphere Focus Group for helping provide funds to purchase food and appetizers for the panel attendees. This enabled the panelists and panel attendees for continued discussion and a chance to catch-up with fellow colleagues in an informal setting.

Key Tips/Advice
1) Use your post doc as an opportunity to separate yourself from your adviser's research.
2) As a researcher/scientist, don't let writing papers for publication slip from your list of things to do. Learn how to properly manage and partition your time for research, advising, writing proposals, and so forth. It's easy to let deadlines (e.g., teaching, proposals) come before writing papers.
3) When getting your career started, don't be afraid to fail. When you're young, people in the field don't realize when you fail. This is important in order to succeed in your career further down the line, and will enable you to grow as a researcher and person.

Summarized Questions & Answers

Q: What are some important skills/experiences to have when getting started in your career?

A: Surround yourself with a mix of mentors – both younger and more seasoned scientists – from a variety of different backgrounds and training. It's unlikely that one mentor can teach you everything you need to know. Furthermore, understand what your time is worth as you begin to manage working on multiple projects simultaneously.

Q: How do you manage dealing with dual careers between you and your partner?

A: In the polar science field, we are fortunate enough that our research is predominately computer-based, making it easier for us to work from almost anywhere. This kind of flexibility isn't always available in other fields.

Q: Do you have any advice that you wish you had known at the beginning of your career?

A: Don't take criticism personally. In the end, those that provide criticism will likely provide more valuable feedback that will help you become a better scientist. Often times, the best feedback comes from program managers. Use them to provide insight on making your proposal more competitive. Don't hesitate to email and call the program manager. Furthermore, use your colleagues, especially if they are outside of your field-of-interest, to read your proposal. An outsider perspective can help you identify weaknesses and solidify what you're trying to convey that may otherwise have gone undetected.

Q: Do you have any advice for going from managing 1-2 research projects as a PhD, and then developing longer term research programs?

A: Try to manage many research projects, but keep them constrained generally to the same subject area. Otherwise, you will be trying to juggle too much. Put yourself in a good position where you can negotiate job offers, and have colleagues that will advocate your decisions as you navigate through your career path. In addition, try and be aware of your skills, and their broader applicability when building your funding profile. Always be mindful of what opportunities are available outside of your current position.

Q: What other funding avenues outside of NASA and NSF are there?

A: Other funding options include the Office of Naval Research, Army Research Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, Department of Energy, and Department of Defense. In addition, there are funding options from the industry sector (e.g., oil companies) as well as state and local agencies. More recently, researchers have also turned to private and crowdsource funding and special interest groups (e.g., Sierra Club and Nature Conservancy).

Q: Do you have any advice when attending conferences?

A: Try not to submit an abstract for a conference unless the work is already completed by the time the abstract submission is due. At the conference, try to only commit to 1-2 talks (e.g., at AGU), in order to leave you enough time to talk and network with colleagues. These meetings are a crucial time for making science happen! If you're giving a talk, construct your talk so that you have enough time to have the audience ask questions at the end. Lastly, practice giving your talk, as it doesn't come natural to all of us.

Q: Where do you see our field heading in the coming years?

A: An influx of new science questions, creative ideas, and tools (e.g., Unmanned Aircraft Systems) to answer these questions are expected. This is an exciting time to be in our field – given its relevancy and importance relating to climate change.

December 17th, 2014 from 6-7:30 pm
Moscone South Mezzanine Room 270, San Francisco, CA
Number of Attendees: 36

The Arctic Institute of North America (AINA) is turning 70 in 2015, and invites the Arctic community to be a part of the celebration! Through 31 October 2015, AINA will be running a 70th anniversary photo contest.

Help illustrate the magnificent beauty of the Arctic by submitting photos for the chance to be featured on the cover of the December 2015 issue of ARCTIC, a journal with a long legacy of publishing the latest in northern research, events, people, and places. If you want to be a part of the milestone anniversary, get out there, take some photos, and send them in. Each person can submit a total of 5 photos so be sure to pick the best ones for your chance to be on the cover. There will be one grand prizewinner and several honorable mentions that will be featured on the AINA Flickr page.

Submission deadline: 31 October 2015.

Full contest information can be found at:
http://arctic.ucalgary.ca/70th-anniversary-photo-contest

iasc web

In the context of its 25th anniversary this year, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) is pleased to present a comprehensive publication on its history from the planning process in the late 1980s until today. Printed as a special issue of the IASC yearbook, the publication compiles and analyzes the history and development of IASC and its initiatives and achievements. A collection of historical documents, a film and a brochure presenting a timeline of the most important events in the development of IASC in the last quarter of a century complement the publication.

The book „IASC After 25 Years“, edited by Odd Rogne, Volker Rachold, Louwrens Hacquebord and Robert Corell, as well as the supporting documents are now available on the IASC History Website: which is kindly hosted by the Arctic Portal. Printed copies of the publication will be available at the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2015 in Toyama, Japan.

logo classic logo msu classic eng logo rgo classic logo igras classic eng 115

The International Geographical Union (IGU) will meet in Moscow this summer for the third time since the International Geographical Congress of 1976, when over 2,000 participants from around the world gathered in the Soviet capital for lectures, discussions, workshops and excursions. The pace of global change has since accelerated in directions that once seemed unimaginable. At the 2015 IGU Regional Conference, participants will have ample opportunity to discuss these changes in light of current political-environmental challenges. The conference theme is “Geography, Culture and Society for Our Future Earth.” It will take place at Lomonosov Moscow State University (LMSU) from 17-21 August, 2015.

The 2015 IGU Regional Conference will be a chance for geographers from around the world to converse in a range of intriguing locations. This dialogue within and between disciplines will address critical issues in geography today, strengthening collaboration in response to global challenges through research and education. Registration began on 10 November 2014. We look forward to seeing you in August!

The deadline for abstract submissions is approaching!

For more information please check the conference's website.

You can also download flyer of the conference.

Frozen into the Arctic ice for 6 months - #NICE2015Arctic expedition led by the Norwegian Polar Institute starts in Longyearbyen, Svalbard this week. Research vessel Lance will be frozen into first year sea ice north of Svalbard with an ice camp deployed nearby the ship. A broad range of observations will be carried out by Norwegian and international collaborators during the drift to better undertsand processes in the ocean, ice and atmosphere and ongoing Arctic change.

Find out more about this campaign at http://www.npolar.no/n-ice2015

Follow hashtag #NICE2015Arctic for real-time updates from the expedition. News will come from accounts of the Norwegian Polar Institute (www.twitter.com/NorskPolar and www.facebook.com/NorskPolar) and from its Oceans and Sea Ice Group on www.instagram.com/OceanSeaIceNPI, www.twitter.com/OceanSeaIceNPI, and www.facebook.com/OceanSeaIceNPI

Co-leads Drs. Ross Virginia (Dartmouth College) and Mike Sfraga (University of Alaska - Fairbanks) are hoping to attract a diverse team of scholars, applied researchers, and leaders who will work together to advance knowledge useful to solving problems facing the North. The deadline for international applicants is February 2 and for US scholars, February 16.

The basics of the program are:

Fulbright Arctic Initiative will bring together a network of scholars, professionals and applied researchers from the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Sweden for a series of three seminar meetings and a Fulbright exchange experience. The Initiative will provide a platform for scholars from across the Arctic region to engage in collaborative thinking, analysis, problem-solving and multi-disciplinary research in one of four areas: Energy, Water, Health, and Infrastructure.
Sixteen outstanding scholars from the U.S. and abroad will be selected to participate in the program as Fulbright Arctic Initiative Scholars through an open, merit-based competition. Co-Lead Scholars Dr. Michael Sfraga and Dr. Ross A. Virginia will provide intellectual leadership throughout the Program, in addition to mentoring program participants and facilitating discussion and collaboration among the Arctic Initiative Scholars. Program activities will commence in spring 2015 and conclude in fall of 2016.

Program Activities
At its core, the Fulbright Arctic Initiative will create a network to stimulate international scientific collaboration on Arctic issues while increasing mutual understanding between people of the United States and the people of other countries. Using a collaborative model to translate theory into practice, program participants will address public-policy research questions relevant to Arctic nations' shared challenges. Program activities will commence in spring 2015 and conclude in fall of 2016.

Eligibility
Candidates must be from one of the eight Arctic Countries (United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Sweden). Successful candidates will include scholars at all career stages, to included applied researchers, professionals, and indigenous and traditional knowledge experts active in academic, public or private sectors that demonstrate outstanding qualifications and a record of experience and accomplishment in an a area clearly related to the program research themes: Energy, Water, Health and Infrastructure.

For more information on how to apply and eligibility requirements, please visit our website or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

APECS has released its annual report for the period of October 2013 to September 2014! It includes:

report about APECS in 2013-2014
news and event hightlights from 2013-2014
Norwegian highlights
reports about APECS projects, webinars and research features
education and outreach highlights
news from the APECS National Committees
and news from some of the APECS Sponsors and Partners

The full report can be access here or in our APECS publications database.

A special thank you goes to the Norwegian Research Council, the UiT The Arctic University of Norway and the Norwegian Polar Institute for supporting and hosting the APECS International Directorate in Tromsø! Our success would not be possible without your support and commitment to APECS.

Thank you also to the many dedicated members and mentors who volunteered their time over the past year to help us achieve continued success in shaping the future of polar research!

Slide Christmas Video 2014 APECS had again a very successful year in 2014 and we wanted to thank all of our members, mentors, partners and sponsors for continuing to help us shape the future polar research!

Enjoy some of our best moments of 2014 in our APECS Season's Greetings video http://vimeo.com/115350232

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all of you! We are looking forward to an amazing year in 2015!

Best wishes,

Jean-Sébastien Moore, APECS President 2014-2015
Gerlis Fugmann, APECS Executive Director
on behalf of the APECS Leadership

The APECS Council was created in September 2007 at a meeting outside of Stockholm, Sweden. The Council is made up of representatives for various national committees as well as research discipline representatives and representatives from our partner organizations. Scroll down to read more about them. It also includes the members of the first APECS Executive Committee 2007-2008: Kriss Rokkan Iversen, Narelle Baker, Hugues Lantuit, Daniel Pringle, José Xavier

Kristina Bäckstrand - Sweden

Stockholm University / Swedisch Youth Steering Committee

I did my master in Physical Geography at Lund University, Sweden during which degree I also spend one year in New Zealand. My master project developed into a PhD and I changed university and I'm not at Stockholm University, still Sweden. I've done a lot of fieldwork in subarctic Sweden, in connection with Abisko Scientific Research Station. I plan to finish my PhD in November 2008. I'm also involved in the Swedish YSC working on establishing a Swedish network for early career polar scientists as well as outreach towards schools.
Arvid Bring - Sweden

Stockholm University / Swedish Youth Steering Committee
James Cheshire - United Kingdom

University of Southampton / UK Polar Network
Jason Davis - United States

The Ohio State University

Jason worked at McMurdo Station, Antarctica as a Dining room Attendant through the austral summer of 2000-2001. During his time there he hosted a weekly radio show, produced/ directed Much Ado About Nothing, and fostered an interest in the continent. He now is working on his dissertation and occasionally hangs out at the Byrd Polar Research Center where he does outreach activities. His current research focuses on how the commercially useful results of biological research (bioprospecting) in Antarctica are being governed and the implications for property-territory relations.
Armelle Decaulne - France

CNRS / APECS Geosciences Coordinator

I was born in France and started learning Geography at the University in Paris in 1993, and quickly shifted to physical geography, before affirming a preference for geomorphology. After my master degree, where I studied coastal geomorphology in French Brittany beaches, I decided to pursue my researches on slope processes in polar environments. In 1997 I joined the University of Clermont-Ferrand to start a PhD which led me to Northwestern Iceland. Since then, I have not left Iceland, or, more exactly, I am always back to Iceland. My research interest deals with geodynamics, natural hazard and risk, at present-time but also during the Holocene. Since 2006, I am researcher at CNRS, the largest scientific organisation in France, still working on snow avalanche, debris flow, rock fall, landslide impacts in Iceland.
Peter Difiore - United States

Princeton University / APECS Chemical Oceanography Coordinator / APECS Chief Information Officer
Claudia Halsband-Lenk - United Kingdom

Plymouth Marine Laboratory / APECS Biological Oceanography Coordinator

I'm a German zooplankton ecologist and started my studies in this field in 1995 at the Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven, Germany. Excited about the complex behaviour of little planktonic creatures called copepods, I continued to study their ecology and conducted a comparative study in the Mediterranean and the North Sea, resulting in a bi-national PhD degree, conferred in 2001 by the Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris VI (France) and the University of Oldenburg (Germany). I have studied the ecology of copepods ever since in a number of postdoctoral projects based at the University of Hamburg (Germany), the University of Washington, Seattle (USA), and the University Centre on Svalbard (Norway). I have lived and worked on Spitsbergen in the high Arctic for two years studying population ecology of arctic plankton. I joined APECS as biology discipline coordinator in early 2007. I am now based at Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the UK, from where I will continue my research in the Arctic.
Bettina Kaiser - New Zealand

University of Canterbury / German Youth Steering Committee

Bettina started her tertiary education in Germany, studying Philosophy, English and American literature and cultural history in Berlin. After the first two years of study, she decided to go to Great Britain and pursue a B.A. degree in Philosophy at Leeds University, which she completed after one year majoring in the Philosophy of Science. Subsequently, she completed her Master's degree at Humboldt University in Berlin over the next two years with a particular focus on nineteenth-century American rhetoric and Philosophy of Science. Whilst working for television in Germany, she decided to develop a doctoral project combining research in nineteenth-century rhetorical culture, argumentation theory and history and philosophy of science. It was then, that she became interested in the history of polar research and nineteenth-century scientific culture. Since 2005, Bettina has undertaken her PhD project at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand and is the recipient of the Canterbury doctoral scholarship. Since 2006, Bettina is actively involved in education and outreach for the New Zealand Youth Steering Committee and the German initiative "Polarjugend."
Arthus Mason - United States

Arizona State University / APECS Social Sciences Coordinator

I work on the history, politics and culture of arctic natural gas development, and particularly of Alaska and Western Canada. I received my PhD from UC Berkeley in 2004, and am completing my first book, Arctic Moderns and the Import of Expertise for Cornell University Press which is a study of energy market restructuring and the politics of Alaskan-Western Canadian natural gas pipeline development. I am currently working on energy forecasting and how images of the energy future have impacted energy policy and planning since the early 1970s. In this work, I also focus on the activities of experts, a theme that I am developing in various projects on the politics and culture of consultant forecasting. I have held the positions of lecturer at UC Berkeley's Energy Resources Group and Fulbright Scholar, North American Research Chair at University of Calgary, where I continue to hold a Research Associate position at the Arctic Institute of North America. At Arizona State University I am founder and Director of StudioPolar, Assistant Professor in the School of Justice and Social Inquiry, Co-Chair of the Energy, Society and Policy Initiative, and faculty affiliate with the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes. I am also the Social Science Coordinator for the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS). My ethnographic experience includes various politically appointed State of Alaska positions including Associate Director of Energy under Alaska governor Frank Murkowski and Energy Coordinator under Alaska governor Tony Knowles. I am also involved in long-term ethnographic research at various urban and village sites in Alaska and Alberta.
Adrien McCallum - United Kingdom

Scott Polar Research Institute / UK Polar Network

I've recently moved to Cambridge from Australia to commence a PhD at the Scott Polar Research Institute. I'm essentially looking to investigate the strength of snow for engineering purposes, and whether we can develop a useful in situ testing method which can give a ready appraisel of the snow's strength. I've come to the Polar sciences late, after spending almost 20 years in numerous roles across the Australian Defense Forces. Throughout that time I've been aiming to ultimately forge a career as a Polar scientist and explorer, but it's just taken me a while to get there. I've led or participated in numerous expeditions to the Himalayas and sub-polar regions over that time, and I'm looking forward to getting out and about to places cold and white throughout the next few years. I'm very excited about the opportunities that we as young Polar scientists have before us, and I look forward to meeting and dealing with many of you as we become the 'new-guard' in this field. For further info check out my SPRI webpage.
Edward Moss - United Kingdom

Napier University

Edward was born on 19th October 1981. With the onset of epilepsy at the age of 11 school life became challenging with constant changes of medication. Leaving school with only average qualifications but a determination to pursue his passion and interest in the environment, he read Human Biology at Oxford Brookes University graduating in 2005. His unique dissertation on lemur recognition is likely to be presented at the 'International Primatological Congress, Edinburgh 2008' and these techniques have been considered for use by Prague Zoo. After this he went on to obtain an MSc in Wildlife Biology and Conservation at Napier University, Edinburgh graduating in 2006. His MSc thesis took him to the Swedish mountain tundra where he studied the dietary shifts made by red foxes in a sub-arctic ecosystem during times of low food availability. Since university Edward has worked at a research station in the Canadian Arctic as well as becoming a member of the APECS council during 2007. He also manages to pursue many of his other interests including wildlife photography, music, sport and bioacoustics.
Dirk Notz - Germany

Max Planck Institute for Meteorology / APECS / CliC Sea Ice Coordinator

I am leader of the research group "Sea ice in the Earth System" at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany. We are working on the development of a next-generation sea-ice model for climate studies by developing new parameterizations from laboratory and field experiments and through theoretical studies. Before coming to Max-Planck, I studied Meteorology and spent one year on Svalbard in the high Arctic during that time. There, I fell in love with this amazing landscape and have been back to the Arctic every year since that time for field work. I have been on a number of expeditions both in the North and in Antarctica and just got fascinated by the work on sea ice more and more. I did my PhD in England, trying to figure out how salt gets out of sea ice. In 2007, together with Karolina Widell from the University of Bergen, I was the main initiator and organizer of the IPY International Sea-Ice Summer School that was held on Svalbard for two weeks in July, with more than 90 participants from 16 countries.
Melianie Raymond - New Zealand

University of Otago / New Zealand Youth Steering Committee / APECS Education and Outreach Committee Co-Chair

Melianie completed her undergraduate studies in Zoology at the Universities of Otago (New Zealand) and Copenhagen (Denmark), during which she became interested in Polar Biology. She is currently studying towards her PhD, focusing on the adaptations that enable Antarctic nematodes to survive intracellular freezing. Her field work has taken her to Cape Hallett supported by a Kelly Tarlton' s and Antarctica New Zealand scholarship, and to Gondwana Station for two seasons as part of Antarctica New Zealand's event K066. She is the chair of the NZ YSC, and involved in coordinating Education and Outreach activities for APECS.
Torston Sachs - Germany

Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences / German Youth Steering Committee

I grew up near Celle, Germany, and first got infected with a passion for the north on a trip to Churchill, Manitoba, while being an exchange student in Winnipeg. I then studied geoecology in Braunschweig focusing primarily on groundwater hydrology until I moved to Anchorage, Alaska on a Fulbright Scholarship in 2002. Here, I started working on methane and carbon dioxide fluxes from degrading permafrost areas near Fairbanks and received a Master of Science in Environmental Science in 2003. Continuing on my transect through Alaska I moved up to Barrow, AK and spent a year working at the Barrow Arctic Science Consortium doing a bit of everything from science to science support in the field, outreach, coordination, and a lot of networking before starting my PhD at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Potsdam, Germany. For my PhD I conducted closed chamber flux measurements as well as the first continuous whole-season micrometeorological eddy covariance flux measurements of methane in the Siberian Arctic at the Russian-German Research Station Samoylov Island and studied the processes involved in methane exchange between ecosystems and the atmosphere on two spatial scales. In April 2009 I moved to the German Research Centre for Geosciences to lead the Methan Airborne Mapper (MAMap) project and study methane on a third scale using a high-resolution two-channel grating spectrometer that can be mounted on aircraft and helicopters. I am now leading the Helmholtz Young Investigators Group TEAM (for Trace Gas Exchange in the Earth-Atmosphere System on Multiple Scales) at GFZ that focusses on energy and trace gas fluxes (H2O, CO2, CH4) between terrestrial or marine ecosystems and the atmosphere using stationary systems as well as airborne eddy covariance measurements.
Kazuyuki Saito - Japan and United States

Nagoya University / University of Alaska / APECS - CliC Science Representative

My background is mathematics, statistics, and atmospheric science. Earned master's degree from MIT in climate physics and chemistry, and the Ph. D. from Nagoya University, Japan in atmospheric science. Have been working on land-atmosphere interaction in the cold regions, through data analysis and global cliamte modeling. Current focal topic of my research is permafrost variations under changing climate.
Rhian Salmon - United Kingdom

Former International Polar Your International Programme Office

After completing a PhD in Atmospheric Chemistry, Rhian spent three summers and one winter working in Antarctica with the British Antarctic Survey. Upon return, she was overwhelmed by the beauty of the continent, convinced by the importance of polar research, and disappointed by the huge gulf between scientific knowledge and public awareness of issues of global concern. She now works as Education and Outreach Coordinator for the International Polar Year 2007-8, an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate earth system science in real-time.
Mieke Sterken - Belgium

University of Ghent / Belgium Youth Steering Committee

After finishing her Msc. degree in Geography, Mieke studied an additional year focusing on marine and lacustrine sciences at Ghent University, Belgium. After this, she enrolled in a PhD program, working on paleoclimate and environmental reconstructions in South America and Antarctica. These reconstructions are based on the analysis of fossil diatoms & pigments in sediment cores from several lakes. Mieke is being supervised by Prof. Wim Vyverman and Dr. Elie Verleyen from the Lab for Protistology and Aquatic Ecology. Dr. Verleyen is now involved in research on the biogeography of diatoms, and as Mieke is a geographer, she is doing the GIS-analyses with respect to this research.
Liz Thomas - United Kingdom

British Antarctic Survey / UK Polar Network / APECS Career Development Coordinator

Dr Liz Thomas is a climate change scientist at the British Antarctic Survey, investigating the recent warming on the Antarctic Peninsula using evidence obtained from ice cores. She has been fortunate to take part in two field campaigns in the Antarctic; the first as part of an international ice core drilling team that reached bedrock (~1000 m) at Berkner Island (79°S,45°W) in the summer of 2004/05 and the second leading an ice core drilling project in the Antarctic Peninsula (73°S, 70°W) in 2006/07. She has a PhD in Paleoclimatology, investigating past rapid climate change events from Greenland ice cores. She loves all aspects of polar fieldwork and is looking forward to her first trip to the Arctic in July, as chief scientists for a young explorers expedition to Svalbard, with the British Schools Exploration Society.
Tina Tin - France

Antarctic Southern Ocean Coalition / APECS Environmental and Social Responsibilities Committee Chair

Tina conducted her Ph.D. research on the thickness of Antarctic sea ice at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (US) and holds a Masters of Engineering from the University of Cambridge (UK). She participated in two research cruises in the Ross Sea and presented papers at a number of international scientific conferences. Her passion lies in the protection of wilderness areas - in the polar regions and worldwide. When she is not focused on Antarctica, she works with WWF and other environmental organizations to promote climate change science and policy in Europe and elsewhere.
Alexandre Trinidade Nieuwendam - Portugal

Centro de Estudos Geograficos / Portuguese Youth Steering Committee

I'm graduated in Physical Geography at the Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon and at the moment I'm a Master student in Geography (Specialized in Physical Geography, Resources and Natural Hazard). I'm preparing my masters thesis on "Radiation Balance and Thermal Regime of the Ground in the Hurd Peninsula (Livingston Island, Antarctica)". I work as a researcher in the Center of Geographical Studies in the University of Lisbon. I've participated on two Antarctic campaigns 2006-07 and 2007-08 in Livingston Island, integrated in the Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition. I'm a member of the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN).
Jill Zamzow - United States

University of Alabama

I am a postdoctoral fellow, funded by the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs. My current project is a study of top-down and bottom-up effects on amphipod distributions in Antarctic near-shore waters. I will, in particular, be focusing on fish predation and the chemical and structural characteristics of algae, and how they affect amphipod host-alga choice. I'll be SCUBA diving to collect animals and algae, and performing a series of laboratory experiments in aquaria. I leave for Palmer Station in Feb 2008! My doctoral work investigated the ultraviolet defenses employed by coral reef and temperate tidepool fishes (i.e., "fish slime sunscreen"). I have previously worked on ultraviolet vision and communication in fishes, cleaning symbioses between marine turtles and coral reef fishes, and I also did a stint working for the State of Hawaii coordinating research efforts within the Papahānaumokuākea (Northwest Hawaiian Islands) Marine National Monument.

The following early career researchers served on the 2008 -2009 Council. In addition, the members of the APECS Executive Committee 2008-2009 are also part of the Council: Daniela Liggett, Benjamin Beall, Francisco Fernandoy, Matt Strelecki, Liz Thomas. As well as for part of the ExCom term: José Xavier, Tina Tin.

Kristina Bäckstrand - Sweden

Stockholm University / APECS Sweden
I'm currently working with sustainable and responsible business development, focusing on climate change mitigation within the business sector. The company I work for is called Enact and our office is in Stockholm, Sweden. Before working as a consultant, I did my Ph.D. at Stockholm university with a lot of my field work being based in the Arctic and at Abisko Scientific Reseach Station. My Ph.D. thesis was about greenhouse gas exchange in dynamic permafrost landscapes. I also hold a master in Physical Geography from Lund University, Sweden.
Joscelyn Bailey - Canada

University of Manitoba in Winnipeg / ArcticNet Student Association
Joscelyn N.‐L. Bailey was born in Kingston, Jamaica. Upon relocating to Canada, he grew up in Scarborough Ontario. In 2000 he began an undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo in Earth Sciences; Geology Specialization. It was there that he found a fondness for arctic research while undertaking a B.Sc. thesis under the guidance of Thomas W.D. Edwards in Applied Tree‐ring studies (Title: Isotope Dendroclimatology Studies in the Peace‐Athabasca Delta, Alberta). In 2005, he began a Masters in Earth Sciences; Paleoclimate and Geochemistry again under the supervision of T.W.D. Edwards (Title: Reconstruction of Paleoclimate Time‐ Series in the Peace‐Athabasca Delta, Northern Alberta, from Stable Isotopes in Tree‐Rings). During this research he had stints in Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories and Fort Chipewyan, Alberta. Mr. Bailey is currently pursuing PhD studies at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, using Rock‐Eval, organic petrology, stable isotopes, and mercury analysis techniques as a tool to identify environmental and climatological changes and linkages in the Arctic Archipelagos under the supervision of Dr. Gary Stern, Peter Outridge, Hamed Sanei. He currently holds a Research Affiliate position with the Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. Non‐Academic interests currently include, but are not limited to, Muay Thai/Kick Boxing, and volunteering with the National Service Dogs (Puppy Trainer). He is also current the Vice President of the ArcticNet Student Association.
Narelle Baker - United Kingdom

Scott Polar Research Institute / UK Polar Network
My undergraduate background has varied from human geography, political science and Italian language, to glaciology, atmospheric science, remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS), undertaken in both New Zealand and Western Australia. Since graduating I undertook the Gateway Antarctica (NZ) Graduate Certificate in Antarctic Studies , which took me to Antarctica, a Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Fellowship, allowing six months research on ice sheet modelling at the University of Bristol, the Geophysical and Environmental Fluid Dynamics Summer School, University of Cambridge, and the Karthaus Glaciers in the Climate System Summer School, Italy. Currently I am undertaking my PhD at Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge. My broad research interests are: behaviour and history of past and present ice sheets; subglacial processes and the flow of ice; numerical modelling of ice dynamics and hydrological processes; remote sensing of the cryosphere; and the role of the cryosphere in Earth's climate system. My research investigates how the Siple Coast ice streams in West Antarctica respond to possible changes in subglacial water flows. I am developing a numerical model, the HIT flowline model, that couples Hydrology, Ice thermodynamics and Till rheology and am applying the coupled model to the stagnant Kamb Ice Stream (Ice Stream C) to determine why the ice stream became stagnant and whether changing subglacial water flows could restart its flow. I am Finance Coordinator for the UK Polar Network and an Executive Committee member and the Treasurer of the Association of Early Career Polar Scientists (APECS). Visit my website.
Tosca Ballerini - Italy

University of Siena / APECS Italy
I'm 31 years old. I studied Agriculture at the High School and Natural Sciences at the University. In particular I followed the evolutionary track (a lot of Biology but also Astronomy, Evolution of Earth, Evolution of Life on Earth, Evolutionary theories and History of Science). I was in Mozambique for an experimental thesis of mangrove fiddler crabs. After the Laurea I retired from University for a couple of years, during which I got the license of Environmental Excursionist Guide and made some lessons in elementary and medium schools. I went back to University, starting my polar career... In 2007 I got a PhD on Polar Science from the University of Siena. I was in Antarctica with the Italian Antarctic Research Program counting penguins (80 days most of which camping at 60 kms from the Italian Base). The title of my thesis is "From individual information to population models: the case of a long lived Antarctic species, the Adélie penguin Pygoscelis adeliae". I did a lot of computer work and modeling for my PhD and I would like to go back to do field work at the poles (but non only at the poles...).
Philip Bonnaventure - Canada

University of Ottawa / Permafrost Young Researchers Network - Coordinator
Philip is a Ph.D. candidate working in the field of environmental geocryology and mountain permafrost modelling and mapping. Fundamental to his research is the idea of applying geomatic applications to problems in geomorphology and environmental geography. Philip also has a keen interest in polar and mountain environments; his current research involves using the Basal Temperature of Snow (BTS) method and the Temperature at the Top of Permafrost (TTOP) model to predict the distribution of mountain permafrost in northwestern Canada. The long-term goal of this research is to establish predictive equations to produce detailed permafrost probability maps of mountain areas for the entire southern half of the Yukon. In addition Philip has a key interest in climate change along with modelling the effects of environmental changes in periglacial environments. Philip is currently working with Dr. Antoni Lewkowicz (University of Ottawa) with research being funded by the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS). Philip holds a B.Sc. in physical geography and an M.Sc. in geography both from the University of Ottawa.
Matteo Cattadori - Italy

APECS Italy
I graduated in Natural Science at University of Parma in 1993 with a thesys in Ecology (idrobiology-idrochemistry). I attended masters in Information and Communication Technology (University of Bologna 2004) and in New Technology applied to the educational field (University of Padua 2001). I'm science teacher since 1989 and I have made several experiences in the field of training and education in different situations. In 2003 – 2005 I was a member of the permanent editorial staff of a project of the Italian Ministry of Education aimed at providing assistance to school ICT professionals based at the University of Genoa. I'm a high school Science Teacher in Trento. In 2007 I received a granting for detachment from teaching in order to carry out a special educational project called "progettosmilla.it" that is now in charge at the Natural Science Museum of Trento. In 2006 progettosmilla.it has been selected to participate to the first Antarctic drilling campaign of ANDRILL. This is an integrated international project aimed to the study of the role of the cryosphere on the climatic system. I've worked at the ANDRILL educational and public outreach project in cooperation with scientists and teachers of the 4 participant nations. I coordinate the editorial staff of the Science Museum of Trento for the web-based project "Inquiring on Climate and Energy" (Ici&En), aimed at the creation of a digital library of materials for earth system science teachers.
Armelle Decauline - France

CNRS
I was born in France and started learning Geography at the University in Paris in 1993, and quickly shifted to physical geography, before affirming a preference for geomorphology. After my master degree, where I studied coastal geomorphology in French Brittany beaches, I decided to pursue my researches on slope processes in polar environments. In 1997 I joined the University of Clermont-Ferrand to start a PhD which led me to Northwestern Iceland. Since then, I have not left Iceland, or, more exactly, I am always back to Iceland. My research interest deals with geodynamics, natural hazard and risk, at present-time but also during the Holocene. Since 2006, I am researcher at CNRS, the largest scientific organisation in France, still working on snow avalanche, debris flow, rock fall, landslide impacts in Iceland.
Jennifer Dunn - Canada

APECS Arts and Humanities Discpline Coordinator
Jennifer Dunn is from Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. She is interested in Arctic politics, languages and literatures. Jennifer recently completed a six-month internship as Northern Affairs Policy Officer at the Embassy of Canada in Oslo through the Circumpolar Young Leaders Program. At the Embassy her work focussed on Canadian-Norwegian cooperation on circumpolar issues. She has attended a meeting of the Arctic Council as a Youth Delegate representing Canada. Jennifer is also a member of the reference group for the Jokkmokk Winter Conference in Sweden, and a contributor to the online Arctic Futures newsletter. She will be staying on for a short contract at the Embassy following her internship. Jennifer has completed three years of an Honours BA at the University of Ottawa in English Literature with a Minor in Arabic Studies. She plans to continue with her studies to the PhD level. She is a former member of the University of Ottawa Varsity Women's Rowing Team, and a current member of the Norwegian Students' Rowing Club. She has studied in Tunisia and Denmark, and has travelled across India, western Europe, North America and Scandinavia. She speaks Norwegian, Danish, French and some Arabic. She plans on studying Russian and Inuktitut in the future.
Natalia Goryunova - Russia

P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology / APECS Russia
APECS is a unique organization. It unites young scientists all over the World and gives them opportunity to communicate with well-known scientists. It is very important because getting such opportunity now is not very easy. Communication and fruitful collaboration can make magic. I want to be inside, to be aware of the events happening in the World. Especially if we are talking about the future of our Earth, and about the Arctic. The main strength of APECS is people: its Director, President, and members of the Council. I don't want to be indifferent to solving such important problems. We should be strong to make APECS stronger and I am ready for it! The role of young researches is great: young scientists see more – their eyes are opened they have the whole understanding of the World, they are not focused on something and have plenty ideas, they are very mobile. It is very hard to say, how is it possible to make APECS better – I have participated in the meeting held in July in Saint Petersburg. I was really delighted with it: extremely interesting presentations and very useful. I am writing my PhD now and I have to gather data in Arctic. This winter I was on board of Canadian RV "Amundsen" for 6 weeks, now I am going to participate in NABOS cruise (1 month), I have plenty of field work during the summer, I passed through all the exams with the highest marks, but I have to pass through English exam, now I am preparing for it. Why do I study Arctic? I was born with this idea. I feel responsibility for our planet for the things happening on it, especially then we are talking about fragile polar equilibrium.
Claudia Halsband-Lenk - United Kingdom

Plymouth Marine Laboratory / APECS Biological Oceanography Discipline Coordinator
I'm a German zooplankton ecologist and started my studies in this field in 1995 at the Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven, Germany. Excited about the complex behaviour of little planktonic creatures called copepods, I continued to study their ecology and conducted a comparative study in the Mediterranean and the North Sea, resulting in a bi-national PhD degree, conferred in 2001 by the Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris VI (France) and the University of Oldenburg (Germany). I have studied the ecology of copepods ever since in a number of postdoctoral projects based at the University of Hamburg (Germany), the University of Washington, Seattle (USA), and the University Centre on Svalbard (Norway). I have lived and worked on Spitsbergen in the high Arctic for two years studying population ecology of arctic plankton. I joined APECS as biology discipline coordinator in early 2007. I am now based at Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the UK, from where I will continue my research in the Arctic.
Kim Jochum - Germany

Institute for Wildlife Research
Kim is a wildlife biologist and got involved with polar research in 2006 when she started to work with polar bears in Churchill, Canada. Kim's research focuses on the usability and evaluation of short-term behaviour data ('behaviour modeling') from free-ranging mammals carried out in collaboration with the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Institute for Wildlife Research in Hannover, Germany. Her background ranges from mammalian research in the tropics, coastal zones and temperate zones to the subarctic and she developed a high interest in interdisciplinary research as such. Currently she is analysing her 3 year polar bear behaviour data and keen on finding the right PhD position in the field of her major interest in the near future.
Loic Jullion - United Kingdom

National Oceanography Centre / APECS Physical Oceanography Discipline Coordinator
I am a physical oceanographer working on the Southern Ocean. I am doing my postdoc at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK. The main topic of my postdoc is the export of bottom water in the Weddell Sea and its role in the global overturning circulation. I have a background in marine environmental sciences that I did in Marseille, France, my home town. I did my PhD at the university of East Anglia, Norwich about the connection between the Southern Ocean and the subtropical gyre in the South Atlantic. Among others, I am especially interested in water mass formation and transformation at high latitudes and what they can tell us about the climate variability.
Bettina Kaiser - New Zealand

University of Canterbury / German Youth Steering Committee
Bettina started her tertiary education in Germany, studying Philosophy, English and American literature and cultural history in Berlin. After the first two years of study, she decided to go to Great Britain and pursue a B.A. degree in Philosophy at Leeds University, which she completed after one year majoring in the Philosophy of Science. Subsequently, she completed her Master's degree at Humboldt University in Berlin over the next two years with a particular focus on nineteenth-century American rhetoric and Philosophy of Science. Whilst working for television in Germany, she decided to develop a doctoral project combining research in nineteenth-century rhetorical culture, argumentation theory and history and philosophy of science. It was then, that she became interested in the history of polar research and nineteenth-century scientific culture. Since 2005, Bettina has undertaken her PhD project at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand and is the recipient of the Canterbury doctoral scholarship. Since 2006, Bettina is actively involved in education and outreach for the New Zealand Youth Steering Committee and the German initiative "Polarjugend."
Hugues Lantuit - Germany

Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research / Permafrost Young Researchers Network and International Permafrost Association Secretary / Past APECS Executive Committee and Organization Co-Founder
I am a 29 years old big boy from France. Upon completion of my French Baccalauréat, I started a Geography/Geology degree in Paris. I graduated from Université Paris 7 with a maîtrise in Physical geography and moved to Montréal, Canada to get a masters. I stayed three years at McGill University, and graduated with an MSc that had to do with the quantification of coastal erosion on Arctic coasts using remote sensing and photogrammetry. I then got an offer to come to the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam to start a PhD and took it. My research is primarily focused on the impacts of climate change on Arctic coasts. My PhD project involves the use of geospatial tools, including satellite imagery, Geographical Information Systems, and photogrammetry to quantify and characterize the coastal erosion occurring in permafrost regions. I also take part in some projects in the polar world related to specific science issues (Arctic Coastal Dynamics, SEDIBUD) and to the promotion of young scientists activities (Permafrost Young Researchers Network www.pyrn.org, APECS, WAYS).
Kriss Rokkan Iversen - Norway

University of Tromsø / APECS Past President
Growing up in the Lofoten Islands, at 68 degress north, I got infected with a polar passion early. Through my studies at different Norwegian universities, I finnished my Norwegian Masters in marine system ecology in 2003, where I focused on the effect of small-scale turbulence on bacteria and phytoplankton. For the two next years, I worked as a scientific assistant in different projects in the Norwegian Arctic, gaining field experience and understanding for polar research. In 2005, I received a university scholarship for my PhD project; investigation of the microbial loop in the ice-covered Arctic waters of Svalbard. The role of the microbial loop in the biological carbon pump and thus the overall carbon flux is yet not understood. Hopefully implementation of data from me and Lena Seuthe's work will enhance the dissolution of the Barents Sea Ecosystem Model. Alongside my scientific interests, I am extremely interested in science policy making and outreach; truly believing that science needs to be a part of a community's everyday agenda. At the time being, I am an elected member of the University board of the University of Tromsø and President of APECS. Through APECS I have been given the opportunity to first-hand experience international science politics and policy making. Together with APECS' excellent international, multidisciplinary network and competance in science, education and outreach, APECS really makes a difference for me professionally. This genuine APECS combination is of great importance for me – both at present as well as in the future.
Cameron McNaughton - USA

University of Hawaii / APECS Atmospheric Science Coordinator
Born in Alberta Canada, I lived in British Columbia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan before completing my BASc in Environmental Engineering at the University of Waterloo in May of 2000. In August of that year, my future wife Lianne and I moved to Honolulu so that I could pursue an MS in Oceanography at the University of Hawai'i. While at the University of Hawai'I, I have participated in 9 airborne field campaigns funded by NASA and the United States', National Science Foundation. I have logged more than 700 hours as a flight scientist while completing my MS (2003) and PhD (2008) degrees. Lianne and I were married in 2003 and spent our 7-week honeymoon traveling through Northwestern China. In 2005 we had our first boy, Ezekiel, and in 2009 Lianne gave birth to our second son, Jacob. Our family enjoys surfing and camping, amateur photography, and collecting rocks and seashells. My overall interest is the Earth's water cycle. More specifically, I am an atmospheric scientist studying aerosols; solid or liquid particles suspended in the Earth's atmosphere. Aerosols play a fundamental role in the Earth's atmosphere, scattering and absorbing incoming solar radiation even as they participate as cloud and ice condensation nuclei. Anthropogenic aerosols transported to the Arctic are responsible for springtime "Arctic Haze" events. These events and airmass composition in general is the subject of a number of IPY airborne field campaigns under the aegis of POLARCAT. One of the POLARCAT objectives that I am involved with is trying to provide global climate models with constraints for optical properties of absorbing aerosol in the Arctic atmosphere. These absorbing aerosols contribute to atmospheric warming and can also reduce the surface albedo of permanent snow and ice, enhancing melting once they are deposited to the Earth's surface.
Alexandre Trinidade Nieuwendam - Portugal

University of Lisbon / APECS Permafrost Discipline Coordinator
I Graduated in Physical Geography at the Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon. At the moment I'm a Master student in Geography (Speciality in Physical Geography, Resources and Natural Hazard), were I'm finishing my thesis on "Radiation Balance and Thermal Regime of the Ground in the Hurd Peninsula (Livingston Island, Antarctica). I'm also a Researcher at Centro de Estudos Geográficos, University of Lisbon and I've participated in the Antarctic campaigns of 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 in Livingston Island, integrated in the Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition. I'm also the Portuguese National Representative of the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN). My research interests' focus on permafrost and climate change in the Antarctic Peninsula region. I am mainly interested on the geomorphodynamics of periglacial environments, permafrost temperature monitoring and modelling and environmental monitoring.
Dirk Notz - Germany

Max-Planck Institute / APECS Sea Ice Discipline Coordinator
I am leader of the research group "Sea ice in the Earth System" at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany. We are working on the development of a next-generation sea-ice model for climate studies by developing new parameterizations from laboratory and field experiments and through theoretical studies. Before coming to Max-Planck, I studied Meteorology and spent one year on Svalbard in the high Arctic during that time. There, I fell in love with this amazing landscape and have been back to the Arctic every year since that time for field work. I have been on a number of expeditions both in the North and in Antarctica and just got fascinated by the work on sea ice more and more. I did my PhD in England, trying to figure out how salt gets out of sea ice. In 2007, together with Karolina Widell from the University of Bergen, I was the main initiator and organizer of the IPY International Sea-Ice Summer School that was held on Svalbard for two weeks in July, with more than 90 participants from 16 countries.
Layla Osman - Chile

Universidad Austral de Chile / APECS Chile
My name is Layla Osman and I am 32 years old. I was born at Valdivia in southern Chile, which is one of the most beautiful cities of the country. I studied marine biology and later I did a PhD at Universidad Austral of Chile. I work with top predators, particularly fur seals and I have been working in two different ecosystems: Antarctica and the Juan Fernandez Archipelago. I am interested in the population ecology of top predators and my undergraduate thesis of marine biology was on the feeding ecology of Antarctic fur seals at Cape Shirreff, South Shetland islands, Antarctica. Later I did my PhD and I went to work to the Juan Fernandez Archipelago and my PhD thesis was on the Population Status, distribution and foraging ecology of the Juan Fernandez fur seal. Currently I am vice-president and pinniped program coordinator of the Blue Whale center, a Chilean NGO which is devoted to the conservation of marine ecosystems. My interest to become a member of the council of APECS is to be involved with the polar community and through this, be able to help the young Chilean researchers to be more connected and aware of funding opportunities, research collaboration and help them develop a stronger polar career.
Allen Pope - United Kingdom

Scott Polar Research Institute
Allen is a PhD candidate studying the remote sensing of glaciers with a particular focus on applications to glacier mass balance; his current research focuses on using high resolution airborne multispectral imagery to create a glacier facies classification scheme. His recent work has included a Masters in Polar Studies at the University of Cambridge integrating airborne LiDAR and Landsat data to build a DEM of Iceland's second largest icecap and study its changes over the past decade. Allen has an undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Earth and Planetary Sciences from Harvard University where his senior thesis was based on an application of cosmogenic nuclide exposure age dating to building a history of the interior West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Originally attracted to polar research through a love of hiking, cross-country skiing, and just getting outside, Allen tries to spread his love for polar science to anybody who will listen, especially through his involvement with the UK Polar Network. He also takes every chance he gets to pursue field research and, among other places, has worked in northern Namibia, southeast Alaska, and Antarctica's Dry Valleys.
Daniel Pringle - United States

University of Alaska / Alaska Young Researchers Network
Daniel Pringle (U. Alaska, Fairbanks) is a postdoctoral fellow studying sea ice. Originally from New Zealand, he has lived and worked in Alaska and also worked on sea ice and the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. His training was in Physics and his current work combines laboratory experiments, fieldwork and computational methods to examine the microstructure of sea ice and how it controls the physical properties of sea ice. He is drawn to the people, environment and animals of wild, big and humbling Alaska. Daniel was a member of the Interim APECS Executive Committee formed in Sweden, 2007. He helped to establish the University of Alaska Young Researchers' Network and coordinated their outreach and community engagement activities during IPY.
Angelika Renner - United Kingdom

British Antarctic Survey and the University of East Anglia / UK Polar Network
I studied marine environmental sciences and maths in Germany. During my studies, I visited various research institutions in Germany and South Korea and soon became interested in the physical side of oceanography. For my diploma thesis, i moved to Helsinki, Finland and ventured for the first time into polar regions and looked at Arctic sea ice. To get first hand experience in sea ice field work, I then went to Tromso, Norway, and worked at the Norwegian Polar Institue and for the Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) International Project Office. In 2006, I started my PhD studies in physical oceanography at the University of East Anglia and the British Antarctic Survey in the UK. Within the ADELIE project, I am looking at near-surface currents near the Antarctic Peninsula and investigate the variability of drifter pathways and fronts using observations and ocean models. My first field trip to the Arctic got me hooked on fieldwork and so far I have been lucky enough to participate in five scientific cruises to the Arctic and the Southern Ocean. If I'm not in the office, I'm most likely climbing some rock, paddling my kayak, or am somewhere near the poles.
Alejandro Veliz Reyez - Chile

University of Magallanes / APECS Engineering Discipline Coordinator
Alejandro Veliz, Architect, is now coursing a Diploma in Antarctic Programs Management at the University of Magallanes. His work has been mostly related to component-based and constraint-based design studies, with Antarctic and sub-antarctic building technologies as part of his work. Since February 2009 he has been working as Engineering Discipline Coordinator in APECS and as a full-time academic in the Department of Architecture, University of Technology Federico Santa María.
Torsten Sachs - Germany

Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences / German Youth Steering Committee
I grew up near Celle, Germany, and first got infected with a passion for the north on a trip to Churchill, Manitoba, while being an exchange student in Winnipeg. I then studied geoecology in Braunschweig focusing primarily on groundwater hydrology until I moved to Anchorage, Alaska on a Fulbright Scholarship in 2002. Here, I started working on methane and carbon dioxide fluxes from degrading permafrost areas near Fairbanks and received a Master of Science in Environmental Science in 2003. Continuing on my transect through Alaska I moved up to Barrow, AK and spent a year working at the Barrow Arctic Science Consortium doing a bit of everything from science to science support in the field, outreach, coordination, and a lot of networking before starting my PhD at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Potsdam, Germany. For my PhD I conducted closed chamber flux measurements as well as the first continuous whole-season micrometeorological eddy covariance flux measurements of methane in the Siberian Arctic at the Russian-German Research Station Samoylov Island and studied the processes involved in methane exchange between ecosystems and the atmosphere on two spatial scales. In April 2009 I moved to the German Research Centre for Geosciences to lead the Methan Airborne Mapper (MAMap) project and study methane on a third scale using a high-resolution two-channel grating spectrometer that can be mounted on aircraft and helicopters. I am now leading the Helmholtz Young Investigators Group TEAM (for Trace Gas Exchange in the Earth-Atmosphere System on Multiple Scales) at GFZ that focusses on energy and trace gas fluxes (H2O, CO2, CH4) between terrestrial or marine ecosystems and the atmosphere using stationary systems as well as airborne eddy covariance measurements.
Kazuyuki Saito - Japan and United States

Nagoya University / University of Alaska / APECS / CliC Science Representative
My background is mathematics, statistics, and atmospheric science. Earned master's degree from MIT in climate physics and chemistry, and the Ph. D. from Nagoya University, Japan in atmospheric science. Have been working on land-atmosphere interaction in the cold regions, through data analysis and global cliamte modeling. Current focal topic of my research is permafrost variations under changing climate.
Rhian Salmon - United Kingdom

International Polar Year International Programme Office / APECS Education and Outreach Committee Co-Chair
After completing a PhD in Atmospheric Chemistry, Rhian spent three summers and one winter working in Antarctica with the British Antarctic Survey. Upon return, she was overwhelmed by the beauty of the continent, convinced by the importance of polar research, and disappointed by the huge gulf between scientific knowledge and public awareness of issues of global concern. She now works as Education and Outreach Coordinator for the International Polar Year 2007-8, an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate earth system science in real-time.
Mieke Sterken - Belgium

University Ghent / Belgium Youth Steering Committee
After finishing her Msc. degree in Geography, Mieke studied an additional year focusing on marine and lacustrine sciences at Ghent University, Belgium. After this, she enrolled in a PhD program, working on paleoclimate and environmental reconstructions in South America and Antarctica. These reconstructions are based on the analysis of fossil diatoms & pigments in sediment cores from several lakes. Mieke is being supervised by Prof. Wim Vyverman and Dr. Elie Verleyen from the Lab for Protistology and Aquatic Ecology. Dr. Verleyen is now involved in research on the biogeography of diatoms, and as Mieke is a geographer, she is doing the GIS-analyses with respect to this research.
Ivan Sudakov - Russia

St. Petersburg State University / APECS Climate Systems Discipline Coordinator
My name is Ivan A. Sudakov. I was born in 1985 (Ural Region, USSR). I was a graduate of secondary school in 2002. I am awarded with a Silver Medal "For Special Successes in Studies". Also, I was a graduate of musical school (specialization is piano). I am a graduate of the Ural State University, Physics Department (Ekaterinburg, Russia). I am a Bachelor of Science in Physics (2006) and Master of Science in Physics (2008) as well as a Bachelor of Innovation in Engineering (2008). What's more, I am a certified schoolteacher (2007), certified lecturer in university (2008) and certified programmer (2007). Now, I am a PhD student of the St. Petersburg State University, Department of Climatology (St. Petersburg, Russia). As part of my PhD education, I conduct research at the Scientific Foundation "Nansen International Environmental and Remote Sensing Centre" (NIERSC) (St. Petersburg, Russia). I am a participant of the "Nansen Fellowship Programme" (2008-2011). My scientific advisers are Prof. Ola M. Johannessen and Dr. Leonid Bobylev. I have published around 20 abstracts and papers. I am an active member of the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN). I took part in several international conferences, seminars, summer schools (e.g., IMPETUS 2007, 2008 Workshop and APECS Career Development Workshop). I worked (2004-2008) as a teacher at secondary school, a lecturer and senior lecturer at various universities of Ekaterinburg (Ural Region, Russia). At present, my business is marketing, quality management and fund-raising in the Herzen University (St. Petersburg, Russia).
Matt Strzelecki - Poland and United Kingdom

Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań / Durham University / The Association of Polish Geomorphologists
Mateusz Strzelecki was born on 5th June 1984 in Poznań, central Poland. However he spent his childhood in a smaller town Swarzedz surrounded by forests and lakes, what had a huge influence on his attitude towards nature and environment. His parents are both academics, working at Faculty of Theology at Poznan University. After finishing one of the leading Polish high-schools (1st High School in Swarzedz) he moved to Poznan to study geography at Faculty of Geosciences at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. Studies at the biggest geographical centre in Central Europe opened him a chance to visit the High Arctic and write his Master thesis about glaciofluvial transport in small, glaciated catchment located on Spitsbergen. During last four years Mateusz was a member of 5 expeditions to Spitsbergen Island. He spent one semester at University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), where he participated in two specialized courses in permafrost and periglacial geomorphology and cold region field investigations. During his Masters' studies he obtained Socrates/Erasmus scholarship and moved to the United Kingdom to Portsmouth University to study fluvial geomorphology and mountain climatology. He graduated in June 2007 and applied for a PhD position at his former Faculty. When Mateusz started his doctoral research about polar coast geoecosystems on Svalbard and South Shetlands he got an opportunity to move to Department of Geography at Durham University, UK, and continue his thesis under supervision of professor Antony Long. Mateusz specializes in polar geomorphology with a particular consideration of paraglacial landscape evolution in fluvial and littoral geoecosystems. He is also a passionate propagator of multidisciplinary polar science without borders and beliefs in a significant role of cold region scientists in a globalized world. One of the most important events in his young career was a New Generation of Polar Reserachers Symposium in Colorado Springs, May 2008, where together with wonderful polar friends from nearly half of the world, he understood how amazing mission is waiting to be fulfilled. His current efforts to become an ExCom in APECS are a direct result of NGPR Symposium assumptions and one of his leading goals for next decade.
Chao Tang - United States

University of California,Riverside / APECS Microbioloogy Discipline Coordinator
I am from China. I received Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology at Anhui University, China. My undergraduate thesis was titled "Using ITS (Intergenetic Spacer) region for fungi classification". I came to the United States to pursue graduate studies in 2003 and began this by studying basic medical microbiology at the University of South Dakota. Although I enjoyed this work, I did not feel completely certain about this choice of study and transferred with great enthusiasm to work with Dr. Brian Lanoil on Antarctica Dry Valleys' microbial diversity at the University of California, Riverside a year later. I have already performed field research in Antarctica twice, including most recent extended field season from February until April, 2008. These field experiences helped me tremendously to understand and appreciate polar ecosystem better and liberated me from laboratory-bench science to experience the white pristine environment. I will be completing my PhD dissertation research in summer 2009 and would like to continue with polar research. My current research interests are characterizing microbial diversity, investigating microbial community functionality and exploring the role of the microbial community in the biogeochemical cycling in sediments of permanently ice-covered lakes of McMurdo dry valleys, Antarctica. I also have general interests toward interactions between microbial community and extreme environments in any type of system such as polar soil, subglacial lakes, glacial ice etc. My disciplinary areas of involvement are microbial ecology, biogeochemistry and soil science. I would like to apply to serve as a discipline coordinator for subject area of life sciences.
Liz Thomas - United Kingdom

British Antarctic Survey / UK Polar Network
Dr Liz Thomas is a climate change scientist at the British Antarctic Survey, investigating the recent warming on the Antarctic Peninsula using evidence obtained from ice cores. She has been fortunate to take part in two field campaigns in the Antarctic; the first as part of an international ice core drilling team that reached bedrock (~1000 m) at Berkner Island (79°S,45°W) in the summer of 2004/05 and the second leading an ice core drilling project in the Antarctic Peninsula (73°S, 70°W) in 2006/07. She has a PhD in Paleoclimatology, investigating past rapid climate change events from Greenland ice cores. She loves all aspects of polar fieldwork and is looking forward to her first trip to the Arctic in July, as chief scientists for a young explorers expedition to Svalbard, with the British Schools Exploration Society.
Rosa Rut Thorisdottir - France

University of Paris / APECS Social Sciences Coordinator
I obtained my undergraduate in General Cultural Anthropology at the University of Iceland (my country of origin), Reykjavik, focusing on anthropology of gender as well as northern studies with a field trip to Eastern Greenland. Following that, I have accomplished a Masters' degree in Visual Anthropology at the Goldsmiths College in London, what lead me to my actual occupation of a Ph.D thesis in Visual Anthropology at the University of Paris 7, under the supervision of Professor Pascal Dibie. My main professional experiences in the field are my accomplishments at the Stefanson Arctic Institute (Akureyri, Iceland). My work at the institution was mainly animated by creating the "visual" and image fund of the Institute. I participate regularly in international conferences on either visual or arctic themes such as the annual Bilan du film ethnographique in Paris or the Northern Research Forum (Akureyri, Novgorot, and Anchorage), intervening either with speeches, films or as reporter.
Tina Tin - France

Antarctic Southern Ocean Coalition / APECS Environmental and Social Responsibilities Committee Chair
Tina conducted her Ph.D. research on the thickness of Antarctic sea ice at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (US) and holds a Masters of Engineering from the University of Cambridge (UK). She participated in two research cruises in the Ross Sea and presented papers at a number of international scientific conferences. Her passion lies in the protection of wilderness areas - in the polar regions and worldwide. When she is not focused on Antarctica, she works with WWF and other environmental organizations to promote climate change science and policy in Europe and elsewhere.
Begona Vendrell-Simón - Spain

Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC) / APECS Spain
Bego studied biology and was engaged as an undergraduate student in an Antarctic adventure, which fascinated and captured her completely. This lead to her starting a PhD at the Marine Science Institute (ICM-CSIC) from Barcelona on marine ecology in a High Antarctic continental shelf system. More exactly, she'd like to unveil some of the benthic-pelagic relationships occurring in the Weddell Sea. She is currently "writing" and hopes to give in her dissertation soon. But Bego is not only interested in "natural sciences", so she also completed her studies in cultural anthropology, and would like to develop some still blurry ideas regarding more anthropological topics in polar regions. She has been working in outreach projects since a long time ago, represents the Spanish YSC and is member and co-founder of the outreach association Omnis cellula.
Penelope Wagner - United States

University of Delaware / APECS Geophysics Discipline Coordinator
I am currently working on my PhD in the Geography Department at the University of Delaware. My aim is to validate the QuickSCAT scatterometer parameters to provide a better product to be used for operational purposes. I did my masters degree at the University of Texas at San Antonio at the Laboratory of Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics (LRSG), which is currently working on projects pertaining to remote sensing applications with studies in sea ice geophysics, snow cover in specific regions, watershed, and areas on Mars focusing on hydrological properties. My background began in the geological sciences, in which I conducted research to determine the average amount of water vapor in the atmosphere during a seasonal cycle within a period of 5 (Martian) years. This eventually led me to work with geophysical properties of sea ice where we combined previous data with that from the Elysium Planitia region on Mars to correlate sea ice structures found in the Arctic with thos e found in equatorial regions on Mars. I shifted my interest in focusing primarily on geophysical studies of sea ice in Antarctica. I was fortunate enough to begin my graduate program with the SIMBA (Sea Ice Mass Balance in the Antarctic) cruise in September - October, 2007 to assess the ice thickness distribution for the Bellingshausen Sea during the austral winter/spring seasons.
Pablo Wainstein - Canada

University of Calgary / APECS Glaciology / Hydrology Discipline Coordinator
I was born in Santiago - Chile near the Andean mountains which have always been part of my life. After studying in a British school in Santiago I decided to register in the Civil Engineering Program of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, where I also pursued my Masters Degree. The question now was how to integrate mountains and glaciers with my profession. The answer was only a couple of months down the road. Within the completion of my masters I started to be deeply involved in glaciological research in Patagonia and Alaska. Shortly afterwards I was partially in charge of the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) for some years. What I learnt in Patagonia and Alaska made me realize that I needed a PhD. As such I came to Canada to study under the supervision of Dr. Brian Moorman at the University of Calgary. My current research interests focus on the hydrological interrelationships between glaciers and permafrost in the Canadian Arctic; more specifically on Bylot Island. Since then I have lived in Calgary where I can dedicate my time to my three main passions, glaciers, mountains and soaring. It is not a surprise to anyone that student life is challenging; especially if you have academia and research as your professional goals. Beside the common financial difficulties and personal related issues that usually hinder the performance of many students around the world, the post-student insertion into the research world is not easy either. This is why entities such as APECS and others are so important in networking between young researchers and moreover helping to close the gap between well established researchers and young scientists. As a discipline coordinator I am motivated to assist APECS in developing more and better tools to help young passionate scientists to interact and improve their skills. I am happy to be part of APECS.
Carolyn Wegner - Germany

Leibniz Institute for Marine Sciences / APECS MArine GeoScience Discipline Coordinator
I am a Post-Doc at the Leibniz Institute for Marine Sciences in Kiel, Germany. I am primarily interested in transport process (sediments, nutrients, contaminants) on Arctic shelf seas and along their continental margins. The knowledge of their pathways is of crucial importance to understand and forecast the impact of environmental changes on land-shelf-ocean interactions. I did my PhD within the Russian-German cooperation "System Laptev Sea" and I am still deeply involved in this cooperation. I did an MSc in "Coastal Geosciences and Engineering" in Estonia and Germany. Since 2005 I am deeply involved as an early career scientist in the ICARP II process, first in the process of writing the Science Plan for Working Group 6 "Arctic Shelf Seas", then since 2007 in the formation of the ICARP II Marine Roundtable (MRT), and since 2008 as the MRT junior chair together with the other MRT early career scientists in the initiation of a new pan-Arctic, multidisciplinary project, which will be firstly represented during the ASSW 2009 in Bergen responsible for. Since 2008 I am a member of the Program Management Committee of the New Research Generation project, an initiative which aims to promote the inclusion of early career Arctic scientists and engineers in the Arctic marine science planning process. To keep the connection to the "coastal engineering community" I am an active member and session organizer of the OMAE (International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering) Scientific Committee – Coastal Engineering since 2006.
Cassie Wheeler - United States

University of Colorado, Boulder
Born in Tulsa, OK and raised in Pittsburg, KS, I completed my BS in Physics and Mathematics at Pittsburg State University in May 2006. While at PittState, I participated in Crystal Oscillator Acceleration Sensitivity Testing that was accepted to fly on NASA's microgravity plane and I was accepted into the NASA Academy, in addition to half-a-dozen other research projects. The day after graduation, I married Donavan. A couple days later, we headed to GSFC for an internship. Upon completion of the internship, we moved to Colorado. My undergraduate career had been geared toward astronomy which I decided not to pursue. I took the next year to determine what avenue I wanted my career to take and settled on polar cloud research. During the spring semester of 2008, I accepted a graduate research position in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder. I plan on completing my PhD during the fall of 2012. I now live in Broomfield, CO with my husband and hree dogs (a.k.a., our kids – Anya (white Miniature Schnauzer), Avadon (black Miniature Schnauzer), and Miles (German Sheppard/Husky Mix). I am an avid practitioner of Genbu-Kai, a traditional Japanese martial art.
Jose Xavier - Portugal

Center for Marine Sciences / Portuguese Youth Steering Committee
Dr. José Xavier is a young Marine Biologist, doctorate of the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) and now a Post-doctoral fellow of the Centre of Marine Sciences (Univ. Algarve, Portugal), British Antarctic Survey and CEBC-CNRS, France. Jose has numerous publications in ecology and conservation of marine organisms in the Antarctic and Atlantic Oceans. His studies focus on marine food web dynamics in relation to climate change, working mostly with predators on the top of the food chain (albatrosses, penguins, seals, sharks,...). He is the national contact in 3 core science projects within IPY, principal investigator in one another science project and coordinator of one educational project, LATITUDE60!. Member of various international orgainzations including being member of the Portuguese committee for IPY, the Philosophical Cambridge Society, the Cephalopod International Advisory Council, and APECS Executive Committee.
Jill Zamzow - United States

University of Alabama
I am a postdoctoral fellow, funded by the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs. My current project is a study of top-down and bottom-up effects on amphipod distributions in Antarctic near-shore waters. I will, in particular, be focusing on fish predation and the chemical and structural characteristics of algae, and how they affect amphipod host-alga choice. I'll be SCUBA diving to collect animals and algae, and performing a series of laboratory experiments in aquaria. I leave for Palmer Station in Feb 2008! My doctoral work investigated the ultraviolet defenses employed by coral reef and temperate tidepool fishes (i.e., "fish slime sunscreen"). I have previously worked on ultraviolet vision and communication in fishes, cleaning symbioses between marine turtles and coral reef fishes, and I also did a stint working for the State of Hawaii coordinating research efforts within the Papahānaumokuākea (Northwest Hawaiian Islands) Marine National Monument.

The following early career researchers served on the 2009-2010 Council. In addition, the members of the APECS Executive Committee 2009-2010 are also part of the Council: Gerlis Fugmann, Francisco Fernandoy, Daniela Liggett, Kate Sinclair, Alex Taylor, Allen Pope.

We would also like to recognize our past leaders as they continue to serve our organization as Ex-Officio members of the Council: Hugues Lantuit, Dirk Notz, Carolyn Wegner,and Liz Thomas

Joscelyn Bailey - University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada

ArcticNet Student Association

Joscelyn N.‐L. Bailey was born in Kingston, Jamaica. Upon relocating to Canada, he grew up in Scarborough Ontario. In 2000 he began an undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo in Earth Sciences; Geology Specialization. It was there that he found a fondness for arctic research while undertaking a B.Sc. thesis under the guidance of Thomas W.D. Edwards in Applied Tree‐ring studies (Title: Isotope Dendroclimatology Studies in the Peace‐Athabasca Delta, Alberta). In 2005, he began a Masters in Earth Sciences; Paleoclimate and Geochemistry again under the supervision of T.W.D. Edwards (Title: Reconstruction of Paleoclimate Time‐ Series in the Peace‐Athabasca Delta, Northern Alberta, from Stable Isotopes in Tree‐Rings). During this research he had stints in Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories and Fort Chipewyan, Alberta. Mr. Bailey is currently pursuing PhD studies at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, using Rock‐Eval, organic petrology, stable isotopes, and mercury analysis techniques as a tool to identify environmental and climatological changes and linkages in the Arctic Archipelagos under the supervision of Dr. Gary Stern, Peter Outridge, Hamed Sanei. He currently holds a Research Affiliate position with the Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. Non‐Academic interests currently include, but are not limited to, Muay Thai/Kick Boxing, and volunteering with the National Service Dogs (Puppy Trainer). He is also current the Vice President of the ArcticNet Student Association.
Tosca Ballerini - Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA

APECS Italy

I have a PhD in Polar Sciences from the University of Siena, Italy, and I currently work as a postdoctoral researcher at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA. For my PhD I studied the population dynamics of the Adélie penguin population of Edmonson Point, Ross Sea, Antarctica, and I participated in the XX Italian Antarctic Expedition as a marine biologist. My current research interests include Southern Ocean marine food webs and their sensitivity to climate change.
Benjamin Beall - University of Western Ontario, Canada

Ben Beall is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Biology at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. Although stranded many, many kilometers from the ocean, he studies marine microbial ecology and biological oceanography. He is interested in the processes that shape and control the growth of planktonic microbial communities. The dynamic communication of knowledge and experience and the opportunities for collaboration and education are parts of the great promise of APECS. Ben hopes to contribute by facilitating these connections through the website and other media.
Punyasloke Bhadury - Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Kolkata (IISER-K), India

I completed my B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science) with Honours in Botany from the University of Calcutta, India in the year 2000. Subsequently I was offered the ACU administered DFID Scholarship to pursue M.Sc. studies in Marine Resource Development and Protection at the Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, UK from 2001-2002. After completing my M.Sc. studies I went on to complete my Ph.D. from the University of Plymouth and Plymouth Marine Laboratory in UK for three years (2002-2005). During my PhD studies I worked on a taxonomically intractable group of marine meiobenthic organisms, the free-living marine nematodes. I applied molecular biological techniques to gain a better understanding about the diversity and biogeographic patterns of free-living marine nematodes from European waters. In the beginning of 2006 I moved to USA to pursue my postdoctoral research at Princeton University. I was lucky enough to work in the laboratory of Professor Bess Ward (Department of Geosciences, Princeton University), one of the foremost leaders in the field of microbial ecology and marine nitrogen cycling. During my postdoctoral days I worked on the molecular dynamics of marine phytoplankton communities and phytoplankton bloom formation. After completing my postdoctoral research, I returned to India in the beginning of 2009 to take up a faculty position in the newly established IISER-K and subsequently established a new research group on integrative taxonomy and microbial ecology.
Matteo Cattadori - Italy

APECS Italy

I graduated in Natural Science at University of Parma in 1993 with a thesys in Ecology (idrobiology-idrochemistry). I attended masters in Information and Communication Technology (University of Bologna 2004) and in New Technology applied to the educational field (University of Padua 2001). I'm science teacher since 1989 and I have made several experiences in the field of training and education in different situations. In 2003 – 2005 I was a member of the permanent editorial staff of a project of the Italian Ministry of Education aimed at providing assistance to school ICT professionals based at the University of Genoa. I'm a high school Science Teacher in Trento. In 2007 I received a granting for detachment from teaching in order to carry out a special educational project called "progettosmilla.it" that is now in charge at the Natural Science Museum of Trento. In 2006 progettosmilla.it has been selected to participate to the first Antarctic drilling campaign of ANDRILL. This is an integrated international project aimed to the study of the role of the cryosphere on the climatic system. I've worked at the ANDRILL educational and public outreach project in cooperation with scientists and teachers of the 4 participant nations. I coordinate the editorial staff of the Science Museum of Trento for the web-based project "Inquiring on Climate and Energy" (Ici&En), aimed at the creation of a digital library of materials for earth system science teachers.
Erli Schneider Costa - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

APECS Brazil

I´m a PhD candidate in Ecology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (PPGE/UFRJ). I have worked with Antarctic seabirds since 2002 and I went to Antarctica on six expeditions with the Brazilian Antarctic Program. I completed my Master´s degree in Ecology in 2008 and in the same year I started my PhD project: "Behavioral ecology, reproductive biology and non-invasive analysis on stress ecology and heavy-metals contamination of Antarctic Skuas (Catharacta lonnbergi and C. maccormicki)". My PhD fellowship is of CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development / Brazil). Additionally I´m Associate Editor of Oecologia Australis, the scientific Journal of the PPGE/UFRJ, which publishes Ecology reviews (http://www.oecologiaaustralis.org)
Bryanny Denning - Public Health Agency of Canada/Institute for Circumpolar Health Research, Canada

APECS Polar Health Discipline Coordinator

Bree was born and raised near Kerwood, in southwestern Ontario, Canada. She graduated with honours from Queen's University in 2006 and moved to Yellowknife in May 2008, where she has recently completed her Master's degree in Community Health and Epidemiology, under the joint supervision of Queen's University and the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research (ICHR). Her graduate research involved place of birth and health outcomes for newborns of mothers residing in the Northwest Territories. Since moving to Yellowknife, she has participated in a number of capacity-building activities, including attending several national and international conferences, and planning the student activities for the 14th International Congress on Circumpolar Health. Since November 2009, she has served as a Public Health Officer for the Public Health Agency of Canada, based out of the ICHR office in Yellowknife.
Natalia Goryunova - P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russia

APECS Russia

APECS is a unique organization. It unites young scientists all over the World and gives them opportunity to communicate with well-known scientists. It is very important because getting such opportunity now is not very easy. Communication and fruitful collaboration can make magic. I want to be inside, to be aware of the events happening in the World. Especially if we are talking about the future of our Earth, and about the Arctic. The main strength of APECS is people: its Director, President, and members of the Council. I don't want to be indifferent to solving such important problems. We should be strong to make APECS stronger and I am ready for it! The role of young researches is great: young scientists see more – their eyes are opened they have the whole understanding of the World, they are not focused on something and have plenty ideas, they are very mobile. It is very hard to say, how is it possible to make APECS better – I have participated in the meeting held in July in Saint Petersburg. I was really delighted with it: extremely interesting presentations and very useful. I am writing my PhD now and I have to gather data in Arctic. This winter I was on board of Canadian RV "Amundsen" for 6 weeks, now I am going to participate in NABOS cruise (1 month), I have plenty of field work during the summer, I passed through all the exams with the highest marks, but I have to pass through English exam, now I am preparing for it. Why do I study Arctic? I was born with this idea. I feel responsibility for our planet for the things happening on it, especially then we are talking about fragile polar equilibrium.
Claudia Halsband-Lenk - Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK

APECS Biological Oceanography Discipline Coordinator

I'm a German zooplankton ecologist and started my studies in this field in 1995 at the Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven, Germany. Excited about the complex behaviour of little planktonic creatures called copepods, I continued to study their ecology and conducted a comparative study in the Mediterranean and the North Sea, resulting in a bi-national PhD degree, conferred in 2001 by the Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris VI (France) and the University of Oldenburg (Germany). I have studied the ecology of copepods ever since in a number of postdoctoral projects based at the University of Hamburg (Germany), the University of Washington, Seattle (USA), and the University Centre on Svalbard (Norway). I have lived and worked on Spitsbergen in the high Arctic for two years studying population ecology of arctic plankton. I joined APECS as biology discipline coordinator in early 2007. I am now based at Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the UK, from where I will continue my research in the Arctic.
Emily Jateff - Flinders University, Australia

APECS Archaeology Discipline Coordinator

I am an Associate Lecturer in Maritime Archaeology at Flinders University (Adelaide, South Australia). My postgraduate research focussed on the archaeology of shore-based whaling stations. I have worked in both the academic and private sectors as a professional archaeologist with specialties in maritime archaeology, disaster management for archaeological sites and collections, artefact analysis and stabilisation, and international cultural heritage management. I also hold a professional certificate in gastronomy from Le Cordon Bleu—which assists with my research into maritime foodways. I am particularly interested in becoming a member of APECS as a way to increase awareness of polar archaeology within the international community. Associations such as APECS, PAN and the IPHC are vital to community exploration, management and interpretation of archaeological resources located within Polar Regions. APECS offers the chance for increased interdisciplinary cooperation, which is crucial for informed heritage management. Although I have yet to travel to the Polar Regions, participate in a polar field project or publish within the field, I am active in increasing my level of participation. My current goal is to create a database of all known maritime heritage resources located within the Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) and use these data as a baseline for a proposed Antarctic Virtual Maritime Heritage Trail.
Silje-Kristin Jensen - Institute for Marine Research, Tromsø, Norway

APECS Norway

I got involved with polar research in 2006 after a hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) cruise to the west-ice outside Greenland where I fell in love with the white silence. Now I am an Arctic biologist. I took my master of science degree from the University of Tromsø and the University centre in Svalbard (UNIS) in 2009. My research have focused mainly on the Arctic ecosystem. My educational training has focused on mammalian biology, ecology and physiology. My thesis focused on the ecology and biology of polar bears, seal and whales and looking into, how new discovered pathogens occur in remote areas. I now currently work with diseases in Antarctic seals with several collaboration partners. Along with my research I work for the Institute of Marine Research as a biological technician with marine benthos and I am interested in finding a PhD in the future.
Kim Jochum - University of Alaska, Anchorage, USA

APECS Terrestrial Biology Discipline Coordinator and Research Activities Committee Co-Chair

Kim is a wildlife biologist and got involved with polar research in 2006 when she started to work with polar bears in Churchill, Canada. Kim's research focuses on the usability and evaluation of short-term behaviour data ('behaviour modeling') from free-ranging mammals carried out in collaboration with the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Institute for Wildlife Research in Hannover, Germany. Her background ranges from mammalian research in the tropics, coastal zones and temperate zones to the subarctic and she developed a high interest in interdisciplinary research as such. Currently she is analysing her 3 year polar bear behaviour data and keen on finding the right PhD position in the field of her major interest in the near future.
Loic Jullion - National Oceanography Centre, UK

APECS Physical Oceanography Discipline Coordinator and Research Activities Committee Co-Chair

I am a physical oceanographer working on the Southern Ocean. I am doing my postdoc at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK. The main topic of my postdoc is the export of bottom water in the Weddell Sea and its role in the global overturning circulation. I have a background in marine environmental sciences that I did in Marseille, France, my home town. I did my PhD at the university of East Anglia, Norwich about the connection between the Southern Ocean and the subtropical gyre in the South Atlantic. Among others, I am especially interested in water mass formation and transformation at high latitudes and what they can tell us about the climate variability.
Dubrava Kirievskaya - St. Petersburg State University, Russia

APECS Russia

I am a PhD student of the St. Petersburg State University (Department of Geoecology and Nature Development), owns a Master of Science in Ecology (2008). I have University Diploma of Ecologist (2006). I am took part in several international conferences and seminars. I work as young researcher in Academician I.S.Gramberg All-Russia Research Institute for Geology and Mineral Resources of the World Ocean (St. Petersburg). I have certificate "Urban Planning" (St. Petersburg, 2004). I was studied courses of law at the St. Petersburg State University. I was studied courses of financial Management at the St. Petersburg State University of Rail Transport. I took part in several IPY expeditions (Chukchi Sea, Golf of Finland, Arctic Ocean, Kharyaga's tundra of Russia). I am a member of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS).
Elena Kortylo - Umea University, Sweden

APECS Russia and APECS Sweden

Since 1995 I have been studying northern economy (firstly in Syktyvkar State University, Russia, currently in Umea University, Sweden). The field of my specialization is economic approach to human behavior. Mostly I studied influence of transition economy on the northerners, their migrations, mortality and birth rates. But I understand that ecological factors impact on these processes as well. So I can use models explaining human behavior to description influence of ecology. For example if a survey exists I could get probability of decision to migrate under the ecological changing with elimination other factors. Econometrics is my favorite method of modeling. I taught econometrics in Syktyvkar (Russia) for eight years. I have written and published a textbook Econometrics (in Russian). Also I successfully took part in 5 faculty enrichment programs Econometrics and Econometrics-2 in New Economic School, Moscow. Currently I am a course leader in economy in the Revision Team of Bachelor Studying Course of Arctic University (Saskatoon, Canada). I have written and published a textbook "Social and economic development of the Russian North and North abroad" (in Russian).
Hugues Lantuit - Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany / International Permafrost Association Secretary

APECS Council/Research Activities Committee Ex-Officio / Past APECS Executive Committee and Organization Co-Founder

I am a 31 years old permafrost researcher originally from France. Upon completion of my French Baccalauréat, I started a Geography/Geology degree in Paris. I graduated from Université Paris 7 with a maîtrise in Physical geography and moved to Montréal, Canada to get a masters. I stayed three years at McGill University, and graduated with an MSc that had to do with the quantification of coastal erosion on Arctic coasts using remote sensing and photogrammetry. I then got an offer to come to the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam to start a PhD and took it. I completed my PhD in 2008 on the impacts of climate change on Arctic coasts. My current research involves the use of geospatial, geochemical and sedimentological tools to quantify and characterize the coastal erosion occurring in permafrost regions. I am also running the secretariat of the International Permafrost Association, an exciting job for an early career researcher. I also take part in some projects in the polar world related to specific science issues (Arctic Coastal Dynamics, SAON) and to the promotion of young scientists activities (PYRN, APECS, WAYS).
Natalia Malygina - Russia

APECS Russia

Finished a specialized English shool No.70. Graduated from the Ural State A.M.Gorky University (Jekatarinenburg), - biological faculty (Diploma instructer of biology and chemistry No.457990,1972), Natural Resources and Wildlife Management All-Unioned Research Institute (Moscow), - post graduate course (Diploma of candidate of biological sciences for hunting biology and wilidlife management KT3No.040372,2000). Worked: Extreme North Agriculture Research Institute (Norilsk), Senior Researcher; Urals State Forest Academy, Senior Researcher and Lecturer at the Natural Resources and Wildlife Management Department, (Jekatarinenburg); Ministry of the Natural Resources of Russia (Moscow), The "Taimyrsky" Biosphere Natural Reserve (Taymier, Hatanga), Senior Researcher and Lecturer; Ural State A.M.Gorky University, Ural State First President of Russia B.N.Eltcin Polytechnic University, Ural Institute for tourism, Ural Institute for Real estate & Investment, Educative centre HR-Praktik - Senior Researcher and Lecturer By Millennium was introduced in the book "The new generation of mystery; Masters of the XXIth Century/Maria de Alvear (Hrsg.).- 1.Aufl.- Koln; World-Ed.,2000, - p.p.122; 233 as the wildlife manager, researcher, lecturer.
Cameron McNaughton - University of Hawaii, USA

APECS Atmospheric Science Coordinator

Born in Alberta Canada, I lived in British Columbia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan before completing my BASc in Environmental Engineering at the University of Waterloo in May of 2000. In August of that year, my future wife Lianne and I moved to Honolulu so that I could pursue an MS in Oceanography at the University of Hawai'i. While at the University of Hawai'I, I have participated in 9 airborne field campaigns funded by NASA and the United States', National Science Foundation. I have logged more than 700 hours as a flight scientist while completing my MS (2003) and PhD (2008) degrees. Lianne and I were married in 2003 and spent our 7-week honeymoon traveling through Northwestern China. In 2005 we had our first boy, Ezekiel, and in 2009 Lianne gave birth to our second son, Jacob. Our family enjoys surfing and camping, amateur photography, and collecting rocks and seashells. My overall interest is the Earth's water cycle. More specifically, I am an atmospheric scientist studying aerosols; solid or liquid particles suspended in the Earth's atmosphere. Aerosols play a fundamental role in the Earth's atmosphere, scattering and absorbing incoming solar radiation even as they participate as cloud and ice condensation nuclei. Anthropogenic aerosols transported to the Arctic are responsible for springtime "Arctic Haze" events. These events and airmass composition in general is the subject of a number of IPY airborne field campaigns under the aegis of POLARCAT. One of the POLARCAT objectives that I am involved with is trying to provide global climate models with constraints for optical properties of absorbing aerosol in the Arctic atmosphere. These absorbing aerosols contribute to atmospheric warming and can also reduce the surface albedo of permanent snow and ice, enhancing melting once they are deposited to the Earth's surface.
Nathalie Morata - University of Tromsø, Norway

ARCTOS Network

I have currently (2009-2010) a postdoctoral position at the University of Tromso in Norway, in the team of Professor Paul Wassmann. I work on the impact of changes in temperature and pH, on the metabolism of zooplanktonic and benthic organisms. I did my PhD (2004-2007) at the University of Connecticut, USA, on Arctic marine carbon cycling. I did my Master in Marine Sciences in France and the equivalent of undergraduate studies in Earth Science and Biology at the Universitat de Barcelona, Spain. Various internships and positions have developed my interest in Polar Marine Sciences. During my PhD and postdoc, I have participated in studies in different Arctic seas, including Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Bering Sea and Greenland Sea. In parallel to my research, I like to participate in outreach activities. The collaboration with an elementary class of Pau, France, gave birth to a book from, and for, children "La Carotte de Classe" (http://www.nathaliemorata.com/la_carotte_de_classe.htm). I also collaborated with a high school class of Burnaby, Canada, and gave presentations for Animal Kingdom Career Days of Girl Scout camp and for Education Workshops at the University of Connecticut. I finally participated in the IPY Ocean Science Days last March, presenting my research by radioconferences to various schools in USA and Europe.
Dirk Notz - Max-Planck Institute, Germany

APECS Council / Research Activities Committee Ex-Officio

I am leader of the research group "Sea ice in the Earth System" at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany. We are working on the development of a next-generation sea-ice model for climate studies by developing new parameterizations from laboratory and field experiments and through theoretical studies. Before coming to Max-Planck, I studied Meteorology and spent one year on Svalbard in the high Arctic during that time. There, I fell in love with this amazing landscape and have been back to the Arctic every year since that time for field work. I have been on a number of expeditions both in the North and in Antarctica and just got fascinated by the work on sea ice more and more. I did my PhD in England, trying to figure out how salt gets out of sea ice. In 2007, together with Karolina Widell from the University of Bergen, I was the main initiator and organizer of the IPY International Sea-Ice Summer School that was held on Svalbard for two weeks in July, with more than 90 participants from 16 countries.
Layla Osman - Universidad Austral de Chile, Chile

APECS Chile

My name is Layla Osman and I am 32 years old. I was born at Valdivia in southern Chile, which is one of the most beautiful cities of the country. I studied marine biology and later I did a PhD at Universidad Austral of Chile. I work with top predators, particularly fur seals and I have been working in two different ecosystems: Antarctica and the Juan Fernandez Archipelago. I am interested in the population ecology of top predators and my undergraduate thesis of marine biology was on the feeding ecology of Antarctic fur seals at Cape Shirreff, South Shetland islands, Antarctica. Later I did my PhD and I went to work to the Juan Fernandez Archipelago and my PhD thesis was on the Population Status, distribution and foraging ecology of the Juan Fernandez fur seal. Currently I am vice-president and pinniped program coordinator of the Blue Whale center, a Chilean NGO which is devoted to the conservation of marine ecosystems. My interest to become a member of the council of APECS is to be involved with the polar community and through this, be able to help the young Chilean researchers to be more connected and aware of funding opportunities, research collaboration and help them develop a stronger polar career.
Alexey Pavlov - Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia

APECS Marine Geosciences Discipline Coordinator

I have lived in St. Petersburg, Russia for all my life. At high school I was interested in physics, math and geography, and eventually found myself at the Department of Oceanography of St. Petersburg State University, where I could combine all these disciplines and fell in love with Earth science, and physical oceanography in particular. During my studies, I received a good knowledge on physical oceanography field itself, as well as basics in boundary-layer meteorology, sea ice, statistics and some aspects of climate systems. My field experience has included cruises and field works in the White Sea, Svalbard and Antarctica. After graduation from university I fitted into Department of Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions at Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute that is the biggest institution dealing with polar research in Russia. At the moment, I am a PhD student there and have a half-time position as a research assistant. Among my research interests there are a number of studies in West Spitsbergen waters: water masses, seawater optical properties and underwater light regime, suspended particulate matter, sea ice and snow properties, some aspects of remote sensing (Ocean color, SST). But, currently in framework of my PhD thesis I am focused on the investigations of linkages between physical environment and the primary production of phytoplankton in Svalbard coastal waters and in Fram Strait. In these studies I am strongly collaborating with the Norwegian colleagues from the field of marine biology.
Allen Pope - Scott Polar Research Institute, UK

UK Polar Network

Allen is a PhD candidate studying the remote sensing of glaciers with a particular focus on applications to glacier mass balance; his current research focuses on using high resolution airborne multispectral imagery to create a glacier facies classification scheme. His recent work has included a Masters in Polar Studies at the University of Cambridge integrating airborne LiDAR and Landsat data to build a DEM of Iceland's second largest icecap and study its changes over the past decade. Allen has an undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Earth and Planetary Sciences from Harvard University where his senior thesis was based on an application of cosmogenic nuclide exposure age dating to building a history of the interior West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Originally attracted to polar research through a love of hiking, cross-country skiing, and just getting outside, Allen tries to spread his love for polar science to anybody who will listen, especially through his involvement with the UK Polar Network. He also takes every chance he gets to pursue field research and, among other places, has worked in northern Namibia (with Paul Hoffman and Eugene Domack studying Snowball Earth), in southeast Alaska (with the Juneau Icefield Research Program - JIRP), and Antarctica's Dry Valleys (with Sujoy Mukhopadhyay and Robert Ackert using cosmogenic nuclides to stuying glacial and erosional history).
Angelika Renner - British Antarctic Survey and the University of East Anglia, UK

APECS Sea Ice Discipline Coordinator / UK Polar Network

I studied marine environmental sciences and maths in Germany. During my studies, I visited various research institutions in Germany and South Korea and soon became interested in the physical side of oceanography. For my diploma thesis, i moved to Helsinki, Finland and ventured for the first time into polar regions and looked at Arctic sea ice. To get first hand experience in sea ice field work, I then went to Tromso, Norway, and worked at the Norwegian Polar Institue and for the Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) International Project Office. I recently submitted my PhD thesis in physical oceanography which I did at the University of East Anglia and the British Antarctic Survey in the UK. Within the ADELIE project, I was looking at near-surface currents near the Antarctic Peninsula and investigate the variability of drifter pathways and fronts using observations and ocean models. Next stop, after writing the next paper, helping to organise a couple of APECS events and defending my thesis, will hopefully be a Post-Doc doing sea ice research. My first field trip to the Arctic got me hooked on fieldwork and so far I have been lucky enough to participate in five scientific cruises to the Arctic and the Southern Ocean. If I'm not at the laptop, I'm most likely climbing some rock, paddling my kayak, or am somewhere near the poles.
Alejandro Veliz Reyes - University of Magallanes, Chile

APECS Engineering Discipline Coordinator

Alejandro Veliz, Architect, is now coursing a Diploma in Antarctic Programs Management at the University of Magallanes. His work has been mostly related to component-based and constraint-based design studies, with Antarctic and sub-antarctic building technologies as part of his work. Since February 2009 he has been working as Engineering Discipline Coordinator in APECS and as a full-time academic in the Department of Architecture, University of Technology Federico Santa María.
Jennifer Rhemann - Masters of Arts Student at the University of Akureyri, Iceland

APECS Polar Policy Discipline Coordinator

Jennifer Rhemann is an M.A. candidate in Polar Law at the University of Akureyri. She has worked in various science support capacities for the U.S. Antarctic Program at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and she studied polar sciences via the U.S. National Science Foundation Polar Education Program and California State University. She holds a Bachelor of Antarctic Studies with Honours from the Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies, University of Tasmania, where her research was focused on the development and implementation of policies regarding non-native species in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions. Her research interests include the science – policy interface, governance of the Polar Regions, and implementation of policy. She's fascinated by the polar regions and is thrilled to be an active member of the Association of Early Career Polar Scientists (APECS).
Torsten Sachs - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Germany

German Youth Steering Committee

I grew up near Celle, Germany, and first got infected with a passion for the north on a trip to Churchill, Manitoba, while being an exchange student in Winnipeg. I then studied geoecology in Braunschweig focusing primarily on groundwater hydrology until I moved to Anchorage, Alaska on a Fulbright Scholarship in 2002. Here, I started working on methane and carbon dioxide fluxes from degrading permafrost areas near Fairbanks and received a Master of Science in Environmental Science in 2003. Continuing on my transect through Alaska I moved up to Barrow, AK and spent a year working at the Barrow Arctic Science Consortium doing a bit of everything from science to science support in the field, outreach, coordination, and a lot of networking before starting my PhD at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Potsdam, Germany. For my PhD I conducted closed chamber flux measurements as well as the first continuous whole-season micrometeorological eddy covariance flux measurements of methane in the Siberian Arctic at the Russian-German Research Station Samoylov Island and studied the processes involved in methane exchange between ecosystems and the atmosphere on two spatial scales. In April 2009 I moved to the German Research Centre for Geosciences to lead the Methan Airborne Mapper (MAMap) project and study methane on a third scale using a high-resolution two-channel grating spectrometer that can be mounted on aircraft and helicopters. I am now leading the Helmholtz Young Investigators Group TEAM (for Trace Gas Exchange in the Earth-Atmosphere System on Multiple Scales) at GFZ that focusses on energy and trace gas fluxes (H2O, CO2, CH4) between terrestrial or marine ecosystems and the atmosphere using stationary systems as well as airborne eddy covariance measurements.
Sudakov - St. Petersburg State University, Russia

APECS Climate Systems Discipline Coordinator

My name is Ivan A. Sudakov. I was born in 1985 (Ural Region, USSR). I was a graduate of secondary school in 2002. I am awarded with a Silver Medal "For Special Successes in Studies". Also, I was a graduate of musical school (specialization is piano). I am a graduate of the Ural State University, Physics Department (Ekaterinburg, Russia). I am a Bachelor of Science in Physics (2006) and Master of Science in Physics (2008) as well as a Bachelor of Innovation in Engineering (2008). What's more, I am a certified schoolteacher (2007), certified lecturer in university (2008) and certified programmer (2007). Now, I am a PhD student of the St. Petersburg State University, Department of Climatology (St. Petersburg, Russia). As part of my PhD education, I conduct research at the Scientific Foundation "Nansen International Environmental and Remote Sensing Centre" (NIERSC) (St. Petersburg, Russia). I am a participant of the "Nansen Fellowship Programme" (2008-2011). My scientific advisers are Prof. Ola M. Johannessen and Dr. Leonid Bobylev. I have published around 20 abstracts and papers. I am an active member of the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN). I took part in several international conferences, seminars, summer schools (e.g., IMPETUS 2007, 2008 Workshop and APECS Career Development Workshop). I worked (2004-2008) as a teacher at secondary school, a lecturer and senior lecturer at various universities of Ekaterinburg (Ural Region, Russia). At present, my business is marketing, quality management and fund-raising in the Herzen University (St. Petersburg, Russia).
Matt Strzelecki - Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań (Poland) & Durham University (U.K.) / The Association of Polish Geomorphologists

Mateusz Strzelecki was born on 5th June 1984 in Poznań, central Poland. However he spent his childhood in a smaller town Swarzedz surrounded by forests and lakes, what had a huge influence on his attitude towards nature and environment. His parents are both academics, working at Faculty of Theology at Poznan University. After finishing one of the leading Polish high-schools (1st High School in Swarzedz) he moved to Poznan to study geography at Faculty of Geosciences at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. Studies at the biggest geographical centre in Central Europe opened him a chance to visit the High Arctic and write his Master thesis about glaciofluvial transport in small, glaciated catchment located on Spitsbergen. During last four years Mateusz was a member of 5 expeditions to Spitsbergen Island. He spent one semester at University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), where he participated in two specialized courses in permafrost and periglacial geomorphology and cold region field investigations. During his Masters' studies he obtained Socrates/Erasmus scholarship and moved to the United Kingdom to Portsmouth University to study fluvial geomorphology and mountain climatology. He graduated in June 2007 and applied for a PhD position at his former Faculty. When Mateusz started his doctoral research about polar coast geoecosystems on Svalbard and South Shetlands he got an opportunity to move to Department of Geography at Durham University, UK, and continue his thesis under supervision of professor Antony Long. Mateusz specializes in polar geomorphology with a particular consideration of paraglacial landscape evolution in fluvial and littoral geoecosystems. He is also a passionate propagator of multidisciplinary polar science without borders and beliefs in a significant role of cold region scientists in a globalized world. One of the most important events in his young career was a New Generation of Polar Reserachers Symposium in Colorado Springs, May 2008, where together with wonderful polar friends from nearly half of the world, he understood how amazing mission is waiting to be fulfilled. His current efforts to become an ExCom in APECS are a direct result of NGPR Symposium assumptions and one of his leading goals for next decade.
Liz Thomas - British Antarctic Survey, UK

APECS Council / Research Activities Committee Ex-officio / UK Polar Network

Dr Liz Thomas is a climate change scientist at the British Antarctic Survey, investigating the recent warming on the Antarctic Peninsula using evidence obtained from ice cores. She has been fortunate to take part in two field campaigns in the Antarctic; the first as part of an international ice core drilling team that reached bedrock (~1000 m) at Berkner Island (79°S,45°W) in the summer of 2004/05 and the second leading an ice core drilling project in the Antarctic Peninsula (73°S, 70°W) in 2006/07. She has a PhD in Paleoclimatology, investigating past rapid climate change events from Greenland ice cores. She loves all aspects of polar fieldwork and is looking forward to her first trip to the Arctic in July, as chief scientists for a young explorers expedition to Svalbard, with the British Schools Exploration Society.
Rosa Rut Thorisdottir - Univeristy of Paris, France

>I obtained my undergraduate in General Cultural Anthropology at the University of Iceland (my country of origin), Reykjavik, focusing on anthropology of gender as well as northern studies with a field trip to Eastern Greenland. Following that, I have accomplished a Masters' degree in Visual Anthropology at the Goldsmiths College in London, what lead me to my actual occupation of a Ph.D thesis in Visual Anthropology at the University of Paris 7, under the supervision of Professor Pascal Dibie. My main professional experiences in the field are my accomplishments at the Stefanson Arctic Institute (Akureyri, Iceland). My work at the institution was mainly animated by creating the "visual" and image fund of the Institute. I participate regularly in international conferences on either visual or arctic themes such as the annual Bilan du film ethnographique in Paris or the Northern Research Forum (Akureyri, Novgorot, and Anchorage), intervening either with speeches, films or as reporter.
Tina Tin - Antarctic Southern Ocean Coalition, France

APECS Environmental and Social Responsibilities Committee Chair

Tina conducted her Ph.D. research on the thickness of Antarctic sea ice at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (US) and holds a Masters of Engineering from the University of Cambridge (UK). She participated in two research cruises in the Ross Sea and presented papers at a number of international scientific conferences. Her passion lies in the protection of wilderness areas - in the polar regions and worldwide. When she is not focused on Antarctica, she works with WWF and other environmental organizations to promote climate change science and policy in Europe and elsewhere.
Adrienne Tivy - International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska-Fairbanks, USA

Adrienne is a post-doctoral fellow at the International Arctic Research Centre (Fairbanks, Alaska) studying sea ice and climate change in the Arctic. Her PhD work (University of Calgary) focused on the development of statistical models for sea ice forecasting on seasonal time-scales and understanding the main causes of interannual variability in sea ice area. She has participated in field campaigns in the Arctic and Antarctic and holds an MSc in Atmospheric Science (University of Alaska) and a BSc in Engineering (Queen's University).
Begona Vendrell-Simón - Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC)

APECS Spain
Bego studied biology and was engaged as an undergraduate student in an Antarctic adventure, which fascinated and captured her completely. This lead to her starting a PhD at the Marine Science Institute (ICM-CSIC) from Barcelona on marine ecology in a High Antarctic continental shelf system. More exactly, she'd like to unveil some of the benthic-pelagic relationships occurring in the Weddell Sea. She is currently "writing" and hopes to give in her dissertation soon. But Bego is not only interested in "natural sciences", so she also completed her studies in cultural anthropology, and would like to develop some still blurry ideas regarding more anthropological topics in polar regions. She has been working in outreach projects since a long time ago, represents the Spanish YSC and is member and co-founder of the outreach association Omnis cellula.
Anna Wagner - Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

Permafrost Young Researchers Network

I am a Research Environmental Engineer at Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. My research focuses on snow studies in the Arctic and I am also involved in environmental studies such as contaminant transport. I have studied snow sublimation, and I have also investigated the repeatability of snow patterns. My two main study sites are Barrow, Alaska, and the Imnavait Creek basin just north of the Brooks Range in Alaska. I am originally from Sweden (Umeå) and I have been living in Fairbanks since 2002. I received my PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2007 which involved estimating groundwater travel times and identifying possible radionuclide seepage zones from underground nuclear detonations on Amchitka Island, Alaska. My MSc is in Engineering Physics from Luleå University of Technology, Sweden.
Penelope Wagner - University of Delaware, USA

APECS Geophysics Discipline Coordinator

I am currently a graduate student at the University of Delaware with a focus in Climatology. My research is aimed at assessing between sea ice processes with both active and passive microwave products specifically for the validation of scatterometer products using the Ku-band to distinguish between open water and specific ice types for Antarctic sea ice. The validation for this will improve the systematic applications of these products for operational and logistical ice charting capabilities by providing near real-time forecasting and archiving of long-term records for scientific analysis and climate modeling.
Pablo Wainstein - University of Calgary, Canada

APECS Glaciology / Hydrology Discipline Coordinator

I was born in Santiago - Chile near the Andean mountains which have always been part of my life. After studying in a British school in Santiago I decided to register in the Civil Engineering Program of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, where I also pursued my Masters Degree. The question now was how to integrate mountains and glaciers with my profession. The answer was only a couple of months down the road. Within the completion of my masters I started to be deeply involved in glaciological research in Patagonia and Alaska. Shortly afterwards I was partially in charge of the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) for some years. What I learnt in Patagonia and Alaska made me realize that I needed a PhD. As such I came to Canada to study under the supervision of Dr. Brian Moorman at the University of Calgary. My current research interests focus on the hydrological interrelationships between glaciers and permafrost in the Canadian Arctic; more specifically on Bylot Island. Since then I have lived in Calgary where I can dedicate my time to my three main passions, glaciers, mountains and soaring. It is not a surprise to anyone that student life is challenging; especially if you have academia and research as your professional goals. Beside the common financial difficulties and personal related issues that usually hinder the performance of many students around the world, the post-student insertion into the research world is not easy either. This is why entities such as APECS and others are so important in networking between young researchers and moreover helping to close the gap between well established researchers and young scientists. As a discipline coordinator I am motivated to assist APECS in developing more and better tools to help young passionate scientists to interact and improve their skills. I am happy to be part of APECS.
Carolyn Wegner - Leibniz Institute for Marine Sciences, Germany

APECS Council / Research Activities Committee Ex-Officio

I am a Post-Doc at the Leibniz Institute for Marine Sciences in Kiel, Germany. I am primarily interested in transport process (sediments, nutrients, contaminants) on Arctic shelf seas and along their continental margins. The knowledge of their pathways is of crucial importance to understand and forecast the impact of environmental changes on land-shelf-ocean interactions. I did my PhD within the Russian-German cooperation "System Laptev Sea" and I am still deeply involved in this cooperation. I did an MSc in "Coastal Geosciences and Engineering" in Estonia and Germany. Since 2005 I am deeply involved as an early career scientist in the ICARP II process, first in the process of writing the Science Plan for Working Group 6 "Arctic Shelf Seas", then since 2007 in the formation of the ICARP II Marine Roundtable (MRT), and since 2008 as the MRT junior chair together with the other MRT early career scientists in the initiation of a new pan-Arctic, multidisciplinary project, which will be firstly represented during the ASSW 2009 in Bergen responsible for. Since 2008 I am a member of the Program Management Committee of the New Research Generation project, an initiative which aims to promote the inclusion of early career Arctic scientists and engineers in the Arctic marine science planning process. To keep the connection to the "coastal engineering community" I am an active member and session organizer of the OMAE (International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering) Scientific Committee – Coastal Engineering since 2006.
Jose Xavier - Center for Marine Sciences, Portugal

APECS Portugal

Dr. José Xavier is a young Marine Biologist, doctorate of the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) and now a Post-doctoral fellow of the Centre of Marine Sciences (Univ. Algarve, Portugal), British Antarctic Survey and CEBC-CNRS, France. Jose has numerous publications in ecology and conservation of marine organisms in the Antarctic and Atlantic Oceans. His studies focus on marine food web dynamics in relation to climate change, working mostly with predators on the top of the food chain (albatrosses, penguins, seals, sharks,...). He is the national contact in 3 core science projects within IPY, principal investigator in one another science project and coordinator of one educational project, LATITUDE60!. Member of various international orgainzations including being member of the Portuguese committee for IPY, the Philosophical Cambridge Society, the Cephalopod International Advisory Council, and APECS Executive Committee.
Jason Davis - The Ohio State University, USA (Partial Term)

APECS Policy / Law Discipline Coordinator

Jason Davis is a PhD candidate from the Geography Department at the Ohio State University who has been hoping to complete his dissertation sometime soon for the past several years. His focus is on Antarctic political geography, particularly examining how basic political concepts such as property and territory are applied within Antarctica. He also holds an undergraduate degree in Anthropology from the University of Chicago and worked as a Diningroom Attendant for Raytheon Polar Services at McMurdo Station on Ross Island, Antarctica. He is proud to have participated in APECS since its 2007 establishment in Sweden.
Chao Tang - University of California, Riverside, USA (Partial Term)

APECS Microbiology Discipline Coordinator

I am from China. I received Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology at Anhui University, China. My undergraduate thesis was titled "Using ITS (Intergenetic Spacer) region for fungi classification". I came to the United States to pursue graduate studies in 2003 and began this by studying basic medical microbiology at the University of South Dakota. Although I enjoyed this work, I did not feel completely certain about this choice of study and transferred with great enthusiasm to work with Dr. Brian Lanoil on Antarctica Dry Valleys' microbial diversity at the University of California, Riverside a year later. I have already performed field research in Antarctica twice, including most recent extended field season from February until April, 2008. These field experiences helped me tremendously to understand and appreciate polar ecosystem better and liberated me from laboratory-bench science to experience the white pristine environment. I will be completing my PhD dissertation research in summer 2009 and would like to continue with polar research.
My current research interests are characterizing microbial diversity, investigating microbial community functionality and exploring the role of the microbial community in the biogeochemical cycling in sediments of permanently ice-covered lakes of McMurdo dry valleys, Antarctica. I also have general interests toward interactions between microbial community and extreme environments in any type of system such as polar soil, subglacial lakes, glacial ice etc. My disciplinary areas of involvement are microbial ecology, biogeochemistry and soil science. I would like to apply to serve as a discipline coordinator for subject area of life sciences.
Cassie Wheeler - University of Colorado, Boulder, USA (Partial Term)

Born in Tulsa, OK and raised in Pittsburg, KS, I completed my BS in Physics and Mathematics at Pittsburg State University in May 2006. While at PittState, I participated in Crystal Oscillator Acceleration Sensitivity Testing that was accepted to fly on NASA's microgravity plane and I was accepted into the NASA Academy, in addition to half-a-dozen other research projects. The day after graduation, I married Donavan. A couple days later, we headed to GSFC for an internship. Upon completion of the internship, we moved to Colorado. My undergraduate career had been geared toward astronomy which I decided not to pursue. I took the next year to determine what avenue I wanted my career to take and settled on polar cloud research. During the spring semester of 2008, I accepted a graduate research position in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder. I plan on completing my PhD during the fall of 2012. I now live in Broomfield, CO with my husband and hree dogs (a.k.a., our kids – Anya (white Miniature Schnauzer), Avadon (black Miniature Schnauzer), and Miles (German Sheppard/Husky Mix). I am an avid practitioner of Genbu-Kai, a traditional Japanese martial art.
Gifford Wong - Dartmouth University, New Hampshire, USA/a>

I will begin my PhD adventure in Earth Sciences this fall (2009), working in Dr. Robert Hawley's Glaciology lab. I circuitously came to Dartmouth College via an Honours degree in Antarctic Studies from the University of Tasmania at Hobart (2007). Prior to that, I studied at the University of California at Berkeley, fought wildland fires in the western US, served as a Team Leader and Service Learning Coordinator with AmeriCorps (NCCC), and experienced polar life via the US Antarctic Program. As part of IGERT and under the tutelage of Dr. Hawley, I hope to investigate the role of glaciers within the climate change conversation. Born and raised in California, I enjoy the outdoors, improvisational acting, a good root beer, and helicopters.
Jill Zamzow - University of Alabama, U.S.A.

I am a postdoctoral fellow, funded by the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs. My current project is a study of top-down and bottom-up effects on amphipod distributions in Antarctic near-shore waters. I will, in particular, be focusing on fish predation and the chemical and structural characteristics of algae, and how they affect amphipod host-alga choice. I'll be SCUBA diving to collect animals and algae, and performing a series of laboratory experiments in aquaria. I leave for Palmer Station in Feb 2008! My doctoral work investigated the ultraviolet defenses employed by coral reef and temperate tidepool fishes (i.e., "fish slime sunscreen"). I have previously worked on ultraviolet vision and communication in fishes, cleaning symbioses between marine turtles and coral reef fishes, and I also did a stint working for the State of Hawaii coordinating research efforts within the Papahānaumokuākea (Northwest Hawaiian Islands) Marine National Monument.

The following early career researchers served on the 2010-2011 Council. In addition, the members of the APECS Executive Committee 2010-2011 are also part of the Council: Allen Pope, Gerlis Fugmann, Angelika Renner, Suras Suresh Shetye and Mariette Wheeler

We would also like to recognize our past leaders as they continue to serve our organization as Ex-Officio members of the Council: Ben Beall, Hugues Lantuit, Dirk Notz, Daniela Liggett, Kate Sinclair, Alex Taylor, Carolyn Wegner and Jose Xavier.

Silje-Kristin Jensen - Institute for Marine Research, Tromsø, Norway - APECS Council Chair 2010-2011

APECS Norway

I got involved with polar research in 2006 after a hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) cruise to the west-ice outside Greenland where I fell in love with the white silence. I am now an Arctic biologist. I took my Master of Science degree from the University of Tromsø and the University centre in Svalbard (UNIS) in 2009. My research have focused mainly on the Arctic ecosystem. My educational training has focused on mammalian biology, ecology and physiology. On my thesis I got to work with the ecology and biology of polar bears, seal and whales and looking into, how new discovered pathogens occur in remote areas. This boost an interest in me which made me pursuit a PhD. I now work with a project on diseases in Antarctic seals. Along with my research I work for the Institute of Marine Research as a biological technician with marine benthos and I am a PhD candidate at the Sea Mammal Research Unit, St. Andrews University, Scotland.
Tosca Ballerini - Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA

APECS Italy

I have a PhD in Polar Sciences from the University of Siena, Italy, and I currently work as a postdoctoral researcher at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA. For my PhD I studied the population dynamics of the Adélie penguin population of Edmonson Point, Ross Sea, Antarctica, and I participated in the XX Italian Antarctic Expedition as a marine biologist. My current research interests include Southern Ocean marine food webs and their sensitivity to climate change. I'm an APECS member since 2008 and I am part of the APECS Council and the APECS Research Activity Commette (RAC).
Punyasloke Bhadury - Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Kolkata (IISER-K), India

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Kolkata. I also lead the Integrative Taxonomy and Microbial Ecology Lab in the same department. Before joining as a faculty I completed my MSc from Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh and PhD from Plymouth Marine Laboratory in UK. My PhD research focused on the molecular ecology of free-living marine nematodes. I also spent two and a half years in the Lab of Professor Bess Ward, Princeton University (USA) as a postdoctoral researcher and worked on ecological genomics of marine phytoplankton assemblages. Since 2009, I have focused my attention to studying the molecular adaptations of planktonic and benthic organisms in the fjords of Svalbard, Arctic and in the Southern Ocean. I was the Team Leader of the Winter Phase of the 3rd Indian Arctic Expedition of 2010.
Claudia Maturana Bobadilla - Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), Sciences Faculty, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

APECS Chile

I have always lived in the north part of Chile, where the desert becomes dominant. From this point of view, Antarctica always seems very far away and unknown for me; eventually this place becomes very intriguing and fascinating. At school I was interested in biology and evolutionary trends in organisms, especially in extreme environments. It was only until many years later that I found my place at the Molecular Ecology Laboratory, where I could combine this childhood motivation with scientific knowledge. During my master study at the University of Chile, I developed laboratory skills using molecular tools in marine invertebrates. Ultimately, my research interests become reproduction systems in marine invertebrates at extreme environments. Now I am developing my master's thesis, which is focuses in the seasonality of reproductive cycles and genetic consequences of a particular mode of development and reproduction in Antarctica. This year I became recipient of a scholarship of the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), which will give me the opportunity to visit for the first time the Antarctic territory to carry out field work and to study the species of my research subject in their natural environment.
Eleanor Darlington - PhD Student Loughborough University, UK

I am pursuing a PhD in Antarctic Climatology with the geography department at Loughborough University, UK. I will be installing automatic weather stations in east Antarctica December 2011 and retrieving them December 2012. These data will be used to assess the mass balance of the ice sheet, as well as improve the accuracy of a model simulation. My interest in the polar regions started ten years ago a family friend showed a slide show of him working at Halley Research Station, Antarctica. I was hooked! I organised my high school work experience at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge; a week of metrological observations, ice cores and the desire to travel had me fixed on a career in science. My Masters thesis was observing the interactions between the inflow of Atlantic Water into the Barents Sea, and how this was impacting sea ice formation. This project led to the UK Arctic Sciences conference, a UKPN workshop and networking day, and a Southern Ocean research cruise! From there a Fram Strait cruise with the Norwegian Polar Institute and at present, an internship with Education Through Expeditions working on the AMT20 project, bringing real science into the classroom from the middle of the Atlantic.
Erli Schneider Costa - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

APECS Brazil

I´m a PhD candidate in Ecology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (PPGE/UFRJ). I have worked with Antarctic seabirds since 2002 and I went to Antarctica on six expeditions with the Brazilian Antarctic Program. I completed my Master´s degree in Ecology in 2008 and in the same year I started my PhD project: "Behavioral ecology, reproductive biology and non-invasive analysis on stress ecology and heavy-metals contamination of Antarctic Skuas (Catharacta lonnbergi and C. maccormicki)". My PhD fellowship is of CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development / Brazil). Additionally I´m Associate Editor of Oecologia Australis, the scientific Journal of the PPGE/UFRJ, which publishes Ecology reviews (http://www.oecologiaaustralis.org)
Bryany Denning - Public Health Agency of Canada/Institute for Circumpolar Health Research, Canada

APECS Polar Heath Discipline Coordinator

Bree was born and raised near Kerwood, in southwestern Ontario, Canada. She graduated with honours from Queen's University in 2006 and moved to Yellowknife in May 2008, where she has recently completed her Master's degree in Community Health and Epidemiology, under the joint supervision of Queen's University and the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research (ICHR). Her graduate research involved place of birth and health outcomes for newborns of mothers residing in the Northwest Territories. Since moving to Yellowknife, she has participated in a number of capacity-building activities, including attending several national and international conferences, and planning the student activities for the 14th International Congress on Circumpolar Health. Since November 2009, she has served as a Public Health Officer for the Public Health Agency of Canada, based out of the ICHR office in Yellowknife.
Francisco Fernandoy - Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany

APECS Chile

Born at 7th March 1980 in Valparaiso, Chile. Attended Elementary and High School in Punta Arenas (Southern Chile). Moved in 1998 to Concepción (Chile) to study geology at the University of Concepción, there graduate in 2005. In 2006 worked for a private mining company near the city of Coyhaique (Chile). At the end of 2006 received a DAAD scholarship to initiate a PhD in Germany at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research and the University of Potsdam, began the studies in April 2007 after a six months language course in the city of Leipzig (Germany). Between 2002 and 2008 participate in five scientific expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula in subjects like palaeontology, geology and glaciology. The first four expeditions were in frame of an INACH (Chilean Antarctic Institute) project with the aim to study the evolution of the Gondwana break-up, based in paleontological and geological evidences. During these expeditions worked in different points of the South Shetland Islands. During January and February 2008 carried out the first expedition of his PhD program in the Antarctic Peninsula nearby the Chilean "O ́Higgins" station, from this location were retrieved shallow ice cores to study the climate variability in the last years to decades. I find the idea of collaboration between young researchers really interesting. As I saw at the SCAR/IASC meeting, APECS will become in the near future a reference point for all young Polar scientists and I would be really glad to contribute to this organization. I could offer my help to establish a national committee (Chilean) with the aim of get in touch all the Chilean young researchers and hopefully to establish cooperation instances between national and international partners. As well I could offer some help to those trying to work in the field, especially in the north of Antarctic Peninsula, where the Chilean stations are, to contact the right persons and when ever it's possible to collaborate in field.
Jenny Fisher - Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA

APECS Atmospheric Sciences Discipline Coordinator

I am a Ph.D. candidate in atmospheric chemistry at Harvard University, where my research focuses on Arctic Haze and other forms of Arctic air pollution. I am a modeler by training, but my fundamental approach involves combining models with a wide array of datasets (ground-based, aircraft, and satellite) to test and enhance our understanding of the sources, transport, chemistry, and impacts of air pollution in the Arctic. I've looked at a variety of pollutants, including carbon monoxide, sulfate and ammonium aerosols, and mercury. I have been fortunate enough to be involved in the NASA ARCTAS aircraft campaign throughout my Ph.D., even spending time in the field (rare for a modeler!) providing chemical forecasts for the flights. I am originally from Northern California and am a Californian at heart! Prior to starting at Harvard, I completed my B.S. in planetary science at Caltech, where I studied dust devils on Mars. I wanted to use my scientific training to have a more direct impact on society, so I spent my time before graduate school as a geology and public policy intern at the American Geological Institute in Washington, D.C. I continue to have a keen interest in the intersection between science and society, and studying polar pollution keeps me at the nexus of these issues.
Kim Jochum - University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) & Anchorage (UAA), USA

APECS Virtual Poster Session Chair

I am a Wildlife Biologist with major interests in wildlife management and global environmental issues, where it becomes important to include human perceptions and thinking into management strategies. I started my PhD in Alaska in 2009 with the Biology and Wildlife Department at UAF and the Resilience and Adaptive Management Group at UAA, combining social science and natural science approaches to discuss changes impacting wildlife in Northern urban areas. Already my Master thesis was carried out as collaborative project between the Institute of Arctic Biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Institute for Wildlife Research at the University for Veterinary Medicine in Hannover, Germany. In Hannover, I lived, studied and worked happily between 2004 and 2009. I love travelling and field work, especially in remote areas. It is great to work with local people and experience different cultures and thinking. Next to wildlife domestic to Germany, I worked with Howling Monkeys in Nicaragua, bat species in Costa Rica, Humpback Whales at the Pacific Coast of Canada, Polar Bears in Canada as well as Brown Bears in Alaska and the Russian Far East. Spending time with friends and getting exercise is crucial for me to enjoy life. My sympathy to Polar sciences and APECS I discovered through the polar bear research I got involved with in 2006. Currently, I am a chair of the Virtual Poster Session Working Group (VPS WG), and a member of the Research Activities Committee (RAC) of APECS. For me, most inspiring to put effort towards APECS activities are the energy and confidence within this group of Early Career Scientists to make a difference.
Dubrava Kirievskaya - St. Petersburg State University, Russia

APECS Russia

I am a PhD student of the St. Petersburg State University (Department of Geoecology and Nature Development), owns a Master of Science in Ecology (2008). I have University Diploma of Ecologist (2006). I am took part in several international conferences and seminars. I work as young researcher in Academician I.S.Gramberg All-Russia Research Institute for Geology and Mineral Resources of the World Ocean (St. Petersburg). I have certificate "Urban Planning" (St. Petersburg, 2004). I was studied courses of law at the St. Petersburg State University. I was studied courses of financial Management at the St. Petersburg State University of Rail Transport. I took part in several IPY expeditions (Chukchi Sea, Golf of Finland, Arctic Ocean, Kharyaga's tundra of Russia). I am a member of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS).
Silvia Lourenco - Centro de Oceanografia/Laboratório maritimo da Guia, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

APECS Portugal

I am a Marine Biologist with a MSc in ecology, management and modeling of marine resources by the University Nova de Lisboa. I am a PhD Student in the Oceanography Centre of the University of Lisbon, Portugal, where I'm studying the effect of environmental factors in the life cycle of octopus. My research interests are mainly fish and cephalopods marine ecology studies, particularly the ones dedicated to growth, trophic ecology and population dynamics.Since 2009 I've been working in the Polar Project under José Xavier coordination (IMAR University of Coimbra) in collaboration with Martin Collins, John Watkins (British Antarctic Survey), Carlos Assis (University of Lisbon) and Yves Cherel (CEBC-CNRS, France). My work field is mainly dedicated to fish and cephalopods ecology, growth and population dynamics studies.I am a member of the APECS Portugal executive committee and member of the APECS council since October 2010. Under APECS I also collaborate in the Funding Resources working group.
Oliver Marsh - Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

I grew up in England and graduated from the University of Durham in 2008 with an honours degree in physical geography. I worked as a geophysicist at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) over the summer before doing a Masters at the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge. My research project here involved a laboratory investigation of the interaction of water with ice of different roughness at the base of ice shelves. After completing my Masters I worked for BAS for another 7 months both in the upper atmosphere group and as a geophysicist, processing radar data from Pine Island and the Rutford Ice Stream in West Antarctica. I moved to New Zealand in February 2010 to begin my PhD at the University of Canterbury. The aim of my PhD is to combine a number of remote sensing methods to further the understanding of grounding-zone ice dynamics in the Ross Sea sector of the Transantarctic Mountains. When I'm not studying the glaciers, I like to go mountaineering or ice climbing on them in the New Zealand Alps.
Inga May - University of Munich, Department of Geography, Germany

As I was born with snow-and ice sickness, I was always interested in polar regions and during my studies in physical geography at the university of Munich my research got more and more focused on arctic sciences. Since 2008 I am no working on my PhD thesis which is embedded in the Canadian ArcticNet program and deals with the possibility to detect permafrost changes by means of satellite images. My test site is located in Northern Quebec, Nunvik around the small Inuit village of Umiujaq and twice a year I spend some time in this area in order to do some field work. For the first time I participated in an APECS event in 2009 during a workshop in Victoria. Since then I am an active member and was already involved in the organization of workshops, working groups and other activities.
Jennifer Rhemann - Masters of Arts Student at the University of Akureyri, Iceland

APECS Polar Policy Discipline Coordinator

Jennifer Rhemann is an M.A. candidate in Polar Law at the University of Akureyri. She has worked in various science support capacities for the U.S. Antarctic Program at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and she studied polar sciences via the U.S. National Science Foundation Polar Education Program and California State University. She holds a Bachelor of Antarctic Studies with Honours from the Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies, University of Tasmania, where her research was focused on the development and implementation of policies regarding non-native species in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions. Her research interests include the science – policy interface, governance of the Polar Regions, and implementation of policy. She's fascinated by the polar regions and is thrilled to be an active member of the Association of Early Career Polar Scientists (APECS).
Virginie Roy - Université du Québec à Rimouski, Canada

Network Liaison, ArcticNet Student Association

I'm a PhD candidate in Oceanography at the Institut des Sciences de la Mer de Rimouski (Université du Québec à Rimouski) in Eastern Canada. My first experience in the Canadian Arctic was during the summer of 2008 when I spent a month on Bylot Island studying thermokarst ponds. In 2009, I worked for the Canadian federal government at the CITES Scientific Authority (Endangered Species & Wildlife Conservation Division) on the impact of international trade on polar bear. That experiences in and about the North inspired me to start a PhD project in the Canadian Arctic in 2010 to investigate the biodiversity of macrobenthic organisms. My field sampling takes place aboard the Canadian research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen, a vessel that other scientists of the ArcticNet network use to undertake oceanographic researches in the Arctic. As an executive committee member of the ArcticNet Student Association I'm representing the ArcticNet students in the APECS Council.
Julia Schmale - Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany

APECS RAC Chair / APECS Atmospheric Sciences Discipline Co-Coordinator

Career-wise I am an environmental engineer specialized in contaminated soil remediation and waste management. I studied at the University of Leoben, Austria, and spent approximately two years in Concepción, Chile, during this time doing some practical work in organic waste management. So, how did I end up with atmospheric science in Polar regions? After having learned a lot about anthropogenic emissions to soil, water and air and how they can be mitigated, I thought exploring the effects of atmospheric emissions would very much complete the picture. So, I started a PhD performing aircraft-based aerosol mass spectrometric measurements. My first campaign was on long-range transport pollution over Greenland during the International Polar Year in 2008. This experience got me hooked on studying Polar aerosol and was the motivation to join APECS. I also had the chance to measure a 3 months old volcanic aerosol plume from the Okmok and Kasatochi eruptions in the tropopause region over Central and Western Europe in fall 2008. After having explored a very little bit of Arctic aerosol, I had the chance to measure particles in Sub-Antarctica for three months on Bird Island, South Georgia, a research station operated by the British Antarctic Survey. As a visiting scientist at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh, Scotland, my task was to find out about the contribution of sea bird emissions to the local submicron aerosol by studying particle chemical composition with specific focus on biogenic compounds and ammonia. Since March 2011 I am the chair of the research activities committee.
Nikolas Sellheim - Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland

University of the Arctic Representative

I was born in northern central Germany, surrounded by agriculture and forests. At some point in my early 20s, after school and social service and a failed attempt to get really interested in History and Philosphy, I moved to Berlin and became a Veterinary Assistant. Yet, also this profession was not the purpose of my life. Therefore, I began studying Scandinavian Studies, due to my deep interest and fascination for the North. But before I even realized, I made a choice that changed my entire life: I chose to take a one-year break from my studies in order to venture to Rovaniemi, Finland, to do the Arctic Studies Program (ASP). While doing that, the fascination for the Arctic grabbed me and therefore I expanded the ASP to the Bachelor of Circumpolar Studies, finishing it while also finishing the BA Scandinavian Studies. Ultimately, after graduation, I had to go to Akureyri, Iceland, to do the MA in Polar Law. I am still in the process of writing my thesis, but currently I am working at the Arctic Centre as a researcher, will then in January move to the University of the Arctic's International Secretariat, while in parallel continue my work for the Arctic Centre.
Paloma Serrano - Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany/Spain

Born in Madrid, Spain, I showed great interest in Biology and Space from early years. I studied a double major in Biochemistry and Biology and graduated from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. My last academic year took place in Lund University, Sweden, where Microbiology in extreme environments and Astrobiology became my main interest. Over my time at college I got involved in different projects concerning Mars analogue microbial ecosystems on Earth. Trying to follow this line as a graduate student, I had the opportunity to join the European Space Agency in the Netherlands as part of a two- year training programme. In the Life Support section, I participated in ExoMars-related projects, involving different kinds of extremophiles from hyperthermophiles to psychrophiles. The latter caught my attention despite the difficulties when trying to cultivate them sometimes. I find extremely interesting the fact that they are potential candidates for past or present life forms outside the Earth due to their high resistance to hostile conditions as well as their ability to adapt to changing environments. Focusing on this research topic, I started my PhD in the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Potsdam, Germany. I am studying the survival of archaea from Siberian permafrost when they are exposed to Mars simulated conditions in both Earth and Space.
Matt Strzelecki - Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań (Poland) & Durham University (UK)

APECS Poland

Mateusz Strzelecki was born on 5th June 1984 in Poznań, central Poland. However he spent his childhood in a smaller town Swarzedz surrounded by forests and lakes, what had a huge influence on his attitude towards nature and environment. His parents are both academics, working at Faculty of Theology at Poznan University. After finishing one of the leading Polish high-schools (1st High School in Swarzedz) he moved to Poznan to study geography at Faculty of Geosciences at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. Studies at the biggest geographical centre in Central Europe opened him a chance to visit the High Arctic and write his Master thesis about glaciofluvial transport in small, glaciated catchment located on Spitsbergen. During last four years Mateusz was a member of 5 expeditions to Spitsbergen Island. He spent one semester at University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), where he participated in two specialized courses in permafrost and periglacial geomorphology and cold region field investigations. During his Masters' studies he obtained Socrates/Erasmus scholarship and moved to the United Kingdom to Portsmouth University to study fluvial geomorphology and mountain climatology. He graduated in June 2007 and applied for a PhD position at his former Faculty. When Mateusz started his doctoral research about polar coast geoecosystems on Svalbard and South Shetlands he got an opportunity to move to Department of Geography at Durham University, UK, and continue his thesis under supervision of professor Antony Long. Mateusz specializes in polar geomorphology with a particular consideration of paraglacial landscape evolution in fluvial and littoral geoecosystems. He is also a passionate propagator of multidisciplinary polar science without borders and beliefs in a significant role of cold region scientists in a globalized world. One of the most important events in his young career was a New Generation of Polar Reserachers Symposium in Colorado Springs, May 2008, where together with wonderful polar friends from nearly half of the world, he understood how amazing mission is waiting to be fulfilled. His current efforts to become an ExCom in APECS are a direct result of NGPR Symposium assumptions and one of his leading goals for next decade.
Rosa Rut Thorisdottir - University of Paris, France

APECS Social Sciences Coordinator

I obtained my undergraduate education in General Cultural Anthropology at the University of Iceland, Reykjavik, focusing on anthropology of gender as well as northern studies with a field trip to Eastern Greenland. This was followed by a Masters' degree in Visual Anthropology at the Goldsmiths College in London, leading to a Ph.D thesis in Visual Anthropology at the University of Paris 7, under the supervision of Professor Pascal Dibie. The thesis explores the potential values of visual documents for the populations they represent and their legal rights to claim these documents. Main research interests include Inuit cultures; cultural property rights; cultural heritage and analysis of visual documents.
Penelope Wagner - University of Delaware, USA

APECS Geophysics Discpline Coordinator

I am currently a graduate student at the University of Delaware with a focus in Climatology. My research is aimed at assessing between sea ice processes with both active and passive microwave products specifically for the validation of scatterometer products using the Ku-band to distinguish between open water and specific ice types for Antarctic sea ice. The validation for this will improve the systematic applications of these products for operational and logistical ice charting capabilities by providing near real-time forecasting and archiving of long-term records for scientific analysis and climate modeling.
Yulia Zaika - Khibiny educational and scientific station of the Geography Department of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia

I was born in Russian Arctic. It is my home. All my life depend on Arctic. I work, live, studied in here for 26 years. Now I work at Khibiny educational and scientific station of Geography Department of Lomonosov Moscow State University. This station is situated at NW Russia, Kola Peninsula, in the middle of Khibiny Mountains. My main scientific areas are avalanches, snow, weather conditions, tourism and social observations on quality of life of people in changing Arctic.
José Araos Espinoza - Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Aridas, La Serena, Chile (Partial Term)

APECS Chile

Geographer, GIS professional at CEAZA's (Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Aridas) glaciology laboratory. Experienced in glacier and periglacier environment research. Abilities in the preparation and execution of fieldwork activities, handling of geodetic equipment and technology application in the processing of information. Particularly interested in management and participation of multidisciplinary initiatives oriented to the development of glaciological research.
Emily Jateff - Flinders University, USA

APECS Archaeology Discipline Coordinator

I am an Associate Lecturer in Maritime Archaeology at Flinders University (Adelaide, South Australia). My postgraduate research focussed on the archaeology of shore-based whaling stations. I have worked in both the academic and private sectors as a professional archaeologist with specialties in maritime archaeology, disaster management for archaeological sites and collections, artefact analysis and stabilisation, and international cultural heritage management. I also hold a professional certificate in gastronomy from Le Cordon Bleu—which assists with my research into maritime foodways. I am particularly interested in becoming a member of APECS as a way to increase awareness of polar archaeology within the international community. Associations such as APECS, PAN and the IPHC are vital to community exploration, management and interpretation of archaeological resources located within Polar Regions. APECS offers the chance for increased interdisciplinary cooperation, which is crucial for informed heritage management. Although I have yet to travel to the Polar Regions, participate in a polar field project or publish within the field, I am active in increasing my level of participation. My current goal is to create a database of all known maritime heritage resources located within the Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) and use these data as a baseline for a proposed Antarctic Virtual Maritime Heritage Trail.
Begona Vendrell-Simón - Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC) (Partial Term)

APECS Spain

Bego studied biology and was engaged as an undergraduate student in an Antarctic adventure, which fascinated and captured her completely. This lead to her starting a PhD at the Marine Science Institute (ICM-CSIC) from Barcelona on marine ecology in a High Antarctic continental shelf system. More exactly, she'd like to unveil some of the benthic-pelagic relationships occurring in the Weddell Sea. She is currently "writing" and hopes to give in her dissertation soon. But Bego is not only interested in "natural sciences", so she also completed her studies in cultural anthropology, and would like to develop some still blurry ideas regarding more anthropological topics in polar regions. She has been working in outreach projects since a long time ago, represents the Spanish YSC and is member and co-founder of the outreach association Omnis cellula.
Anna Wagner - Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

Permafrost Young Researchers Network

I am a Research Environmental Engineer at Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. My research focuses on snow studies in the Arctic and I am also involved in environmental studies such as contaminant transport. I have studied snow sublimation, and I have also investigated the repeatability of snow patterns. My two main study sites are Barrow, Alaska, and the Imnavait Creek basin just north of the Brooks Range in Alaska. I am originally from Sweden (Umeå) and I have been living in Fairbanks since 2002. I received my PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2007 which involved estimating groundwater travel times and identifying possible radionuclide seepage zones from underground nuclear detonations on Amchitka Island, Alaska. My MSc is in Engineering Physics from Luleå University of Technology, Sweden.

The following early career researchers served on the 2011-2012 Council. In addition, the members of the APECS Executive Committee 2011-2012are also part of the Council: Yulia Zaika, Allen Pope, Jennifer Provencher, Angelika Renner, Luis Guilhereme Resende de Assis as well as Gerlis Fugmann (ExCom ex-officio)

We would also like to recognize our past leaders as they continue to serve our organization as Ex-Officio members of the Council: Ben Beall, Kim Jochum, Daniela Liggett, Dirk Notz, Alexey Pavlov, Alex Taylor, and Carolyn Wegner.

Tosca Ballerini - Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography, France - APECS Council Co-Chair 2011-2012

I received a PhD in Polar Sciences from the University of Siena, Italy, in 2007. For my thesis I studied the population dynamics of the Adélie penguin population of Edmonson Point, Victoria Land, in the Ross Sea. As part of my PhD, I participated as a biologist in the XX Italian Antarctic Research Expedition from October 2004 to January 2005. During this period I collaborated with colleagues of the Department of Environmental Sciences of the University of Siena in collecting data for the CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program (CEMP) studying the reproductive biology of Antarctic seabirds (Adélie penguins and Southern Ocean skuas). After completing my PhD, I spent 3 years at the Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, US, working as a postdoctoral researcher under the guidance of Prof. Eileen Hofmann in the NSF-funded Southern Ocean Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics (SO-GLOBEC) program. As part of this project I developed a food web model for the marine ecosystem of the western Antarctic Peninsula, in the Southern Ocean, and compared this ecosystem with three other large marine ecosystems in the US. In January 2012, I joined the researchers of the Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanologie (M.I.O.) in Marseille, France, working in the EMIBIOS (End-to-end Modelling and Indicators for BIOdiversity Scenarios) program. My contribution in this project will be to develop a two- way coupling of a food web model with a biogeochemical model. This coupled model will then be used to assess the impacts of climate change, fisheriers and marine protected areas on the biogeochemical cycles and the structure of pelagic marine food webs. My field of expertise is marine biology, but I'm also highly interested in marine policy, in particular for the Southern Ocean. I am a member of the Council of the Association of Polar Early Carrier Scientists (APECS) since 2008 and I am one of the two APECS council co-chairs for the year 2011/12. I participate in the Scientific Steering Commette (SSC) for the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) as APECS ex-officio member.
Penelope Wagner - University of Delaware, USA - APECS Council Co-Chair 2011-2012

I am currently a graduate student at the University of Delaware with a focus in Climatology. My research is aimed at assessing between sea ice processes with both active and passive microwave products specifically for the validation of scatterometer products using the Ku-band to distinguish between open water and specific ice types for Antarctic sea ice. The validation for this will improve the systematic applications of these products for operational and logistical ice charting capabilities by providing near real-time forecasting and archiving of long-term records for scientific analysis and climate modeling.
Alexandre Bevington - University of Ottawa, Canada

I am a 23 year old bilingual Canadian enrolled in the 4th year of a BSc program in Physical Geography. My main hobbies are music (Bass player in a French-Canadian band called Marabou), photography (won a photography contest for the Journal of Glaciology's 200ed. cover photo), and the outdoors (cycling, rock climbing and canoeing). During my undergraduate studies I have been privileged to participate in unique opportunities: (1) Participated in the Cryo-Ex exchange program with the University of Oslo in Norway (Fall 2010); (2) Participated in field schools in cryospheric/polar sciences in both Norway (University of Oslo – Summer 2010) and the Yukon (University of Ottawa – Summer 2010); (3) Research assistant for a permafrost and solifluction study in Svalbard (Spring 2010), and for a glaciological study of the surging Lowell Glacier, Yukon (Spring-Fall 20111); and (4) Field assistant in the Yukon (Permafrost along the Alaskan Highway – February 2011) and on Baffin Island (Glaciology of Penny Ice Cap – April/May 2011). Meanwhile, I also love the outdoors: this summer I completed a four month canoe trip from Ottawa to Fort McMurray, Canada (4,500km); last summer I cycled for two months from San Francisco to the Yukon, Canada (4,000km); and the summer before that I backpacked for two months through northern India and the Himalaya. My research interests all branch from the cryospheric sciences and remote sensing. I hope to continue this passion through graduate studies starting in September 2012.
Punyasloke Bhadury - Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Kolkata (IISER-K), India

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Kolkata. I also lead the Integrative Taxonomy and Microbial Ecology Lab in the same department. Before joining as a faculty I completed my MSc from Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh and PhD from Plymouth Marine Laboratory in UK. My PhD research focused on the molecular ecology of free-living marine nematodes. I also spent two and a half years in the Lab of Professor Bess Ward, Princeton University (USA) as a postdoctoral researcher and worked on ecological genomics of marine phytoplankton assemblages. Since 2009, I have focused my attention to studying the molecular adaptations of planktonic and benthic organisms in the fjords of Svalbard, Arctic and in the Southern Ocean. I was the Team Leader of the Winter Phase of the 3rd Indian Arctic Expedition of 2010.
Emily Choy - Fisheries and Oceans Canada and University of Manitoba, Canada

I am a PhD student at the University of Manitoba and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, studying the diet and energetics of the Eastern Beaufort Sea beluga population under the supervision of Dr. Lisa Loseto and Dr. Jim Roth. I finished my MSc. in the Chemical and Environmental Toxicology program at the University of Ottawa, studying biovector transport of contaminants (mercury, PCBs, and DDT) from a large seabird colony to High Arctic food webs at Cape Vera, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada. I have worked at Environment Canada on various projects in environmental toxicology, such as monitoring temporal trends of perfluorinated compounds in polar bears, immuntoxicity in bivalves, and the effects of brominated flame retardants on the reproductive success of tree swallows. I have also worked as an evaluator for the Ecological Assessment Division, studying the toxicity and bioaccumulation of selenium and other inorganic substances in aquatic ecosystems. I am very interested in the impacts of contaminants in Arctic ecosystems and their interactions with other stressors on marine mammals. I am also involved in science education and outreach, and have a B.Ed from the Outdoor Education program at Queen's University and have worked as an educator at the Canadian Museum of Nature.
Erli Schneider Costa - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

I´m a PhD candidate in Ecology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (PPGE/UFRJ). I have worked with Antarctic seabirds since 2002 and I went to Antarctica on eight expeditions with the Brazilian Antarctic Program. I completed my Master´s degree in Ecology in 2008 and in the same year I started my PhD project: "Behavioral ecology, reproductive biology and non-invasive analysis on stress ecology and heavy-metals contamination of Antarctic Skuas (Catharacta lonnbergi and C. maccormicki)". My PhD fellowship is of CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development / Brazil). I hope to contribute with the development of APECS in Brazil and South America countries!!!
Eleanor Darlington - Loughborough University, United Kingdom

Ten years ago a family friend showed a slide show of him working at Halley Research Station, Antarctica. I was hooked! I organised my high school work experience at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge; a week of metrological observations, ice cores and the desire to travel had me fixed on a career in science. My Masters thesis was observing the interactions between the inflow of Atlantic Water into the Barents Sea, and how this was impacting sea ice formation. This project led to the UK Arctic Sciences conference, a UKPN workshop and networking day, and a Southern Ocean research cruise! From there a Fram Strait cruise with the Norwegian Polar Institute and at present, an internship with Education Through Expeditions working on the AMT20 project, bringing real science into the classroom from the middle of the Atlantic.
Pedro Echeveste - University of the Balearic Islands, Spain

Pedro finished his BSc in Biology at the University of Navarra and moved to Madrid to develop a MSc in Climatic Risks and Environmental Impact. After this period, he moved to Finland to study the effects of Climate Change in Finnish forests, and returned to Spain after five months to develop his PhD on the effects of legacy contaminants (POPs and trace metals) on marine phytoplankton. Originally interested in near shore waters including the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, during his PhD he had the chance to discover the Arctic and the Southern Oceans, becoming fascinated about these environments and improving his studies in those remote areas. With his PhD recently achieved, Pedro is interested in the role that contaminants play in polar ecosystems, how they affect the biogeochemical cycles occurring in these ecosystems, how they disturb species interactions (predation, competition, etc.) and, in summary, in the effects that anthropogenic pollutants will have to polar biota in a changing world.
Gerlis Fugmann - International Centre for Northern Governance and Development, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

I am currently working as a post-doctoral researcher at the International Centre for Northern Governance and Development at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. My research project focuses on a comparative economic development study in the Circumpolar North. I completed my PhD in Geography in 2011 at the Department of Geography of the Justus Liebig University Giessen (Germany). My PhD research focused on bottom-up economic development opportunities in Canadian Inuit regions (especially Nunavik and Nunatsiavut), after the settlement of land claim agreements in the last few decades. I first developed my interest and passion for the Polar Regions and the Canadian North in particular during my Master's project on Nunavut and have enjoyed ever since working in this fascinating area of our planet. I have been involved with APECS for quite a while and enjoy the work with so many early career researchers from around the world. Since, 2009, I was able to serve on the APECS Executive Committee first as a regular member and now in an ex-officio role. In 2009-2010, I had the privilege to be the APECS President.
Jolie Gareis - Simon Fraser University, Canada

Although I grew up in the middle of a major Canadian city, I gravitated to the outdoors as a child. A job as a camp counselor during my teens transformed into a job as a field assistant during my undergraduate degree. I fulfilled my lifelong dream to see and experience northern Canada in the summer of 2004, when I traveled to the Mackenzie Delta region of the Northwest Territories to do field work for my Masters. The arctic got under my skin, and I've been looking for excuses to return ever since. Currently, I'm enrolled in a PhD program at Simon Fraser University. My doctoral research (based on data gathered while I worked as an IPY field and lab manager from 2007-2009) examines fluxes of nutrients and carbon exported from the Mackenzie River during the annual flood and high-water periods following ice-out. In January 2011 I finally had the perfect reason to relocate to my beloved field site and home-away-from-home in Inuvik, Northwest Territories – I was hired as the manager of the Inuvik Research Centre, a division of the Aurora Research Institute. So, I am concurrently a full-time student and a full-time research centre manager – and I love doing both equally. In my spare time, I like to swim, ski, watch movies and read anything that isn't a journal article or textbook.
Meagan Grabowski - Wildlife Conservation Society, Canada

I was born in Dawson City, Yukon, and grew up in Whitehorse, Yukon. I thoroughly enjoyed growing up in the North: canoeing, snowshoeing, skiing, hiking, and a variety of other outdoor activities. I worked for the Yukon Department of Environment for four summers, conducting and leading northern community based projects from bird banding to trail building. I recently completed my BSc Natural Resource Conservation at the University of British Columbia. My first Arctic research experience was being on the ArcticWOLVES research team on Herschel Island in August of 2009. I have since attended the University Centre on Svalbard, taking Arctic Marine Biology and Arctic Terrestrial Biology, and recently returned from a field season as a research assistant at Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut.
Silje-Kristin Jensen - Sea Mammal Research Unit, St. Andrews University, United Kingdom / Institute of Marine Research, Tromsø, Norway

Chair of APECS Funding Working Group

I got involved with polar research after a hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) cruise to the west-ice outside Greenland where I fell in love with the white silence. I am now an Arctic marine biologist. I took my Master of Science degree at the University of Tromsø, Norway and the University centre in Svalbard (UNIS). My research have focused mainly on the Arctic ecosystem and over the years my Antarctic interest has increased. For my thesis I studied the ecology and biology of polar bears, seal and whales and looked into how new discovered pathogens can occur in remote areas like Svalbard. This experience made me want to pursuit more science. I now work with a project on new occuring diseases in Antarctic pinnipeds (seals). Along with my research I work for the Institute of Marine Research as a biological technician with marine benthos and I am a PhD candidate at the Sea Mammal Research Unit, St. Andrews University, Scotland.
Molly Zhongnan Jia - University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania

I finished my undergraduate in Marine Science in China in 2007. Travelled a bit during a gap year, and then come to Hobart for master study on Antarctic Science in 2009, where I officially started my polar research life. After the master degree, it is just too much fun for research on Antarctic krill so I decided to keep going for a PhD in Hobart, in the same institute – Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. My PhD research focuses on diet of larval Antarctic krill in the winter. It investigates the relationship between krill larvae and sea ice in the southern ocean.
Lisa Marie Leclerc - University Centre in Svalbard, Norway / Canada

Lisa-Marie Leclerc is from the French Canadian city of Rimouski by the St- Lawrence River. Her aspiration for winter adventures and love for science has inspired her to conduct research in the Arctic. Thus, she initiated a career in marine science by achieving a Bachelor's degree in Biology at the University of Rimouski (Canada) and has recently completed a Master's degree in Arctic Marine Ecology at the University of Tromso (Norway). While completing a certificate in Tourism, she is seeking to obtain a PhD position. Involve in Arctic research for the past six years, she had the opportunity to participate from field course at the Toolik Station in Alaska, to research expeditions in Baffin Island (Canada), northern Norway, and Svalbard. During these years, she worked with the elusive narwhals, Greenland sharks, beluga, and the northernmost population of harbor seals, monitored the phytoplankton spring bloom in Arctic water, and studied the oceanography of a fjord. Her broad knowledge gives her a unique understanding of the Arctic marine environment. Establishing home above the Arctic Circle, in Longyearbyen, she aims to combine her taste for extreme adventures and her curiosity to discover new places by exploring the Arctic. After completing a winter survival course in northern Quebec, she seeks to work as a guide in Svalbard and join polar expeditions in Greenland and Baffin Island. As member of the Explorer Club, it is with commitment that she will carries on the explorer spirit in her forthcoming journey.
Maja Lisowska - Jagiellonian University, Poland

I work as a research assistant at Dept. of Polar Research and Documentation, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Poland. Since 2009 I have been a member of APECS Poland.I completed my Master's degree in biology at the Jagiellonian University, in 2007, working on lichen biomonitoring. My polar experience started in 2007, when, as a fresh PhD student, I became involved in a project on environmental changes in Sørkapp Land, Svalbard and got an opportunity to do research in the High Arctic. I was a part of a botanical team which conducted comparative tundra vegetation mapping. In 2009 I attended the Arctic Plant Ecology course at the University Centre in Svalbard. My PhD project, completed in 2011, was focused on vegetation succession - including vascular plants, mosses and lichens - on two glacier forelands in Central and Southern Svalbard. My research interests cover several lichen- and polar-connected issues: lichen biogeography, ecology and taxonomy; colonization and succession in glacier forelands; Arctic tundra vegetation changes; lichen adaptations to extreme environments; biomonitoring using lichens.
Silvia Lourenco - Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

I am a Marine Biologist with a MSc in ecology, management and modeling of marine resources by the University Nova de Lisboa. I am a PhD Student in the Oceanography Centre of the University of Lisbon, Portugal, where I'm studying the effect of environmental factors in the life cycle of octopus. My research interests are mainly fish and cephalopods marine ecology studies, particularly the ones dedicated to growth, trophic ecology and population dynamics.Since 2009 I've been working in the Polar Project under José Xavier coordination (IMAR University of Coimbra) in collaboration with Martin Collins, John Watkins (British Antarctic Survey), Carlos Assis (University of Lisbon) and Yves Cherel (CEBC-CNRS, France). My work field is mainly dedicated to fish and cephalopods ecology, growth and population dynamics studies.I am a member of the APECS Portugal executive committee and member of the APECS council since October 2010. Under APECS I also collaborate in the Funding Resources working group.
Candice Lys - Institute for Circumpolar Health Research, Canada

Born and raised in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories in a large Métis family, Candice Lys is now a Research Associate with the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research in Yellowknife, Canada. She graduated with First Class Honors from the BA Honors (Sociology) program the University of Alberta and holds a MA (Health Promotion) from Dalhousie University. Currently, Candice is a doctoral student and Vanier scholar in the PhD (Public Health Sciences) program at the University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Her dissertation research will involve developing, implementing, and evaluating a sexual health theatre project with youth in the NWT using community‐based participatory methods. Candice is involved with numerous territorial, national, and international committees and conferences, including serving on the Scientific Committee for the 15th International Congress on Circumpolar Health.
Heather Mariash - University of Jyväskylä, Finland

It is the extreme seasonalityin the Arctic that drives both my passion for the arctic and my research objectives. The acute seasonality between the extended dark winters and short cold summers with 24 hrs of day light, have distinct constraints to food availability and consumer survival. My research focuses on the aquatic ecosystems of the arctic and subarctic studying the dietary strategies used by zooplankton to cope with these harsh environments. Based in Finland, I am a working towards my PhD at the University of Jyväskylä. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to conduct field work in northern Finland, southwestern Greenland, and Svalbard. Born and raised in Canada, I received my BSc in Environmental Biology at the University of Alberta (2006). After six years in Finland, I would like to extend my research to different parts of the arctic through collaborative efforts on an international level, finding solutions and building public awareness for emerging Polar issues.
Sanna Markkula - University of Helsinki; Finnish Environment Institute / Marine Research Centre; University Centre in Svalbard - Finland / Norway

My name is Sanna Markkula, and I come from a small city called Imatra in the eastern border of Finland. Later on I moved to Helsinki to study Marine Biology and Geography at the University. After four years of basic studies in the "warm" coast of the brackish "sea", I needed the real sea, the real snow, and proper winter. I was accepted to write my Master's thesis on Arctic copepods at the University Centre in Svalbard. My planned half a year long Svalbard visit prolonged into several years, because I worked both as a nature guide and as a research assistant, but mainly for the reason that I fell in love with the white silence. My stay at Svalbard left a spark towards polar research and I somehow drifted to make doctoral thesis project in collaboration with the University Centre in Svalbard and the Finnish Environment Institute / Marine Research Centre. The main objective of my doctoral thesis is to gain information on ctenophore populations in the Northern Seas. The project studies the role and importance of ctenophores in the food webs and how different aspects of the changing climate could affect these communities. On my free time, I'm mostly in the out in the nature with a back bag and hiking boots, skies, kayak or dog sledge. The more I learn about this white nature, the more amazed I am, and therefore the Arctic issues have become extremely dear to me.
Oliver Marsh - Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

I grew up in England and graduated from the University of Durham in 2008 with an honours degree in physical geography. I worked as a geophysicist at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) over the summer before doing a Masters at the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge. My research project here involved a laboratory investigation of the interaction of water with ice of different roughness at the base of ice shelves. After completing my Masters I worked for BAS for another 7 months both in the upper atmosphere group and as a geophysicist, processing radar data from Pine Island and the Rutford Ice Stream in West Antarctica. I moved to New Zealand in February 2010 to begin my PhD at the University of Canterbury. The aim of my PhD is to combine a number of remote sensing methods to further the understanding of grounding-zone ice dynamics in the Ross Sea sector of the Transantarctic Mountains. When I'm not studying the glaciers, I like to go mountaineering or ice climbing on them in the New Zealand Alps.
Claudia Maturana - University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

I have always lived in the north part of Chile, where the desert becomes dominant. From this point of view, Antarctica always seems very far away and unknown for me; eventually this place becomes very intriguing and fascinating. At school I was interested in biology and evolutionary trends in organisms, especially in extreme environments. It was only until many years later that I found my place at the Molecular Ecology Laboratory, where I could combine this childhood motivation with scientific knowledge. During my master study at the University of Chile, I developed laboratory skills using molecular tools in marine invertebrates. Ultimately, my research interests become reproduction systems in marine invertebrates at extreme environments. Now I am finishing my master's thesis, which is focuses in the reproductive strategies of a particular mode of development in Antarctica. In 2011 I become recipient of a scholarship of the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), which gave me the opportunity to visit for the first time the Antarctic territory and carried out field work and to study the species of my research subject in their natural environment.
Inga May - University of Munich, Department of Geography, Germany

Research Activities Committee Co-Chair

As I was born with snow-and ice sickness, I was always interested in polar regions and during my studies in physical geography at the university of Munich my research got more and more focused on arctic sciences. Since 2008 I have been working on my PhD thesis which is embedded in the Canadian ArcticNet program and deals with the possibility to detect permafrsot changes by means of satellite images. My test site is located in Northern Quebec, Nunvik around the small Inuit village of Umiujaq and twice a year I spend some time in this area in order to do some field work. I will finish my PhD in November 2011. For the first time I participated in an APECS event in 2009 during a workshop in Victoria. Since then, I am an active member and have already been involved in the organization of workshops, working groups and other activities. In 2010/2011 I also became a Council member and the Co-Chair of the APECS's RAC.
Benjamin Merkel - Tromsø University, Norway / Germany

I did my undergrad studies in Biology at the University of Bremen at the German North Sea coast. During my 3rd year of study I took part in the ERASMUS exchange program which enabled me to go to UNIS (The University Center in Svalbard). On Spitsbergen I gathered my first experiences in the field of polar science and decided to dedicate my Bachelor Thesis to an arctic project, namely "Molecular taxonomy and Population Structure of Calanus glacialis in a high Arctic fjord". During my time at UNIS I got the opportunity to continue my studies within Polar marine biology, doing a Master of Science in the field of marine ecology at Tromsø University, Norway. Within my studies I am working on the first population estimation of the northern most harbour seal population which is situated on an island off the west coast of Spitsbergen island. Recently I am also started working in ReCO (Research Outreach and Communication) which is a group dedicated to the task of improving the communication of science outside the research community using several different tools.
Pablo Nicolás Núnez Pölcher - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

I am Pablo Pölcher, a 29-year-old Biology student (specializing in biophysics) at the Universidad de Buenos Aires. I am currently working on my thesis about the use of conductive organic polymers in biosensors, and I will most probably be graduating by July 2012. My final degree will be a «licenciatura», which is a close equivalent of an M.Sc. in biology. After graduating, I look forward to pursuing a Ph.D. in physics or engineering focused on the development of measurement equipment (mainly geophysics and electrochemistry). Before starting to study Biology, I worked as a programmer at several places, and also as a freelancer, mostly doing programming in C/C++, Perl and scripting in PHP and ASP. I am currently working at the IAA on hydrology and glaciology, where I collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of geologists, biologists and chemists. My first Antarctic campaign was during the 2010/2011 austral summer at Jubany Antarctic Station, where I will return again this summer. Apart from my native language, Spanish, I speak English, German and Finnish fluently, and to a lesser extent Swedish, Japanese and French. I am also currently learning Russian.
Ana Salomé - Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Presently I work as a Manager of Science and Technology at the Portuguese Polar Program (PROPOLAR) coordinated by Dr Gonçalo Vieira. I'm graduated as Forest Engineer by the Agrarian School of Coimbra. I'm doing my masters in Geografical Information Systems and Spatial Modelling applied to Planning at the University of Lisbon.
Julia Schmale - Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany

Research Activities Committee Co-Chair

I am an environmental engineer specialized in contaminated soil remediation and waste management. I studied at the University of Leoben, Austria, and spent approximately two years in Concepción, Chile, during this time doing some practical work in organic waste management. So, how did I end up with atmospheric science in Polar regions? After having learned a lot about anthropogenic emissions to soil, water and air and how they can be mitigated, I thought exploring the effects of atmospheric emissions would very much complete the picture. So, I started a PhD performing aircraft-based aerosol mass spectrometric measurements. My first campaign was on long-range transport pollution over Greenland during the International Polar Year in 2008. This experience got me hooked on studying Polar aerosol and was the motivation to join APECS. I also had the chance to measure a 3 months old volcanic aerosol plume from the Okmok and Kasatochi eruptions in the tropopause region over Central and Western Europe in fall 2008. After having explored a very little bit of Arctic aerosol, I had the chance to measure particles in Sub-Antarctica for three months on Bird Island, South Georgia, a research station operated by the British Antarctic Survey. As a visiting scientist at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh, Scotland, my task was to find out about the contribution of sea bird emissions to the local submicron aerosol by studying particle chemical composition with specific focus on biogenic compounds and ammonia. Since March 2011 I am the chair of the research activities committee.
Nikolas Sellheim - University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland / Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law (NIEM), Arctic Centre, University of Lapland

Membership and Inolvement Committee Co-Chair

I was born in northern central Germany, surrounded by agriculture and forests. At some point in my early 20s, after school and social service and a failed attempt to get really interested in History and Philosphy, I moved to Berlin and became a Veterinary Assistant. Yet, also this profession was not the purpose of my life. Therefore, I began studying Scandinavian Studies, due to my deep interest and fascination for the North. But before I even realized, I made a choice that changed my entire life: I chose to take a one-year break from my studies in order to venture to Rovaniemi, Finland, to do the Arctic Studies Program (ASP). While doing that, the fascination for the Arctic grabbed me and therefore I expanded the ASP to the Bachelor of Circumpolar Studies, finishing it while also finishing the BA Scandinavian Studies. Ultimately, after graduation, I had to go to Akureyri, Iceland, to do the MA in Polar Law. I am about to start my LL.D. at the University of Lapland on the legitimacy of the EU in Arctic governance with a special emphasis on sealing and whaling while continuing working for NIEM.
Philipp Semenchuck - Tromsø University, Norway

Born 29 August 1980 and growing up in Munich, Germany, I studied biology beginning in Heidelberg,Germany, and soon changed to the university of Vienna, Austria, where I finished my studies witha diploma in ecology (equivalent to MSc). During my study period I joined the ERASMUS exchange program which brought me to Bergen, Norway, for one semester, and subsequently lead to building up contacts with researchers working in Svalbard who offered me a master/ diploma thesis in cooperation with the university in Tromsø, Norway, with extensive fieldwork in Adventdalen near Longyearbyen, Svalbard. The diploma project was on the influence of experimentally changed snow cover regimes (snow fences) on plant phenology and reproduction of over 8 vascular plant species, and the resulting thesis was published in January 2011. While finishing up my thesis and studies in Vienna, the same project received grants for a PhD position starting in June 2009 for which I successfully applied. My ongoing PhD work is on the same field site as the diploma project and focuses on some details concerning plant phenology and reproduction - thereby continuing my diploma work - and on active layer and permafrost processes leading to CO2 emissions from high arctic tundra. My advisors are Elisabeth Cooper (Tromsø University) and Bo Elberling (Copenhagen University).
Paloma Serrano - Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany/Spain

Born in Madrid, Spain, I showed great interest in Biology and Space from early years. I studied a double major in Biochemistry and Biology and graduated from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. My last academic year took place in Lund University, Sweden, where Microbiology in extreme environments and Astrobiology became my main interest. Over my time at college I got involved in different projects concerning Mars analogue microbial ecosystems on Earth. Trying to follow this line as a graduate student, I had the opportunity to join the European Space Agency in the Netherlands as part of a two- year training programme. In the Life Support section, I participated in ExoMars-related projects, involving different kinds of extremophiles from hyperthermophiles to psychrophiles. The latter caught my attention despite the difficulties when trying to cultivate them sometimes. I find extremely interesting the fact that they are potential candidates for past or present life forms outside the Earth due to their high resistance to hostile conditions as well as their ability to adapt to changing environments. Focusing on this research topic, I started my PhD in the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Potsdam, Germany. I am studying the survival of archaea from Siberian permafrost when they are exposed to Mars simulated conditions in both Earth and Space.
Ines Tavernier - Universiteit Gent, Belgium

After finishing her biology (zoology) studies in 2007, Ines Tavernier decided to follow a master after master in marine and lacustrine sciences at Ghent University. Her dissertation focused on the Mid Holocene Hypsithermal as an analogue to framework the effect of future climate anomalies on Maritime Antarctic lakes. She started her PhD in 2008 and is working on a palaeolimnological reconstruction of Holocene climate changes to study the effect on ice sheet dynamics and lacustrine microbial communities in East Antarctica. Ines is currently in the final stage of her research.
Rosa Rut Thorisdottir - University of Paris, France

APECS Social Sciences Coordinator

I obtained my undergraduate education in General Cultural Anthropology at the University of Iceland, Reykjavik, focusing on anthropology of gender as well as northern studies with a field trip to Eastern Greenland. This was followed by a Masters' degree in Visual Anthropology at the Goldsmiths College in London, leading to a Ph.D thesis in Visual Anthropology at the University of Paris 7, under the supervision of Professor Pascal Dibie. The thesis explores the potential values of visual documents for the populations they represent and their legal rights to claim these documents. Main research interests include Inuit cultures; cultural property rights; cultural heritage and analysis of visual documents.
Anton Van de Putte - Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Beligum

APECS Belgium

Anton Van de Putte is a Marine Biologist with a strong interest in the role of fish in the Southern Ocean Ecosystem. He received his PhD in 2008 for his research on the ecology and evolution of Southern Ocean fish, whit special focus on the mesopelagic lantern fish Electrona antarctica. He has experience in Science Education and Outreach. Currently, he is a science officer for the Belgian SCAR-Marbin and AntaBIF projects that aim to provide free and open access to Antarctic biodiversity data.
Tristy Vick-Majors - Montana State University, United States

I study microbial ecology, limnology and biogeochemistry in icy, cold environments. I have spent three field seasons in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica sampling permanently ice-covered lakes, and will soon visit the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to study subglacial Lake Whillans, which lies 800 meters beneath the ice. I am fascinated with microbial processes and the ecology of terrestrial aquatic and marine systems. I am constantly looking for new ways to form collaborations and to improve networking opportunities for graduate students and other aspiring scientists. I am currently co-chair of the graduate student group, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) at my home institution of Montana State University, and am working on an array of projects that aim to sustain a supportive community for female graduate students. In my spare time, I love to take in the beauty of Montana by hiking and learning to cross-country ski, read, and work on fixing up my tiny house.
Mariette Wheeler - Endangered Wildlife Trust, South Africa

Standing on the beach as a child, I used to stare at the horizon and wonder what it would feel like to sail away until I only had the ocean surrounding me. Later, when I learned about sub-Antarctic Marion Island, it became my dream to go there. It came true in 2004, when I went to the island to conduct field work towards my PhD studies. My PhD work focused on the effects of human activities on the seabirds and seals at the island. Sailing away and living on the remote island for a year! I obtained my PhD in 2009. I am currently working as an environmental consultant investigating the impacts of developments on fauna and flora as well as on water resources. I am based in South Africa. We have an Internet network entitled South, for people interested in sub-Antarctic and Antarctic research and the environment. Unfortunately APECS is still relatively unknown here. I know many of the researchers working on Marion Island and Gough Island as well as staff members from the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP).
Christie Wood - Clark University, Massachusetts, USA

I am a graduate student in the Geography department at Clark University in the United States. I work with Professor Karen Frey as part of her newly formed Polar Science Research Lab. I am interested in how variations in climate impact the Arctic marine system. In particular, I am looking at how changes in Arctic sea ice affect the ecology and biogeochemistry of the Arctic Ocean. My dissertation research focuses on understanding the impacts of sea ice decline in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas on the dynamics of dissolved organic matter, which plays an important role in the marine ecosystem as both a carbon source for the microbial food web and as an inhibitor of light. This work is carried out through a combination of field measurements (as part of NASA's ICESCAPE mission), lab experiments, and satellite remote sensing observations. Prior to working at Clark, I earned two bachelors degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The first was in mathematics and the second was in earth, atmospheric and planetary science. After that, I completed a master's degree in physical oceanography in the joint program between MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

The following early career researchers served on the 2012-2013 Council. In addition, the members of the APECS Executive Committee 2012-2013 are also part of the Council: Penelope Wagner, Erli Costa, Jennifer Provencher, Ines Tavernier, Yulia Zaika as well as Gerlis Fugmann (ex-officio) and Allen Pope (ex-officio)

We would also like to recognize our past leaders as they continue to serve our organization as Ex-Officio members of the Council: Tosca Ballerini, Ben Beall, Francisco Fernandoy, Silje-Kristen Jensen, Kim Jochum, Daniela Liggett, Inga May, Dirk Notz, Angelika Renner, and Carolyn Wegner.

Sanna Majaneva - University of Helsinki / Finnish Environment Institute / Marine Research Centre / University Centre in Svalbard, Finland / Norway

My name is Sanna Majaneva, and I come from a small city called Imatra in the eastern border of Finland. Later on I moved to Helsinki to study Marine Biology and Geography at the University. After four years of basic studies in the "warm" coast of the brackish "sea", I needed the real sea, the real snow, and proper winter. I was accepted to write my Master's thesis on Arctic copepods at the University Centre in Svalbard. My planned half a year long Svalbard visit prolonged into several years, because I worked both as a nature guide and as a research assistant, but mainly for the reason that I fell in love with the white silence. My stay at Svalbard left a spark towards polar research and I somehow drifted to make doctoral thesis project in collaboration with the University Centre in Svalbard and the Finnish Environment Institute / Marine Research Centre. The main objective of my doctoral thesis is to gain information on ctenophore populations in the Northern Seas. The project studies the role and importance of ctenophores in the food webs and how different aspects of the changing climate could affect these communities. On my free time, I'm mostly in the out in the nature with a back bag and hiking boots, skies, kayak or dog sledge. The more I learn about this white nature, the more amazed I am, and therefore the Arctic issues have become extremely dear to me.
Christie Wood - Clark University, USA - APECS Council Co-Chair 2012-2013

I am a graduate student in the Geography department at Clark University in the United States. I work with Professor Karen Frey as part of her newly formed Polar Science Research Lab. I am interested in how variations in climate impact the Arctic marine system. In particular, I am looking at how changes in Arctic sea ice affect the ecology and biogeochemistry of the Arctic Ocean. My dissertation research focuses on understanding the impacts of sea ice decline in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas on the dynamics of dissolved organic matter, which plays an important role in the marine ecosystem as both a carbon source for the microbial food web and as an inhibitor of light. This work is carried out through a combination of field measurements (as part of NASA's ICESCAPE mission), lab experiments, and satellite remote sensing observations. Prior to working at Clark, I earned two bachelors degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The first was in mathematics and the second was in earth, atmospheric and planetary science. After that, I completed a master's degree in physical oceanography in the joint program between MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Emily Choy - Fisheries and Oceans Canada and University of Manitoba, Canada

I am a PhD student at the University of Manitoba and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, studying the diet and energetics of the Eastern Beaufort Sea beluga population under the supervision of Dr. Lisa Loseto and Dr. Jim Roth. I finished my MSc. in the Chemical and Environmental Toxicology program at the University of Ottawa, studying biovector transport of contaminants (mercury, PCBs, and DDT) from a large seabird colony to High Arctic food webs at Cape Vera, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada. I have worked at Environment Canada on various projects in environmental toxicology, such as monitoring temporal trends of perfluorinated compounds in polar bears, immuntoxicity in bivalves, and the effects of brominated flame retardants on the reproductive success of tree swallows. I have also worked as an evaluator for the Ecological Assessment Division, studying the toxicity and bioaccumulation of selenium and other inorganic substances in aquatic ecosystems. I am very interested in the impacts of contaminants in Arctic ecosystems and their interactions with other stressors on marine mammals. I am also involved in science education and outreach, and have a B.Ed from the Outdoor Education program at Queen's University and have worked as an educator at the Canadian Museum of Nature.
Sarah Crowley - Arctic Research Consortium of the United States, United States

Sarah Crowley currently works as an education project manager for the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States in Fairbanks, AK. She manages PolarTREC, a teacher-researcher experience program via a grant from the National Science Foundation. With partners such as UA-Fairbanks, Alaska Geographic and the National Park Service, Sarah develops and implements teacher trainings on climate change and polar science for online platforms and in-field experiences. Most recently she has worked tirelessly with partners such as APECS to build Polar Educators International; a professional network for those who educate in, for, and about the polar regions. Through her years teaching environmental education, Sarah developed a passion for polar science and facilitating meaningful nature/science education experiences for her students and other teachers. Her undergraduate work earned her a BA in Geography in 2004, with a minor in Global Studies. In 2010 she received her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction for Science Education and a Graduate Certificate in Education, Environment, and Community from the University of Washington-Seattle.
Eleanor Darlington - Loughborough University, United Kingdom

Ten years ago a family friend showed a slide show of him working at Halley Research Station, Antarctica. I was hooked! I organised my high school work experience at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge; a week of metrological observations, ice cores and the desire to travel had me fixed on a career in science. My Masters thesis was observing the interactions between the inflow of Atlantic Water into the Barents Sea, and how this was impacting sea ice formation. This project led to the UK Arctic Sciences conference, a UKPN workshop and networking day, and a Southern Ocean research cruise! From there a Fram Strait cruise with the Norwegian Polar Institute and at present, an internship with Education Through Expeditions working on the AMT20 project, bringing real science into the classroom from the middle of the Atlantic.
Pedro Echeveste - University of the Balearic Islands, Spain

Pedro finished his BSc in Biology at the University of Navarra and moved to Madrid to develop a MSc in Climatic Risks and Environmental Impact. After this period, he moved to Finland to study the effects of Climate Change in Finnish forests, and returned to Spain after five months to develop his PhD on the effects of legacy contaminants (POPs and trace metals) on marine phytoplankton. Originally interested in near shore waters including the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, during his PhD he had the chance to discover the Arctic and the Southern Oceans, becoming fascinated about these environments and improving his studies in those remote areas. With his PhD recently achieved, Pedro is interested in the role that contaminants play in polar ecosystems, how they affect the biogeochemical cycles occurring in these ecosystems, how they disturb species interactions (predation, competition, etc.) and, in summary, in the effects that anthropogenic pollutants will have to polar biota in a changing world.
Russell Fielding - University of Denver, USA

I am a lecturer in the Department of Geography at the University of Denver in Colorado. I earned a bachelor's degree at the University of Florida, a master's degree at the University of Montana, and a Ph.D. at Louisiana State University. I also participated in the Canada-US Fulbright Program, spending a year with the Institute of Island Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island. As for research, I am interested, broadly, in questions of subsistence, cultural tradition, and resource conservation. Since 2005 I have been involved in a study of artisanal whaling traditions throughout the Atlantic, with field sites in the Faroe Islands, Newfoundland, and the Caribbean. Other research pursuits have involved biogeography, sustainable energy production, local food production, aquaculture, and the changing economic and ecological conditions of islands when bridges are built from the mainland. I regularly publish the results of my research in peer-reviewed journals as well as in popular media outlets. In addition to these research pursuits, I am active in teaching at the University of Denver, with courses on sustainability and natural hazards. Whenever possible, I use case studies from my research as examples in my lectures. I am also active in the University of Denver's field course program, having taught field courses in the Florida Keys (biogeography) and in Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands (natural resources and natural hazards). My hobbies include hiking, rock-climbing, mountaineering, capoeira, and travel.
Jolie Gareis - Simon Fraser University, Canada

Although I grew up in the middle of a major Canadian city, I gravitated to the outdoors as a child. A job as a camp counselor during my teens transformed into a job as a field assistant during my undergraduate degree. I fulfilled my lifelong dream to see and experience northern Canada in the summer of 2004, when I traveled to the Mackenzie Delta region of the Northwest Territories to do field work for my Masters. The arctic got under my skin, and I've been looking for excuses to return ever since. Currently, I'm enrolled in a PhD program at Simon Fraser University. My doctoral research (based on data gathered while I worked as an IPY field and lab manager from 2007-2009) examines fluxes of nutrients and carbon exported from the Mackenzie River during the annual flood and high-water periods following ice-out. In January 2011 I finally had the perfect reason to relocate to my beloved field site and home-away-from-home in Inuvik, Northwest Territories – I was hired as the manager of the Inuvik Research Centre, a division of the Aurora Research Institute. So, I am concurrently a full-time student and a full-time research centre manager – and I love doing both equally. In my spare time, I like to swim, ski, watch movies and read anything that isn't a journal article or textbook.
Maeva Gauthier - Coastal and Ocean Research Inc., Canada

Recently graduated from the University of Victoria with a Masters in marine ecology, Maeva is interested in projects encompassing ocean sciences, filmmaking & outreach, and coastal communities. She is currently working as a marine ecologist and outreach coordinator at Coastal and Ocean Resources Inc. Her background is in biology and tourism, and experience ranges from event organization, to fundraising, to educational projects (i.e. underwater webcasting, educational dives), and project coordination. In her spare time, she enjoys sailing, diving, hiking, and doing yoga. Field expeditions brought her to both poles in 2009 to learn about the Antarctic with Students on Ice and study seafloor species in the Arctic with the Census of Marine Life & the Canadian Healthy Oceans Network. Maeva is also an active member of the Explorers Club and has been involved in film production since 2009, which won the TD Go Green Challenge 2011 (3rd national position) and Best Cinematography & Best Editing awards at the UVic Film Festival 2011. Recently, she led a project combining a film workshop with youth and documenting traditional knowledge of the coast in two arctic villages on the North Slope.
Kristen Gorman - Simon Fraser University, Canada

Kristen Gorman is a PhD candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University. Kristen has conducted ecological research since 1994, primarily focusing on birds. Her field experience ranges from the forests of tropical Australia, New England and the Rocky Mountains, to coastal-marine systems of the Pacific Northwest including Alaska, and the western Antarctic Peninsula. She is especially interested in global change biology, high latitude ecosystems, evolutionary ecology and physiology. Her MSc research involved extensive fieldwork at a US Geological Survey field camp located on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, western Alaska, which resulted in 4 scientific publications on the reproductive energetics of female greater scaup. Kristen's dissertation, in collaboration with the Palmer Station, Antarctica, Long-Term Ecological Research Program, US National Science Foundation, is examining nutritional and physiological correlates of variation in breeding performance by three closely related species of penguin (genus Pygoscelis) demonstrating pole-ward shifts in breeding bio-geographic range in response to regional climate warming throughout the Scotia Arc and Antarctic Peninsula. She also is developing a population genetics component to her dissertation that will use microsatellite genetic markers to provide a quantitative understanding of the relative importance of demographic parameters (fitness versus dispersal) in driving observed shifts in Pygoscelis breeding range. Kristen has deployed on 8 expeditions to the Antarctic since 2005, and has published 10 scientific manuscripts on the nutritional ecology, evolutionary physiology, and life histories of birds. She has won research and scholarship awards through the American Ornithologists' Union, Explorers Club, American Museum of Natural History, Anne Vallée Ecological Fund, Antarctic Science Ltd, and Simon Fraser University. She has served as a peer-reviewer for scientific journals such as Journal of Avian Biology, Marine Ecology-Progress Series, Biology Letters, Waterbirds, and the Journal of Animal Ecology. Kristen is the current graduate student representative to the US LTER network for her Antarctic research group and was co-organizer of the seminar series, Les Ecologistes, at Simon Fraser University (2010/11). She is a passionate trail runner, rock climber, backcountry skier, and surfer. These outdoor pursuits have been key in her continued experiential learning and in leading a balanced life style. She also is particularly fond of her dog, Yugi.
Molly Zhongnan Jia - University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania

I finished my undergraduate in Marine Science in China in 2007. Travelled a bit during a gap year, and then come to Hobart for master study on Antarctic Science in 2009, where I officially started my polar research life. After the master degree, it is just too much fun for research on Antarctic krill so I decided to keep going for a PhD in Hobart, in the same institute – Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. My PhD research focuses on diet of larval Antarctic krill in the winter. It investigates the relationship between krill larvae and sea ice in the southern ocean.
Alia Khan - University of Colorado, USA

A native of the Tarheel state, I completed my BS in Public Health in the US at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, School of Public Health. My research interests began in detecting fecal contamination in rural drinking water in developing countries. After travelling in the high mountains in the Himalayas between field work in South Asia, I discovered a love and passion for cold environment field work. In May 2010 I began my MS at the University of Colorado – Boulder, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Studies. During that time I completed a UNIS field course on 'Fate and Modeling of Pollutants in the Arctic, and was also a member of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, Long Term Ecological Research Site (LTER), 'Stream Team'. The Stream Team is tasked with measuring discharge of ephemeral glacier fed streams in the Dry Valleys which flow 6-10 weeks per year, as well as collect water samples for chemical and biological analysis. We spent almost four months camping in the dry valleys and hiking to and from the stream sites. I am now in the first semester of my PhD, also at CU-Boulder. My dissertation specific research interests are in local and long range transport of contaminants and pollutants, and impacts on water quality and the hydrological cycle. Furthermore, I am interested in climate impacts on water quality in polar and alpine areas. I am also very interested in the social and human impacts of climate change and have worked with the Stockholm Environmental Institute Oxford, UK, and Center for International Climate and Environmental Research - Oslo. Like many researchers in the polar sciences, I love the great outdoors! I'm an avid snowboarder, hiker, backpacker, and also enjoy rock and ice climbing.
Michael Laiho - Arctic Centre (University of Lapland), Finland

Born on 19th October 1984, Michael John Laiho is half Finnish, half British and living in Finland since 2010. In 2010 he graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in London, after which time he decided to do his Finnish military conscription and subsequently moved to Finland that year. After completing his military service in Pori, he has started a PhD at the Arctic Centre (University of Lapland) on the topic of the EU's influence in Arctic governance. So far he is in his second year, has attended and presented at various important conferences, nationally and internationally, and has published his work in peer-reviewed publications. For 2013 he is aiming to complete two student exchange programmes – one in Central Europe as part of Erasmus, and the other in the Arctic region as part of North2North. As a member of APECS he has volunteered to organize the next Arctic Science Summit Week in Krawko in 2013 and wishes to organize an APECS conference some day at the Arctic Centre, in Rovaniemi. Outside of the scientific community, Michael is also a keen writer, artist and marathon runner.
Maja Lisowska - Jagiellonian University, Poland

I work as a research assistant at Dept. of Polar Research and Documentation, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Poland. Since 2009 I have been a member of APECS Poland.I completed my Master's degree in biology at the Jagiellonian University, in 2007, working on lichen biomonitoring. My polar experience started in 2007, when, as a fresh PhD student, I became involved in a project on environmental changes in Sørkapp Land, Svalbard and got an opportunity to do research in the High Arctic. I was a part of a botanical team which conducted comparative tundra vegetation mapping. In 2009 I attended the Arctic Plant Ecology course at the University Centre in Svalbard. My PhD project, completed in 2011, was focused on vegetation succession - including vascular plants, mosses and lichens - on two glacier forelands in Central and Southern Svalbard. My research interests cover several lichen- and polar-connected issues: lichen biogeography, ecology and taxonomy; colonization and succession in glacier forelands; Arctic tundra vegetation changes; lichen adaptations to extreme environments; biomonitoring using lichens.
Silvia Lourenco - Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

I am a Marine Biologist with a MSc in ecology, management and modeling of marine resources by the University Nova de Lisboa. I am a PhD Student in the Oceanography Centre of the University of Lisbon, Portugal, where I'm studying the effect of environmental factors in the life cycle of octopus. My research interests are mainly fish and cephalopods marine ecology studies, particularly the ones dedicated to growth, trophic ecology and population dynamics.Since 2009 I've been working in the Polar Project under José Xavier coordination (IMAR University of Coimbra) in collaboration with Martin Collins, John Watkins (British Antarctic Survey), Carlos Assis (University of Lisbon) and Yves Cherel (CEBC-CNRS, France). My work field is mainly dedicated to fish and cephalopods ecology, growth and population dynamics studies.I am a member of the APECS Portugal executive committee and member of the APECS council since October 2010. Under APECS I also collaborate in the Funding Resources working group.
Heather Mariash - McGill University, Canada

I am interested in the ecological consequences of ice cover to freshwater ecosystems. The acute seasonality between the extended dark winters and short cold summers with 24 hrs of day light, have distinct constraints to food availability and consumer survival. My research focuses on the aquatic ecosystems of the arctic and subarctic studying the dietary strategies used by zooplankton to cope with these harsh environments. Starting September 2013 as a W. Garfield Weston Postdoctoral Fellow, working in Northern Canada.
Jean-Sébastien Moore - University of British Columbia, Canada

I am currently a PhD candidate in the Biodiversity Research Centre at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver. My research uses modern DNA technology to help study the migratory behaviour of Arctic char in the Canadian Arctic. Arctic char is a species of great importance to the Inuit people of Canada, and is fished both commercially and for subsistence in most communities. My research addresses some important issues relating to the management and conservation of this species in the face of climate change. As such, I work closely with several collaborators with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. I am very grateful that my research has allowed me to work in the beautiful Arctic regions of Canada, and working with Inuit fishers has been one of the most rewarding and eye-opening experience of my life. I am therefore very excited that I will be continuing my involvement in Arctic science with a post-doc starting in January 2013 at Université Laval, working again on Arctic char migrations!
Dagmar Obbels - Ghent University, Belgium

APECS Belgium

After completing my master degree in Biology at the C atholic University of Leuven (Belgium), I started my PhD in 2009 on the AMBIO (Antarctic microbial biodiversity) project at Ghent University. In 2010 I obtained an IWT scholarship which focuses on the adaptation of drought and salinity stress in Antarctic filamentous cyanobacteria. To gain a better understanding of the genetic adaptation we want to perform a genome analysis. In addition we want to identify stress regulated genes through a transcriptome analysis under experimental induced salinity and drought stress and perform ecofysiological experiments to investigate local adaptation of salinity and droughtstress in filamentous cyanobacteria.
Julia Schmale - Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V., Potsdam, Germany

I am an environmental engineer specialized in contaminated soil remediation and waste management. I studied at the University of Leoben, Austria, and spent approximately two years in Concepción, Chile, during this time doing some practical work in organic waste management. So, how did I end up with atmospheric science in Polar regions? After having learned a lot about anthropogenic emissions to soil, water and air and how they can be mitigated, I thought exploring the effects of atmospheric emissions would very much complete the picture. So, I started a PhD performing aircraft-based aerosol mass spectrometric measurements. My first campaign was on long-range transport pollution over Greenland during the International Polar Year in 2008. This experience got me hooked on studying Polar aerosol and was the motivation to join APECS. I also had the chance to measure a 3 months old volcanic aerosol plume from the Okmok and Kasatochi eruptions in the tropopause region over Central and Western Europe in fall 2008. After having explored a very little bit of Arctic aerosol, I had the chance to measure particles in Sub-Antarctica for three months on Bird Island, South Georgia, a research station operated by the British Antarctic Survey. As a visiting scientist at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh, Scotland, my task was to find out about the contribution of sea bird emissions to the local submicron aerosol by studying particle chemical composition with specific focus on biogenic compounds and ammonia. Since May 2012 I am leading a project on short-lived climate-forcing pollutants (SLCPs) at the interface between science, policy, society and the private business sector. Using transdisciplinary research methods my team is working on identifying research needs and pathways to policy implementation for the reduciton of SLCPs.
Anton Van de Putte - Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Belgium

APECS Belgium

Anton Van de Putte is a Marine Biologist with a strong interest in the role of fish in the Southern Ocean Ecosystem. He received his PhD in 2008 for his research on the ecology and evolution of Southern Ocean fish, whit special focus on the mesopelagic lantern fish Electrona antarctica. He has experience in Science Education and Outreach. Currently, he is a science officer for the Belgian SCAR-Marbin and AntaBIF projects that aim to provide free and open access to Antarctic biodiversity data.
Tristy Vick-Majors - Montana State University, United States

I study microbial ecology, limnology and biogeochemistry in icy, cold environments. I have spent three field seasons in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica sampling permanently ice-covered lakes, and will soon visit the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to study subglacial Lake Whillans, which lies 800 meters beneath the ice. I am fascinated with microbial processes and the ecology of terrestrial aquatic and marine systems. I am constantly looking for new ways to form collaborations and to improve networking opportunities for graduate students and other aspiring scientists. I am currently co-chair of the graduate student group, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) at my home institution of Montana State University, and am working on an array of projects that aim to sustain a supportive community for female graduate students. In my spare time, I love to take in the beauty of Montana by hiking and learning to cross-country ski, read, and work on fixing up my tiny house.
Mariette Wheeler - Endangered Wildlife Trust, South Africa

Standing on the beach as a child, I used to stare at the horizon and wonder what it would feel like to sail away until I only had the ocean surrounding me. Later, when I learned about sub-Antarctic Marion Island, it became my dream to go there. It came true in 2004, when I went to the island to conduct field work towards my PhD studies. My PhD work focused on the effects of human activities on the seabirds and seals at the island. Sailing away and living on the remote island for a year! I obtained my PhD in 2009. I am currently working as an environmental consultant investigating the impacts of developments on fauna and flora as well as on water resources. I am based in South Africa. We have an Internet network entitled South, for people interested in sub-Antarctic and Antarctic research and the environment. Unfortunately APECS is still relatively unknown here. I know many of the researchers working on Marion Island and Gough Island as well as staff members from the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP).

The following early career researchers served on the 2013-2014 Council. In addition, the members of the APECS Executive Committee 2013-2014 are also part of the Council: Christie Logvinova, Frigga Kruse, Russell Fielding, Jean Sébastien Moore, Iglika Trifonova as well as Jennifer Provencher (ex-offio), Penelope Wagner (ex-officio) and Yulia Zaika (ex-officio)

We would also like to recognize our past leaders as they continue to serve our organization as Ex-Officio members of the Council: Tosca Ballerini, Francisco Fernandoy, Silje-Kristin Jensen, Kim Jochum, Aexey Pavlov, Allen Pope, Angelika Renner and Mariëtte Wheeler.

Michael Laiho - Finland - APECS Council Co-Chair 2013-2014

University of Lapland
Michael John Laiho is half British, half Finnish. Between 2009-10 he studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), London, and obtained an MSc. in European Studies: Ideas and Identities at the European Institute. After graduating in London he moved to Turku, Finland, to complete his military conscription service and in 2011 he started a Doctoral programme at the University of Lapland, Rovaniemi. The primary focus of his Doctoral thesis is the relevance of Arctic governance for the European Union's energy policy. As well as a Doctoral student he is an associate researcher of the Sustainable Development research group at the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland; a member of POLITU (Finnish Graduate School of Political Scientists); an APECS Council member; and is currently an intern at the Stefansson Arctic Institute, Akureyri, where he now (2013) assists with editing several reports including ASI and AHDR II.
Heather Mariash - Canada - APECS Council Co-Chair 2013-2014

McGill University
I am interested in the ecological consequences of ice cover to freshwater ecosystems. The acute seasonality between the extended dark winters and short cold summers with 24 hrs of day light, have distinct constraints to food availability and consumer survival. My research focuses on the aquatic ecosystems of the arctic and subarctic studying the dietary strategies used by zooplankton to cope with these harsh environments. Starting September 2013 as a W. Garfield Weston Postdoctoral Fellow, working in Northern Canada.
Cristian Aldea - Chile

University of Magallanes
I'm Cristian Aldea, from Chile. I studied Marine Biology at the University of Concepción, where I also did a Diploma in Environmental Analysis and Management. Then, motivated by my scientific vocation to discover the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic seabeds, did my PhD at the University of Vigo (Spain). My doctoral thesis consisted of a comprehensive systematic and ecological analysis of the molluscs from the West Antarctica, emphasizing bathymetric patterns and spatial distribution. From this research I have published eight scientific articles, including macroecological information and description of new species of Antarctic molluscs. In parallel I have published on the ecology and taxonomy of the adjacent sub-Antarctic communities and deep sea. I have also written and edited three books on Magellanic seabeds and Antarctic molluscs. Currently I continue developing my research in the Programme GAIA-Antártica (University of Magallanes), which involves discovering, and explaining the distribution patterns of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic seabeds associated with processes such as sea ice and glaciers cycles, sediment quality and the adjacent water column. These processes could explain climate variations in the medium and long term. These studies are performed by means of diverse groups such as molluscs, crustaceans and polychaetes, in collaboration with research partners.
Elaine Alves dos Santos - Brazil

University of State of Rio de Janeiro
I´m a PhD candidate in Biosciences at the University of State of Rio de Janeiro (PPGB/UERJ). I have worked with Antarctic atmospheric samples since 2002 and I went to Antarctica on seven expeditions with the Brazilian Antarctic Program. I completed my Master´s degree in Biosciences in 2009 - "Influence of Solar irradiance in the ocean primary productivity and association with CO2". In the next year (2010) I started my PhD project: "Chemical, optical and isotopic characterization of aerosols from the South Atlantic Ocean and Southern Ocean". Is scheduled for thesis defense in December 2013. I collected aerosol samples from Rio de Janeiro to Antartica and hope to make this a great argument about it and generate results that can contribute to the Global Climate Change. In addition I work with iron limitation hypothesis, so this characterization will increase knowledge about the atmospheric contribution from the semi desert of Patagonia. Additionally I´m from APECS Brasil council member since 2010.
Sarah Bartholow - United States

Arctic Research Consortium of the United States
Sarah Crowley currently works as an education project manager for the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States in Fairbanks, AK. She manages PolarTREC, a teacher-researcher experience program via a grant from the National Science Foundation. With partners such as UA-Fairbanks, Alaska Geographic and the National Park Service, Sarah develops and implements teacher trainings on climate change and polar science for online platforms and in-field experiences. Most recently she has worked tirelessly with partners such as APECS to build Polar Educators International; a professional network for those who educate in, for, and about the polar regions. Through her years teaching environmental education, Sarah developed a passion for polar science and facilitating meaningful nature/science education experiences for her students and other teachers. Her undergraduate work earned her a BA in Geography in 2004, with a minor in Global Studies. In 2010 she received her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction for Science Education and a Graduate Certificate in Education, Environment, and Community from the University of Washington-Seattle.
Roxanne Beltran - United States

University of Alaska
When I moved North to Alaska to start my graduate work, I was astonished by the sense of community among polar researchers. The marine mammal research field is notorious for failing to connect with other fields, which leads to my desire to become more connected to the polar community. I believe that my interests and knowledge would be extremely complimentary to the fantastic activities already being organized by APECS. My reasearch looks at the demographic influences of dynamic environments on the behavior, physiology and foraging ecology of high trophic level marine mammals. For my Masters thesis, I will construct a standardized bioenergetics model to estimate baseline energy requirements as a function of reproductive state for several seal species.
Vincent Carrier - Canada and Norway

Laval University / University Centre in Svalbard
Vincent have completed his bachelor in Biology and Ecology at the University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières UQTR (Canada), including a year in Arctic Biology at the University Centre in Svalbard UNIS (Norway). Since September 2013, he started a Master in Biology at Laval University (Canada). His master project, in cooperation with University Centre in Svalbard, is related to the biogeography of pico- and nanoeukaryotes in different water columns around Svalbard. He has been participating in a youth expedition in the Antarctic in 2009 and have travel in Canada, USA, Italy, Greece, Germany, Czech Republic, UK , Argentina and Norway. Through internships or jobs, he has been involved in the Mingan Islands Ceteacean Study (Canada) as a research assistant and responsible for whale photo-identification and also the Norwegian Polar Institute as fieldwork assistant for reindeer counting on Svalbard. He is also involved as a field assistant at UNIS to collect water samples in a fjord all year round. He aspires to work in environmental management/impact assessment and contribute to the decision-making related to Polar Regions. He has a strong passion for outdoor activities and swimming, which brought him to be coaching the Elite swimming team of Svalbard, the northernmost swimming team active in competitions.
Eleanor Darlington - United Kingdom

Loughborough University
Ten years ago a family friend showed a slide show of him working at Halley Research Station, Antarctica. I was hooked! I organised my high school work experience at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge; a week of metrological observations, ice cores and the desire to travel had me fixed on a career in science. My Masters thesis was observing the interactions between the inflow of Atlantic Water into the Barents Sea, and how this was impacting sea ice formation. This project led to the UK Arctic Sciences conference, a UKPN workshop and networking day, and a Southern Ocean research cruise! From there a Fram Strait cruise with the Norwegian Polar Institute and at present, an internship with Education Through Expeditions working on the AMT20 project, bringing real science into the classroom from the middle of the Atlantic.
Archana Dayal - India

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi
My name is Archana Dayal. I am a woman scientist-in-the-making (!), aged 23 and a citizen of India. I have a Master's in 'Climate Science & Policy' from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) University, New Delhi and Bachelors in 'Biological Sciences' from the University of Delhi. During my third semester at TERI, I joined an expedition to Kolahoi glacier in the Western Himalayas (in Kashmir) to study the geomorphological features of glaciers during my course work on 'Glacier Hydrology'. I spent the summer of 2012 at the Ice Core Laboratory of the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR - India's nodal centre for polar research), Goa as an intern working on a minor project titled 'Analysis and Quantification of Dust in Antarctic Snow: A Case Study from Princess Elizabeth Land and Dronning Maud Land'. Later at the same centre, I completed my Master's thesis titled 'Seasonal and Spatial Variations of Total Organic Carbon in Snow from Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica'. I have been selected as a student participant for the XXXIII Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (starting Dec 2013 to Mar 2014) where I intend to work on 'Biogeochemical Studies of Blue-Ice in Coastal East Antarctica'. I will work at the Indian station, Bharati located in the Larsemann Hills area.
Pedro Echeveste - Spain

University of the Balearic Islands
Pedro finished his BSc in Biology at the University of Navarra and moved to Madrid to develop a MSc in Climatic Risks and Environmental Impact. After this period, he moved to Finland to study the effects of Climate Change in Finnish forests, and returned to Spain after five months to develop his PhD on the effects of legacy contaminants (POPs and trace metals) on marine phytoplankton. Originally interested in near shore waters including the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, during his PhD he had the chance to discover the Arctic and the Southern Oceans, becoming fascinated about these environments and improving his studies in those remote areas. With his PhD recently achieved, Pedro is interested in the role that contaminants play in polar ecosystems, how they affect the biogeochemical cycles occurring in these ecosystems, how they disturb species interactions (predation, competition, etc.) and, in summary, in the effects that anthropogenic pollutants will have to polar biota in a changing world.
Francyne Elias-Piera - Spain

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
I have a degree in Biological Sciences from University Mackenzie (Brazil-2000) and have worked in the Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR) with Antarctic Macro fauna since then. I have taken courses in Molecular Biology and Taxonomy of Antarctic peracarids and developed a Masters in Biological Oceanography in the University of São Paulo (Brazil-2005): "Phytal macro fauna of five algal species of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, Antarctica) with emphasis on the group amphipoda (crustacea, Peracarida)". In 2003, I participated in a campaign to Antarctica with a project of Environmental Monitoring of Admiralty Bay (PROANTAR), working with stable isotopes to determine trophic relationships of various coastal organisms. During eight years I taught in Elementary and Secondary Schools (Science, Biology and Chemistry), always exploring Antarctica and environmental education topics, giving talks at public and private schools. Now, I am a PhD student at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain-since 2010) – "Bentho-pelagic coupling biomarkers in Antarctica: space-time comparison at Weddell Sea", working with different biomarkers (Stable isotope, biochemical balance and fatty acids) and interested in how climate change affects this interaction. My PhD fellowship is of Ciência sem Fronteiras - CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development / Brazil). I am APECS-Spain vice-secretary and participating member of APECS-Brazil. I was one of the leading coordinators of the APECS workshop at SCAR Biology conference (Barcelona 2013) and in numerous educational activities at APECS Brazil, including POLAR WEEKS (with APECS International and APECS Portugal) and the first Polar meeting in the Amazon.
Ellyn Enderlin - United States

University of Maine Climate Change Institute
I received by B.S. in Environmental Science from Lehigh University in 2008, my M.S. in Geological Science from Ohio State University in 2010, and my PhD from Ohio State University earlier this summer. To date, my research has focused on developing a better understanding of marine-terminating outlet glacier dynamics using both remote sensing and numerical modeling techniques. My research has focused primarily on Greenland outlet glaciers but the results of my numerical modeling studies are applicable to glaciers in different geographic settings as well. I hope to expand on my remote sensing expertise and develop additional skills during my postdoctoral appointment at the University of Maine starting in August. My postdoctoral research will focus on ice-ocean interactions at Helheim Glacier, East Greenland through a collaborative project with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
Laura Ferguson - United Kingdom

Hariot-Watt University, Scotland
I began my career in media and communications. I studied at the University of Paisley (now UWS), specialising in documentary filmmaking in my later years. I graduated top of my class, obtaining 1st class honours and being awarded the Court Medal for achievement. During these years I also studied part-time with the Open University for a humanities degree in philosophy and literature. I had two media job roles, working as a journalist and as a publishing assistant, before completing a PhD in media, and also a Postgraduate Certificate in film journalism, both at the University of Glasgow. I have a specific interest in Arctic hydrology and Arctic water engineering, and in July/August 2013 successfully completed the ARTEK/DTU Arctic Engineering Field Course in Greenland. I will follow this by attending a Masters-level course at UNIS on Svalbard this February.
Laura Fleming-Sharp - United States

Arctic Studies Center
Originally from Ontario, Canada, I am now living in Washington, DC, where I am the Research/Program Assistant at the Arctic Studies Center, Anthropology Department at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Prior to moving to the United States, I completed my B.A in International Development Studies and Geography (2005) and my M.A. in Geography (2009) both at the University of Guelph, Ontario. My graduate research focused on adaptation and the role of formal and informal institutions (local norms, customs, traditional knowledge) in facilitating adaptation to climate and other changes in the Inuit community of Hopedale, Nunatsiavut in Northern Labrador, Canada. My research contributed to the 2007-2009 International Polar Year Community Adaptation and Vulnerability in the Arctic Regions (CAVIAR) project, and was part of the ArcticNet Phase I Project 4.2, and Phase II Project 1.1. Following my graduate program, I held the position of Research Associate at the Global Environmental Change Group in the Geography Department at the University of Guelph where I provided support to the IPY CAVIAR and ArcticNet programs. In 2011 I joined the Arctic Studies Center and in 2012 was the 18th Inuit Studies Conference Coordinator and later transitioned to Research/Program Assistant where I now support the Arctic Studies Center and staff. Currently, I am the Main Project Coordinator for the APECS Norden research project "Bridging Early Career Researchers and Indigenous Peoples in Nordic Countries".
Ruth Hindshaw - United Kingdom

University of St. Andrews
My research aims to understand biogeochemical processes in polar environments with the main focus on constraining how chemical weathering is affected by glaciation. The chemical weathering of silicate rocks is a key feedback mechanism for the stabilisation of Earth's climate by regulating the carbon cycle. I work with isotope tracers (Ca, Sr, Li) in stream water, together with the analysis of rock samples and laboratory experiments. I completed my PhD in isotope geochemistry at ETH Zurich in 2011. This was part of BigLink, a large inter-disciplinary project at Damma Glacier, Switzerland, which aimed to quantify the effects of recent de-glaciation on soil and ecosystem development. Afterwards, I moved northwards for a one year post-doctoral position at the Norwegian Geological Survey (NGU). I am working on a fieldsite in Svalbard which is comprised of two catchments: one is glaciated and the other is dominated by permafrost. This will allow me to quantify differences in weathering processes between glaciated and non-glaciated terrain. As of September 2013 I will be a Marie Curie Fellow at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland where I will continue the analysis of the field samples which I have collected from Svalbard.In my spare time I'm usually outdoors: walking, skiing, cycling, climbing or running.
Patricia Johnston - Canada

University of British Columbia
Patricia Johnston is holding both front line experience as a social worker, and having worked as a program and policy specialist, Patricia has provided direct consultation to two provincial and two territorial governments in Canada. Working throughout Canada's Arctic has helped Patricia to develop a thorough understanding of the social, economic and cultural realities confronting Inuit families. Patricia is now furthering her interests in social policy by pursuing a PhD at UBC's School of Social Work. Patricia's current research will enable her to apply her intimate understanding of the complexities and realities of northern life as it focuses on child welfare policy (child protection) within the Inuit communities in Nunavut. As someone who has delivered child welfare services and is prepared to critically examine that delivery, her positioning gives her unique insight for approaching this specific topic through the use of post-colonial theory and participatory action research. By exploring how Inuit culture can be incorporated into child welfare in Nunavut, Patricia's doctoral research stands to potentially generate transferable knowledge critical to discussing child welfare policy and practices within other Indigenous communities.
Laura Kelvin - Canada

Western University, Ontario
I am a PhD student at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. My research uses an archaeological ethnographic approach to explore how perceptions of the past and archaeological research vary within the Inuvialuit community of Sachs Harbour, NWT, to determine how archaeology can best complement Inuvialuit understandings of the past. This research is part of Dr. Lisa Hodgetts' Ikaahuk Archaeology Project on Banks Island, NWT. I completed my BA in Anthropology, minor First Nations Studies at Western University in 2009 and my MA in Archaeology at Memorial University in Newfoundland in 2011. My MA research combined oral history and archaeological evidence to compose an ethnohistory of the Inuit-Metis in Sandwich Bay, Labrador. My research interests include Indigenous knowledge, researcher-community relationships, archaeology, the history of archaeological research in the North, and intellectual property rights. When I am not studying I enjoy amateur astronomy, beading, hiking, and drawing. I am also a program coordinator for the Public Humanities@Western, a member of the Committee for Women in Anthropology, and a volunteer at the McIntosh Art Gallery.
Alia Khan - United States

University of Colorado
A native of the Tarheel state, I completed my BS in Public Health in the US at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, School of Public Health. My research interests began in detecting fecal contamination in rural drinking water in developing countries. After travelling in the high mountains in the Himalayas between field work in South Asia, I discovered a love and passion for cold environment field work. In May 2010 I began my MS at the University of Colorado – Boulder, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Studies. During that time I completed a UNIS field course on 'Fate and Modeling of Pollutants in the Arctic, and was also a member of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, Long Term Ecological Research Site (LTER), 'Stream Team'. The Stream Team is tasked with measuring discharge of ephemeral glacier fed streams in the Dry Valleys which flow 6-10 weeks per year, as well as collect water samples for chemical and biological analysis. We spent almost four months camping in the dry valleys and hiking to and from the stream sites. I am now in the first semester of my PhD, also at CU-Boulder. My dissertation specific research interests are in local and long range transport of contaminants and pollutants, and impacts on water quality and the hydrological cycle. Furthermore, I am interested in climate impacts on water quality in polar and alpine areas. I am also very interested in the social and human impacts of climate change and have worked with the Stockholm Environmental Institute Oxford, UK, and Center for International Climate and Environmental Research - Oslo. Like many researchers in the polar sciences, I love the great outdoors! I'm an avid snowboarder, hiker, backpacker, and also enjoy rock and ice climbing.
Minkyoung Kim - POSTECH, Korea

I have my BSc in the Earth Science Education from Chonnam National University in Korea. During my undergraduate days, I experienced various works. I worked as a student-teacher at middle school in Korea and did an internship as a teacher at Kingston Heath Primary School, in Melbourne, Australia. Also, I joined in field trips with professors of my department, for 3 years, two times of geology and one oceanography field. I was interested in paleoclimatology, geology and oceanography. At the end, I decided to study oceanography. I am now studying ocean chemistry in Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea. It is my 5th semester as an integrated course student. My target area is the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica and East/Japan Sea. I am also interested in Canada Basin, too. My main technique is a radiocarbon analysis from a bulk size samples. I am focusing on the different sources of sinking Particulate Organic Carbon. To start the experiment my adviser and I made two vacuum manifolds. Additionally I learned how to use gas chromatography to analyze alkenone. I participated in several cruises. Especially, I joined in the Amundsen Cruise two years ago. This winter, I will go to the Amundsen Sea again.
Maja Lisowska - Jagiellonian University, Poland

I work as a research assistant at Dept. of Polar Research and Documentation, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Poland. Since 2009 I have been a member of APECS Poland.I completed my Master's degree in biology at the Jagiellonian University, in 2007, working on lichen biomonitoring. My polar experience started in 2007, when, as a fresh PhD student, I became involved in a project on environmental changes in Sørkapp Land, Svalbard and got an opportunity to do research in the High Arctic. I was a part of a botanical team which conducted comparative tundra vegetation mapping. In 2009 I attended the Arctic Plant Ecology course at the University Centre in Svalbard. My PhD project, completed in 2011, was focused on vegetation succession - including vascular plants, mosses and lichens - on two glacier forelands in Central and Southern Svalbard. My research interests cover several lichen- and polar-connected issues: lichen biogeography, ecology and taxonomy; colonization and succession in glacier forelands; Arctic tundra vegetation changes; lichen adaptations to extreme environments; biomonitoring using lichens.
Silvia Lourenco - Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

I am a Marine Biologist with a MSc in ecology, management and modeling of marine resources by the University Nova de Lisboa. I am a PhD Student in the Oceanography Centre of the University of Lisbon, Portugal, where I'm studying the effect of environmental factors in the life cycle of octopus. My research interests are mainly fish and cephalopods marine ecology studies, particularly the ones dedicated to growth, trophic ecology and population dynamics.Since 2009 I've been working in the Polar Project under José Xavier coordination (IMAR University of Coimbra) in collaboration with Martin Collins, John Watkins (British Antarctic Survey), Carlos Assis (University of Lisbon) and Yves Cherel (CEBC-CNRS, France). My work field is mainly dedicated to fish and cephalopods ecology, growth and population dynamics studies.I am a member of the APECS Portugal executive committee and member of the APECS council since October 2010. Under APECS I also collaborate in the Funding Resources working group.
Sanna Majaneva - University of Helsinki; Finnish Environment Institute and University Centre in Svalbard - Finland / Norway

My name is Sanna Majaneva, and I come from a small city called Imatra in the eastern border of Finland. Later on I moved to Helsinki to study Marine Biology and Geography at the University. After four years of basic studies in the "warm" coast of the brackish "sea", I needed the real sea, the real snow, and proper winter. I was accepted to write my Master's thesis on Arctic copepods at the University Centre in Svalbard. My planned half a year long Svalbard visit prolonged into several years, because I worked both as a nature guide and as a research assistant, but mainly for the reason that I fell in love with the white silence. My stay at Svalbard left a spark towards polar research and I somehow drifted to make doctoral thesis project in collaboration with the University Centre in Svalbard and the Finnish Environment Institute / Marine Research Centre. The main objective of my doctoral thesis is to gain information on ctenophore populations in the Northern Seas. The project studies the role and importance of ctenophores in the food webs and how different aspects of the changing climate could affect these communities. On my free time, I'm mostly in the out in the nature with a back bag and hiking boots, skies, kayak or dog sledge. The more I learn about this white nature, the more amazed I am, and therefore the Arctic issues have become extremely dear to me.
Adam Naito - Texas A&M University, USA

I am a fifth-year PhD candidate in Geography at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, United States. Broadly, my research interests are in the domains of biogeography, landscape ecology, ecological modeling, and environmental science applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing. My dissertation work focuses on furthering scientific understanding of the historic dynamics of Alaskan Arctic shrub expansion and its landscape-scale processes through: 1) quantifying the historic spatial patterns of shrub expansion using historical aerial photography and current satellite imagery; 2) developing a simulation model to understand how landscape-scale environmental characteristics influence shrub development; and 3) conducting scientific outreach via public presentations to primarily Alaskan Native communities in northern Alaska. I also received a National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant to expand this work to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in cooperation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. I teach courses in introductory GIS and physical geography at Texas A&M University. Prior to my doctoral work, I pursued BS and MS degrees in Geography at the Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, United States. I also interned in the Maps Division of the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC.
In my spare time, I enjoy running, hiking, cycling, and playing the guitar.
Karolina Paquin - University of Tromsø, Norway

Karolina Paquin is currently completing her Master of Science at the University of Tromsø, working on the long term repercussions of intensified goose grazing and climate change on Svalbard plants. She aspires to build a career as a leading scientist and international representative of the Polar Sciences. The passion for the Poles took flight during a year studying the science, politics and people of the Arctic at the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, Finland. Her alternative interests are diverse to say the least, and include learning everything from cooking to music. Her passion for the outdoors makes it nearly impossible to refuse any hike or ski trip.
Hugo Romero - Chile

My name is Hugo Romero; I am a Cultural Geographer from the South of Chile. Currently, I am finishing a PhD in Human Geography in the University of Manchester, one of the most vibrant places to study geography in the world because of the academics, colleagues and the fact that it is one of the first landscapes fully created by humans since the years of the Industrial Revolution. My research is about how territories have been culturally constructed and materially transformed. My case study is Patagonia, a historical and cultural landscape located in South America, which was part of the expansion of the European imperial powers, especially Spain and Britain. At the end of the 19th century, the landscape of the Chilean Patagonia was fully fabricated for the production of cattle by British companies supported by the Chilean government. Therefore, a British rural landscape was created, modifying the whole region and creating a hybrid culture which is today known as the Patagonian culture. Currently, there have been important social conflicts in Patagonia because of its exclusion of decision making and the imposition of large investment projects. In this context, the fabricated landscape of Patagonia has been naturalised by the Chilean society and today it is presented as "natural", wild and pristine, mobilising poetry, novels, images, and songs in order to protect the environment and to avoid its transformation.
Kristen Shake - Clark University, USA

I am a second year Ph.D. student within the Graduate School of Geography at Clark University, working within Dr. Karen Frey's Polar Science Research Lab. I am originally from Anchorage, Alaska and completed my B.S. in Geography and my M.S. in Chemical Oceanography at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. For my master's work, I examined ocean acidification and seasonal changes in the aragonite saturation horizon in the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound for the Ocean Acidification Research Center (OARC) at UAF. At OARC, I was part of several major international oceanographic research expeditions, including Japan's IPY Bering Sea cruises in 2010 and the NASA ICESCAPE project in 2010 & 2011. Here at Clark, I am building upon my background in marine science and examining Arctic marine policy, with specific interests in science communication, U.S. and Canadian Arctic relations, and offshore resource development policies. I am also currently involved with the Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) project, which is an international cruise of opportunity effort to understand long term ecosystem change in response to sea ice loss in the Pacific-Arctic region.
Sara Strey - University of Illinois, United States

I am currently a PhD student in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois in Urbana, IL, USA. Upon finishing my PhD I hope to continue in the field of arctic research as a professor. My research interests include interactions between mid-latitude and arctic climate, air-sea interactions, sea ice-atmosphere interactions, climate change, and the scholarship of teaching in learning in higher education science courses at the undergraduate level. I received my M.S. in Atmospheric Science from the University of Illinois in 2009 on the impacts of the 2007 sea ice minimum on the mid-latitude atmosphere in late autumn and early winter, and my B.S. in Meteorology from Central Michigan University in 2007. Since 2009, I've enjoyed attending several APECS functions and workshops and look forward to increasing my involvement in the future as a chair on the RAC.
Astrid Surmatz - University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Astrid Surmatz is tenured Assistant professor for Scandinavian Studies at UvA; until the end of 2012 she was also visiting professor at Linnaeus University in Växjö (Sweden). She wrote her PhD on translations and cultural transfer. Her current research focuses on Linnaeus and descriptions of Lapland 1650-2000 and on arctic and Antarctic discourse. At the UvA, she is a member of the Institute for Culture and History and of the Teaching commission for Scandinavian studies. She is a member of the Dutch research group in youth literature. At Linnaeus University, she lead a research group, CHILLL. She is affiliated with Linnaeus university as a researcher in the Concurrences Postcolonial research project (LNUC). And she is a member of two research projects in Tromsø and Umeå on travel descriptions and subarctic literature. She is a Board member of the IRSCL, the International Research Society for Children´s Literature. She was elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society, London. At UvA, she teaches courses on BA and MA level, including several on postcolonial relations in the arctic and travel description and discovery. In Sweden and Belgium, she co-supervizes PhD students. She researches and lectures internationally about postcolonialism, children´s literature, intermediality and travel literature with a (sub)arctic twist.
Zuzanna Swirad - Scott Polar Research Institute, UK

My interest in the polar research started 4 years ago when I was undergraduate Geography student at the University of Wroclaw, Poland. I had an excellent opportunity to spend 2 months at the Polish Polar Station, Hornsund, Svalbard, where I could assist the scientists in their fieldwork. As I spent my last B.Sc. year in Seville, Spain as an Erasmus student, my undergraduate dissertation concerned the geomorphology of Spanish and Portuguese coast (impact of 1755 tsunami wave on coastal morphology). Simultaneously, I did B.A. in Classics and Mediterranean Culture, which was connected to my second huge interest - languages and medieval art. I continued my M.Sc. in Geography in Wroclaw (2011-2013). My Master thesis entitled Lithological and structural controls on the shape of the coastline of NW Hornsund (S Svalbard) brought together my interest in the Arctic and coastal geomorphology. During my M.Sc. studies I served an internship in Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, UK (2012), where I developed my skills in analysis of the satellite images of polar areas working with Dr W. Gareth Rees. Moreover, I took part in Permafrost and Periglacial Landforms course at the University Centre in Svalbard, Norway (2013). In the academic year 2013-2014 I will be a visiting scholar in Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, UK. I would like to gain more experience in remote sensing of the High Arctic, before starting my PhD.
Ines Tavernier - Consortium Marine@UGent, Belgium

After finishing my Biology (Zoology) studies in 2007, I followed a MSc in Marine and Lacustrine Sciences at Ghent University (Belgium). In 2008, I then went on to a PhD about Holocene climate and relative sea-level changes in Lützow Holm Bay (East Antarctica). Now I'm working as the coordinator of the UGent Marine Sciences Center of Excellence to strengthen the cooperation between the different marine research groups at Ghent University and also to strengthen cooperation with Flanders Marine Institute. My job includes the establishment of a laboratory in Ostend, the coordination of the Marine Art project (bridging the gap between scientists & artists) and communicating marine science to a wide audience. I have been active within APECS both at the national and international level, as the co-founder of APECS Belgium & APECS BeNeLux (Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg) and in the Council (2011-2012) and the ExCom (2012-2013).
Alexandre Trindade Niewendam - University of Lisbon, Portugal

I'm a PhD student in Physical Geography at the Institute of Geography and Land Management, working on the analysis of relict slope deposits in Serra da Estrela Mountain, Portugal and a researcher at the Centre of Geographical Studies at the University of Lisbon. I have a MS in Physical Geography on the thermal regime of the active layer and permafrost in the Hurd Peninsula (Livingston Island, Antarctica). My research interests focus on geomorphodynamics of polar and mountain environments. I participated in five Antarctic campaigns between 2006 and 2012 with the Bulgarian, Brazilian and North-American Antarctic Expeditions and one in the Arctic in Adventdalen and Sassendalen, Svalbard. I'm one of the co-founders of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the PYRN president (2012-2014).
Tristy Vick-Majors - Montana State University, United States

I study microbial ecology, limnology and biogeochemistry in icy, cold environments. I have spent three field seasons in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica sampling permanently ice-covered lakes, and will soon visit the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to study subglacial Lake Whillans, which lies 800 meters beneath the ice. I am fascinated with microbial processes and the ecology of terrestrial aquatic and marine systems. I am constantly looking for new ways to form collaborations and to improve networking opportunities for graduate students and other aspiring scientists. I am currently co-chair of the graduate student group, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) at my home institution of Montana State University, and am working on an array of projects that aim to sustain a supportive community for female graduate students. In my spare time, I love to take in the beauty of Montana by hiking and learning to cross-country ski, read, and work on fixing up my tiny house.
Bianca Zhang - The Arctic Institute, Iceland

No bio available

So you are interested in the Council - How can you be involved?

Whatever your interest, there's a place for you! The Council has several project groups that its members can get active in. And of course if you have ideas for a new project groups let us know! We also have Council members that are representing APECS National Committees or one of our early career partner organisations (eg. PYRN).
How does our Council work? Council members meet every two months for online meetings that last about an hour to exchange and discuss ideas and new projects. In between these meetings, the project groups work on their specific projects online and might have extra calls for those.

All of our Council members serve terms from October of one year through the following September, but you can join anytime you like and remain on the Council for as long as you feel that you can be actively involved! If you feel that being involved on the APECS Council will conflict with your research, don't worry! We're all early career scientists and know how important field work and intense writing periods can be! So if you need a time(s) of absence we completely understand. We only ask you to let the Council chair know in advance about it.

Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or any of the Council chairs if you have questions about the Council, what it does and how to get involved.
How do you apply to the Council?

It's easy! You only have to fill out this application form.

After you have submitted your application, the Council chairs will be in touch with you and set up a call with you to talk with you about the Council. After that the Executive Committee will vote on your application.

Witness stunning scenery, examine fascinating natural phenomena, and challenge your physical abilities while skiing, hiking, and living in this extreme environment.
The Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) provides an expeditionary learning experience for upper level high school, undergraduate and graduate students. During the 8-week expedition, students traverse the 75-mile distance across the Juneau Icefield participating in long-running surveys of glacier dynamics and mass balance, state-of-the-art scientific research, academic lectures, and independent research projects.

Experience the Outdoor Classroom
Earn college credits and build valuable field research experience while learning in this incredible outdoor classroom. JIRP features a diverse academic curriculum in Earth System Science taught by leading researchers in the fields of glaciology, geology, climatology, meteorology, environmental sciences, ecology, biology, and other disciplines. Since 1946, over 1,400 students have participated.

Kickstart Your Career
JIRP has a long history of research in glacier dynamics and mass balance, geology, and alpine ecology. JIRP has maintained one of the longest-running glaciological research programs in the world, making it an ideal location to document the impacts of climate change on alpine and glacial environments. Student participants have gone on to become leading researchers in a wide range of fields, including glaciology, geology, biology, space science, and medicine. Participants have also become artists, photographers, adventurers, writers, and teachers.

Apply Today!
The cost of the 8-week program is $5,970, including all transportation, food, lodging, and instruction following arrival in Juneau, Alaska. Participants are responsible for transportation to and from Juneau. Some scholarships are available. For more information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

ICARP III steering group meeting Potsdam 2014 ICARP III (3rd International Conference on Arctic Research Planning) is getting closer. It will be held in conjunction with the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) and 25th anniversary of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) in April 2015 in Japan.

ICARP III will provide a framework to identify Arctic science priorities for the next decade, to coordinate Arctic research agendas, and to inform policy makers, people who live in or near the Arctic and the global community who have growing concerns about the changing Arctic environment and its impact on the planet. In the start of ICARP III process, APECS was invited to contribute to the initiative and to participate in the planning process.

During the meeting on 11-12 November, held in Potsdam, Germany, representatives of the member institutions of the Steering Group discussed about the current status of the ICARP III events and activities of the various partners. The contribution of APECS include: (1) workshops and webinars aimed at informing early career researchers about ICARP III and the contributions of IASC and ICARP III partners, and (2) project "Where are they now?" which will work to follow up what has happened to the ECRs that have gotten support and funding from IASC during the IPY and beyond with the goal to find ways to further enhance the engagement of APECS and IASC in the support and training of ECRs.

The main focus of the meeting was on the ICARP III products and outcomes, including the dissemination strategy, considering the primary audiences. The Steering Group agreed that each ICARP III activity should be invited to contribute to an ICARP III conference statement, a high-level scientific paper and other ICARP IIII publications.

Arctic Frontiers - Business to Business

Arctic Frontiers is growing and we have now integrated a Business section alongside Arctic Frontiers Policy, and Arctic Frontiers Science. Arctic Frontiers Business will focus on the drivers for industrial growth in the north.

During Arctic Frontiers Business 2015 the main focus will be on Barents Sea oil and gas and the Arctic mineral industry. It is expected that development in these two industries will have a great impact on the future economic development in the north. What will be discussed is the role of these industries as drivers for economic development, the effects for suppliers to these industries, and what can be achieved in these sectors through northern business collaboration.

As a part of the Business Conference Arctic Frontiers is hosting a conference on Regional Cooperation and Economic development in the Arctic. The conference is organised in collaboration with the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation.

Read the entire newsletter here.

The 45th International Arctic Workshop will be held in Bergen, Norway, 11-12 May, 2015. There will be an icebreaker in the evening of 10 May and an optional field trip to the fjords on 13 May.

The Workshop, which is essentially a conference rather than a workshop, is open to all interested in high-latitude environments, including the past, present, and future. Previous Workshops have included presentations on Arctic climate, geomorphology, hydrology, soils, glaciology, oceanography, ecology, archeology, Quaternary history, paleoenvironment, atmospheric chemistry, environmental geochemistry and more. This year, there will also be a special session on the theme of "Changes in Arctic hydroclimate?".

The Workshop will consist of both talks and poster sessions. Student support will be offered to a number of presenters. The conference website will be open for registration and abstract submission in January 2015. Deadline for submission of abstracts will be April 15, 2015. In the meantime, you can email your questions.

For general info on the Arctic Workshop series, based at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), University of Colorado-Boulder, click here.

idpo logo The U.S. Ice Drilling Program Office announces that the Fall 2014 Ice Bits newsletter of U.S. Ice Drilling Program activities is now available here.

Topics in this newsletter include:

Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions AGU Town Hall Meeting
Field Support to Antarctic Projects
Education and Public Outreach
2014 Technical Advisory Board Meeting
Media Kit
Field Support to Science Projects
Requesting Ice Drilling Support

Gene Petrescu of the National Weather Service will discuss the new Arctic Test Bed that in the "Enabling Scientific and Technological Improvements to Meet Core Partner Service Requirements in Alaska" webinar on 9 December, 2014.

Test beds, such as the Joint Hurricane Test Bed (Miami, FL) and the Hazardous Weather Test Bed (Norman, OK) have been highly effective in meeting unique or pressing science and service challenges for the NWS. NWS Alaska Region leadership has developed plans for a significant enhancement to our operational capabilities in Alaska to address the emerging requirements of the Arctic: An Arctic Test Bed.

Historically, the complexity of forecast operations and the inherent challenges in Alaska have not been addressed well by the R&D programs and projects that support the CONUS regions of the NWS. In addition, there are science and technology, and unique service challenges (e.g., sea ice forecasts) and opportunities (Bilateral agreements with Canada, Russia, and Norway) that would best be worked through Alaska operations. A dedicated test bed will provide a mechanism to transfer technology, research, and observations advances into operations in a timely and effective manner.

A NOAA Arctic Test Bed will provide a crucial nexus for ensuring NOAA's developers understand Alaska's needs, improve NOAA's responsiveness to its Arctic-related science and service priorities among the NWS and OAR (CPO and ESRL), and enable better leveraging of other research initiatives and data sources external to NOAA which are particular to the polar region (e.g., WWRP Polar Prediction Project).

Registration and more information available at this website.

innsbruck

The Innsbruck Summer School of Alpine Research (InnSAR) on Surface-Atmosphere Exchange over Mountainous Terrain to will be held in Innsbruck, Austria from 23-29 August 2015.

Surface-Atmosphere exchange processes play an essential role in a wide range of fields such as numerical weather prediction, climate modeling, glaciology, air pollution assessment and environmental modeling and hydrology. In complex mountainous terrain not only the models need to be adapted to slanting surfaces and inherently non-homogeneous conditions, also many observational techniques require special attention and process understanding must be revisited. InnSAR will provide state-of-the-art knowledge on these topics through lectures, excursions and hands-on student projects with a focus on:

Planetary boundary layer processes in complex terrain
Trace gas and aerosol exchange in mountainous region
Mass and energy fluxes over snow and ice surfaces
The Summer School is organized by the Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Innsbruck, Austria. Interested PhD students and young scientists are invited to watch the InnSAR website for further information send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

After an intensive recruitment process, Dr Eoghan Griffin has been appointed as the new Executive Officer of SCAR from 1st January 2015. SCAR logo white background

From 1994, Eoghan spent the next 15 years at University College London in the Atmospheric Physics Laboratory studying the polar upper atmosphere, first as a PhD student and then as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow until 2009. He then joined the Imperial College INSPIRE teacher training programme and became a qualified teacher in 2010 before joining SCAR as a Project Officer in September 2011. In this role he has helped manage aspects of the Open Science Conferences, Climate Change communications and most recently the day-to-day finances at the Secretariat.

Eoghan will work with the outgoing Executive Officer, Renuka Badhe, during December to ensure a smooth handover. Renuka will be the new Executive Secretary of the European Polar Board from January 2015.

The United Kingdom's Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has invited the international polar science community to submit comments on the concept design of a new polar research vessel, in terms of its science capability and capacity requirements. This new vessel, which will enter service in Fall 2019, will be operated for NERC by the British Antarctic Survey. The deadline for comments is January 31st, 2015.
For more information, and to submit any input you may have, we encourage you to visit the following link:
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/about/whatwedo/engage/consultations/nprv/

idpo logo The U.S. Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) is once again organizing a Town Hall meeting at the Fall AGU Meeting entitled 'TH13C. Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions'. Ice sheets and the underlying bedrock and sediment hold crucial evidence of past climate and cratonic geology. National and international collaboration for drilling in the remote polar regions requires strategic coordination between science, technology, and logistics. This town hall will provide the research community with updates on IDPO-IDDO, NICL, IPICS, RAID, WISSARD and ANDRILL initiatives. Opportunities for community involvement will be showcased, and input from the audience will be solicited.

The workshop will take place from 12:30 - 13:30 in Moscone West in Room 2006 on Monday, 15 December 2014.

For more information, please contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or visit this link.

The University of Manitoba, in collaboration with the Greenland Institute for Natural Resources and Aarhus University in Denmark, has established the Arctic Science Partnership (ASP). As part of this partnership, the Department of Environment and Geography at the University of Manitoba will be offering a field course in Arctic Science entitled GEOG 7400 Field Topics in Arctic System. The focus of this year's field course is on Snow Covered Sea Ice. This field school will bring together 15 graduate students with diverse backgrounds in Arctic science examining the role snow covered sea ice plays in the Arctic system. Through lectures, field activities, and interactions with the local community, the students will learn about various aspects of snow covered sea ice, including the physical, biological and social importance of it, as well as the methods to measure and study the micro- and macro-scale features. The field school also aims to engage the local communities by developing and implementing an outreach program for local students, and by including elders as instructors.

The field school will take place in Nuuk Greenland from 13-20 February 2015.

Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inquiries about the workshop and/or to request the application form. The application deadline is 31 December 2015.

More information about the workshop will be available here soon.

The first European Snow Science Winter School will take place from 8-14 February 2015 in Sodankylä, Finland. Any graduate student or post-doc working on snow or in some snow related field is welcome to participate. Those fields may cover glaciology, hydrology, oceanography, geography, but also biology or chemistry as well as engineering or material sciences.

Participants will learn about state-of-the-art snow measurement techniques in the field and related theory.

Field measurements will be done in small groups of 3-4 students. Each group of students will have to prepare a report describing the methods, results and interpretation. The course corresponds to 3 ETCS-Points.

The total cost of the course is €200 including full accommodation (details on the web page). The registration deadline is 31 December 2014 (number of participants is limited to 25).

The workshop is organized by the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), Juha Lemmetyinen, Leena Leppänen, Anna Kontu, the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Martin Schneebeli, and Martin Proksch

To send inquiries or to register for the workshop, please send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Lecturers will include:

Martin Schneebeli, WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF
Juha Lemmetyinen, Finnish Meteorological Institute FMI, Finland
Chris Derksen, Environment Canada
Jean-Charles Gallet, Norwegian Polar Institute NPI, Norway
Alex Langlois, Universit? de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Martin Proksch, WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF
Anna Kontu, Finnish Meteorological Institute FMI, Finland
Isabelle Gouttevin, IRSTEA, Lyon, France

For more information, please visit this link.

The Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) (in concert with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP), the Alaska Sea Grant, the Alaska Marine Conservation Council, and UAF's Ocean Acidification Research Center), will be sponsoring a workshop on ocean acidification on Tuesday, 2 December 2014 at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Anchorage, Alaska. This workshop aims to bring concerned and/or interested individuals together to hear the latest research, policy implications, community perspectives, and potential impacts along Alaska's coast and oceans.

The workshop will focus on the following:

role of glaciers, pteropods and policy
community perspectives
local, state, national efforts
biological, economic and community impact
To learn more and RSVP, please visit this link.

APECS will host a webinar entitled: The what, why, and how of high-impact publication in science" on 3 December 2014 at 16:00 GMT.

Publishing in high impact journals is often one of the ultimate goals for scientists. Even if the current impact factor measures are not of everybody's liking, it is no doubt that in the current academic settings itis easier to obtain the next grant, the next promotion or even the next job if your count with high impact publications in your CV. But what actually makes the difference between a "normal" scientific publication and a high impact one? In her lecture, Maria Luisa Avila will speak about her experience as science editor for a high impact journal, what makes a high impact publication (and what doesn't!), why aiming for high impact could be beneficial (an detrimental!) to science and how you can tailor your research and article writing to improve your chances of publishing in high impact journals.

To reserve your webinar seat, please register here. The webinar ID is 697971593.

Sponsor: GoToWebinar has been provided as an in-kind contribution from Bredbåndsfylket.

APECS will host additional career development webinars and topical research webinars throughout the coming year. If you would like to learn more about APECS, the resources it offers, and upcoming APECS events, please visit the APECS website.

A couple of weeks ago, I was tidying up my room. And by that, I mean really tidying up - not just shovelling my clutter into the nearest cupboard (or under my bed). It was time for a real change: I had to get rid of all the mess.
Tidying up is not my favourite thing to do. However: once I got started, I found out that it was quite rewarding, in fact.

I found a long lost sock (with a purple polkadot pattern) and could finally unite it with its lonely partner. I found 10 euro's worth of cash. And, best of all, I found a book called 'Polar Science and Global Climate - An International Resource for Education and Outreach'. The book was published in the International Polar Year 2007-2008 and I'd got it at the IPY conference in Oslo in 2010. Since then, I hadn't really looked at it (which shows how often I tidy my room...)

As soon as I found the book, I abandoned my cleaning resolutions. The book was far too interesting, and contained a lot of easy, fun ways to introduce polar science concepts to the broad audience. The lesson 'Penguin Reunion', for example, lets 'participants play a group game to demonstrate how penguin parents and chicks are able to find their families in large, loud rookeries'. And in another lesson, 'students use ice samples and a coloured dye to investigate differences in the structure of sea ice and freshwater ice'.
What I liked about this book, is that it introduces lay people to polar science in an easy accessible way. And that is, in my opinion, also a very import mission for us as APECS members: inspire the broad audience.

To inspire other people, first you need to be inspired yourself. That's why, in my opinion, the APECS Netherlands gathering on the 4th of November was so very successful.

With approximately 30 people, we came together in the Arctic Centre in Groningen. In the morning, we had an interesting talk from Dr. Greg Poelzer, all the way from Canada - he is the Executive Chair of the University of Saskatchewan'sInternational Centre for Northern Governance and Development. In the afternoon, after a delicious lunch (thank you, Willem Barentsz Polar Institute!) we had very inspiring presentations by APECS members - the topics varying from long tailed skuas (traveling pole-to-pole) to the archaeology of Jan Mayen. In addition, Jorden Splinter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave a talk about his role as senior advisor Polar Affairs, and Dr. Annette Scheepstra, told us about the Willem Barentsz Polar Institute.

To conclude the day, Nyckle Swierstra, senior communication advisor of the University of Groningen, shared some tips and tricks to improve science presentations, focusing on the importance of telling a story - getting the message of your research across to the public by communicating in an enthusiastic, inspiring way. Together with film institute Sensu Science, he gave us a crash course in filmmaking. We had to design our own storyboard for a short polar film - a sort of FrostByte video.

All in all, the programme contained so many interesting views on polar science, that we had a lot to talk about during the informal party afterwards - so much, in fact, that I almost missed my train. The gathering of APECS Netherlands was full of interesting 'sparks', full of creativity. Meeting so many people who all share the love for the polar regions, creates a very inspiring atmosphere. A lot of new plans were made (among which writings a proceedings publication based on the presentations of APECS NL members), a lot of networking was done. I got home with so much energy, that I even managed to finish the tidying up of my room...

agu apecs 2013 Join us for a panel discussion by experts in polar science and the cryosphere at the 2014 AGU annual meeting!

The discussion will address the exciting career opportunities and challenges faced by scientists who study frozen realms. The panel brings together scientists at various stages of their careers both within and outside of university settings, including Dr. Henrietta Edmonds (NSF Arctic Natural Science Program Director), Dr. Lonnie Thompson (Bryd Polar Research Center at The Ohio State University), Dr. Lora Koenig (Research Scientist National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), University of Colorado Boulder), and Dr. Chris Polashenski (Research Geophysicist at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab (CRREL). The floor will be open for a moderated conversation on any aspect of careers in polar science that interests the audience.

This event is held in partnership between the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the AGU Cryosphere Focus Group, on Wednesday December 17th from 6-7:30 PM in Moscone South Mezzanine 270. After the panel, we will be continuing the evening of discussion and networking at the nearby pub John Colins (138 Minna Street) from 7:30-9:00. Join us there for free appetizers even if you can't make the panel. We welcome the attendance of those at all career stages!

You may find the event listing on the AGU website: http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2014/events/apecs-agu-cryosphere-career-panel-discussion-pub-meetup/

Compendium to the Report on the State of Northern Knowledge in Canada (Canadian Polar Commission)

The report on the State of Northern Knowledge in Canada (March 2014) analyses the significant gains made since the beginning of International Polar Year 2007 with a view to determining today's high-level research opportunities. Focusing on the perspectives of northerners, it highlights new knowledge that can be used to address many of the issues northerners have identified as important.

This compendium includes the methodology used to compile the report and some background topic summaries which provide a greater level of detail than it was possible to include in the report itself. Summaries are available on the following topics:

Communications, Infrastructure and Transportation Systems
Economic Development
Energy
Food Security
Health and Well-Being
Housing
Read the Compendium

The Implementation Plan for the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) has been officially released. It is available at http://www.polarprediction.net/documents.html.

YOPP is a key activity of the WMO/WWRP Polar Prediction Project (PPP) and aims to enable a significant improvement in environmental prediction capabilities for the polar regions and beyond, by coordinating a period of intensive observing, modelling, prediction, verification, user-engagement and education activities.

YOPP is a community effort and that everyone interested is invited to make contributions. For further information visit http://www.polarprediction.net.

Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON) Canada is pleased to release the first issue of the SAON Canada Results Bulletin, which highlights results from monitoring initiatives occurring across the Canadian North, along with their links to policy. This Bulletin was developed in partnership with the Canadian Polar Commission and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) Canada.

The registration deadline for the PEI Polar Educators Workshop in Hannover, Germany, April 1 - 4 2015 is coming up on 15 December 2014! See the attached poster for information.

If you have already registered, thank you. the workshop organizers will be sending out acceptances with information about travel early in January. Stay tuned!

PEI2015 FINAL NEW s

ARC logo A4 s h pos transparent The Arctic Offshore Conference will be held 27-28 November 2014 in Aarhus, Denmark. The focus of the conference will be on regulatory governance of offshore activities, with an emphasis on risks of oil spill in the Arctic seas.

As climate change is dramatically affecting the Arctic environment, the region is witnessing substantial new development opportunities in sectors like fossil energy oil, gas and renewable energies (e.g. wind
power, hydroelectricity and geothermal power). Complex challenges simultaneously arise in terms of environmental protection, health and social issues in regions where indigenous peoples and civil participation in decision-making on public issues is still evolving.

Timo Koivurova, Director for the Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law, Arctic Centre/University of Lapland, will be the keynote speaker at this event. Other presenters with expertise on the Arctic region from both Aarhus University and international institutions will be coming from a wide spectrum of disciplines such as political science, law, anthropology, bioscience, health etc. For further information on the conference, please click here.

From Chemistry to Modelling via Biology and Physical Oceanography in the Changing Polar Systems
March 14-15, 2015
Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort
Lucca (Barga), Italy

The Gordon Research Seminar on Polar Marine Science is a unique forum for graduate students, post-docs, and other scientists with comparable levels of experience and education to present and exchange new data and cutting edge ideas.

The GRS will allow attendees to exchange and communicate their research within the young scientific community but also with the senior mentoring scientists present. We will evolve from small scale to the larger scale for both the Arctic and the Antarctic, the different disciplines will be covered within the different scales of study.

The meeting will feature approximately 10 talks and 2 poster sessions. All attendees are expected to actively participate in the GRS either by giving an oral presentation or presenting a poster. Therefore, all applications must include an abstract.

Applications for this meeting must be submitted by February 14, 2015. Any applicants who wish to be considered for an oral presentation should submit their application by December 14, 2014. Please apply early, as some meetings become oversubscribed (full) before this deadline. If the meeting is oversubscribed, it will be stated here. Note: Applications for oversubscribed meetings will only be considered by the Conference Chair if more seats become available due to cancellations.

The Chairs will select speakers from abstracts submitted by December 14, 2014. Those applicants who are not chosen for talks and those who apply after the deadline to be considered for an oral presentation will be expected to present a poster.

The Polar Marine Science Gordon Research Seminar will be held in conjunction with the Polar Marine Science Gordon Research Conference. Those interested in attending both meetings must submit an application for the GRC in addition to an application for the GRS. Please refer to the Polar Marine Science GRC web page for more information.

The APECS - Portugal has organized its 5th Edition Workshop of Career Development in Porto (Portugal). As in previous years, the workshop was allocated close to the 6th Portuguese Polar Science Conference in order to enhance the extension of this event within the Portuguese Polar community. The workshop theme for this year was "APECS Portugal: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow", and has such it was staged in three distinct parts.

During “Yesterday” we travelled back to the origins of APECS Portugal, and guided by our Today’s mentors (the past earlier career scientists and the founders of APECS Portugal) we learnt about the motivations behind the birth of APECS in Portugal, and realized the Yesterday’s goals achieved Today. “Today” was the place to discuss about the opportunities for young scientist provided by APECS Portugal and also by APECS International, and the outcomes from our educational projects held during polar weeks as well as the impacts of networking.

To discuss about Tomorrow we benefited from the presence of a panel of discussion with our guests to help establish our future goals and provided us with valuable tips towards a successful career development.

To contribute to the success and enrichment of this event, besides all the national speakers we were happy to have Dr. Gerlis Fugmann Executive Director of APECS International, Professor Holger Hintelmann from the Canadian Arctic Program and also three members of APECS Bulgaria - Iglika Trifonova, Denitsa Apostolova and Desislava Petkova-Peneva, (president and boards members of APECS Bulgaria, respectively), who provided a valuable insight of the Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow of their National Committee.

WorkshopAPECSpt2014

AntarcticaDayLogo APECS, together with the Our Spaces - Foundation for the Good Governance of International Spaces, Polar Educators International, PolarTREC , the International Polar Foundation, Gateway Antarctica, the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO), eBIRD, the Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation and the British Antarctic Survey are once again proud to support Antarctica Day commemorations. This event was created to celebrate the spirit of international peace and scientific cooperation that signified the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959.

Antarctica Day 2014 is an international effort to disseminate knowledge about Antarctica and APECS is proud to help inspire a new generation of polar researchers. The day is for everyone, so take some time to celebrate with your co-workers, family and friends!

This year several events and classroom activities are happening centered around Antarctic science and exploration. Are you planning to organise something for Antarctica Day? Send your activities to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so we can include them in our growing list of activities for Antarctica Day 2014 http://www.apecs.is/en/outreach/antarctica-day/antarctica-day-20142

To include your support for Antarctica Day 2014 you can also insert your information in our map available at http://www.apecs.is/en/outreach/antarctica-day/antarctica-day-20142/6226-antarctica-day-2014-map.

Continuing in the spirit of international cooperation, APECS, in conjunction with Our Spaces and Polar Educators International, are once again encouraging educators and their students from around the world to express their own knowledge, curiosity and amazement about Antarctica in the form of Antarctica Flags and Books. To find out more information go to http://www.apecs.is/en/outreach/antarctica-day/antarctica-day-20142/antarctica-day-2014-flags-books

Join Antarctica Day on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/154649031246711/

Happy Antarctica Day 2014 from APECS!

Abstracts are now being accepted for the Ilulissat Climate Days 2015 conference and workshop. This conference and workshop is dedicated to science talks and discussions regarding the current and future changes of the Greenland and Arctic cryosphere. It will be held in Ilulissat, Greenland, from 2- 5 June 2015 at the Arctic Hotel. Ilulissat Climate Days is arranged by a committee from Danish, Greenlandic and Icelandic organizations. The scientific committee consists of the following scientists: K. Steffen, I Joughin, M Drinkwater, P Wadhams, J Box, J-O Hagen, G Adalgeirsdottir,

The workshop component of Ilulissat Climate Days will highlight overviews of current changes, as measured from space, airborne and in-situ methods, and future projections of changes. The meeting is a follow up on the similar event "Nuuk Climate Days" 2009, and will involve both scientists and stakeholders in discussions on cryosphere changes, and their effects on the Greenland environment and society. Additional activities include the final conference for the Nordic Centre of Excellence SVALI (Stability and Variations of Arctic Land Ice) as well as meetings related to the ESA Climate Change Initiative.

The deadline for submission of abstracts is January 30, 2015.

For details see the website.

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to draw your attention to the upcoming Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) session at the ISAR-4/ICARP III Symposium (27-30 April, 2015) during the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2015 in Toyama, Japan. The Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) network is a multidisciplinary initiative that aims to integrate spatial and temporal variability in Arctic marine system. We kindly invite submissions by anyone sharing a common interest in improving our understanding of past, present and future changes in the Arctic and developing dialogues on interdisciplinary Arctic research approaches and future directions. Submissions can be made via the conference website at http://www.assw2015.org

SESSION C2: Arctic in Rapid Transition – future research directions from the perspective of early career scientists

SESSION DESCRIPTION: Much research has been conducted in the Arctic in the past few decades, however some areas received more scientific attention than others, i.e., Atlantic and Canadian Arctic is more advanced than Pacific and Central Arctic. Pan-Arctic research is important to quantify the changes occurring within the complex Arctic systems, especially since the ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles could have strong regional variability. Contribution from Asian countries to Arctic research is not large in comparison with European and North American countries due to geographical limitations. In order to fill the geographical gaps in Arctic research, it is fundamental that Asian early career to mid-career scientists become involved in international collaborations. Also, research resources such as personnel, facilities and funding are still limited in the world. Thus, involvement of Asian early to mid-career scientists into the frame of international collaborations is important to logistically, as well as scientifically, improve pan-Arctic research in coming decades.

This session specifically aims at allowing early career scientists, to get involved in international collaborations under the umbrella of the Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) network, with especially encouraging scientists from Asia. The Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART; http://www.iarc.uaf.edu/en/ART/), an official network of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), is an integrative, international, interdisciplinary, Pan-Arctic network to study the spatial and temporal changes in biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem functioning of the Arctic Ocean over multiple time scales. Early career researchers' perspective is of great importance to ensure the involvement of the next generation of Arctic researchers, since they will be the ones sustaining current monitoring and implementing new projects into
the future. The goal of this session is to integrate studies from various Arctic research fields in order to better understand the changing Arctic system beyond its regional variability and across multiple time-scales, and will also include outcomes from the former ART science workshop held in Sopot 2012 as well as the upcoming workshop in Brest 2014 (http://istas.sciencesconf.org/), and the session of the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN; http://pyrn.arcticportal.org/index.php/en/) at the upcoming EUCOP-4 conference (http://www.eucop4.org/) in Portugal.

CONVENERS:

Makoto Sampei, Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Japan, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Carolyn Wegner, GEOMAR Helmholtz Center of Ocean Research Kiel, Germany, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Monika Kedra, Institute of Oceanology Sopot, Poland, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP) will host a webinar titled "A Tale of Two Synthesis Efforts: The PacMARS and SOAR Programs" on Tuesday, 18 November 2014 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. AKST. It will be presented by Jackie Grebmeier (UMCES) and Sue Moore (NOAA/Fisheries).

Over the past 2-3 years, the PacMARS and SOAR programs have focused the efforts of a suite of researchers, Arctic residents, and resource managers on providing a synthesis of existing information regarding the state of the Pacific Arctic marine ecosystem. While the two programs have similar goals, the approach taken by each can be likened to the 'tortoise/SOAR and hare/PacMARS' story.

The Synthesis of Arctic Research (SOAR/5 year program), supported by the BOEM, Alaska Region, was initiated in 2011 with the overarching goal to increase scientific understanding of the relationships among oceanographic conditions, benthic organisms, lower trophic prey species (forage fish and zooplankton), seabirds, and marine mammal distribution and behavior in the Pacific Arctic--with results of this effort the publication of peer-reviewed papers as a 'special issue' of a science journal coupled to outreach communications to local residents, resource managers and the public (http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/soar/).

The Pacific Marine Arctic Synthesis (PacMARS/2 year program), supported by the North Pacific Research Board (NPRB), was initiated in 2012, with the overall goal to provide guidance for scientific research needs in
the region, as well as to serve stakeholder needs for understanding this important ecosystem and its vulnerabilities--with results of this effort the publication of a final report listing all relevant data sources and the establishment of a data portal to provide efficient access to these data for scientists, resource managers and the public
(http://pacmars.cbl.umces.edu/).

Speakers: Jackie Grebmeier, UMCES and Sue Moore, NOAA/Fisheries

Tuesday, 18 November 2014
10:00-11:00 a.m. AKST

To register for the webinar, please go to:
https://accap.uaf.edu/PacMARS_SOAR

For further information on the ACCAP Alaska Climate webinars, to
subscribe to their podcasts, and for archived webinars please go to:
http://accap.uaf.edu/webinars.

For questions, please contact:
Tina Buxbaum
Phone: 907-474-7812
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The International Association for Cryospheric Sciences (IACS) is proud to announce its 2015 Early Career Scientist Prize.

IACS now welcomes nominations of scientific papers satisfying the eligibility criteria (see guidelines on-line at http://www.cryosphericsciences.org/iacsAwards.html).

Please submit nomination packages until 13 February 2015 the latest to ecsaward.iacs (at) slf.ch with the subject line labeled as "IACS: 2015 ECS Prize". All submissions will be acknowledged. If in doubt, please contact the Chair of the Selection Committee (ian.allison (at) utas.edu.au).

The Selection Committee will announce the winner late-March 2015 and the 2015 Prize will be formally presented during the IACS Plenary Administrative Session at the XXVI IUGG General Assembly in Prague in June 2015.

IARPC Collaborations is an innovative collaboration space that brings together funding agencies and Arctic scientists from Federal, State,academic, non-governmental, industry, and other organizations to share knowledge and resources on a range of topics related to U.S.-federally-funded research in the Arctic. IARPC wishes to harness talent and expertise from as many sources as possible. If you can contribute your expertise, please request an IARPC account at this link and join the conversation.

IUGG Abstracts are now being accepted for a session on the representation of the cryosphere in CMIP5 modelsat the 26th International Union on Geodesy and Geophysics general assembly from 22 June - 2 July 2015 in Prague, Czech Republic.

The Fifth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) provides a large multi-model ensemble of historical simulations, idealized experiments, and future projections that were used extensively in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report. Although some initial evaluation of the ability of the CMIP5 models to simulate aspects of the cryosphere was undertaken in Chapter 9 of the IPCC report, more in-depth evaluation remains to be done. This symposium invites contributions in which cryosphere components (sea-ice, snow, ice sheets, permafrost, etc) in CMIP5 models are evaluated by comparison to a range of in-situ and remotely-sensed data. Novel evaluation approaches, in which important physical processes are identified and probed, are particularly
welcome, as are contributions to understanding the link between model quality (as evaluated by comparison to historical observations) and confidence in model predictions on seasonal to interannual time scales, and in model projections of longer-term future climate. Careful evaluation of model biases and shortcomings also helps guide ongoing model development through the identification of processes or feedbacks that are not well represented. Therefore, this symposium also invites contributions in which model evaluation is applied to understanding shortcomings in the representation of cryospheric processes and linking these to improvements that have or could be made. This symposium is co-sponsored by CliC (Climate and Cryosphere, World Climate Research Programme).

Convener: Alexandra Jahn (Boulder, Colorado, USA)
Co-conveners: Gerhard Krinner (Grenoble, France) and Francois Massonnet (Louvain, Belgium)

The Los Alamos National Laboratory is pleased to announce the release of the Community Ice Sheet Model (CISM) version 2.0, a next-generation ice sheet model for use in predicting ice sheet evolution in a changing climate. CISM 2.0 is freely available to the glaciology and climate modeling communities. It serves as the ice dynamics component of the Community Earth System Model (CESM), which is one of the first global climate models to include coupled, dynamic ice sheets. The starting point for CISM 2.0 is the Glimmer ice sheet model developed at the University of Bristol and elsewhere. With CISM 2.0, the original Glimmer model has been extended to include higher-order ice dynamics and scalable parallelism. This work has been done by the U.S. Department of Energy with contributions from the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the University of Montana, the University of Colorado, New York University, the University of Bristol, the University of Edinburgh, Swansea University, and the University of Zurich. CISM 2.0 runs on a regular mesh using a mixture of finite-difference, finite-volume, and finite-element methods. While written in Fortran 90, it includes and allows for software interfaces to code written in C++. CISM 2.0 is open-source software licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL).
CISM 2.0 includes the following new features relative to the Glimmer and Glimmer-CISM models:

* Robust, parallel, 2D and 3D, higher-order accurate approximations to the Stokes momentum balance (Blatter-Pattyn, SSA, L1L2)

* 3D, parallel mass and temperature transport

* Software interfaces to modern C++ based solver libraries (e.g., Trilinos

* Replacement of Autotools build system with Cmake build system

* Addition of new higher-order test cases, including several with analytical solutions

* Re-ordering of time step to be fully consistent with explicit forward Euler scheme

* New high-level "cism_driver", which replaces and reproduces functionality of several old drivers and allows for more flexible integration of additional and/or external dycores

* Re-arrangement of directory structure

* Modifications to Glint coupling software to support coupling to CESM and other climate models that compute the surface mass balance external to the ice sheet model

* New and updated documentation

CISM 2.0 will be hosted by the CISM Github organization (A download link for an archive of the code is also available from the CISM website). More information, including full documentation of the code and information on user mailing lists, can be found at the CISM website.

Applied Research in Environmental Sciences Nonprofit, Inc. are hosting two upcoming Web seminars using WebEx.

Webinar 1.
Topic: Coastal Erosion Workshop for Alaska's North Slope: Weather and Regional Shoreline Changes
Host: Kathleen Fischer
Date and Time:
Tuesday, October 28, 2014 10:00 am, Alaska Daylight Time (Anchorage, GMT-08:00)
Tuesday, October 28, 2014 11:00 am, Pacific Daylight Time (San Francisco, GMT-07:00)
Tuesday, October 28, 2014 1:00 pm, Central Daylight Time (Chicago, GMT-05:00)
Tuesday, October 28, 2014 2:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)
Speakers:
John Lingaas and Louise Fode, National Weather Service, on North Slope weather.
Ann Gibbs, USGS Santa Cruz, on shoreline changes using GIS.

Webinar 2.
Topic: Coastal Erosion Workshop for Alaska's North Slope: Monitoring Basics and Online Tools
Host: Kathleen Fischer
Date and Time:
Thursday, October 30, 2014 10:00 am, Alaska Daylight Time (Anchorage, GMT-08:00)
Thursday, October 30, 2014 11:00 am, Pacific Daylight Time (San Francisco, GMT-7:00)
Thursday, October 30, 2014 1:00 pm, Central Daylight Time (Chicago, GMT-05:00)
Thursday, October 30, 2014 2:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)
Speakers:
Orson P. Smith, University of Alaska Anchorage College of Engineering (retired) on North Slope coastal erosion causes, responses, and related data needs.
Nicole Kinsman, Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, on online tools developed by her agency.

For more information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Snow meeting 2014 1 Three APECS members, Ludovic Brucker, Stine Højlund Pedersen, and Heather Mariash, were selected to participate in the workshop "Arctic Snow Cover Changes and their Consequences" held in Copenhagen on 16th and 17th of October, 2014. An event supported and hosted by IASC- INTERACT - CLiC- AMAP- GEO at the European Environmental Agency in Copenhagen. The two day workshop included updates on current monitoring programs along with breakout sessions to brainstorm key topics for future research, monitoring, methods for collecting observational data, data modeling, and ecological impacts of Arctic Snow cover. The results of this meeting are meant to prepare for the ICCARP III, which will determine Arctic science priorities for the next decade. ICARP III will be held in Tayama Japan, April 2015.

copenhagen Mariash We are grateful to IASC and event organizers for supporting the early career researchers to attend the small (< 35 people) workshop. It was a stimulating event! We had the privilege of contributing to the discussions, gained a wider understanding of the aspects of snow cover science in the circumpolar Arctic, and will contribute to a summary paper for the research recommendations and priority monitoring plans that were discussed during the meeting.

APECS Netherlands are holding their yearly open-science symposium at the Arctic Centre in Groningen on November 4. As always, there'll be plenty of time for our ECR's to showcase their work. We are also happy to welcome the following speakers: Dr Greg Poelzer from the University of Saskatchewan (supported by the Canadian Embassy in The Hague), Mr Jorden Splinter of the Netherlands Foreign Ministry, and Dr Annette Scheepstra, coordinator of the Willem Barentsz Polar Institute. Mr Nyckle Swierstra will host our workshop on short films ('FrostBytes') in polar science. If you happen to be in the Netherlands, what's your excuse for not attending?

From 29th October to 31st October 2014, the Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania, Australia will be hosting the 7th Polar Law Symposium. In a time of rapid change in both geographical and geopolitical arenas, the way we manage the polar regions through international legal mechanisms are of critical importance.

We invite APECS members to follow the proceedings of the conference which will cover various aspects of polar law; including human rights, environmental law, territorial law, with a special focus on the role of Asian states in polar affairs. The program can be found here: polarlaw2014/program

The live streamed event, which is accessible all over the globe, can be found at http://new.livestream.com/accounts/7587656/events/3517964. This stream will also be linked with social media, where you can ask questions of the speakers:
Facebook: polarlawsymposium
Twitter: @polar_law or #polarlaw
Any media enquiries or requests for further information can be forwarded to the University of Tasmania's This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

APECS Portugal Polar Week September 2014 The polar week in Portugal carried out between 28 September to 5 October 2014 (and bringing individual initiatives from the previous Polar Week) was entirely devoted to the mission of bringing polar science to the general public and in particular to the classroom. During these days, a total of 45245 students, 147 teachers and 13 scientists and educators from Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Chile, USA and UK came together and dedicated themselves to the polar regions, sharing knowledge, experiences and discussing emerging issues.

Coordinated by APECS Portugal and Polar Educators International, with the endorsement of the Portuguese Polar Program (PROPOLAR), developed numerous activities, including talks in schools and universities (total: 34 talks), skype conferences (6), talks in shopping centers (4), mini-courses (3) and study visits to Universities (1). In parallel there was also the photographic exhibition "Within the limits of science" who has been following the country's schools and shopping centers which has been a great success. It should be highlighted the collaboration between APECS Portugal and APECS Brazil with the participation of portuguese scientists in Brazil Polar Week, held a week before, during the II Workshop of Career Development and III APECS-Brazil Symposium.

These were intense days full of interest enabling students to new knowledge and experience and leading scientists to adjust their language and develop communication skills.

Discover more in facebook pages:
https://www.facebook.com/semanaspolarespt
https://www.facebook.com/apecs.portugal

APECS Brazil Workshop 2014 The APECS-Brazil coordinated its third Symposium held in Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, from 16 to 22 September 2014. The event was an ideal space to join early career, educators and seniors researches and we promoted five days knowledge exchange and integration among all attendees. The 2014 Symposium was dedicated mainly to scientific discussions between researches and educators, seniors and early carriers, who developed scientific or educational activities in Antarctica or in the Arctic, besides activities related to the marine environment. APECS-Brazil promoted opportunities for professional career development by talks (20) and short courses (19) to our audience. APECS-Brazil also promoted web cast of 4 talks during the event to schools and other public. The ECRs gave 11 oral and 12 poster presentations during the event. A great goal of APECS-Brazil symposium was include educators (20) from Basic Education to promote education and outreach activities as integral components of polar research and to stimulate future generations of polar researchers. We also organized a Picture context and a “Photograph Exhibition: Glimpses on a frozen continent” that will circulate around the country in Schools. The attendees (about 200 per day) were mainly undergraduate students, professional researchers, teachers (20) and military — especially the Brazilian Navy, which hosted the meeting in one of their facilities. We rely on presence by over 200 people during the event and about 2000 people via live streaming and APECS-Brazil additional activities in the website (during the preceding week in Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, more then 40000 people, mainly students, took part in the activities of our XII International Polar Week). The recorded lectures was available in APECS-Brazil Facebook page. The abstract book is available on APECS-Brazil website (http://www.apecsbrasil.com/publica/).

ARCUS color logo The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) will host a three-part series of webinar workshops addressing coastal erosion on the North Slope of Alaska over the next several weeks.

This series of webinar-based workshops will include presentations and discussions of how coastal erosion on the North Slope of Alaska impacts local communities, the best practices for a long-term observing (LTO) network that could contribute to community planning and response, and how citizens can contribute to monitoring erosion along their coast. General questions for workshop discussions include:

- What are the best practices for a long-term observing network so that it contributes to community understanding and planned response to coastal erosion?
- What are the best strategies for informing and engaging the community?

The remaining two webinar series includes:

"Coastal Erosion Workshop for Alaska's North Slope: Shoreline: Changes and Weather"
Date: Tuesday, 28 October 2014 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am (AKDT)
Speaker: Ann Gibbs, U.S. Geological Survey

"Coastal Erosion Workshop for Alaska's North Slope: Monitoring Basics"
Date: Thursday, 30 October 2014 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am (AKDT)
Speakers: Orson Smith, Alaska Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC) and University of Alaska Anchorage, retired, and Nicole Kinsman, Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Survey
Topics: Monitoring network fundamentals and online monitoring tools.

For more information about these webinars, please see the Arctic Calendar or contact Kathleen Fischer

PYRN is happy to present its' first newsletter after this summers' election of the new ExCom at EUCOP4 at Evora!

You can read the newsletter here or by visiting Publications -> Newsletter at pyrn.arcticportal.org.

wscca Climate change is among the major challenges of modern times. As the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has shown, there are still many challenges ahead and many needs to be met, calling from action not only from government, but also from various stakeholders.

Apart from the knowledge offered by modelling and forecasts which allows us to understand the problem and how it develops in the future, we need to know more about approaches, methods and tools, which may help us to cope with the social, economic and political problems posed by climate change now. In order words, we need to speed up developments in the field of climate change adaptation.

It is against this background that the "World Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation" is being organised. The event is a joint initiative by Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), the Research and Transfer Centre "Applications of Life Sciences" of the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany) and the Baltic University Programme in Uppsala (Sweden), in cooperation with the International Climate Change Information Programme (ICCIP) and the United Nations University initiative "Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development" (RCE). The Symposium will be a truly interdisciplinary event, covering some of the key areas in the field of climate change adaptation.

The "World Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation" will focus on "innovative approaches to implement climate change adaptation", and will contribute to the further development of this fast-growing field.

Details of the Symposium are available here.

An abstract submission form and guidelines are available here
:

The abstract submission deadline is 20 December 2014
The early bird registration deadline for the symposium is 30 January 2015
The deadline for submission of full papers is 30 March 2015
The symposium registration deadline is 30 May 2015

Abstracts are now being accepted for oral and poster presentations for the four-day ISAR/ICARP III symposium at the Arctic Science Summit Week 2015 in Toyama, Japan. Abstracts will be accepted until 10 November, 2014.

Two sessions currently accepting abstracts include:

B3: Changing permafrost and its impact on the physical, ecological, economic and cultural Earth system
C7: Arctic freshwater system, changes and effects on Arctic freshwater ecosystems
For a full listing of the available sessions, please visit this link.

Session B3 Description:

Permafrost is a widespread feature of polar regions that underlies virtually all of the non-glaciated terrestrial Arctic and Antarctic. Permafrost has become one of the focal points of modern environmental polar science because of the impacts associated with the widespread thawing currently occurring and its potential impact on the Earth system. Further, permafrost landscapes play a vital role in both historical and contemporary subsistence practices, yet there are today few studies of human interaction (i.e. land use) with permafrost dynamics and a clear need for integration of physical and social sciences in permafrost research. The session will identify future directions for permafrost research in the ICARPIII process. In particular, this session will investigate the implications of degrading permafrost for northern communities, industry, wildlife, as well as the storage, decomposition and release of carbon (as carbon dioxide or methane) and nitrogen in and from frozen ground. It will feature results from interview and participant observations, field process studies, monitoring programs, remote sensing, modelling, and interdisciplinary efforts to include local processes in global climate models and vice-versa. Introduction of international collaboration among diverse scientific and social communities, outreaches and social involvements to scientific activities are also welcomed. Since this session offers various discussions of changing permafrost, the regional coverage is not only Arctic in the narrow sense but also mid-latitude and high mountainous regions with potential permafrost. By encompassing all aspects of cold land processes, including those related to geology, geomorphology, biogeochemistry, hydrology, microbiology, engineering, anthropology, policy studies and social science, and their interactions, this session will highlight the role of permafrost in the Earth System and the impact of its changes on the environment and society.

CONVENERS:

Ylva Sjöberg
Hiroki Takakura
Mamoru Ishikawa

Session C7 Description:

Climate change and variability are affecting freshwater systems within the Arctic and subarctic. As water integrates and propagates effects across the Arctic, these transformations will have a profound effect on both society and environment, also beyond the Arctic. This session focuses on how major Arctic freshwater sources, fluxes and storage components are being modified, including: atmospheric and river transport, precipitation-evaporation-permafrost/soil moisture regimes, glacier and ice cap mass balances, sea-ice formation and dynamics, and marine exchanges including oceanic storage and release of low-salinity water. Also of interest are ecological and socio-economic effects that cascade from changes in these freshwater components and related processes. Freshwater ecosystems that are rapidly changing due to warming will be of specific focus, including effects on their biodiversity, food webs, and ecosystem function as well as ecosystem services. This session will be presenting key results concerning the Arctic freshwater system, and aims to collate information on current studies on the biodiversity and ecosystem function of Arctic and sub-arctic freshwater ecosystems. For these reasons, the format of the session will be of both presentation and workshop/brainstorming type. Presentations of key results synthesized from studies related to the Arctic freshwater system is followed by brief presentations on current research activities concerning Arctic freshwater ecosystems. The session will end with a discussion forum to synthesize some of the main topics of the session and draft a plan for possible dissemination i.e. roadmap for future research activities. The outcome of the proposed session will enable us to understand the cumulative effect of current changes in the Arctic, which will be applicable for enhanced management of freshwater resources in the Arctic.

Scientific fields: Hydrology, with links to atmosphere, ocean, ecosystems (freshwater), and social and human dimensions

CONVENERS:

Alexander Milner, University of Birmingham, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Warwick Vincent, Université Laval, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Terry Prowse, University of Victoria, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Johanna Mård Karlsson, Stockholm University, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

APECS is pleased to announce the start of the 2014-2015 Webinar Series.

Webinars are interactive presentations and workshops, for which APECS uses the online conferencing program “GoToMeeting”. This live presentation platform allows participants to hear the presentation, see the power points slides and interact via chat box with the presenter the entire time. Webinars allow people to connect and participant in high quality research and skill training discussions from the comfort of their desk!

Each webinar will last approximately one hour and will be broadcast online. APECS looks forward to your participation.

The first webinar of this APECS webinar season is:

Building a personal/academic website
with Jean-Sébastien Moore (Université Laval, Canada)
Nov 3, 11:00 EST Time
Webinar ID:411988233

About this webinar: As early career scientists, we should all be concerned about advertising ourselves. One of the best ways of doing this is to build a website showcasing your work. I will first go over some of the numerous alternatives that exist for you to easily build and host a free website. I will then go into more details on the process of building the site with the tool that I myself prefer: Weebly. I will then share some thoughts on what I think is good design for a personal/academic website.

How to participate? Register and reserve your spot here https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/411988233

Sponsor:
GoToWebinar has been provided as an in-kind contribution from Bredbåndsfylket.

iasc web Do you want to be more involved in scientific activities at a circum-arctic and international level? If so then please consider applying to be an IASC Fellow!

The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) in cooperation with APECS are introducing a new Fellowship Program that invites applications from early career researchers to be involved in the IASC Working Groups (WGs). The IASC Fellowship Program will be offered every year and each year one Fellow will be chosen for each of the five IASC WGs for a 12-month period.

Fellows will actively participate in the activities of the WG both scientifically and organizationally. You will have the opportunity to gain valuable insights into the workings of IASC and develop your own skills and scientific network. Each WG has an annual meeting at the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) and each Fellow will receive funding to attend two of these meetings: one as an incoming Fellow and one as an outgoing Fellow. For more information click here.

For this round of applications, interested early career researchers have to fulfill the following criteria:

PhD student /candidate or postdoctoral researcher (up to 5 years past the PhD)
able to commit to participating in the activities of one of the IASC WGs for 12 months from April 2015 to April 2016.
able to attend the two upcoming ASSW meetings: ASSW 2015 in Toyama (Japan) from 23-30 April 2015, as well as the ASSW 2016 in Fairbanks (Alaska, USA) from 12-20 March 2016 (funding will be provided as part of the Fellowship Program)
located in an IASC member country (Austria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark / Greenland, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA)
have a good command of English

How to apply:
If you are interested in this amazing opportunity then please send us:

A full CV
A statement of interest including:
- your research background
- why you are interested in becoming an IASC Fellow
- which IASC WG you would like to join
- why you are interested in that particular WG

Please send your application to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than 12:00 GMT on 17 November 2014.

Applicants are also encouraged to submit an abstract to the ASSW 2015. Abstract submission deadline is on 10 November 2014.

The review of the applicants will be coordinated by APECS in close cooperation with the IASC Secretariat and the IASC WG Steering Groups.

Successful applicants will be notified in January at the latest.

Good luck!

It is our great pleasure to announce the APECS Council and Council subcommittee chairs for the 2014-15 term! Bios of all council members, including those who are serving as chairs of the various committees, can be viewed herehere.

This term the Council chairs will be Michael (Mika) Laiho and Hanne Nielsen and Hanne Nielsen. This is Michael’s second term as the council chair. He is half British, half Finnish, and is passionate about equality, and global environmental and social justice. Michael is based at Durham University, UK, and has a particular interest in political science and deconstructing the discourse on ‘Arctic space.’ Hanne is a PhD student at the University of Tasmania, working on cultural representations of Antarctica. She examines the narratives that have been told about Antarctica via both theatre and advertising. Hanne and Michael look forward to bringing researchers involved in both Polar Regions together to forge productive collaborations over the coming year.

The APECS Council also has three subcommittees: the Research Activities committee (RAC), the Membership Involvement committee (MIC) and the Education and Outreach committee (EOC). This term the RAC will be led by Rachel Downey and Alice Bradley. and Alice Bradley. Alice is based at the University of Colorado and is currently working in the Aerospace Engineering department, focusing on Remote Sensing, Earth and Space Sciences. Her research centers on in sea ice - ocean - atmosphere interactions in environments with partial sea ice cover using unmanned aircraft as a sensing platform. Rachel is based at Naturmuseum Senckenberg in Germany. She is a PhD student researching the ecological impacts of environmental change on sponge communities, specifically the biological impacts of the Larsen AB ice-shelf collapse in Antarctica, and has broad skills in Southern Ocean marine taxonomy. Alice and Rachel look forward to advancing the Research Activities committee over the coming year.

For the 2014/15 terms the MIC will be led by Silvia Lourenço and Elena Kuznetsovaand Elena Kuznetsova. Silvia is a Marine Biologist with a MSc in ecology, management and modeling of marine resources from the University Nova de Lisboa. She is in the final steps of defending her PhD thesis and currently holds a grant at the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere to study the effect of environmental factors in the life cycle of cephalopods. Elena is a postdoctoral researcher at the Road and Transport group of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway. Her main topic is frost heaving with special application to roads in cold climate regions. Elena is also an IASC (International Arctic Science Committee) fellow in the Cryosphere Working Group (CWG) and a member of PYRN ExCom. Elena and Silvia take the lead on several exciting membership involvement projects, so if you would like to be involved, please get in touch.

Finally, the EOC will be chaired by Laura Kelvin and Francyne Elias-Piera and Francyne Elias-Piera. Laura is a PhD candidate at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. Her research sees her take an archaeological ethnographic approach to explore how perceptions of the past and archaeological research vary within the Inuvialuit community of Sachs Harbour, NWT. As a result, she hopes to determine how archaeology can best complement Inuvialuit understandings of the past. Francyne has worked with the Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR) with Antarctic Macro fauna since 2000. She has taught science in both Elementary and Secondary Schools, and is currently in the final year of her PhD program at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain), where she works with trophic relationships using different biomarkers (Stable isotope, biochemical balance and fatty acids) and investigates how climate change affects these interactions. Laura and Francyne will take charge of Education and Outreach, bring in the polar region into the lives of many all over the world with the help of APECS members on several continents.

 If you would like to know more about our new chairs, please check out their bios on the Council webpage. We have a diverse range of people represented this coming year: geographically, in terms of career stage, and in terms of experience with APECS. We look forward to the new energy and initiatives our 2014/15 council members and chairs have to offer!

assw banner icarp3 banner

We invite you to submit abstracts to the session C5: Advances in Transdisciplinary Arctic Research: Progress on Building Collaborative Agendas for Research Supporting Solutions for Sustainability as part of the ISAR-4 / ICARP III Symposium within the ASSW 2015 to be held in Toyama, Japan on April 27-30 2015. The Symposium will address the overarching themes "Rapid change of the Arctic climate system and its global influence" (ISAR-4) and "Integrating Arctic Research: a Roadmap for the Future" (ICARP III).

For more information and to submit your abstract to this session please visit:

http://isar-4.jp/abstract.html

Please note the deadline for abstract submission is November 10, 2014.

Nikolaus Gantner at AMAP Meeting 3 The 28th Working Group meeting of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program under the Arctic Council took place in Whitehorse, Yukon September 15-18. Canada chairs the Arctic Council in 2013-2015, and is this hosting a variety of Working Group meetings across Canada’s North. In Whitehorse, the AMAP working group meeting was held in conjunction with a meeting of the Working Group on the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME). The two groups held a joint session, which was attended by both group’s delegates. APECS was once again invited to participate and APECS member Nikolaus Gantner was able to attend the meeting as a representative. This is what he reported back from the meeting:

"Right off the bat, I can say that I was genuinely impressed by the high level of the meeting and its formal process. For example, heads of delegates refer to each other by the Country’s name, much like at a UN meeting. I myself was addressed as ‘APECS’.

Much of the first day of the AMAP meeting was spent agreeing on realistic deliverables derived from a series of policy recommendations made following the recently completed Persistent Organic Pollution (POPs) Assessment. This step is important, as it ensures knowledge generated during this recently completed assessment into actions that will make a difference for contamination with POPs in the Arctic regions. The POPs Assessment report triggered much debate. The very interesting prospect of the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the Arctic led to a lively discussion as well. Interesting from an APECS-perspective is the ‘Adaptation Actions for a Changing Arctic’ (AACA) project, which already provided some opportunities for direct involvement of APECS members.

Nikolaus Gantnter at AMAP Meeting 2 2 Over the second and third day, recent progress and future efforts on the AMAP secretariat were detailed. Details of and contributions to the upcoming Arctic Biodiversity Congress (Trondheim, December 2014) and Arctic Change 2014 Meeting (Ottawa, December 2014) were also discussed. APECS will be present at both meetings and will be organizing social event, sessions and career panels at them. Much of the efforts to determining follow-up from this AMAP meeting and timelines thereof were driven by the nearing Task Force meetings and the Arctic Council meeting in Iqaluit in April of 2015. Canada will then hand the chairmanship to the United States for 2015-2017.

Near the end of the meeting, I was able to give a brief presentation behalf of APECS membership (of ~4800) on APECS outreach activities and highlight recent publications by APECS Canada members. The AMAP Secretariat and meeting Chair commended APECS on its outreach efforts, a compliment that I am happy to pass on to you all! Moreover, there might be exciting opportunities for APECS members to get involved in AMAP, so stay tuned! Whitehorse was an excellent location for this meeting, and welcomed the international delegates who all seemed to be enjoying themselves!"

We are pleased to announce two webinars motivated by the recent 2014 SCAR Open Science Conference and the upcoming Antarctica Day(1 December). Details of the first webinar are outlined below and details of the second webinar (to be held in November) will follow shortly.

In conjunction with this webinar series we have also launched a new Antarctic Social Sciences webpage . This page contains a basic introduction to Antarctic social sciences and links and abstracts for key book and journal articles. Video recordings of the webinars will be added once completed. If you have any additional resources or ideas for the webpage then please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.!

Live webinars will be hosted with the GoToWebinar platform and you can sign-up to attend the first webinar by clicking the link below:

Monday October 13th @ 9am NZDT (Sunday 12th October, 8pm GMT)
Webinar ID: 599899784
Webinar registration: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/599899784

Topics and speakers:

SCAR Social Sciences Expert Group by Daniela Liggett
Daniela Liggett is a lecturer at Gateway Antarctica (The University of Canterbury) and is currently the co-chair of the SCAR Social Sciences Action Group. She is particularly interested in qualitative research, which crosses different disciplines and challenges conventional research paradigms. Daniela’s research interests include environmental management and tourism regulation in extreme environments, tourism and development, as well as research into interdisciplinary methodologies and education in general. She will introduce the role of Social Sciences within SCAR and outline her own research interests.

Perspectives on Antarctic conservation: A common pool resource framework approach by Gabriela Gomez-Fell
‘The commons’ are at the core of many of the world's most pressing environmental issues, from climate change to biodiversity loss. Few places illustrate the complexities of a global commons better than Antarctica, where challenges such as ocean acidification, economic utilisation of natural resources and threats to its unique biodiversity imply a ‘tragedy’ in the making. My study utilises two contrasting common pool resource management frameworks to understand stakeholder perspectives on both the current and future state of Antarctic conservation.

Sponsors:
GoToWebinar has been provided as an in-kind contribution from Bredbåndsfylket.

PEI logo Polar Educators International (PEI), a vibrant network promoting polar education and research to a global community, (http://www.polareducator.org) is pleased to announce the second in the new Master Class series targeting a dual audience:

· Educators seeking cutting-edge professional development on the latest science discoveries

· Researchers interested in learning proven strategies for communicating scientific concepts in a clear and meaningful way to non-technical audiences

The class: Natural and Anthropogenic (that pesky word!) Climate Impacts: Evidence from Ice Cores.

Featuring leading researcher, Dr. Joe McConnell and polar educator, Ms. Linda Morris, the class is being offered free to all participants. Membership in PEI is required for participation in Master Class activities. Registrations are due by 25 October 2014, with the initial web seminar taking place Wednesday, 29 October 2014 at 2000 GMT. A two-week online discussion forum 30 October- 14 November 2014 will follow the web seminar.

Further information on how to participate is available at: http://www.polareducator.org/activities/master-class

Arctic and Antarctic weather and climate prediction and predictability issues are high up on the polar (research) communities' agenda. A vast amount of information is available in different media. To help connect sending and receiving parties, a dedicated electronic mailing list tailored to people interested in Arctic and Antarctic prediction and predictability is being set up. We will strive to keep you informed about upcoming events, recent findings, new papers and developments.

To be added to the list, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line: subscribe prediction
mailing list.

Members of the list will be able to post directly. If you are not a member and you would like to send something, please send your message to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The North Atlantic-Arctic Planning Workshop organizing committee
announces that the draft North Atlantic-Arctic System Science Plan is
now available for public comment.

The international workshop, which convened in April 2014, provided a
forum to discuss the state of science in the North Atlantic-Arctic
system and begin planning the next phase of interdisciplinary research,
with an emphasis on mechanisms to facilitate international
collaboration. A meeting report summarizing key discussions that took
place at this workshop was published in the 2 September 2014 issue of
Eos

The outcome of this workshop will be a community-vetted science plan
that outlines a core vision for advancing the next phase of research on
the North Atlantic-Arctic system and strengthening international
collaborations within and between the European Union and North America.
The science plan will be finalized by early 2015, and will be used by
U.S. and international funding agencies for planning and coordination of
future North Atlantic-Arctic research opportunities.

Deadline for submitting comments: Friday, 17 October 2014.

Comments may be submitted via email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For further information and to download the draft science plan, please
go to: http://www.whoi.edu/website/NAtl_Arctic/.

To read the EOS meeting report abstract, please go to:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2014EO350007/abstract.

arcus logo 75 The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) and International
Arctic Science Committee (IASC) announce a call for input to the Arctic
Calendar.

The Arctic Calendar is an online searchable calendar of conferences,
lectures, webinars, and field trainings relevant to the Arctic science,
education, and policy communities. It is a community resource for
tracking and publicizing major Arctic events and conferences and for
helping to avoid conflicting meeting dates. The calendar is maintained
and hosted ARCUS in collaboration IASC.

To maintain the calendar's usefulness as a communication and planning
tool ARCUS and IASC encourage anyone organizing a meeting to submit the
event for inclusion on the calendar. They also welcome other Arctic
organizations to link to the Arctic Calendar.

To view the Arctic Calendar, please go to:
http://www.arcus.org/events/arctic-calendar.

For further information about ARCUS, please go to:http://www.arcus.org/.

For further information about IASC, please go to:http://www.iasc.info.

To submit events via the online form, please go to:
http://www.arcus.org/events/arctic-calendar/submit.

Or, contact:

Judy Fahnestock

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The EU is inextricably linked to the Arctic region by a unique combination of history, geography, economics and scientific achievements (COM (2008) 763 final). Three Arctic countries are EU Member States (Denmark, Sweden and Finland) and the EU maintains close relations with Iceland and Norway through the European Economic Area. Canada, Russia and the United States are also strategic partners of the EU. The European Commission has set out the EU's interests in the Arctic and has proposed action around three main policy objectives: 1) Protecting and preserving the Arctic in unison with its population; 2) Promoting sustainable use of resources; 3) Contributing to enhanced Arctic multilateral governance (COM (2008) 763 final). However, the best way to ensure that the EU's interests are protected and that the policies it pursues are adopted has not been mapped out. While the EU is willing to pursue its involvement within the relevant international framework (e.g., the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and Convention on Biological Diversity) on Arctic issues such as climate change, biodiversity, ecosystem-based management, persistent organic pollutants, marine protected areas, energy, fisheries, tourism, international navigation and indigenous people (JOIN (2012) 19 final), choices must be made as to which policy avenue to pursue. How these choices are to be made and which avenues are the best to pursue its policy objectives are some of the many questions which have yet to be fully addressed by scholars.

Call for abstracts

This conference will bring together academics and practitioners from relevant disciplines such as international law, international relations, political science and marine biology, NGOs, representatives from EU institutions and international organizations to discuss the EU's potential contribution to enhance Arctic governance. A roadmap for increasing the effectiveness of the EU's action in the Arctic will be drawn at the end of the conference. This conference is timely as the Council of the European Union recently (Council conclusions on developing a European Union Policy towards the Arctic Region, 24 May 2014) requested the European Commission and the High Representative to present proposals for the further development of an integrated and coherent Arctic Policy by December 2015.

Abstracts of no more than 400 words should be emailed to Dr. Nengye Liu (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by 15 January 2015. All abstracts will be peer-reviewed. Selected speakers will be notified by 31 January 2015. It is anticipated that an edited book of papers from the conference will be published in 2016.

For more detailed information, visit: http://www.dundee.ac.uk/law/events/details/call-for-papers--the-european-union-and-the-arctic-2015-eu-arctic-conference.php

SCAR logo white background The latest issue of the SCAR newsletter is now available, the first of 2014. The considerable work involved in creating the new website and preparations for the XXXIII SCAR Meetings and OSC in Auckland have made it impossible to issue one until now. This bumper edition covers:

• SCAR focus on . . . the Antarctic Environments Portal
• Results of the 1st Antarctic and Southern Ocean Science Horizon Scan
• SCAR News and Announcements
• Antarctic Science News
• Tributes to Phil Smith and Martha Muse
• An update from APECS
• Forthcoming SCAR Meetings

... and more!

The newsletter is available to view and download from the SCAR website at
www.scar.org/scar_media/documents/news/newsletters/SCARnewsletter36_Sep2014.pdf
or go to http://www.scar.org/scar-newsletter

Two Antarctic organisations have joined forces to launch Fellowships for early career researchers. The Fellowships are worth up to $US15,000 each and 6 Fellowships (4 SCAR, 2 COMNAP) were awarded in 2014. The SCAR Fellowships are awarded to: Jaimie Cleeland (Australia), Camila Negrão Signori (Brazil), Fiona Shanhun (New Zealand) and Manoj M.C. (India). The COMNAP Fellowships are awarded to: Sandra Potter (Australia) and Keith Soal (South Africa).

This year, 25 applications were received. The winners of the SCAR Fellowships will carry out a range of scientific research in areas including long-term mark–recapture data on albatrosses, microbial diversity in the Southern Ocean, CO2 flux in Antarctic Dry Valley soils and biomarker based reconstruction of late Quaternary palaeoceanographic conditions. The COMNAP Fellowship recipients will carry out a project on topics of environmental policy and a technical project to understand ice loading on polar research vessels. Candidates come from a wide geographic spread of countries, and further detailed demographic information will be available on the SCAR website in the coming weeks.

The Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR) has been offering scientific fellowships to early career scientists since 2005. Such fellowships have enabled Antarctic scientists to participate in a range of significant research including using ice cores to determine proxies for the Southern Annular Mode, a molecular study of Antarctic ostracods, and investigating particulate carbon and biogenic silica in sea ice in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Since 2005, twenty-nine SCAR Fellowships have been awarded.

In 2011, the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) launched the Antarctic Research Fellowship Scheme, offering one fellowship for an early career person in order to carry out research within a COMNAP National Antarctic Program. With this year's awards, there have been two COMNAP Fellowships awarded for a total of six awards since the scheme began. The Fellowships support the scientific goals of SCAR and the international cooperation goal of COMNAP to develop and promote best practice in managing the support to Antarctic science. The
fellowships enable the early career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating research partnerships that last many years and over many Antarctic research seasons. Many of the projects' results were presented at the recent SCAR Open Science Conference held in Auckland, New Zealand in late August 2014.

Background information:
The Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR)
www.scar.org
Contact: Renuka Badhe, Executive Officer
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+44 7889719766

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is an inter-disciplinary committee of the International Council for Science (ICSU). SCAR is charged with initiating, developing and coordinating high quality international scientific research in the Antarctic region, and on the role of the Antarctic region in the Earth system. The scientific business of SCAR is conducted by its Standing Scientific Groups which represent the scientific disciplines active in Antarctic research and report to SCAR. In addition to carrying out its primary scientific role, SCAR also provides objective and independent scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings and other organizations on issues of science and conservation affecting the management of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

The Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP)
www.comnap.aq
Contact: Michelle Rogan-Finnemore, Executive Secretary
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+643 364-2273

COMNAP brings together the National Antarctic Programs of 29 Antarctic Treaty countries. Formed in 1988, the purpose of COMNAP is to develop and promote best practice in managing the support of scientific research in Antarctica. It does this by: Serving as a forum to develop practices that improve effectiveness of activities in an environmentally responsible manner; Facilitating and promoting international partnerships; Providing opportunities and systems for information exchange; and Providing the Antarctic Treaty System with objective and practical, technical and non-political advice drawn from the National Antarctic Programs' pool of expertise.

apecs logo web APECS is excited to announce that another leadership term has begun on 1 October 2014!

APECS Executive Committee 2014-2015:

APECS’ seventh Executive Committee (ExCom) is now in place and ready to continue to shape the polar world.

Ivan Dubinenkov (Alfred-Wegener Institute, Germany)
Ruth Hindshaw (University of St. Andrews, United Kingdom)
Heather Mariash (McGill University, Canada)
Jean-Sébastien Moore (Université Lavel, Canada)
Tristy Vick-Majors (Montana State University, United States)

have been elected to form the ExCom, the main leadership body of APECS. Jennifer Provencher (Canada) and Yulia Zaika (Russia) will serve as ex-officios and support the new ExCom over the coming year. And of course, Gerlis Fugmann, the APECS Executive Director will continue to support and foster the group from the directorate office in Tromsø, Norway.

More information on the APECS 2014-2015 Executive Committee can be found here.

APECS President 2014-2015:

With a new term, comes a new president, and this year Jean-Sébastien Moore will be taking on this role. Jean-Sébastien is a postdoc at Laval University in Québec City. He has been doing research in the Canadian Arctic since 2008 working on Arctic char, an important fish for the Inuit people. His current research integrates the use of genomic tools with acoustic telemetry to track the migrations of commercially exploited stocks of char. He has been involved with APECS for several years, first as a founding board member of APECS Canada, as an APECS Council member, and as an ExCom vice-president in 2013-2014.

APECS Council 2014-2015:

This year the APECS council is made up of 23 very enthusiastic members from 11 countries: Jennifer Balmer (USA), Erik Behrens (New Zealand), Roxanne Beltran (USA), Alice Bradley (USA), Archana Dayal (India), Rachel Downey (Germany), Francyne Elias Peira (Spain), Ellyn Enderlin (USA), Dave Grant (USA), Laura Elena Kelvin (Canada), Alia Khan (USA), Minkyoung Kim (South Korea), Elena Kuznetsova (Norway), Michael Laiho (UK), Sílvia Lourenco (Portugal), Adam Naito (USA), Hanne Nielsen (Australia), Daria Shapovalova (UK), Laura Fleming-Sharp (USA), Zuzanna Swirad (UK), Anna Varfolomeeva (Russia/Hungary), Amanda Winegardner (Canada), Scott Zolkos (Canada)

Additionally, Russell Fielding (USA), Christie Logvinova (USA / Russia), Allen Pope (USA), Kim Jochum (USA), Silje-Kristin Jensen (Norway), Tosca Ballerini (France), and Mariette Wheeler (South Africa) remain on the Council in ex-officio roles.

More information on the APECS 2014-2015 Council can be found here.

SAVE THE DATE

Sea Ice Prediction Network Webinar

Sea Ice Outlook: Post-season Discussion

Thursday, 9 October 2014

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. AKDT

For further information about the Sea Ice Outlook or Sea Ice Prediction

Network, please go to: http://www.arcus.org/sipn

Or contact:

Betsy Turner-Bogren

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

--------------------

The Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN) announces an open webinar focused

on post-season analysis and discussion of the 2014 Sea Ice Outlook

(SIO). The SIO produces reports in June, July, and August that

synthesize a variety of predictions and perspectives on the arctic sea

ice minimum. More information about SIO, including this year's reports,

is available at: http://www.arcus.org/sipn/sea-ice-outlook.

This webinar will provide a venue for discussion of the 2014 SIO,

including processes that influenced sea ice melt this year and a review

of the differing approaches to predicting the sea ice minimum extent.

The webinar is open to all interested participants, including sea ice

researchers, students, decision-makers, and others.

The webinar is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. AKDT

(12:00-1:00 p.m. PDT, 1:00-2:00 p.m. MDT, 2:00-3:00 p.m. CDT,

and 3:00-4:00 p.m.EDT) on Thursday, 9 October 2014. More details,

including registration instructions, will be announced closer to the event.

The webinar will be archived and available online after the event.

For further information about the Sea Ice Outlook or Sea Ice Prediction

Network, please go to: http://www.arcus.org/sipn.

For questions, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren at ARCUS

(This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

********************

Hi APECS members,

The first snow has fallen here in Tromsø, so winter is definitely slowly but surely on its way in beautiful Northern Norway where our APECS Directorate is located. The last few months have been very busy in the APECS office and for our leadership and many volunteers. Some of the highlights I want to point out in my message this time are:

One of the highlights this summer was the 2014 SCAR Open Science Conference in Auckland, New Zealand in late August. APECS organised three very successful events together with partners: a Science Communications Workshop together with Polar Educators International(PEI), a networking cruise with the SCAR AntClim21 (Antarctic Climate Change in the 21st Century) as well as the Antarctic Environments Portal& APECS workshop. It was great to see so many of you there!

APECS has been busy working with some of our partners to create to more opportunities for early career researchers. I would like to point out the ongoing calls you find in the Feature News section to have early career co-coveners for the IACS Symposia during the 26th IUGG General Assembly as well as the opportunity for one early career researcher to join the Steering Committee of one of SCAR’s Scientific Research Programmes, the Astronomy and Astrophysics from Antarctica (AAA). APECS will continue to work with our partners on many more opportunities for our members over the next year, so keep an eye on our website and emails!

The APECS website is one of our most important platforms to provide information and resources to our members. We are currently working with our partner, the Arctic Portalin Iceland on creating a completely new website to display the content even better and help you find what APECS has to offer more easily. The new website will be launched in fall / winter 2014.

Last but not least: APECS is celebrating International Polar Week September 2014 at the moment and we want to encourage all of you to join us doing so! Some of our National Committees are very actively organising events around the world and any of you can do the same! Find our more information on Polar Week September 2014 here http://www.apecs.is/en/outreach/polar-week/polar-week-september-2014

Cheers

Gerlis

We have another great volunteer opportunity for one of you!

Astronomy and Astrophysics from Antarctica (AAA) is one of the Scientific Research Programmes of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), one of APECS long-term partner organisations. The objectives of Astronomy & Astrophysics from Antarctica are to coordinate astronomical activities in Antarctica in a way that ensures the best possible outcomes from international investment in Antarctic astronomy, and maximizes the opportunities for productive interaction with other disciplines. Their scope also includes astronomy from the Arctic, so someone with research interests in this area would also be eligible. For more information on SCAR AAA go to http://www.astronomy.scar.org/

We are looking for an early career researcher to join the Steering Committee of the SCAR AAA. Ideally this early career researcher would serve on the SCAR AAA Steering Committee until the end of 2016.

If you are interested in this opportunity and your research background would fit this group, please send a statement of interest, description of your research background and CV to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by no later than 1 October 2014.

If you have any questions please contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) are looking for early career researchers to be co-conveners for several sessions of the IACS Symposia during the 26th IUGG (International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics) General Assembly 2015 that will take place from 22 June - 2 July 2015 in Prague, Czech Republic.

The sessions that need early career co-conveners are:

C01 GLIMS and the Randolph Glacier Inventory: where Do We Go from Here?
C04 Modelling of Mountain Glaciers, Past and Future
C06 Ice Sheet and Ocean Interactions on Multiple Scales
C07 Understanding Linkages between Different "Elements" of the High-Latitude Cryosphere
C11 Climate Downscaling for Modelling Glacier Mass Balance
C15 Cryosphere, Atmosphere and Climate: Evaluation of the Cryosphere in CMIP5 Models
C16 Cryosphere, Atmosphere and Climate: The Cryosphere and Polar Amplification of Climate
C17 Challenges in Cryospheric Sciences: Past, Present and Future

You can find a more detailed description of each of those sessions including the information who the main conveners will be here http://www.iugg2015prague.com/iacs-symposia.htm

To apply to be a session co-convener, please fill out this form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1dNfpMOw_jh-syYLpCqsnnuHFSyO2dqqxeyk2FZbL0Go/viewform#start=invite no later than 28 September 2014.

APECS will be selecting the co-conveners from all applicants in cooperation with IACS and will inform the successful applicants in early October. If you have problems accessing this online form, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I will be emailing you a Word version.

APECS and the Polar Educators International (PEI) organised a full day workshop on science communication in the rooms of the University of Auckland. The workshop was well attended with around 50 participants. Although early career scientists made up the majority of participants, some senior scientists and teachers joined in as well. Themes APECS and PEI had chosen to address in the workshop were purposely broad and diverse. In six different thematic sessions, the workshop aimed to works out, in an interactive manner, various ways how science can be communicated. After Sira Engelbertz welcomed everyone to the workshop, Gerlis Fugmann (APECS) and Sarah Bartholow (PEI) introduced the two host organisations. On behalf of PEI, Sarah Bartholow and Heidi Roop presented the Art of Communicating in the Classroom. Early career scientists Hanne Nielsen, Lorna Little and Kimberley Collins talked about The Power of Social Media and how to make use of podcasts, blogs or twitter. Lecturer Jenny Rock and her students Ellen Sima and Lydia McLean introduced Multiple Methods for Creative Communication. Artists and academics Megan Jenkinson and Ruth Watson shared their experience with the medium Photography and how it sometimes expresses more than words can. Dacia Herbulock and Peter Griffin from the Science Media Centre NZ gave an important lesson on Media 101: The Do’s and Don’ts When Interacting With the Media. Rhian Salmon and Anton Van de Putte addressed the aspect of In-Reach (as opposed to outreach) in terms of better information exchange within and across disciples. Overall, the workshop was very well perceived and a great success. This was also due to COMANP and Antarctica New Zealand, who sponsored the workshop as well to all volunteers including Tristy Vick-Majors, Meagan Dewar and Holly Winton.

The Antarctic Environments Portal – short: the Portal – is a promising project that aims to link Antarctic scientific research and knowledge with Antarctic policy-making through an online platform. Although a beta version this online platform of was already released earlier this year, the Portal is still under development. In this critical phase, the Portal-project team asked for feedback and ideas from early career scientists. For this purpose, Birgit Njåstad (Portal project manager) together with Sira Engelbertz (APECS) co-convened a workshop to discuss various issues around the Portal project. Ewan McIvor (CEP Chair) started off explaining why policy makers need access to scientific information, followed by Neil Gilbert’s brief introduction to the Portal. Core of the workshop, however, were the group discussions. Our five invited mentors – Neil Gilbert, Fraser Morgan, Steven Chown, Jose Xavier and David Walton – discussed each with small groups of 5-7 early career scientists following issues: technical design of the Portal, incentivising researchers to contribute to the Portal, how to ensure policy use, how to communicate complex science in a simple, yet comprehensive manner, and how to ensure an appropriate editing and review process. The workshop was perceived as a great success with a happy Portal project team about the information gained from the group discussion. 25 early career scientists and participants of the workshop received a NZ$ 50 scholarship each, which was kindly provided by the Norwegian government.

The IASC-INTERACT-CliC-AMAP GEO cross-disciplinary workshop on "Arctic snow cover changes and their consequences" will be in Copenhagen on the 16-17th of October this year. The organizers would like to invite 1 or 2 APECS members to join the meeting and to contribute to the work of the committee both during and after the event. Funding for travel is available and further details can be found here.

If you have the appropriate background and would like to apply for this opportunity. Please send us your CV and a brief statement of interest by Tuesday, September 23ndto This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

All early career researchers planning on attending Arctic Frontiers 2015 in Tromsø, Norway from 18 - 23 January 2015 here are some great opportunities for you:

1) Volunteers needed for Arctic Frontiers 2015

Arctic Frontiers is looking for the right group of people to contribute to the continual success of making the Arctic Frontiers Conference the main platform for international discourse in the high north. To be able to continue this work we are dependent upon a devoted team of volunteers.If you are interested in this exclusive opportunity, please send an email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with a short description of yourself and your background. Please include a description of your technical and language skills as well as any relevant experience you might have. For more information on the volunteer opportunities during Arctic Frontiers go to http://www.arcticfrontiers.com/2015-conference/volunteers

2) Young Scientist Forum PhD/student workshop

In concert with Arctic Frontiers, the ARCTOS network arranges a student workshop – "BIO-8516 Arctic Frontiers PhD/student workshop" (master students may apply, but PhD students are prioritized). As part of the workshop, students have to participate in the entire conference, political and scientific part and give a presentation (oral or poster). After the conference, they will embark on a 5 day seminar to Lofoten, during which they will prepare a proposal for funding to an imaginary research grant. During the workshop there will be lectures about proposal writing as well cultural events. Travel and conference funding is available for workshop participants. For more information on the workshop go to http://www.arcticfrontiers.com/2015-conference/young-scientist-forum-2015/phd-workshop-2015

3) More Young Scientist Forum activities in cooperation with APECS

APECS is a partner to Arctic Frontiers and is contributing as every year to the Young Scientists Forum. Information on our planned activities will be announced in the coming weeks.

The 9th Arctic Frontiers conference will be held in Tromsø, Norway, with the title: Climate and Energy, from Sunday 18 January to Friday 23 January 2015. The Arctic Frontiers conference is a central arena for discussions of Arctic issues. The conference brings together representatives from science, politics, and civil society to share perspectives on how upcoming challenges in the Arctic may be addressed to ensure sustainable development. Arctic Frontiers is composed of a policy section and a scientific section.

Arctic Frontiers has published its September Newsletterwith important information for all of you that are planning on attending the conference.

Dear Colleagues,

Every year around spring, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) publishes its yearbook. Around 1500 copies of the IASC bulletin are widely circulated by mail and distributed at the Arctic Science Summit Week. For graphics and photographs we depend solely on what our council members, related research institutes and scientists themselves send us. For the publication of the yearbook 2015, which will appear in April next year, and other IASC publications such as the website, brochure and calendar, we are looking for new photographs. We welcome images depicting all areas of arctic science: ranging from scientists in the field, animals, landscapes, to everyday life on the work floor and much, much more.

With each photo we would appreciate:

• a short description about what we see and background information on the project/research;

• place;

• name of photographer / Institute;

• contact information.

If you have any further questions feel free to contact me (e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by telephone: 0049 331 288 2214 ). For more information on our publications and work, you can visit our website at www.iasc.info

Thank you and best wishes,

Mare

Mare Pit, Executive Officer
International Arctic Science Committee (IASC)
Telegrafenberg A43, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
Secretariat +49-331-2882214
Direct +49-331-2882212
Fax +49-331-2882215
www.iasc.info

The International Arctic Science Committee has published its latest IASC Progress newsletter. This special fall issue is dedicated to the 3rd International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP III) and includes:

short summaries of ICARP III events that occurred during the last few months,
an outlook on upcoming activities,
the perspectives of new ICARP III partner organizations and
an introduction to the forward-looking Horizon Scan conducted by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR)
We hope you will enjoy the reading.

For more information on ICARP III, please visit the website at icarp.iasc.info

The final ICARP III Conference will take place from April 27-30 2015 in Toyama, Japan. More details are available at assw2015.org

The 2014 board meeting of the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) working group fo the Arctic Council took place August 25-28 in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. APECS was once again invited to participate, and I was able to attend the meeting as a representative. Much of the first day of the meeting was spent agreeing on realistic deliverables deriving from a series of 17 policy recommendations made following the recently completed Arctic Biodiversity Assessment. This is obviously extremely important in terms of translating the knowledge generated during this landmark assessment into actions that will make a difference for endangered biodiversity in the Arctic regions. Details of the upcoming Arctic Biodiversity Congress in Trondheim in December were also discussed. APECS will be present at the congress and will be organizing social events and a session on education and outreach, so if you have an interest in biodiversity, you should definitely consider attending! Finally, recent progress and future efforts on the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) were detailed. There might be exciting opportunities for APECS members to get involved, so stay tuned! It was also a lot of fun to see the small Northern community of Cambridge Bay come together to welcome the international delegates who all seemed to be enjoying themselves tremendously!

Jean-Sébastien Moore

The International Permafrost Association (IPA) and the Climate and Cryosphere project (CliC) are seeking your input. We invite you to participate in a survey on 'Permafrost Research Priorities', which aims at identifying the top priorities in permafrost research. The process will span much of 2014 engaging the research community and will result in a short publication listing and putting into context research priorities. The document shall become the benchmark against which permafrost research should be gauged starting in 2015. The final document of priorities will be sent to national and international funding agencies, international organizations, policy makers, and others with interests in supporting permafrost research. It will form one of the outputs of the International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP III).

We are interested in collecting forward-looking research questions (max. 3) from individuals with professional interests in understanding physical, biogeochemical, ecological, and social processes that affect permafrost areas in the Arctic, the Antarctic and in mountain regions.

The following link will guide you to the survey and detailed background information on the PRP process:
http://permafrostpriorities.org

The survey will take ~10 minutes of your time. Guidelines for creating a good question are below:
1. Need to be answerable through a realistic research design (which can rely on future technological developments),
2. Need to have a factual answer that does not depend on value judgments,
3. Need to address important gaps in knowledge and/or technology,
4. Need to have a spatial and temporal scope that could reasonably be addressed by a research team or a consolidated research program,
5. Should not be formulated as a general topic area (e.g. geomorphology, ecology)
6. Should not be answerable with 'it all depends',
7. Except if questioning a precise statement ('does the Earth go round the sun?'), should not be answerable by yes or no (i.e. not 'is X better for permafrost than Y'),
8. If related to impact and interventions, should contain a subject, an intervention and a measurable outcome.

IPA, CliC and the PRP Core Group welcome and value your ideas!

The window for input will remain open until September 20, 2014.

After the deadline has passed, the PRP Core Group will work to group questions into various themes. Once that is complete, the next step in the process will involve voting by the community to help select the most important questions. If you entered your email when you submitted your questions, you will receive an invitation to help us rank the priorities. We hope you will continue to be engaged in this important process.

Please feel free to share this email and the link with any of your colleagues who you think may be interested. Questions can be directed to Karina Schollaen, Executive Director of the IPA (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Jenny Baeseman, Director of CliC (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

It's only with the generous help of individuals like you that our overview of global permafrost research priorities can be successful.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Karina Schollaen and Jenny Baeseman,

on behalf of the Permafrost Research Priorities Core Group