The 14th Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region will be a digital conference. Stortinget, the Norwegian parliament, will host the conference together with the Standing Committee (SCPAR). The first Parliamentary Conference concerning Arctic cooperation was held in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1993. One of the main priorities of the Standing Committee was originally to support the establishment of the Arctic Council.

Free, three-day virtual conference focused on sustainable energy and energy efficiency research featuring guest speakers and panelists from Alaska and around the world. Sponsored by the US Arctic Research Commission with cosponsorship by the Cold Climate Housing Research Center, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and the Alaska Center for Energy and Power.

Last week, Egyptian crews finally freed the 1,300-foot cargo freighter Ever Given after it was stuck for six days in the Suez Canal, grinding much of international commerce to a halt. A week after it was cleared, transit through the canal has rebounded, but the incident illustrated the vulnerability of some global shipping chokepoints and the importance of alternate routes.

The United States Coast Guard seeks applicants for a policy advisor. The policy advisor will conduct intra- and interagency research and coordinate enterprise-wide oceans-related policy development efforts. Oceans-related policy matters include all areas and things of, on, under, relating to, adjacent to, or bordering on a sea, ocean or other navigable waterway including the related seabed, subsoil, natural resources and mineral rights. Among other responsibilities, the policy adviser will provide advice on maritime policy relating to the Nation’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), contiguous zone, territorial sea, continental shelf, the waters of the Great Lakes under U.S. jurisdiction, and other navigable waters of the U.S.

The Arctic Council and the Arctic Coast Guard Forum launched their Arctic Guardian 2021 exercise on Monday to test the ability of circumpolar countries to respond to marine incidents in the Far North. The scenario being practiced during the three-day exercise is the aftermath of a collision, due to human error, off the coast of northern Iceland between an oil tanker and an expeditionary cruise vessel carrying 250 passengers. The situation is being set in springtime when the waters would be filled with drifting sea ice.

A new study by a University of Copenhagen researcher finds that thawing permafrost in Alaska causes colder water in smaller rivers and streams. This surprising consequence of climate change could affect the survival of fish species in the Arctic's offshore waters.

Russia wants to stretch out imaginary lines on the ocean floor — and below it — and that has one northern security expert worried about consequences for other Arctic countries like Canada. Last week, Russia filed a submission to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to extend a claim to the Arctic Ocean seabed.

The Interior Department today named Raina Thiele as the department’s top official on Alaska issues. Thiele was President Obama’s lead tribal liaison and helped organize his landmark trip to Alaska in 2015. Thiele will be the first Alaska Native person to hold the position. She is Dena’ina Athabascan and Yup’ik.

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) has released a draft of the Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026 for public review in the Federal Register. 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. Download the plan and learn how to comment at iarpccollaborations.org/draft-plan.html

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee for a webinar and discussion to learn more about the U.S. Arctic Observing Network (US AON). The US AON brings federal agencies, academic researchers, and community partners to better coordinate U.S. observing system efforts. This webinar will include information about the US AON's work, recent accomplishments, and how to get involved.

IARPC has released a draft of the next five-year Arctic Research Plan, which will span from 2022-2026. To provide additional information about the draft plan contents and how the public can comment, IARPC is holding a series of one-hour informational sessions focused on different areas of the plan. A webinar on April 19, 10am AKT / 2pm ET, will focus on Priority Area 2: Arctic Systems Interactions.

This event is hosted by the Arctic Domain Awareness Center. This workshop will be an assessment of the future maritime transportation system of the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort sea regions.

The Japanese and Icelandic organizers of this ministerial continue to plan for an in-person ministerial, in Tokyo, but have moved the dates from November 21-22, 2020 to May 8-9, 2021 because of Covid-19. Since the last Arctic Science Ministerial in 2018, changes in the Arctic ecosystem and the resulting impacts locally and globally have been severely felt. Considering the need for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and repair measures, the relevance of an international Arctic Science Ministerial has never been greater. It is necessary to strengthen scientific cooperation and collaboration among both Arctic and non-Arctic States in order to develop our understanding of the rapid changes impacting the Arctic. The First Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM1) was hosted by the United States in 2016, and two years later, the Second Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM2) was co-hosted by Germany, Finland, and the European Commission. ASM3 will be co-hosted by Iceland and Japan.

DHS S&T's Centers of Excellence (COE) Summit is set and focused on Homeland Security Challenges: Evolving Threats & Dynamic Solutions. This event is a special opportunity for COE researchers to connect and network with DHS components, federal, state, and local stakeholders, as well as industry partners to present current and emerging solutions to threats and challenges faced by DHS. Attendees can visit the Innovation Showcase, where COE and vendor partners showcase research breakthroughs, new products and tools to assist operational decision-makers and dynamic solutions to secure our Homeland.

ADAC will conduct the Center's Program Year 7 Annual meeting to focus on U.S. Coast Guard Project Champions, key stakeholders and the community of Arctic science and technology researchers. Included in the Program Year 7 Annual meeting are planned guest speakers from HQ U.S. Coast Guard, DHS S&T and senior Arctic Research leadership in Washington D.C.

For the first time, a Regional Conference on Permafrost will be combined with the bi-annual 19th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering. This conference is hosted by the US Permafrost Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the International Permafrost Association, the Permafrost Young Researchers Network, and the University of Colorado Boulder. A complete list of planned sessions is available here.

Organizers announce, that due to the coronavirus outbreak, the 2nd Symposium on Polar Microbes and Viruses has been postponed to 2022. This symposium will bring together molecular microbial ecologists specializing in different organism groups to share our latest results and discuss methodological problems, as well as future prospects in the field, including practical international collaborations. The environmental focus will be on cryospheric environments including sea ice, glaciers, ice sheets, and permafrost, but excellent research in other polar environments is also invited. The methods to be discussed will focus on 'omics' techniques, ranging from single cells to metagenomes, but research using additional methods is encouraged as well.