The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS), the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) Collaborations, and University of California, Irvine host a virtual Arctic Research Funders Meet and Greet networking event. The Arctic Research Funders Meet and Greet will provide an informal opportunity for Arctic researchers to connect with multiple agency program officers to gain insight into each organization’s Arctic research interests. The event has been planned using a “speed networking” format that will allow representatives from each funding organization to meet with small groups of up to 10 people for approximately 10-15 minutes at a time. Researchers will be invited to move between breakout rooms hosted by agency staff in a round-robin small group format.

This event is sponsored by the Wilson Center and the Arctic Domain Awareness Center. The purpose of the discussion is to gain a diversity of views from current and retired military officers who have unique insights on the emerging defense and security environment across the Trans-Atlantic Arctic region. USARC Commissioner Major General Randy “Church” Kee is one of the event moderators.

This PRELUDE Session puts focus on the Role of Japan in Arctic Cooperation. This event is part of the Arctic Circle conference. Speakers: H.E. YŌKO KAMIKAWA, Chief Secretary, Parliamentary League of Arctic Frontier Study; Minister of Justice, Japan; H.E. ÓLAFUR RAGNAR GRÍMSSON, Chairman Arctic Circle; President of Iceland 1996-2016; DR. ATSUSHI SUNAMI, President, Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

Canada has three oceans and the longest coastline in the world. Our nation’s blue economy depends on a strong Coast Guard fleet to keep mariners safe, protect our coasts and waterways, and deliver commercial goods and other vital services to Canadians. The recent growth in commercial shipping, the serious impacts of climate change, and increased maritime activity in the Arctic have all highlighted Canada’s need for a renewed Coast Guard fleet.

In March, David Kennedy was named by President Biden to serve as chair of the US Arctic Research Commission (USARC), a body that advises the White House and Congress on matters related to the Arctic. He originally joined the commission last December, appointed by then-President Donald Trump; all seven USARC members are Trump appointees. Biden has made mitigating climate change a critical priority for his administration. That stance could raise USARC’s visibility, responsibility, and potential influence. Kennedy brings decades of experience in the Arctic and in science administration to his new role. The well-being of Indigenous people, environmental sustainability, and climate change will be major focuses of the commission, he says.

This RCN team is creating a summer reading list that's both exhilarating & education - but doesn't require you to commit to reading a book a month. And we are looking for both authors to feature and members to engage as participants. What You'll Get as an Author: An opportunity to share your publication through a public webinar and discuss it with an intimate talkback with just our small Mih-RCN reading group. We'll help you promote your writing to our 700 members through custom graphics and support. What You'll Get as a Participant: A ready-made, light-commitment summer reading list of three to four reads, an opportunity to connect with authors of interesting publications, and reading group socials to make friends across the world.

Norway’s Foreign Minister, Ine Eriksen Søreide, now confirms her participation at the Arctic Council ministerial. The Norwegians are at the start of preparing their next chairmanship for 2023-2025, after Russia, which in Reykjavik will take over the chair from Iceland for the next two years period.

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 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.

IARPC has released a draft of the next five-year Arctic Research Plan, which will span from 2022-2026. We are now asking the public to comment on the draft plan by June 11, 2021. To provide additional information about the draft plan contents and development, we are hosting a series of one-hour information sessions. A webinar May 17, 10am AKT / 2pm PT will focus on Priority Area 4: Risk Management and Hazard Mitigation.

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.

On April 28th, 2021, former British Columbia Supreme Court Judge, Thomas Berger, passed away at 88 years of age. Berger leaves an enormous legacy in Canada and the world of achievements that stem from a lifetime dedicated to social justice. Three individuals who were intimately involved in one such achievement, the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry and its aftermath – Dene leader Stephen Kakfwi, and CBC reporters Whit Fraser and Marie Wilson – will come together to share stories of their time with Berger and to reflect on his legacy.

This event is hosted by Migration in Harmony Research Coordination Network. 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, that aims to illuminate polar research and achievements (past and present) 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, you will learn from Director Romani Makkik and Producer Dr. Shari Fox about strengths-based research and transforming the research process through critical reflection and new expression.

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.