Polar and Alpine Community News

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 2021 are 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:

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 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.

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.

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 researchers from 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!

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.